Congrats 2010 Graduates!

Way to go Scott, Jecenia, Sunny, R.J., and Brianna --
2010 Anchorage School Disttrict graduates from Write Alaska! 2009.

Jonre's Graduation Ceremony

Congratulations to Jonre, the most recent graduate from the summer Write Alaska! class. We are all so proud of you Jonre!

On August 28th, Jonre's family, friends, and teachers gathered to celebrate Jonre's momentous accomplishment after a summer of very hard work. Jonre, dressed in full graduation garb, received his diploma and words of encouragement from his teachers and family members.

RJ, Sach, Kelli, Breanna, Richard, Jecenia, Cindy, and Devin were able to attend and reminisce about the summer's adventures in class. Kevin may have been the loudest one cheering in the audience, as he and Jonre spent some good hours this summer working on Apex classes. Barb, Sonnet, and Leah were eager to speak at the ceremony in congratulating Jonre. Tangle even made a guest appearance -- much to Dahlia's delight!

We got some great shots from that afternoon. Check them out below:

Reunion

It's time to get together again! It's a reunion! It's a graduation celebration! It's Wednesday, August 26, 2009 at North Star Elementary School from 5:30-7:00 PM in the multi-purpose room.

Please join us to share your new school year experiences, talk about the good ol' days (July), and find out about new opportunities for this school year. There will be good eats (really, we'll get something better than peanut butter and honey sandwiches and beef jerky) and good times. Plus Jonre has finished his last high school class, which we'll be celebrating!

North Star Elementary School is at 605 Fireweed Lane

Questions? Call Barb (742-3834) or the Migrant Education office at 742-4275.

See you soon! Remember, this is 70% of your grade.

Day Ten Write Alaska: Graduation, Poetry Performances, and Closing Events

The last day of Write Alaska! was a bit bittersweet. Yes, it was the end of class. The end of waking up early in the morning and the end of long bus rides. It was also, however, the last day of what many people in the class referred to “the best time I have ever had in school.” In only ten classroom days, we spent over 100 hours together, participating in lessons in the traditional classroom and learning things about ourselves and our environment in Southcentral Alaska that aren’t always a part of the curriculum. In two weeks, we teachers got to spend as much time with students as would normally happen in an entire semester – from August to December.

We got to see students who “hate” to write become writers (as evidenced by the many, many posts on this blog). We were able to see reluctant writers become poets and teenage poets refine their critical analysis skills. We also got to see these nineteen amazing students outside of the classroom. We watched many of you gain the self-confidence to do big hikes like Bird Ridge and Alyeska. We got to see you take on new challenges and then reflect on them outdoors. We were able to see you learn skills in rod and reel fishing and then stand in a stream and perfect your casts – even when the fish weren’t biting.

We also got to learn together. We had a few bumps in the road, like with what it means to be an ethical outdoorsman or outdoorswoman. We looked at the philosophies of two very different thinkers about the outdoor world, and we discussed those in depth. We had more than a few safety discussions, and the end result will hopefully be that you all go out and explore these places in AK, even after this class, but that you will also be safe while doing it! We also got to talk about books with you and be reminded from you, teenagers, how wonderful it is to be young.

We also were tired. Very, very tired.

On the closing day of the class, all of the students presented their poetry performance projects. At Valley of the Moon park in Anchorage, after a few intense games of Ultimate Frisbee and other assorted forms of park revelry, everyone gathered in the picnic area to watch poetry performances. I suppose we might have looked a bit odd: nineteen teenagers and a handful of adults, the teenagers standing on the picnic tables two at a time, reciting poetry.

Each group started with the background info on their chosen poet and some information on the analysis of each poet. Then – we got to the best part. From memory (or almost memory in a few cases) each group performed the piece. As I write this, I can hear Scott’s line of “are you still smoking?” in "Afraid So" by Jeanne Marie Beaumont, performed in that voice of Marge Simpson’s sister. It was a great day. My nerdy English teacher heart swelled with pride!

Back at the ASD Education Center, we arrived to see a beautifully decorated area in the atrium. Barb, Leah, Rhiannon, and crew had been hard at work while we were gone to set the stage for a memorable closing ceremony, and even more important: a graduation.

Parents, relatives, and friends showed up to cheer on the young intelligent people they love. Administrators and staff from the Ed Center peered over the railing to watch our class as the students once again performed their poems. This time they had a much more formal setting, with a podium and microphone. The performances were even better than the first time.

The last students to perform were Kyle and Juan. Upon successfully completing this last assignment, Juan’s high school career had come to a close. Ms. Huber from S.A.V.E High School spoke at Juan’s commencement ceremony. She told stories about Juan’s dedication, both to his schooling and to the many hours he had spent working on his car in the school parking lot, even in freezing temperatures. Two more of Juan’s teachers from S.A.V.E. also attended in support of Juan.

Juan—we are very proud of you. You worked hard in this class, and you have a clear path for your future ahead of you. Good luck at Universal Technical Institute in Arizona! I know that based on your entrance scores to this school, they are VERY much looking forward to you attending their school.

On the heels of that excitement from the graduation ceremony, we concluded the class with the awards ceremony. The awards highlighted the "best of" moments in the class, ranging from Most Prolific Poet to the "Top of the Mountain" award. With that, we said our goodbyes and thank you’s and went on our separate ways.

This blog will remain up and live. Please keep posting your poetry, short stories, thoughts, and comments throughout the year. Of course, as we discussed in class, this is an academic site. Remember to capitalize you I’s and self-police your language and content.

I know that as a teacher, this has been one of the most powerful and authentic learning experiences that I have ever had. From the feedback, you students gave us in the Google Doc exit survey, you clearly shared this sentiment.

To all the students:

Thank you so much to all of you for your commitment, energy, and enthusiasm. You were willing to write, write, and re-write to meet my grammar junkie standards. You dove into tough poems at Ben’s lead, and you researched and memorized them in less than a week. You gave it your best on every hike that Cameron, Kevin, and Jamie took you on. You did your best to out-fish Spade on the river. And whatever Barb and Leah asked of you, you did your best to be representatives of Write Alaska! and of the Anchorage School District when you were out in the community.

We had better all get invites to the remaining eighteen graduation ceremonies for the students in this class over the next three years. We look forward to being there in the audience at those ceremonies to celebrate your successes too!

You all rock,

Sonnet

Day 9: A Good Day For All.

BLOG! Okay, so yesterday we went for a hike somewhere in Hope. When we got there, we walked over a bridge, and we grabbed sticks to play “pooh sticks.” I have no idea who had the idea to play that, but we did. Yeah Kevin won. We went on our hike, and it was super easy compared to the other hikes we had to go on. We had fun and hiked, and then poor Tangle came out of the bushes, whining like he hurt his paw or something. We checked out the paw, and it seemed fine. Then he got back up and started running again. We began walking again until we came to a stop at this pond thing and started throwing sticks so Tangle could go fetch them. It was fun. We chilled there for a little, skipping rocks and taking a break until Chase threw a boulder in the pond. Tangle ran after it, and it ALMOST landed on his head, like an inch away. If it had hit him it would have “fer shur” killed him poor Tangle ☹. Chase, you shouldn’t throw rocks, not kidding.

So, after that we continued our hike, and whenever you ask Kevin a question, his answer always is 70% there. It got really annoying. On the trail, we kept seeing bear pooh. It was gross, and when Chase was making the bear noises, it sounded so real that it made me scared. I grabbed on to Breanna and didn’t want to walk in front anymore. So we kept hiking and hiking until we finally came to a stop, sat on a log, ate, and took a break. We started having weird conversations about cavity searches and cows?!. I don’t know why. So after a 15-minute break, we turned around and started walking back. On the way back, people were having a war with the berries, just throwing them at each other. We stopped at the pond again for a break and skipped rocks and all that fun stuff. Around this time, Kevin peed on his shoe. At least that’s what he says.

And then continued our journey to get back. So we walk and walk and walk until the people behind us said they saw a pile of steaming bear pooh. So it made me scared because I don’t want TO GET EATEN BY A BEAR. So we just kept walking. I was scared, and I admit it. I don’t like bears. We kept walking and Scott made a smiley face out of berries, and I took a picture. And then we came across a chair that was in the middle of nowhere, which I thought was weird. And then we walked and finally made it back. And when we got there, they said that the bus was going to be there in twenty minutes, so the boys all started to play “otters steals the fish from the fisherman.” It was funny to watch, and no one could steal the sweater from Kevin. I think someone did after awhile, but I don’t remember who?. This was gross, we found this HUGE nasty bug that Sach said was a pincher bug. It was icky! So we put it in a bottle, but I think Ben let the thing out?. So the boys played that game until the bus came to get us. Barb showed up first with some soda then the bus came, so we got on headed back to Anchorage. I don’t know what all went on on the bus ride back because I was so tired I went to sleep. So, that’s all folks. Goodbye!

Fishing was real fun because when we got there my brother, Juan, fell in the water. It’s a real big bummer that I didn’t even get a picture of the action. It sucks even more because I didn’t get a picture when Jecenia fell or at least one of the times that Kelli fell. Even though I had a tough time picking what I was going to do, I still had fun where I ended up. I really got jealous when Sunny always got fish because he was the first to get a silver. He got a big one too. Everyone was catching at least one, even Rhiannon got one. I really loved this one last day because I knew that we would all remember that we all had fun for the first time in school.

More by Breanna
Who Am I...
I am the person sitting next to you on the bus.
I am the person who is in a rush.
I am the person that falls into mush.
I am the person that I am.

I am the girl you see everyday.
I am the girl that won't run away.
I am the girl who's gonna stay.
I am the girl that I am.

I am me and I won't change.
I am a dreamer, a cheater, a friend.
I am me and won't be you.
I am me that is who I am.

The Edge of Life
By: Breanna Trimble
As I look down from my perch on top of a mountain edge, I start thinking about all my life and what would happen next. When I was a little girl I was fearless, I would be closer to the ledge. As I got older I kept scooting back away from the ledge at a pace as slow as the seconds ticking in a clock. Now I am older and wiser, I completely change and start walking back towards my friend the ledge, edge, and cliff. I am sure of one thing in this world and that is, don't let life scare you. When I'm running towards the crack of earth, I see my childhood, teenage-ness, and my non-existent adulthood. Yes, I am dangling above the water below, being held up held up by a rocky bay. I am ready for a new transition. Time to grow up into an adult. Time to scoot back again into the safe of solid ground. Time to move away from the edge, my ledge, and my friend. I will be back, after my life's expiration date has almost come. I will be back to run and jump into the water one hundred miles down. For now I will walk back away, but I will come home to my edge, my ledge, my friend.

Jecenia's Additional Pieces

"Arbol"

The tree stands
still and tall.
Very green and shady.
Its trunk is greenish
brown. And its
trunk is partically
bare. The leaves are
a mix of bright and
dark greens but in
all the tree is
tall.


"Dream Big"

Everyone asks themselves that question, over the years and time... But do we know, will we ever know what we are to do with ourselves and our lives. Life at one point does end soon, yeah, maybe sometimes way to soon... So when I'm asked if I know what to do with my "one wild and precious life," I answer... no I don't know I have no idea and never will, I can plan all I want and dream as much as I could possibly want to... but truth is I can only pray and ask God to guide me through this life one day at a time and gracefully and to soothe me with His wonders. But for all those that plan and plan... think they have everything planned out and in full order they are mistaken and so sorry to know that their lives are so much as already planned and destined to something else.
I do say so myself, though I dream big and big I do dream; to go to Harvard and be someone and succeed at everything I do want... But may God help me through it all... Dream Big ALWAYS...

"My Surroundings" by Juan

There is I short mossy grass which covers as far as I can see
It reminds me of the waves in the sea,
because of the ground, and there are no trees;
just rocks, bushes, and berries but no trees.

We feel the rejection of the wind as we reach the peak,
as if it were saying ‘’Go home! Go back!, just go to sleep’’
but we defeated the wind and conquered the mountain
I don’t mind the hike and I’ll do it again.

The end o' class

Day 8

Yesterday (July 29, 2009) before we went to on the hike, Spade gave us a small speech about life and basically how our surroundings make us more humane. He gave us two poetic examples. Who are we more like: Gifford Pinchot or John Muir? Pinchot thought that humans should use resources that this world offers and enjoy it all you can, and Muir thought that we shouldn't use or for that matter not even touch nature, leave it

the way it is and just admire it. Then Sonnet posted it on the blog, and the entire class got to vote and chose who they are more like... personally I'm more like

Pinchot, I love begin outdoors but also benefiting from it too.

On the way to Alyeska, we had the best bus driver in the universe and an enjoyable ride in the front of the bus. Many people fell asleep like poor Cameron. He fell asleep so Jesse thought it would be prudent to make funny gestures. I took a picture of what looked like Jesse squeezing Cameron’s head. It may have been pinching, but nobody knows.

We also hiked the Winner Creek trail. I did not like the hike because it was nothing but hills. I believe, on average, we were still on the same elevation level the whole time. Others may have liked it, but I did not! We were told that we were going to the “hand tram” but that never happened because someone (David) couldn’t control his urges to stand on a little bridge. So we turned around, and now here is Kyle with the way back.

When we started back, some of us wanted to run because a few had to relieve themselves, but some of the teachers were a little scared (mostly Kevin) that someone might run far ahead and get eaten by a bear. Since some of us couldn’t help running off in the distance, they made the rule where you can’t go ahead of the teachers or else you know, they would torture us with their terrifying writing prompts and make us write one-million-word essays. I’m just kidding; they wouldn’t make us write writing prompts.

Before we got to the bus, everyone saw this tree that looked like a butt. Anyways on the ride home most of us controlled ourselves by not throwing food at anyone, but the ones who did had to stay on the bus and clean up Trail mix. Fun! When we got back to the classroom, Mr. Spade told a pretty crazy story about him falling down a waterfall and how him, his dad, and his uncle learned a pretty hurtful lesson. The story reminded us all about the consequences of not being careful and reckless near high waterfalls.

"Hiking" by Jonre

Hiking with long lasting energy

till its runs out you lose it

walking with blistering, aching feet

not caring about the time

anxious to just be at the top

your dying for refreshing air

taking a break, to fill your lungs with oxygen

drinking the water to be relieved

taking a look around you

seeing how far you have gone

now that your on top of the world

the feelings of accomplishment

the feeling of greatness

but not just done yet

you still have fars ways to get back down

Poetry Performance Project!!

On Friday, we will perform the following poems in groups of two. If you want to get a sneak peek at the poems you will see performed, check them out below:

Cindy & Nino: "Welcome Morning" by Anne Sexton http://www.panhala.net/Archive/Welcome_Morning.html

Richard & Tia:"On Turning Ten" by Billy Collins http://www.billy-collins.com/2005/06/on_turning_ten.html

Jecenia & Micheal: "The Storm" by William Carlos Williams http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/119

Jonre & Devin: "Eating Together" by Li-Young Li http://www.poetryfoundation.org/archive/poem.html?id=171757

Kelli & Sach: "Dream" by Langston Hughes http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/83

Kyle & Juan: "Goofing Again" by Gary Snyder http://www.poets.org/poet.php/prmPID/167

R.J & David: "Gratitude to Old Teachers" by Robert Bly http://www.loc.gov/poetry/180/072.html

Scott & Ben: "Afraid So" by Jeanne Marie Beaumont http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_hb5270/is_2_79/ai_n29186388/

Sunny & Jesse: "One Heart" by Li-Young Lee http://www.poetry-chaikhana.com/L/LeeLiYoung/OneHeart.htm

Chase & Breanna: "After Your Death" by Natasha Trethewey http://www.pathetic.org/poem/1161269949

Collected Poems from Write Alaska! students

"JERKIN" by AREJAY

I jerked
I jerked on a hike
I jerked to the bus
I jerked on dirt
I jerked for everyone
And now my pride got hurt



"One or the Other"
By Scott (July 21st, 2009)

On the way up we went & went.
Knowing quite well, in the end we'd be spent.
Though on the way, we'd have to wait,
And in my head, I thought, "Oh great."
I wanted to go, I just had to see, what would be waiting, at the top for me.
So let me ask you, right here, and right now.
What is it you think, I rhyme of and how?
Is it a mountain, or life?
Aren't they one and the same?


"Moments"
by Jecenia

Cherishing this moment
Like no other
To hold and
To never let go
To be
In one accord.
To keep
To savor and
Breathe.
To cherish.

"When I look feel hear my surroundings"
By Chase


When I look around
I see people
I see hill
I see wild grass
I see

When I feel
I feel calm
I feel wind
I feel cozy
I feel rain

When I hear
I hear birds
I hear rain
I hear dogs
I hear wind

Day 7- Bird Ridge and Bird Creek

Today we went to Bird Ridge. It was a good hike, but I don’t think the six teens who went liked parts of it because it was steep. It was very pretty, and there were a lot of really nice views. It was so nice to be able to look around and see so many different things. On the way up, it was a little hard just because people such as Bre and Myself were really tired from the hike the day before. So we were all going up kind of slow taking our time.

At the beginning of the hike, it was very easy just because it was a path, but as soon as the cement was gone is when it became a little more challenging. It was steep going up, and there were a lot of rocks. We took a lot of breaks, which were awesome! That was my favorite thing. Toward the top of the mountain, we looked down and we could see part of our group fishing. Lucky us! Almost everyone made it to the top of the mountain. Sonnet decided to be a sweetheart and stay behind a little ways with me because I was a little chicken and didn’t want to go to the top. This was because I do not like high places with a lot of rocky sides. Pipkin joined us, too. After a while Bre and Tia came down, and we all made a tent out of a poncho! Exciting, I know. It kept us dry, so we liked it a lot. Cameron, Kevin, Chase, and Scott went further up than the rest of us, mostly to the top. After they went up and had their fun and looked at the view, it was time to head down.

On the way down everyone went slow to start off with just because it would be scary and dangerous for us to run. Kevin and a few others decided to run. A lot of us fell quite a few times on the way down. Pipkin thought it would be cool to be like Superman and try to run and jump and grab onto a tree. From what I could see, it didn’t work out too well. It was kind of funny! When the trail got easier, everyone ran a lot of the ways down the mountain, which was really fun, except for the falling parts. When we all made it to the bottom, we were happy and very tired. I won’t lie -- my legs were hurting!

When we got back to the parking lot, we got dropped off at we all drank a lot of water and ate some snacks. Then we just waited until the fishing group was done. It was a good day although half of us seemed zombie like!

As we arrived, we started out fresh. The fish weren’t biting at all. All of us kept on casting out our hooks, and reeling back in our hooks, and tried again and again. I don’t know if it was the lures that we were using, but Jesse had a different one, and he caught the first legal fish. After a while of fishing, Jonre, Devin, and I had asked Jesse to set us up. After he set us up, we started to finally catch some fish, unfortunately most of them were illegal snags. Although we were getting snags, we caught a lot of legal fish. Thanks to Jesse, we started to have some fun.

This trip was probably one of the best ones we took for me. The funniest part to this fishing trip was when everyone kept falling in the holes that surrounded the area that we were fishing in. The highlight of the day was when Juan hooked on the king salmon twice, and battled it for five minutes. At the end of the day, we were tired, and hungry. Also all of our gear was covered in mud and sticky. All in all we had a good time, and it was time to leave because the tide was out.

Reading from Mr. Spade's talk

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gifford_Pinchot

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Muir

Read about these two people, and THEN take the poll on the right side of the blog.

Day 6

The hike of Alyeska was legit. It took awhile to get to the top, but we managed to do it. Compared to other hikes, I'm thinking that this one was the most challenging. The weather made it that much easier because it was misty and kept us the right temperature. It was cool because whenever we looked up at the top we couldn't see anything because the fog was covering the lodge. This made it challenging for people because it seemed really high. Halfway up the mountain, you'd look behind and see awesome sights everywhere.

On the way up, Bre and Kelli found a new friend, "umbrella guy." It was sweet because he was really old and he was walking faster than anyone in our group. On the ride back, I guess Devin tinkled himself.

At last we are victorious. The greatest feeling of finally making it to the top after a long hike up the steep mountain, but it was worth it. When we were at the bottom of the ginormorous mountain, some people thought we weren’t going to make it, but most of us did make it. At the top everyone’s eyes got fed with wonder and excitement because of the unforgettable scene. Inside was the good feeling of the warmth and the thankful quench of thirst because water was available to everyone.

Soooooooo, thankfully we didn’t have to hike all the way back down the mountain, if we did I was sure someone was going to fall over and roll down to the mountain. After we packed up our belongings we headed over to the tram to go down to the bottom. I had already been on the tram before, but it was a good view to go down and see other people enjoy the ride who hadn’t been on the tram. All in all, this was an awesome trip and we made it back safely.

Day 5

Friday of July 24, 2009 was a pretty awesome day! The Write Alaska group started off in the morning with writer’s workshop! We wrote about any cool poem or writing about the wonderful hiking experiences.

Then from there started our afternoon taking the gang to Potter Marsh. The weather of Anchorage was a bit cloudy, but started to clear up. Our first assignment in our journals was picking one thing that we had seen, taking that and describing the creature or thing, and drawing the object or thing. My creature was a duck, those lazy animals that just do anything. With fish, salmon in the creek, seeing ducks/birds, trees, cars, and other people was enjoyable and pretty chill day.

When we arrived at the park we were eager to get off the bus and start our activities on the park strip. There was a game of Ultimate Frisbee, basketball and volleyball, which are fun and tiring after just a few minutes of running. We all had fun there either playing or just watching the others play. I chose to play Ultimate Frisbee and we had a lot of fun, but not as much fun as the day we went to Kincaid Park. All in all, this had been the best week of school and I’m just waiting to see what happens next week. I know that this is the last week and hopefully the best one.

Day 4

The Magic School Bus

On the trip to find Hope, an array of activities took place. They ranged from people catching up on some sleep, people reading, people listening to music, people socializing, and a fantastic staring contest! The winner of said contest just so happens to be our one and only Devin! He’s such a talented person when it comes to not staring, that he’s trained himself to keep his eyes open no matter what! Even when I accidentally took a picture using the flash. He went without blinking for so long, his eyes started to water! Now that’s what I call a stare off! Another event that took place on our fun filled bus ride was some group singing! Others in the back of the bus, who shall go unnamed, thought it necessary to start jamming along with the music from someone’s iPod speaker. We stopped on our journey to find Hope for a little potty break, where others relieved themselves for the rest of the trip. That’s where I learned that our very own Sonnet Farrel is not a fan of scary movies, unlike our very brave Rhiannon, who like myself enjoyed Sweeny Todd and Sleepy Hollow. It was fun getting to hope where he had a hike, and fish. The bus ride back went virtually the same way, there was however I hear a very intense game of Truth or Dare.

When we were hiking we pretty much just saw the beauty of nature. Some of us noticed it and some of us didn’t.
But we had lots of fun we stopped and saw the only mushroom and took an ugly photo of it. Ben also saw a tree trunk and threw his self while we grabbed him so he wouldn’t fall it was awesome. Even though I didn’t help. Funny. We walked a long trail but I kind of got tired so I decided to go back with Jaime, Brianna, and Tia.
When we got back Barb drove us to where the other half of the group was fishing.
Then we got hot chocolate and relaxed until it was time to go.

The fishing part of the day was a lot of fun for some of us. I finally got to see the other side of some people. As in, the happy side. Such as Sunny, he was so happy and wide awake. Challenging Mr. Spade in who can catch 3 first. It was a lot of fun to just stand in the water, and actually get to see what we were fishing for. It was right in front of us. I still cant see why Richard didn’t catch any.

fish on sun shine (Sunny)

Wow, fishing for pinks with the staff and the classmates was great yeah. We crossed the river, catching about maybe twenty to thirty of pink salmon, only three of the fish to be kept. They fight for their freedom, to live on and see the all the sight. Trying to break the line, by going up, down and around the river to live. The fisherman tried to bring it in to keep. Over and over trying to live, not to die.

The fish goes free to live with the family and friends in the river. A contest was there, to see who was the best fisherman. Fishing is the best sport and is a great way to make friends.

meet the author

I'm seventeen. Going outdoors is my thing, and those outdoor things are fishing, biking, camping, and so on. Yeah outdoors is the only thing that I like the most, more than everything else. Also one of the staff lost the contest =)

Kyle

Rendezvous Peak
It was fun hiking up Rendezvous Peak

The mountain was a beast with it being so steep
Milo followed us up to the top
But on our way back down, it was kind of hard to stop
My legs felt like jello, so tired, and so weezy
But a cold drink and a ride home pleased me

Meet The Author

I play the guitar about as much as I breathe. I like to play Blink 182 songs, along with some Metallica and System of a Down. I was born here in Anchorage, Alaska on January 1st, 1992. I have one older and younger brother. My favorite sports would be basketball and football, along with hackysack, if it's even a sport.

juan

My Reflection of The Things We’ve Done This Week
On the first day of this week, I had so much fun. I met new people and we played a few games that had me sweating. It was a great way to start the week.
The second day we hiked Rendezvous Peak, which was an awesome experience. It was fun coming back down from the peak. But the way up was rewarding with the cool wind that calmed our hearts down and the view left us breathless.
Our third day was drenched with excitement. I was skeptical at first, about walking in the wet wind, but it was well worth the soak.
The fourth day, which was yesterday, has been the best so far in my opinion. I believe that all of us who fished caught a good one, but maybe didn’t keep it. I really enjoyed casting the line upstream and feeling the bite and struggle of the fish at the end of the line.


Meet The Author
My name is Juan, and I’ve lived here in Alaska for a long time. I love my car most of all. I used to be outdoors a lot and even then I hadn’t done what we have done this week.

RJ

The best thing I’ve done this past week was go on a crazy seven mile hike to Gull Rock. It was a very intense and beautiful hike, and I would like to do it again. It was also my third hike I have ever gone on, and it is the best hike I’ve ever hiked. Hiking at Gull Rock was very fun, but it was a lot of hard work. It was a pretty dangerous trail to walk on, because at one point there was a part where if you took one bad step, you could’ve fell down a pretty long way, and you would get pretty messed up, but everyone stayed on track and made it all the way to our turning point. And we came back to the bus a lot faster than what we thought. So all I can say about this hike is that it was a very great and fun hike.

Meet the author

Hey my name is RJ, and I live in this wonderful place called Anchorage. I've lived here all my seventeen years and I have never done any of these things until now. I like to go for bike rides with my homies and go play some B-ball with the krazy kats I hang out with. I’m also very into Nikes; they are the only shoes I wear, and I have seven pairs of Nikes now.

Cindy

Well I‘ve never gone hiking, so I enjoyed this week, even though there were some moments I was really slacking off.
I had lots more fun because my brother and sister went, and that was lots of fun having them there with me.
The thing I also had fun doing was meeting other people.
I really met some awesome people. I first thought that it was going to be not cool and really boring because it involves school, but I actually had lots of fun.
I decided I had to get out there and enjoy myself like everyone else, so I did my best.
I stopped whining and did not take as many breaks as the first time. I also wasn’t as tired as I was the first three days, but I did still have fun.

Meet The Author:
My name is Cindy
I love to talk a lot, and I can also be really quiet and shy.
I have never really been a conversation starter.
I enjoy learning different sports, like the beginning of this summer I learned how to play football. I’ve always known how to play soccer. But the thing is that when I play a sport, I kind of like to tackle. I’m kind of rougher than my older sister.
I love to sing, to draw, and to listen tomusic.

NINO

I had a lot of fun throughout this whole week. I got to do a lot of things that I have not done in years. It was nice to do it all over again, such as fishing. That was a very fun thing to do. I haven’t fished with a pole since I was twelve. That was my favorite thing that I did through out this whole week.

My other favorite thing that I enjoyed doing the most was on the first day this class started. On Monday, when we went to that Kincaid. We got to play football and all that other fun stuff. I guess it was a thing that we did to get to know each other. And, it was a smart thing to do. I got to know a lot of new people. It was a great experience for me.

Meet the Author

My name is Vaimanino. I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. I have been in Alaska for nine years, but I would rather be back in Hawaii. I like to play football. Its my favorite thing to do on my free time. I played football for four years, and it is a lot of fun.

jonre

This week was the most fun time I had with the write Alaska! How we went hiking Artic Valley, which took about three hours of a hike. Going Whittier, going through the awesome tunnel. From the hiking my legs still might be a little sore but my body can handle it. Some of this hiking and stuff we done is some thrilling experience I never done before. I liked to do it more often!

Hiking Artic Valley was long and also a great time! My experience was really challenging for me! For many hours my ankles and my feet were aching. First we started hiking with our fantastic group at the bottom. As we hiked, everybody talked. I was hearing squeaking that I thought was birds, which was not; it came from the ground squirrels. Jesse and Breanna were taking pictures. It was the coolest looking at mountains, the city, lakes, and everything around us!

MEET THE AUTHOR: My name is Jonre! I am eighteen years old! I work at McDonalds. I have worked there about eight months now. I am an outside, active person. I like to do new things and meet new people.

Breanna

The first day we went to Kincaid Park. That was definitely my favorite day because I learned the best game ever...Ultimate Frisbee!! I didn't know how to play, but I caught on fast. Too bad we lost... The second day was the hardest because I wasn't prepared physically, to climb a mountain. Sure it was fun, but I was tired, so I was slow. The third day we went to Byron Glacier. I was excited to see a glacier before they all disappeared. The fourth day we separated into two groups: the hiking group and the fishing group. The hiking group separated eventually, and the overachievers kept going. The fishing group had really good luck and caught a lot of fish. Well, that was the last four days in a nutshell so...bye.

Meet the Author:

First of all, I'm a girl, I have red hair, and I love the color green. Secondly, I'm lazy unless motivated. I like being around people. Lastly, I'm not scared of dogs, unless they charge at me. The rest of me is my business.

Scott/Sage

"What the Wind Is"

The wind is your friend.
The wind is your enemy.
The wind is the one, to set you free.
The wind can be calm.
The wind can have wrath.
The wind is the one, to show you the path.
The wind is bipolar, constantly changing.
The wind is strong, but goes unseen.
The wind can bring life,
By carrying the seed.
The wind can bring death,
By taking what you need.

Meet the Author:
Scott is the second oldest of six kids. The six include five boys and one girl. I would delve into my family more for they are what made me who I am; however, something tells me that it isn’t ASD safe. Anyway, I’m a very malleable person, yet also unyielding. I’m just like the wind. Part of me is poetic, feeling an unquenchable desire to be different, to be open, to live. Wanting to peer past the framework of people, to reveal what makes everyone tick. I am going to be great. That’s what you need to know. While on the other hand, I’m lazy and mundane. I just wanting to get things done, to be concise, straightforward. This is who I am. So basically, I’m complex.

Facts About Scott:
Favorite Color: Green
Favorite Soda: Dr. Pepper
Favorite Animal: Cat
Favorite Sport: Seal Hop and Running.
Favorite Pastime: Reading
Favorite Genre of Books: Fantasy
Weakness: Obsessive Compulsive, Perfectionist
Favorite Movie: Spirited Away
Best Friends: Tricia, Toini, Jolene, Angela, and the best of all, Fundy. (and Tia)

Jecenia

"Teardrops of Joy"

Wet
Pouring down
Soothing and relaxing
Hope…
Where we went hiking
But I got more than
Just a good exercise.
I got to feel whole.
The rain on me…
The drops of joy
The soothing sound
The blissful taste.
The surroundings
Of nature….
The drops….
The joy of
Hope.


Meet the Author
I may seem all that quiet, but I love to be loud and I most definetly love to be outdoors, no matter the weather.

Tia

This week was a pretty exiting week for me. The first day we went up to Kincaid Park, and some went and played games like football, kickball, and ultimate Frisbee. The remaining people went for a trot up the trails. We had lunch there and hung out for the rest of the day. It was a pretty laid back day and fun for me because I haven’t been there in years.

The next day we took a bus up to Rendezvous Peak and went for a hike. The hike was fun at first, but when we got to the top, it was so cold and the wind was blowing too hard. We sat up there and wrote in our journals about our surroundings. After that we split up in three groups. One of the groups wanted to go back down, the other went up the right side of the mountain, and the rest went and hiked up to the peaks and got a beautiful view of the city.

The next day was the worst day of the week. We went up to Byron Glacier to go for a hike, but it was raining I mean, not a little, but a lot; it was like taking a shower outside with your clothes on. Before the hike, we went through the tunnel to Whittier. Then came back and went on the hike to the glacier. Then came back to Anchorage it was the worst bus ride ever because the bus was leaking and everybody was soaking wet. And yesterday we went up to Hope to go for a hike, and the other half went fishing. The hike was fun. We walked for about six miles and turned around. Then we went back to go to the river, where people were catching fish. When we got to the river, it was fun. Barb bought us all hot chocolate then sat in the cold until everyone was there so we could go on the bus. And then we went home.

MEET THE AUTHOR: My name is Tia. I was born and raised in Anchorage, Alaska. I don’t love it here, but I get by because I’ve been here my entire life. I’m not much of an outdoors person, but ever since I joined this program, I learned that it’s not all that bad to be outdoors. Good day good sir!

David

Breakfast



To start my day is to use my pay, in a way
This is the way my day goes
If I'm in a bad mood
Everyone else knows
Something is missing
I know it
I can hear it in my belly
Something in my breath isn’t smelly
At last I get my breakfast
I am consuming my energy
To make my day great
To start my day

Meet The Author
I like to stay active. I play a couple of sports, and writing is a hobby to me. Playing outside is where it's at. This class is enjoyable; it helped me to write better and to be more creative.

Kelli<3

Soccer<3
One of my favorite things to do is play soccer. It’s one of my favorite sports. When I play soccer, it feels so good to run up and down a field. I like to steal the ball from another player and run it down the field to make a goal. The best part for me is making a goal; it makes me feel really good and proud of myself. It’s like when I have a ball by my feet, I just get excited and want to play. Every time I play I always hurt myself but that doesn’t keep me from playing. When I mess up or do poorly, it just makes me want to play more. I don’t think a sprained ankle or two will ever stop me from playing soccer. It’s an adrenaline rush. I love the rush it gives me when I play soccer because I get so into it. I even love the feeling of a side tackle when I slide down to try to get the ball even if I do fall straight on my face and taste that grass. It just makes me excited it makes me want to keep trying.


Meet the author:
I like to be outside. I hate being stuck inside. It is so boring. I love to play sports. That’s one of my favorite things to do. I really like basketball, football, and volleyball. I play soccer more than any other sport though. I like to go to Jim’s Creek and going camping. I LOVE to hang out with my sister, Tyler. She is my favorite.

Devin

I love to fish because it is so peaceful. Fishing is my favorite thing to do in the whole wide world. I love every minute of fishing. I love silvers because of the meat, but my favorite things to catch are reds (sockeyes) because they put up the best fight. They always look so angry when they fly through the air and jump out of the water. A sockeye can jump a good two or three feet out of the water.

Meet the author:

My name is Devin. I was born in Portland, Oregon. I have been residing in Alaska for fifteen years I absolutely hate reading and writing, but this class is not too bad with the writing aspect. I love to fish and camp! Those are my favorite free time activities. I also love to play hockey! I am fifteen, and I turn sixteen in less than two weeks. I am super excited!

Sach

Skateboarding

The first time I started to skate, I could barely stand on it. Now skateboarding is almost all I do. There isn’t a better feeling then popping the board in the air, flipping it, then to finish it off, stomping the board back down to land it. The second coolest feeling is when I am just riding over the ground and feeling it roll. Another great feeling is grinding on a rail, and hearing the metal on metal of the trucks and the rail.

Meet The Author - I like to play basketball, skateboard, and snowboard. I think I am a cool person to hang out with and just chill somewhere. If you snowboard, or skate, we should do that sometime. My favorite thing we did was Rendezvous Peak, because I made it to the very top of the mountain. The funniest part was when RJ had scared me. Tt was funny, even I got scared for a second.

Chase

My bike is amazing
and swift with me
on the seat I
ride pedaling faster every
stroke finally I reach
my checkpoint not
too hot just right
I turn for another
ride before I know
I'm pedaling faster,
faster into the unknown.

Meet thee author

My name is Chase. I love biking, mountain bikes, and BMX bikes. I like to write, but there is a limit to my writing and I can see the finish line. I don't like poetry, but someone told to just b.s. my way through, and so far it's working. I also like riding ATV's, hunting for anything, chillin' with my friends and hanging out with family who I haven't seen in a long time.

richard

I played at the park, hiked up a mountain, and went fishing. If you go fishing, stay away from the trees. And move slowly in the water. Take lots of water hiking up a mountain. Some new things I did were hiking and fishing with a pole. Something I had not done since I was a little kid was play kickball and throw a Frisbee.

Meet The Author - I am Richard. I was born in Honolulu, Hawaii. I am the oldest in my family. I have two brothers and seven sisters. I like to play outdoor sports. If you like outdoor sports, then bring it on.

michael pipkin

"True Love"

True love is getting into silly fights,
After it telling her from the heart that you love her,
It’s good to get into fights. Or you wouldn’t be as strong as before.

You stay up all night talking about nothing
But the nothing isn’t anything
It's everything,
Just the thought that we care about each other
I love you without regret,
I felt this way since the first time I saw you.

No words can express how much I love you,
You might say I'm crazy,
crazy about you.

Meet The Author
I'm a legit person. I like to do crazy things like snowboarding a lil' bit of longboarding, fourwheeling, and hanging out with friends.

jesse

Picture the world without sound..

It's quiet.. It's not understandable..

All sound in the world is music..

Bands, orchestras, life in general..

The art of music..

Just picture the world without it..

Isn't it a dark world?

Now think of your favorite song..

Listen to it in your mind..

Now picture the world with music..

It's like the world just got saved by music..

Music is a powerful art.. music..

There's no life without it.

The sound.. the sustain..

The feeling of music..

I want to major in music..

Just one song will change the world..

Meet the author,

I'm a nice understanding person who obviously love music. Fishing is part of my life, and I live in Alaska where there is plenty of it. I also like long walks on the beach.

DAY 3

This is sky watch traffic reporting from Portage Glacier. This is, oh wait, is that a class in this insanely cloudy windy and rainy day? Yes it is. Wow! I'm telling you folks I've never seen anything this crazy before.
This class isn't even fazed by this horrible weather. They are hiking and very determined like the glacier is a prize. Oh it almost looks like, yes, it is: the trail is covered by water, and they're crossing it. This is something that is truly amazing. I'm glad I'm in this helicopter that's protecting me from the wind like a shell. Oh yeah this is Chase. See you all later.

And now this is RJ. . .

So yesterday, we went to Portage to go for a fun and wonderful hike, but instead we rode in a small school bus. The weather was pretty miserable, and the ride back to Anchorage was a wet and cold one. But I’m pretty sure everyone still had a blast, because we all got to see Byron Glacier and go on a pretty scenic trail to the gorgeous glacier. For me, even though the wind was blowing water darts at our face, but we all still had fun…I think.

Sunny here with some funny reports. Yesterday some of our students did some funny things, like getting trapped in a phone booth -- like Chase, Devin, Kyle. Also when we were going through the tunnel, it was crazy.

Day Two: Jesse And Breanna's Amazing Blog Entry

The hiking was a fun trip for most people. Some people were cold once they got to the top. It was nice going up there with everyone. The dogs definitely made the trip a lot more fun for everyone, even though one of the dogs was not ours.

There were definitely some cool sights to see. The coolest one I saw on this hike was the missile sight on top of one of the peaks. It definitely made me curious. There were a lot of prairie dogs squeaking in the brush of the hills, but they were hard to see cause they were hiding from us. Occasionally a p-dog would pop out to say hello. I’m sure everyone had fun because they were smiling and having fun. I definitely will remember the dogs.

The weather was cold and windy. The attitudes varied from “that was nothing” to “oh my gosh, I’m gonna die!” After the pictures on the top, we sat in cold damp moss and wrote about our surroundings. It was easy for some and not so easy for others. It all depended on where you sat. We wrote about the sights, smells, and the feelings we had towards the mountain.

There was so many different types of plants and other things to write about. I personally chose to write about a weird plant. It looked rubbery and fake, but it was actually a really soft plant. The writing was a great way to get us thinking about the nature and life around us. Would you ever stop to look at the nature and beauty around you? I usually wouldn’t, but I did and I was surprised.

Blogging Reporters

WEEK ONE:

Monday: Ben
Tuesday: Breanna and Jesse (example -- you will write about Tuesday and show it off on Wed)
Wednesday: RJ, Sunny, and Chase
Thursday: Scott and Nino
Friday: Jonre and Juan

WEEK TWO:
Monday: David and Micheal
Tuesday: Kelli, Richard, and Sach
Wednesday: Devin, Jecenia, and Kyle
Thursday: Tia and Cindy
Friday: Sonnet

Day One

We kicked off our first day of Write Alaska with a bang. So far, surveys show that this class is 100% pumped about being here. Although some students were skeptical about the validity of the survey results, I’d say that most everyone did have a great time. Let’s take for example Kelli, who managed to get on base at least four times in today’s kickball match. Then providing some power was Sunny, who nearly kicked the rubber off the ball each time he stepped to the plate. Among the base running highlights were kickball’s first ever triple without the player removing his hands from his pockets. Then of course, we saw numerous inning-ending base running errors, and a few magnificent plays, highlighted by Kevin and E.J.’s catches at third base.

After a lunch catered by Kevin and Jamie, with the help of Costco, the games commenced. I’m amazed there were no serious injuries in today’s ultimate Frisbee match, although Kevin and Eric had at least one collision. After Scott had me thoroughly convinced that he lacked any Frisbee skills, his team went on to rally over mine. I can’t remember the specifics of the score, but I do know that it was embarrassing.

In addition to these games, we saw a little football, hackey sack, soccer, and of course some hiking/cantering. Then, after thoroughly clearing out the contents of the drink cooler, we made the bus ride back to the classroom. Students were invited to throw logic to the wind and take a brief foray into absurdist writing as we tried out a couple “exquisite corpse” exercises. While working from the same prompt, we managed to inspire some very different responses, running the gamut from Spongebob Squarepants references to Dr. Seuss style poems (I believe the term is Seussical). Then of course, there were the attempts to transcribe whatever it was Michael Jackson was yelling in his songs. Jesse seems to think it was “shimona!”

In the end, as sleepy students were loaded into their cars and sent home, one question was on the minds of all students: “is there any way we could work in some more writing tomorrow?” The answer, of course, is “yes, yes we can."

Students only -- take this survey

Welcome to the Write Alaska! Blog

This two-week class is sponsored through the Migrant Education Program of the Anchorage School District. Qualifying students will have the opportunity to communicate about their experiences of hiking, fishing, orienteering, and exploring in the Southcentral region of Alaska. We will be using a variety of creative writing activities, photography, and technology tools to showcase the work we are doing in the class.

Keep your eyes on this blog for work by the students and staff of Write Alaska! After each hike, a group of students will report on what happened, post pictures from the adventure, and include some of the great writing and podcasts from that day's journeys.

Meet the Staff

Check out the short bios on the Write Alaska! staff. . .

Ben Dexter

Hello. I'm Ben and I'm going to be working with you all these next few weeks. I live in Vancouver, Washington these days, but was born and raised in Anchorage. You might catch on that a lot of the people working with you are related or have known each other their whole lives. I like to think of myself as the hub of this wheel and the true reason for them all coming together. I'm sure in time you will agree.

Anyhow, I work as a server and cook in Vancouver and plan on getting my Master's in Education in the next couple years. This means I might end up as your English teacher one of these days. As for my hobbies, I like to read and write. I also love music. I play a few instruments and write a song occasionally. I also care way too much about baseball and would love to interrupt class to talk about it for hours at a time. This picture was taken last year at Fenway Park in Boston. That guy next to me is Ted Williams. He seemed nice, but was pretty quiet.

Sonnet Farrell

Hello. I am excited to be working with the Write Alaska! course this summer. I have been with the Anchorage School District for the last ten years. I worked as a high school English teacher at Eagle River High School and Chugiak High School, and I am currently an Induction & Mentor Program Specialist in Training & Professional Development.

I love to write, read, hike, fish, and travel. The best book that I have read recently is called The Time Traveler's Wife. My favorite poets are Pablo Neruda and Billy Collins (if you are in the Write Alaska! class, you will be lucky enough to get to know them too!).

I also enjoy geeking out with technology and listening to music. The photo that I included is from a few weeks ago when my nieces came up to visit from Idaho. I like this picture because it includes some of my favorite things in the world: my family, my dog Tangle, and the mountains of Alaska on a sunny day.

This will be a great class!

Sonnet :)

Kevin Bibee

Hey everybody, my name is Kevin and we will be working together for the next couple of weeks, I think it's going to be really fun. I was born and raised here in Anchorage and I recently graduated from the University of Alaska Anchorage with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. I studied a lot about Russia while I was in college and even learned to speak Russian! I really enjoy learning about different cultures and would like to work with people from other countries someday. While in school I was part of the Migrant Education Program and I have been working for them for a few years now.

I really think that this class is going to be fun, I enjoy the outdoors and I think that you will too after this class (if you don't already). My favorite thing to do outdoors is to go snowboarding, I have been snowboarding for about ten years or so... and I'm pretty good at it these days. I also have gotten into tennis recently and have found it to be surprisingly fun.

This is a picture of me just hanging out in Homer by an awesome fire, I didn't sleep much that night though because our tent was too close to the road and it sounded like cars were going to run me over all night... I was tired the next morning.

Barb Dexter

Hi! I’m Barb Dexter. I’m excited about Write Alaska! and think it’s going to be a fun time to write, hike and explore. We’ve brought together a great team of teachers, instructors and tutors. Some are new friends and some I’ve known since they were babies. I love writing and reading and working and being in the Alaska sunshine. My ailing knee will keep me at Base Camp for the daily excursions but I’ll be happy to greet you as you return from your exciting hiking adventures.

During the school year I work for the Child In Transition/Homeless Project which serves children and families that live in shelters, doubled up with friends and relatives and teens, unaccompanied youth, who are living without a parent or guardian. I have been both an English teacher and a social worker in the past. Like Ben, I enjoy baseball. The picture of the two of us is at the World Baseball Classic in Los Angeles in March. The team from Japan won probably because Ichiro Suzuki and Kenji Johjima, two players from my favorite team, the Seattle Mariners, played.

My favorite poets are Mary Oliver and Langston Hughes. I read all the time enjoy too many books to name just one. Take a look at What is the What or A Thousand Splendid Suns or books by Alice Walker, Chris Bohanian, Sherman Alexie and, oh, so many more!