Morgan's poem

Morgan once again won first prize for her age group in the West Roxbury poetry contest.  The theme of the contest this year is "Missing Pieces."  This is Morgan's poem:


 

DIALOGUE

 

by Morgana

 

“James?”

 

A girl’s voice

resonates from the corner

of the room.

 

She is crying

and afraid

 

. . . for no particular reason,

but tears always seem

to make things more dramatic.

 

“Mira? You okay?”

 

The boy rushed to the shaking shoulders

of his best friend

and held her tight

because

he wasn’t exactly sure

what else to do.

 

And as his secure arms fastened

around Mira’s neck

her worries melted away

to reveal

 

Her love and admiration for

the way he was able to comfort her

too easily.

 

James awkwardly

pulled himself away from her

 

But Mira watched him

let go gracefully.

 

“Thank you.”

 

Her two words

brought light to

his concerned face

and then

with bright red ears

he leaned over and kissed her--

just on the cheek, of course--

 

And sat next to her

and looked away

 

Until the next chapter,

in which we discover that

he already has a girlfriend.

Maia's poem

Maia's poem for the West Roxbury Library Poetry contest.  The theme of the contest this year is "Unexpected."  To get the full impact you really need to hear her read it, with excellent sound effects. 

UNEXPECTED

 

by

 

Maia Frost

 

 

Is it unexpected when bedbugs

Bite you while you’re asleep?

Or monsters jump out of your closet?

Or when  your little brother attacks you from behind?

 

Are those unexpected?

 

Or is it unexpected when you flip a page

And it rips?

Or when you fall out of a tree?

Or when someone asks you if you want a job?

 

Are those unexpected?

 

Is it unexpected when your laptop falls asleep?

Or when your cat comes out of nowhere?

Or when your pencil breaks in half?

 

Are those unexpected?

 

Unexpected

 

Morgan's poem

Morgan received an honorable mention for her age group in the West Roxbury Library Poetry contest for her poem "Namesake."  The theme of the contest this year is "Unexpected."  This is her third year in a row receiving an honorable mention or first place in her age group. 

Namesake

by

Morgana

“You are a clever woman, Morgana. But there is much you have left to learn,”

 Says Merlin.

(Excaliber, 1981.)

Morgana le Fay then replies,

With a sarcastic tone,

“Indeed.”

 

Here, I wonder:

 

Does she truly not believe

That there is no more

For her to learn?

 

Is this truly

The woman

 I was named after?

 

The woman

Who has a starring role in so many books, movies, poems,

Is the same woman

Who does not believe in learning?

 

Merlin,

Ignoring the sarcasm,

Says,

“Indeed.”

Right back at her.

“You have yet to learn…

That true love,

Like true friendship,

Is one of life’s sweetest miracles.”

 

Excaliber ends there, on that dreadful note,

saying that Morgana le Fay

Is oblivious

To the only things worth living for.

 

“You have much you have yet to learn,”

Says Merlin.

 

Is this truly

The woman

 I was named after?

 

I know Merlin’s lesson.

 

Don’t I?

My email to the Roslindale Pathways Advisory Group

All:

I assume that you all have heard the news that the Haley will be converting to a K-8. 

 

I am sending this email for three  reasons. 

 

First is to let the whole committee know how much I have enjoyed getting to know you in the past year.  You have become my friends and I look forward to seeing you at the Irving next year where my daughter will be a 6th grader, and to fighting to good fight for Boston kids with you.  And if anyone wants to get together for a drink from time to time . . . well, let’s just say I could use some more of that in my life.

 

Second, I want to say how I feel about the Haley K-8 conversion.  There have been many times in the past year when I felt caught in the middle.  I came to RPAG meetings in good faith, hoping to offer what I could to the pathway.  But about halfway through the year I became aware that the Haley was making a tremendous push to convert to a K-8 and that it had a pretty good chance of success.

 When I first learned of those plans, my first reaction was not particularly positive.  Partly because of the pathway and partly for personal reasons.  As much as my kids and I love the Haley, my 5th grader has been a bit stir crazy and is really looking forward to the increased opportunities the Irving will offer her. 

As the Haley’s RPAG representative, I tried to play a limited role of increasing communication between the two sides.  That put me in a position to listen to what both sides had to say.   And I came out of that process convinced that the K-8 was the best thing. 

 The parents who pushed for the K-8 are parents of kids with IEPs, and they spoke on behalf of many other parents of kids with IEPs who were largely unaware that there was even a push being made for a K-8.  I have known some of those kids since they were toddlers.  I think of one child I know who came to the Haley in a mid-level grade and has been there for two years now.  The improvements she has made has been remarkable.  When asked about her favorite thing about the Haley she said, “I made friends.”  This was something new for her.

 I understand that the Irving could technically teach all Haley students, and I understand that there are some special-needs students that the Haley cannot accommodate and the Irving can.  I believe I am quoting Karen when I say that the kids with IEPs that the Haley helps the most are those who are capable of being in a regular classroom 80 percent of the time. (I assume she’s right about that -- I really don’t know the details.)

 What I have come to understand is that for those kids a full-inclusion school is absolutely the best educational opportunity for them, academically and socially.  I believe their IEP’s say that.  That means no AWC and no subseparate classrooms and no missing electives for extra help with academics.  Those kids, like all kids, have the right to learn in an environment that is best for them.  And for those kids who full inclusion is not right for -- diversity of schools is a strength of the BPS. 

 (I don’t want this to be an argument about semantics.  I know full inclusion does not mean every kid no matter what special needs they have can come to this school.  It means that the kids in the school are not separated out from one another based on their special needs.)

 

I would also note that in sitting at RPAG meetings it often struck me that the Haley was not a particularly good fit with the other elementary schools. The curriculum seems very different. 

 Third, I am writing to ask for civility in this debate.  The Haley parents who fought for the K-8 are members of your community and you will be crossing paths with them for a long time to come.  Also, they are lovely people, just like all of you.

 

All of them, like every parent, wants what is best for their kids.  That does not make them “entitled.”  It makes them caring parents. 

 

The conversion to a K-8 does not make the Haley like a charter school.  It is a public school with union teachers.  It will participate in the same lottery as all the other schools and every kid will have the same chance of getting in as they have at any other school.  Kids with IEP’s the Haley cannot accommodate will not be assigned there any more than they would be assigned to a different BPS school that can’t accommodate them. 

 
The video presented to the school committee was not a “fancy video.”  No offense to the people who made it -- it was lovely -- but it’s just a parent-made video. 

 It is not the goal of these parents to take away resources from other schools or from other kids or to “jump the line” on k-8 conversion.  They made a presentation to the administration that was compelling. 

 

The fact that resources are limited does not mean that we should hold everyone down -- and yes, that is how some of the comments come across.  It means that we should all fight for more resources so that every kid gets the education they need and deserve.  I am committed to doing that, and I know all of you are. 

 

Nina

Maia's poem

This is a poem Maia wrote for a poetry contest . The theme of the contest was "Hidden Nature."  The poem she submitted was illustrated, but I can't figure out how to get the illustrations onto this blog.

SMALL NATURE 

by

Maia Frost

 

Flowers can be big or small,

But if you look closely,

You will see it all.

 

With roots, stems, petals, and leaves

Even pollen, and seeds.

 

Look around.

 

They might be camouflaged,

But look.

You might see

Bees, butterflies,

and maybe dragonflies.

 

The stripes on bees are smaller than bees.

Butterflies’ eyes are big enough to see

You and me.

The dragonfly’s emotion

Can cause a commotion,

Even though it’s quite small.

 

The flower can be home to it all.

 

Morgan's poem

Morgan won first place in her age group at the West Roxbury Public Library poetry competition for this poem.  The theme of the poetry contest is "Hidden Nature."

Small Things

                                                                    by Morgana Frost

 

Small things,

Hidden away,

Behind the wall,

Next to the tree,

Waiting, waiting,

For someone

To discover their secrets.

 

Small things,

A snail with a spiral shell,

A flower with exactly twelve petals,

No more, no less.

A blackbird’s  feather,

A leaf the color of sunset,

Wanting, wanting,

To be found.

These secrets are shared.

 

 

Small things,

Things that are not cared for,

A mother wren’s old shell,

A fox’s blood on the soiled ground,

A blade of grass,

Waving, waving,

In the gentle breeze.

A small thing,

Waiting all it’s life,

For freedom.

Small things,

Yet there are others,

Such as who likes who,

Or what your friends say

Behind your back.

Needing, needing,

To be hidden.

These small secrets

Are not meant to be-

Or maybe do not want to be-

Shared.

 

But secrets,

Little things,

A cat with no tail,

A dog with a round bone,

Two identical flowers,

These small secrets,

Are meant to be shared.

They are waiting,

Now and forever,

For someone...

 

Is it you?

Little Mermaid rant

Here's an essay I wrote lo these many years ago.  Click on the text to be able to read it better.