Elementary Schools

ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS

SUMMER BREEZE

The summer breeze tells me
summer’s coming
soon I see
the summer breeze
was right.
The summer breeze
shows me signs that spring has ended
and summer has begun.

Thistle Naziska-Abushai
P.S. 29, 3rd Grade

MY AMAZING FAMILY

Fun the way my dad makes me laugh.
Amazing how my mom taught me to knit.
Magic cooking made with love from dad.
Incredible opera from mom.
Love from everyone.
You are awesome family.

Family, oh family, I love you so much!
I am so glad to have you
in my life without you
my life would be dull.
I love my amazing family.

Anais Buisker
P.S. 29, 3rd Grade

TALKING SNOW

As I get
on the

chair lift

I feel me
take a seat

then I go
higher and higher

now I
hear the snow
talking to me
from below.

It is still
talking and
talking.

It doesn’t
seem to
stop,

but just
then I
feel my friend
lift the bar

it is time
to get off
and start skiing.

When I
am going down
I’m thinking

I’m thinking
about now how

the people on the chair lift
are hearing the snow
talking to them.

But I still
hear the
snow
talking to me.

It talks to me
all the way
down.

Addy Cooperman
P.S. 29, 3rd Grade

SAVE SHELTER DOGS

Dogs, they’re family.
so many in bad places like
on the cold ground, so please be caring and save the dogs.
Get help for them, they need much help and love
as you do, so please make dogs feel at home.
In the shelter, they’re found in a cage but it’s not fair
let them play and eat, please, please
save them from the people who hurt them.
Please.
Please.
Just please.
Save the newborns who were forced to leave
their Mom. Save the innocent pups, foster
them, love them. Just don’t hate
them. Give them love. They’re not objects, they’re
Animals. They have feelings too, so help them,
there’s no reason not to.

Emilia Galia Gonzalez
P.S. 29, 3rd Grade

WIND

Wind is spreading through the world
with a breeze full
of wondering things.
Just look what’s right
In front of you.
Wind helps us breathe.
Whether it’s on
land, forests
or deserts.
Wind is
a healing power.

Ollie Henderson
P.S. 29, 3rd Grade

WAVES

The water rises around you.
Splash!
It comes crashing down.
A big, blue wave comes splashing toward you.
A wave rises as high as a mountain
and comes crashing down.
The ocean waves crash like thunder.

Anoushka Maler
P.S. 29, 3rd Grade

FIRE

Big
and burning bright
as the sun
beautiful
but deadly
a rare combination

found in forests
and savannas
and even
our
own
little
oven
or fireplace.
Still big
and burning
bright
as
the sun.

Harvey K. Mandel
P.S. 29, 3rd Grade

SORROW

Sorrow, a thing that can happen during a storm.
Sorrow, a dark room with no lights.
Sorrow, darkness taking over with no joy left.
Sorrow, at night in your bed with raindrops falling like coins.
Sorrow, covid consuming your soul like a virus.
Sorrow, losing a loved one.
Sorrow, feeling like life never ends.
Sorrow.
FEAR!

Noa Mark
P.S. 29, 3rd Grade

FOXTAIL ON A BISMARK

A foxtail on a bismark
a lovely sight indeed,
both have beautiful leaves
that dance on the breeze.

One looks like a foxtail
the other one’s silver, not gold.
The palm trees, I love palm trees
and the way they danced in those beautiful leaves.

Isla McPherson
P.S. 29, 3rd Grade

PERFECT

Today I stand here in this country
that is astray to perfectness,
beaten, battered, but still we stand whole
like ripped paper.
Why!
Why not unite, why do we fight, togetherness
It would make us stronger.
We are not finished.
We are not whole, this is our chance
to step out
put our best foot forward
yet we don’t; we cannot be happy like this.
Why deny hot money and accept sadness.
This country, our country is ours and we belong to it.
This union, our country is not yet over the hill.

Pip Patterson
P.S. 29, 3rd Grade

RAINFOREST STORM

The palm trees cover the forest like an oversized umbrella shading
away every last drop of sunlight
the wind howls.
WHOOSH!!!
Overhead dark clouds
under them dry animals,
but not for long.
What starts as a drizzle
Turns into a storm.
But as quick as it started
it ends.

Anna Rosenbloom
P.S. 29, 3rd Grade

QUIET
Like a small girl walking down an empty street.
I guess not so lonely
Am I?
Like a walk in the woods.
Or a man under a grave in Deep silence.
Or death quietly going.
Dear God
Save me.
I was once a good person.
Please...

Zoe Chaves
TAG Young Scholars, 4th Grade

BLUE MONSTERS

You see the Blue Monster rolling towards you,
crash,
Crash,
BOOM!
Silence…Splash! You wait for the next,
it is a Gigantic Blue Monster,
KA-CRASH!
Water Waves are monsters,
they can topple, tangle but
slowly,
slowly,

slowly, those Big Blue Monsters will
become your friends. Water is frightening ,
but not anymore,
waves are scary,
but can be much more
Adventure, Science, and most of all Friends.

Riya Chugani
TAG Young Scholars, 4th Grade

CREATIVITY

Creativity to me
Is a wide open field

Without any sign that
Says yield

Just draw a picture of some geese and it is a masterpiece
Make a random sculptures Say it represents your culture

You could draw a random squiggle line
And people will say it’s divine

Make a portraits, show it to Mother
She’d say it is like no other.

So creativity to me
Is anything you want it to be.

Gabriel Fuentes
TAG Young Scholars, 4th Grade

MY CLASSROOM

My classroom has turned wild
Scissors are sharks
Sharpeners are bees

The classroom plants
Have turned into a jungle
The drawings on the wall
Have climbed out to say hello to me
A paper on my desk flies freely
Like a flag in the breeze
I look around in wonder
I want to be wild and free
And filled with knowledge
Like this wild, free room

Indira Iwayama
TAG Young Scholars, 4th Grade

REJECTION

The thought of being rejected
Just runs down my soul
Like water dripping down my body
Who could reject such a sweet little thing
Why? Why would they reject a little sweet thing
Just get out of my mind.

Saira Khan
TAG Young Scholars, 4th Grade

A MESSAGE FROM MY FUNNY PUPPY

When I’m feeling hungry
there’s nothing more tasty than your paper with ink.
When I’m feeling thirsty
I drink from the toilet instead of the sink.

I chew the carpet in the hall.
My loud barking drives you up the wall!
I left my hair everywhere.
I ripped the cushion on the chair.

Make a right turn ahead!
Tonight I’m sleeping in your bed!
I like your treat, it looks so good…
Can you give me your seat?

You are the one I kiss good night.
Hope we will never get into a fight.
Sometimes you are so nice…
You taste like sugar and spice.

Michael Kim
TAG Young Scholars, 4th Grade

GUILT

Guilt is a person who makes you feel shame.
He comes when you blunder,
A person with no emotion.
You will always feel him,
Guilt is permanent.
But you can forgive yourself, and
Guilt will be nothing but a prickle.

Leon Lai
TAG Young Scholars, 4th Grade

READING

When I’m reading a book
I get sucked into an unknown world in which myths, dragons,
anything can come true
As my eyes scan the page,
the world fades away,
yelling becomes indistinct murmurings
All feeling drifts away,
Into serenity.

William Lai
TAG Young Scholars, 4th Grade

FEARLESS

It stands there Frozen,
With its wings spread out
Peering into the abyss
So simple yet so hard
As if it is Welcoming an Old Friend.

Lyla Pompili
TAG Young Scholars, 4th Grade

HUNDRED

Hard time in life,
Under the sea,
No mercy, but the leaf keeps going,
Dragging a tree behind,
Rivaling the sea with a hundred
Eternally beautiful
Dying leaves.

Johnny Shteyngart
TAG Young Scholars, 4th Grade

WATERMELON

Watermelons are great on a hot summer's day
and I am a lover of watermelon any day.
They are sweet and they carry lots of juice.
They make you shine, and they are mine.
They're very fine, they bring passion
like you and I imagine.
Sometimes my mom buys watermelon in the fall,
but they don't taste good
at all!
Watermelon tastes best in July
you should give it a try.

Maya Gonzalez
P.S. 198, 4th Grade

MY SISTER

My sister is beautiful as the wind blows.
My sister is kind as we play.
My sister is creative as she parts the sea.
My sister is responsible as she makes her bed.
My sister is helpful as she helps clean up.
My sister is active as the sun comes up.
My sister is sleepy as the day ends.
My sister is my sister every day.

Scotland McCoy
P.S. 198, 4th Grade

A SCHOOL POEM

School is thrilling.
School is exciting.
School is even fun
when you're writing.

You can read.
You can do math.
It all sends you
into a creative path.

School will always
have a hard part
but what can help you
is a simple chart!

School gives you knowledge.
and with knowledge
you can get into
a great college.

Anisa Sefa
P.S. 198, 4th Grade

TRAPPED IN A BOOK

I go to my safe place
I open to my page
Surrounded by commas
It’s time to engage

I’m in my new world
While reading my book
As people walk by
I don’t even look

I see and hear nobody
My hands glued to the book
I can’t look away
The chapter great ending
Makes my mind start to sway

Onto the next chapter
My eyes start to hurry
Just a few more pages

My brain moves in a flurry

But suddenly the voices drown out
And I feel as I’m being tapped
I zone back out of my world
Flinching as if I was zapped.

Aisha Eastman
Success Academy, 4 th Grade

WHAT IS BLACK?

Black is me
ashes from a tree
Jet black hair, Black is scared
Like the war we declared
Black is the colour of woe
But not the deep snow
Black is a watch band,
Also the rocks in the sand.
Black is a black bear,
Black is
A bottle cap
Black is us.
Black is the sky of our galaxy.
Black is everything.

Soma Suantah
Success Academy, 4 th Grade

MY SUPERHERO

If I were a superhero
I would shine bright like a shooting star
I’d zoom like the whooshing wind
Melt things just like boiling red lava
Freeze things like dead cold blue ice
A zap of my electrical powers

MY SUPERHERO

If I were a superhero
I would shine bright like a shooting star
I’d zoom like the whooshing wind
Melt things just like boiling red lava
Freeze things like dead cold blue ice
A zap of my electrical powers

It would be gone
If I were a superhero that's what I'd do
For you.

Caroline Blair
PS 321, 4th Grade

IF I WAS BAMBOO

Sway, sway, sway
running with the wind
growing as tall as clouds
the smooth, smooth skin swaying in the wind
clinking against each other
I'm as green as the grass
as eaten
as to be reborn
a long green pole rooted in the ground
my green, green body touching the sky
birds perching on my tiny branches
the fresh scent of morning grass next morning.

Lola Chun
PS 321, 4th Grade

HOW DO YOU GET TO MARS?

How do you get to mars? I wonder,
well,
actually it's really quite simple,
don't take a spaceship
don't take a plane,
but simply bounce off from the ground.
Swim around space.
Smell the fragrant scent of the stars.
Take a break to touch the moon.
It feels warm and soft.
Snap out of it!

Get back on track.
Jump to Mars,
and your mission is accomplished.

Lucy Clisset
PS 321, 4th Grade

THE FIRE BURNS

Fire hopping from place to place
Taking in air
Ashes and ashes flaking all around
Seeking places to spread
Dancing with a shining yellow light
Looking just looking
New fire is born every day and it stretches
Longer and bigger it roars as it moves
Step by step
Burning its enemies
Walking now running blazing all around
Beginning to wobble still fierce

The Fire Burns With Rage

Asher Corrao
PS 321, 4th Grade

HOW TO EAT FOOD MOUNTAIN!

Grab coconuts, apples, and pineapples.
Slurp Ramen and bite into the pork!
Look at tacos raining from the sky!
Jump into a pool of bouncy jello!
Stuff your mouth with sushi and dumplings!
Eat the stretchy, cheesy pizza!
Watch the chicken sizzle.
Let chocolate melt in your mouth!
Run on cotton candy clouds!

An all you can eat buffet!
Eat Food Mountain!

Leo Dale
PS 321, 4th Grade

THE BLACK CAT

Black panther roaming the
night creeping and crawling
through the night. The claw
of a cat scratching the wall.
Like a panther in the city.
Claws like knives. Climbing up
and down and defeating bad guys
while he turns around. A scratch
and a scratch there. Black panther
disappears as if he were a black cat.

Aya Dolatowski
PS 321, 4th Grade

HOW TO LIVE THE LIFE OF A SQUIRREL

Jump from Oak Tree to Oak Tree
Search for delicious acorns
Escape the horrible jaws of dogs
Feel the crunch of leaves under your feet
Scurry away from the cat's claws
Run around the beautiful tree top
Find a hole to start your home
Gather acorns, winter is coming

Scurry, scurry, scurry
Climb, climb, climb
The other squirrels are coming to your home
Protect your stash from the birds

Fear no more
The birds and squirrels are gone
That's how to live the life of the squirrel

Gretchen Greene
PS 321, 4th Grade

HOW TO HUG THE OCEAN

To hug the ocean,
you have to hear its call.
You have to embrace it
the water
dancing through your body
see its beauty
crystal clear cold
gliding in your arms
you have to pull it in tight
The Icy blue waves
don't let them go
taste its saltiness
and you'll feel reborn.
The ocean
is full of life
and you'll be glad…
because you
hugged the ocean.

Maeve Gura
PS 321, 4th Grade

HOW TO REACH THE END OF THE RAINBOW

Jump up
Hold on to the clouds
Swing on to the beginning of the rainbow
This sign says you're on the right track
You will encounter glowing sparkles

floating up beside you

Like a warm hug
If you want a snack
Reach for a cloud
Like a snake in the sky
It will taste like cotton candy
The sweet crystals dissolve in your

mouth

As you walk
Look down at the small people

below you

As you near the end of the

rainbow

It’s the fragrance of freedom

Harlowe Herzik
PS 321, 4th Grade

THE MOON

A teardrop lighting the night sky
A glowing orb viewing the Earth
A happy child about to cry
The sun just gave birth
To this joyful pie

The Moon is a wet t-shirt
A spaceship about to fly
The Earth's sister passing by

The Moon is a beautiful thing

Colette Mastro
PS 321, 4th Grade

APPRECIATE WATER

At night you sparkle in the stream

at morning you flow right to me,
you come from the earth and
skip into my mouth
your clean and fresh sparkle
all about
when the waves flow you sing
you shine like a diamond and have
Bling
you go back to the stream and
go to the wonderful earth
home sweet home which smells
like dirt.
We need you to survive, to drink,
and thrive
you taste like kindness and that's what
we need
so thank you so much when you flow
through the stream.

Sophia Neier
PS 321, 4th Grade

THINGS TO DO IF YOU ARE A TREE

Sway sway
all day.

Let the Sun
right through
you.

Let the snow
and rain run
right off you.

Let your
leaves change
with the seasons.

Let your roots
dig into the rich
soil.

Grow up to
the sky.

Let your branches
soar.

Let us
climb on
your branches.

Hide us from
the sun.

Let us
breathe.

Vivian Penn
PS 321, 4th Grade

HOW TO STRETCH YOUR TONGUE AROUND THE WORLD

First, stick your tongue out
It will not go very far
Then eat something that tastes horrible
Your tongue has a brain
Your tongue is as strong as a thousand men
It does not want to go out of your mouth
Your mouth is its home
Tie it into a jet and hold on to a strong steel pole
Tight!
You will feel the stretch
You will hear the pounding in your ears
Then…
Your tongue will uncoil
Like a rope that is coiled up

As fast as a cheetah
Then yay, you succeed
Oh no
I don't know how to coil my tongue back up

Leon Stern
PS 321, 4th Grade

STARBIRD

I am a starbird,
A child of the sky
I wave my glowing star wand
And people down below see me hover by.
I am a hero,
Turning dark to light
Turning frowns upside down
In the dead of night.
I am a raven,
Black and underrated.
The other heroes
Can have their fame
But they’re outdated.

Orli Umlauf
PS 321, 4th Grade

MAYBE

Maybe I’ll go somewhere new, or maybe I’ll stay
Maybe I’ll move like a wind, just fly
Maybe I’ll jump and fly to the sky
Or maybe I’ll walk and say
Hi door to door

Maybe I’ll go somewhere new, like swimming to and from the ocean
And watch lots of people, or maybe I’ll stay and help
Maybe I’ll finally reach the sky and try to cry when I try

Maybe one day I’ll fall and get up again
Or maybe I’ll stay for a day, but I know
Maybe I’ll go somewhere new.

Emmaus Hu-Au
PS/IS 180, 5th Grade

MOON

In the glowing night
The moon lights up like a star up in the sky
Singing a beautiful lullaby with crickets jumping around like on a trampoline
When I go to bed they are saying goodnight to me
When I wake up
I see the glowing sun, but when it’s dark,
I see the glowing moon.

Ashley Llapa
PS/IS 180, 5th Grade

I LOVE THE OCEAN

I love the ocean
I love the waves
I love the way it calls my names

I love the seagulls
I love the sand
I love the way it fills my hand

I love the sun
I love the sky
I love the way it helps me not to cry

I love the water
I love the sea
I love the way it is at ease

I love the color
I love the beauty
The nice ocean is so pretty I love the ocean loves me.

Marie Knox
PS/IS 180, 5th Grade

SKY

High In the air sky is there
The clouds go by
The clouds as puffy as pie

High in the air, the sky is a beautiful blue
With white specs surrounding everything
Enclosing the entire world
Blanket the Earth
Sometimes it’s loud
Sometimes it’s peaceful
Sometimes it’s fearful

The sky, the sky
What a wonderful sight.

Leon Manchelle
PS/IS 180, 5th Grade

PRETTY BROWN GIRL

Pretty brown girl brightens up the day
Pretty Brown girl has a lot to say
Pretty Brown girl stands her ground
Pretty Brown girl wears her crown
Pretty Brown girl gives her all

Pretty Brown girl is not a show off
Pretty Brown girl is what everyone can see
This pretty brown girl is Me!

Maileigh Bright
PS/IS 180, 6th Grade

THE GIRL IN THE SHADOWS

There she was sitting in a room so big that she felt small yet somehow very much
seen as if
All eyes were on her
And she wanted to be nothing but a shadow
Even with a hood so big she still felt small, still being stared at and having a hard
time breathing
She repeated the words, ”Don’t look back,” under her breath
What happened last night could not be repeated to another soul
Everything felt cold
She felt empty and weak, wanting to go to a place called home.

Ashley Medina
PS/IS 180, 8th Grade