Essay Winners' Dinner! April 4, 2013

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Being a Whistleblower is Always a Good Thing!

by Joelys, 6th grade student

Hi, my name is Joelys. I am a strong person who has a positive mind, is honest, brave, and most importantly, I am a person who is willing to risk anything to help someone. I am really quiet on the outside, but if you look deep into my eyes you will realize that I have a lot more to say. I am a person who likes to write out my problems on paper so that I can very detailed and explain myself in a way that you will understand. Once I'm in a quiet place or any place I have paper, I will burst and write so much! This is who I am. So here is my story, my true experience.

                 

I still remember the day it happened like it was yesterday. On December 2nd,2011 I was on Facebook like a normal girl would be. I was on Facebook and my mom got a call from my aunt saying that my cousin Danielle never came home. (Danielle was 13 years old when this happened.) Her mom called my mom saying that she never came home and since my cousin has a Facebook, they wanted me to see if she was online. Luckily she was. Her mom called the police and they went to her house. Her mom called the police because she was missing and they didn't have any contact with her because none of them had a Facebook except for me.

                   

The police came to her hosue. Her mom told me that she was going to put a policeman on the phone so that I can speak with him. He then asked me handful of questions. He said, "Is Danielle online?" I said "Yes, she is online." He asked me to ask her where she was. I did what I was told to do. Danielle then said, "I'm at a friend's house. Why?" I then said,"Just wondering," so that she wouldn't suspect anything. She said "Oh, alright." I then asked her "Where? In the Bronx?" She said "Yup."

                  

All of the questions I was asking her were the questions the policeman was asking me to ask her. At one point she read my message, but didn't answer it. But I remember that she told me she had a boyfriend. I told the policeman that she had a boyfriend and I figured that she was with him since she is always with him. Her boyfriend is way older than her. He was 17 years old at the time. The policeman told me to ask her. I did, and she was with her boyfriend, but she didnt tell me where. I asked her again, "Are you in the Bronx?" She said, "Why do you want to know?" I said "Because I'm worried about you!" Your mom said that you haven't been home!" But then she got offline.

                  

I told the policeman that and he said he will track her and her boyfriend down. I was still on the phone with the policeman. After about 20 minutes of giving him all of the information he needed, they found her. I felt like I betrayed her because everything I told him were the things she told me to keep a secret. But she never ran away from home; she just never came home. She was missing for a long time. But then I realized it was for her best, so I didn't think about it too much.

                  

She went online 40 minutes later. I told the police that and he said to tell her that the police are on their way to where she and her boyfriend are. She got so scared and said "WHAT? WHY?" I said, "Because you never came home and it's already past midnight!" She said "OK, I'm going home right now, but let me tell you this, how dare you betray me! You promised me you were never going to tell anyone that I had a boyfriend and that I was always with him 24/7. Don't ever speak to me again! I hate you!" Those were the last words she said to me. I told the police that and he told me not to worry about it, that because of me, I helped her. I felt like a saviour. But I guess she didn't feel the same way.

                  

When I arrived at her house, everybody thanked and hugged me but she just sat there rolling her eyes at me. The police were still there and they thanked me very much. Then we all sat down, but not when she was around, and they each told me that I should never do what she did because one day I might end up regretting it just like she did. They said that, "Right now she is in big trouble and you, the person who helped us find her, would hate it if you did the same like her. So please try not to do that." Those were the last words they told me. Then I left. I went to bed and just thought to myself, Did this just happen? Was this real? Did I just have a huge discussion with a police officer? The answer to those questions were yes, yes, and yes.

                  

To overcome this difficult situation, the TI pillar I used was integrity. Integrity is when you are honest with a person and also with yourself. I used integrity because I had to tell a lot of secrets in order to help my devious cousin. In the end, everything turned out to be great. Danielle apologized to me and told me that she was wrong in telling me that and that she was very sorry. I learned that being a little bit of a whistle- blower is not such a bad thing. It helped  me overcome the difficult situation I was in. I did the right thing because if I never told the police officer all those things, they would have never found her and her mom would never have known that she was lying to her all along when she said she was going to a friend's house. This story really happened to me and it will never leave my mind. I still remember it like it was yesterday.

                  

I really want to go to this conference because I believe it will open doors for me. I also will have a better chance at getting into the college of my dreams, Harvard. All of this will help me because it would show that I attended important meetings, and that I was chosen for a good reason. I would be an awesome person to represent Tech International Charter School because I always set a great example at my school. I am an honest person and I am not afraid to say the things that we are good at and the things that we are not so good at in our school. I will tell other students and teachers lots of information about our school such as types of technology we use, our unique lunch program, how many students we have, what the highest ANET test scores are, and much more. I really hope I get picked.

Standing Up For the Right Thing

by Simone, 6th grade student

My name is Simone Moore and I’m a 6^th grade student at Tech International Charter School.  I live with my mom, dad, my older sister, and my fraternal twin brother named Stephen, who also goes to TI Charter.   

The TI Pride pillar that I am writing about is empathy because I think it has made me stronger and taught me that I should look out for others.  Once I had to speak up for a classmate who was being bullied and even though it was not the easiest thing for me to do I still stood up for him because it was the right thing to do. This happened about a year ago when I was in fifth grade at Ampark Neighborhood School. 

One morning my teacher Ms. Fairly announced that we had a new classmate named Jeremy.  When I first heard him speak he had a familiar accent. Then I figured it out! He was from Jamaica. I knew this because my mom, who is also from Jamaica, has a similar accent.  

I didn’t pay too much attention to Jeremy until a few weeks later when I heard some of my classmates teasing him.   They made fun of the size of his head and said that he talked funny.  At first I was laughing, but then I felt guilty.   I knew I should say something but I didn’t want them to get mad at me. I knew it was wrong because when I looked at Jeremy’s face he looked liked he wanted to cry.  It made me think of when I first started going to Ampark.  We had just moved to the neighborhood and I was in the 3^rd grade.  Almost all the kids in the classroom already knew each other and I was nervous about making new friends. Would they like me?  Would I make new friends?  Would they be nice to me? These questions ran through my head and I thought Jeremy could be feeling the same way.  It was even harder for him since he came from another country.

I thought if that was me I wouldn't like it. So I decided to stand up for Jeremy.  I told my classmates to stop teasing him.  I asked them to put themselves in his shoes and told them they would feel bad if someone was saying the same thing to them.  After I said that, everyone who was teasing him stopped talking and I was happy that they listened to me.  

Over the next few weeks I noticed that some of my classmates were nicer to him and that Jeremy and some of the boys were becoming friends.  Jeremy looked more comfortable and that made me feel happy and we even became friends.

I learned from this experience to be friendly and sensitive towards new people.   When I empathize,  I put myself in other’s shoes and ask myself, how would I feel if the same thing happened to me?. I am not scared to stand up for others anymore.  I think I’m a better person today because of Jeremy.

I would really like to go to the Hilltop Diversity Conference because I believe I would make a good representative for TI.  I am a hard worker, I love to learn ,and I am always eager to meet new people.   I would be happy to share what I’ve learned with my classmates.   I also have a special connection to Fieldston because I have spent the last few summers there making friends, not to mention that several current students that attend Fieldston Middle School are former classmates of mine from Ampark.

I am enthusiastic about possibly  representing  Tech International Charter School at this upcoming conference.

           

The Time I Used TI PRIDE

by Rashaun, 6th grade student


My name is Rashaun. I am eleven years old. I was born in Brookdale University Hospital, which is located in Brooklyn. My family and I lived in Brooklyn until I was eighteen months old; then my family relocated to the Bronx where we are currently living. At the time it was my mom, my sister Ingrid, and my niece Ashanti. One event in my life that is important to me is when my older sister Ingrid died. It was very sad for my entire family and I.

The pillar of TI Pride that I experienced was empathy. The sadness and depression that I observed among my family and friends was something that greatly affected me. I too felt these emotions, and these shared emotions allowed us to support and help one another. Even after her death, Ingrid taught me so many things. I learned that family is important and that they are very supportive especially in times of bereavement.

This part of my life has made me more appreciative of my parents and elders. I recognize the wealth of knowledge, care, and unconditional love that they provide me with everyday. They teach me how to be a better person through giving me advice based on the wisdom that they have gained through their life experiences. For example, my mom encourages me to be a dedicated student and instills in me the importance of staying in school. I was very young when Ingrid died. I wish I had the chance to be with her and talk to her. It was very difficult because she was my oldest sister and the only sister that I lived with. It was hard for everyone to accept the fact that no one got to say goodbye. I believe this was the saddest part.

I have learned to always show and tell people how much I love them so that if something happens they will know that I still love them. I value the time I spend with my family each day and it makes me happy to remember the fun times I shared with my sister. I will never forget when my family and I went to the Bronx Zoo and had a picnic there. We took lots of pictures and looked at most of the animals. We always visited the parks together in the summer. We would go on the rides, and the slides. I remember going to the movies sometimes where we would enjoy popcorn and soda. My family usually takes a lot of pictures together, especially Christmas and other holidays. Once when it was one of our birthdays we would have a party, take pictures, and celebrate. We would sometimes send some of those pictures to our relatives in Jamaica. Those were some really good times. I cherish those pictures and look at them often. 

Now that my sister is no longer with us we continue to do things together as a family. We now watch movies at home, play games, and go to the park. We will always tell each other how much we love each other. At bedtime we hug, kiss each other, and pray together. On Sundays we go to church where we have a loving and caring church family. Even though we are happy as a family, things are not the same without my sister Ingrid. At times when I remember my sister Ingrid I still cry for her. OH HOW I MISS MY SISTER INGRID, HOW I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HER AGAIN

I think I should be chosen to go to the Hilltop Diversity Conference because I will make the best of each and every opportunity. I will be open to learning lots of good advice from teachers and staff and use it in the future. I will make lots of friends and meet lots of new people. I want to be chosen so that I can experience a day at one of the most well known schools in the Bronx. I also want to be chosen because I want to be apart of a rigorous learning environment and be challenged like the other students who attend this school. I would like to learn about the other schools in general and learn about how they came together. Lastly, I want to be chosen because I want to be a great student and receive a full scholarship to on e of the best schools in America one day!                  

Bullying, Not Anymore!

by Chloe, 6th grade student

When I started a new school I was excited and nervous at the same time! I didn’t expect things like lockers or homerooms. But most of all, I didn’t expect to meet my first bully. When I think of bullies I thought it was physical contact like punching, or getting hurt. But it’s not; sometimes its just words. Some people say, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me”. But that is not true, because words can hurt. Not only have I been a witness to bullying, I‘ve been a victim as well .To the point of tears.

There have been times when I have experienced others getting bullied, and I didn’t know what to do. Should I say something? Sometimes I’ve done nothing. But sometimes I’m compelled to get involved and the next thing I know, it’s my situation and others around me would laugh and cheer for the bully. Some would go get a teacher or stand up to the bully and say “ Hey not cool” or “ Stop it what are you trying to accomplish?”

I believe that most bullies have been bullied, have issues at home, or aren’t very social people at all. So they want to take their aggression out on someone that they think is weak or a target. So they want put on a show in front of everyone to show how tough they are and make everyone fear them; they usually have a small following. This cycle usually goes on and on until someone stops them or somebody gets hurt. Sometimes, the victim today can become the bully tomorrow.

Earlier this year I was picked on because of my hair color. I decided to put streaks in my hair. I thought I looked cool. However, this person didn’t; I was called a devil worshiper because the color of my streaks were fire red. Peer-pressure is a very tricky and sticky issue, especially in middle school. As I was being picked on, I felt like the odd girl, an outcast. As this continued I feared this person more and more. I felt like nobody liked me and I felt a great deal of anxiety at school. A kid in my class told me that there would be a posting of something awful about me on Facebook, that would probably make me feel worthless and that would keep me up worrying all night.

I knew I had to tell someone about what happened and then I remembered the “Stop Bullying, Speak up” commercial. The commercial said you should help stop bullying or you should tell an adult. So I went to the school principal and she addressed the situation immediately.

Another bad thing about bullying is that it is a nation wide problem. I worry about this because kids all over the United States and even the whole world have to go through this and I wonder why: “Is it because of what they look like, sexual orientation, speak a different language? Or is it something deeper? Also bullies want attention,  I say DON’T GIVE IT TO THEM!

If you find yourself in a bullying situation here are some useful tips, try to stay calm and try to walk away. But NEVER take your eyes off this person! Don’t be afraid to tell someone like a teacher or an adult and, keep your distance. Don’t try to get revenge;  it could escalate. Try not to pat attention to the hurtful words. Find a happy place. Try and stay the same, don’t change yourself to please them. My great-grandmother once told me these wise words  she said “Tough times don’t last; tough people do.”

In TI resilience is a characteristic all students should have ,victim or not we all need to stop this hurtful hatred against each other. Also all students need to show a lot of empathy toward each other. So lets all stop bullying for the safety of our school, families, and most important for the safety of us, because we all need to be safe.

Dealing with a bully made me resilient by adapting to other people being bullied and others getting bullied. So will you speak up when you see bullying again? Will you encourage friends or others not to bully? Knowing that this might happen in the future, I now know how to act when the problem presents itself. Act like you know. Now I am more aware of potential jerks. Now I know how to face bullies, not run away from them, bullies make things harder ,but not impossible. If you just believe in yourself and have confidence, you will be okay. So stay strong, stay true, and trust yourself always!

Diversity Conference Essay

by Jasmine, 6th grade student

My name is Jasmine Rosario. I am a girl in middle school. I was born and raised in New York. I am of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent. My family has made me stronger in life. Knowing that i always have them to confide in and go to for help has kept me strong during difficult times. The confidence and trust I have in them has kept me strong because I know I will always have them to lean on.

The E in TI PRIDE stands for empathy. Empathy is the ability to understand and share the feelings of others. When you have empathy, you are seeing from the point of view of another person. When you have empathy, some might say that you are putting yourself in another person’s shoes. For example, let’s say you friend’s mother is sick; you might say something along the lines of, “ I’m sorry, I hope she feels better.” This statement shows that you have empathy because you are feeling sorry for him/her, you are feeling his/her pain. Also, you are trying to comfort your friend during a time of need.

A difficult moment when I have used empathy is when my cousin was diagnosed with cancer. She was diagnosed about two years ago. She is being treated with chemo therapy, she was losing the hair on the left side of her head. She decided to shave the left part of her head. My cousin was worried about her appearance; she knew people would judge her. Despite how she looked, I supported her and didn’t judge. I did this because I imagined how I would feel if I was her at that time; I had empathy towards her.

My takeaway was having to see my cousin suffer from such a horrible disease that I knew could kill her. It was hard seeing someone I love going through so much pain. At the end, I got to see my cousin happy at a moment where it would’ve been likely and understandable for her to be sad and down. From this I learned the importance of empathy. I learned that empathy is important because with empathy you can see the world differently, you see it from the point of view of another. Also, you help others by helping them feel better and happier. Empathy does not only help others; but it also helps yourself. It helps you feel happy because of the satisfaction you get from knowing you did a good deed, you helped a person in need. 

Empathy is seeing with the eyes of another, listening with the ears of another, and feeling with the heart of others. Empathy is important because it helps others get through difficult times, and it helps you by making you feel good about yourself. Empathy is a quality I possess; it has helped me get through difficult times such as when when my cousin was diagnosed with cancer. If I didn’t have empathy, then she probably would have been embarrassed of her hair and would have been sad. But, because of my empathy , she felt better and good about herself, not embarrased.

I would like to go to the Hilltop Diversity Conference because I think it would be a wonderful experience. It would be a wonderful experience because I would get to meet new people Also, I think the topic of diversity is very interesting . It is interesting to learn the perspective of people of different genders, races, sexualities, etc. because it is important to see how other people think. Seeing from the point of view of another allows you to have an opened mind and explore different possibilities. I think I deserve to go to the conference because I am smart, outgoing, and responsible young lady. I am outgoing because I always am open to trying new things. I am responsible because I always try to do what is right, and I follow the rules. Also, I am responsible because I always think about what consequences my actions can have. It would be an honor if I am chosen to participate.
                                  

Why Should You Pick Me to Go?

by Michelle, 6th grade student

You should pick me because I’m hard working, confident and I’m a good student. I’m hard working because no matter what kind of room I’m in, I  always do my work. My homeroom class in Riverside, it gets extremely loud and it’s just too much to handle. This year we had to get different teachers. In total, it was six different teachers that we had through the whole year. Everytime we changed teachers the work they would assign us would change. I would always do it and finish it.

The word confident means that you are willing to do anything that is positive, safe, secure, and certain. I am confident when it comes to my school work because no matter what I am doing,  I am positive  and sure that I’m doing it right. I love what I do in school because I sometimes like my classes;  they can be fun. One day you  should come to our school;  you would love it because Tech International takes you in, no matter how you are or how you act. It’s a great school.

At Tech International, we have this thing called TI P.R.I.D.E. The P stands for Plan B , the R stands for resilience, the I stands for integrity, the D stands for dedication, and the E stands for empathy. It is something new to me because it’s a charter school; I never went to a charter school before. I have always attended public schools. Tech International is a school that will teach you all about technology. It’s  international because all of the kids in the school are from different places in New York and also all of us are from different cultures. But we all came together; no one is a stranger in our  school. It's a great place where you can learn new things, there are wonderful teachers, and the way the school is built is pretty. At Tech International the principal Ms. Scott tries to do everything for us and she is the best principal. If it wasn't for this school, I wouldn't be this girl who loves to learn and always learns something new, and always be myself.

I also have to thank my mom because she is the one that told me to go to Tech International. She is also the one who pushes me to be this good, smart, hard working, confident student. So I have to give al the credit her for making me this way. She does what is best for me and I am the way I am because of her. She brought me to this school which isTech International. So I'm just thankful for my mom to do this.

I want to go to this conference because I would get to meet new people and learn about the school Fieldston. This is also new to me because I never went to a school to go to a conference. I'm hoping that I will have a good time and join in things that I don't normally go to. I like to try new things. I'm very excited. I will be a good representative of our school. I will not let other people think that students at T.I. have no manners.  I will be on my best behavior, look good, and not embarress anyone. Most importantly I want people to know that we are a good school.

I think the part of TI P.R.I.D.E  that I represent most is dedication; I am dedicated to what I do in life and I am dedicated to my work and whatever is around me. For example, when it comes to a test, I dedicate myself to study so I can do really good. I really think that I represent  the D in TI P.R.I.D.E because I dedicate myself to a lot of things in my life.