Essay Winners' Dinner! April 4, 2013

Click on the picture to see the rest of the album ^

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.

TI PRIDE

by Cindy, 6th grade student

My name is Cindy. I am currently 12 years old and I attend Tech International Charter School. I am a girl who enjoys being with others and absolutely adores music. In this essay, I am going to tell you about the D in TI PRIDE, which stands for dedication.

Dedication has made me a stronger person. It has made me who I am today. If I wasn't 

dedicated to my work, I wouldn't be doing very well in school. I believe that being dedicated is very difficult to do. Nobody is perfect in this world. Because humans are not perfect, we can get off track and not put in as much effort as we want into doing something. I believe that being dedicated is equal to being focused. You don't only need dedication, you also need patience because it takes time to improve.

Don't you think that dedication is similar to being motivated? If dedication isn't put into 

our activities, it will show because we are not motivated to do so. Without dedication, the work that we do won't turn out as well. For example, say you are doing a piece of writing, without dedication and being motivated by something, your piece of writing won't make sense, it will be sloppy, and not very entertaining to read. Things are dull without dedication and motivation.

During ELA class, I had an assignment to write a literary essay. At first I wasn't all that 

motivated to write so I wasn't really dedicated towards my work. After a while, a bunch of ideas popped into my head. I began to write as much as I could. I put in dedication, I was motivated to write, and I had complete focus towards my literary essay. I handed in my work and after quite some time, I got my work back. When I looked at my paper, I had a really good score.

When I was younger, I thought about dedication in a different way. I thought being 

dedicated meant being 100% correct. As I grew up and matured, I realized that i was wrong. 

During my lifetime, I did many things with much dedication put into it. As a result, I have either gotten a really good grade or I have been very pleased. The grades I got back wasn't perfect. They were missing some points, but still very close to being 100%. The joy I received wasn't like the thrill of winning the lottery, but I was still happy and enthusiastic. Still, I felt really good because of how dedicated I was to doing something. After many years, I realized that being dedicated means feeling like I really deserved something. Even though I didn't get the exact result  I wanted, I still felt great because I worked very hard. Maybe I even got the results I wanted because I was dedicated. 

In my everyday life, I used dedication at least once a day. From school work to friends, 

cleaning, or sleeping; as long as you are dedicated, motivated, and focused with something at least once a day, you'll feel great later on. At some point in your life, you will want to dedicate yourself to something or many things very, very much because of that great feeling. Dedication doesn't only help you, it helps others as well.

I was very dedicated, motivated, and focused on writing this essay. Writing this essay 

gave me a really lovely feeling. I learned that dedication is important if you want to do well on an activity. Later on I wish to be dedicated to improving my writing. Thank you for being dedicated to reading my essay.

My Story

by Daliany, 6th grade student

“Never let bad moments or difficult experiences bring you down.”

My name is Daliany Gerena. I’ve had a few difficult experiences that have made me who 

I am today .These of these experiences that have made me stronger include: helping my mom through cancer, immigrating to New York from Puerto Rico, and living with muscular 

dystrophy. These experiences have taught me many things about resilience, perseverance, and dedication in all areas of my life, both at school and home.

One day my mom and dad came into my room where I was watching TV. Both of 

them looked very sad and gloomy. I was about eight years old, and we were living in Puerto Rico at that time. I got a bit scared because my grandpa at that time was sick and I thought something had happened. My mom started telling me, “I’m okay and everything but… I have cancer.”When she said it, I didn’t know what I was supposed to do. I wanted to do so many things, but I just froze. What I wanted to do the most was to give up with everything I had ever accomplished. I knew I couldn’t give up on my mom so I had to be resilient and keep on going. My journey had just begun.

I started learning more about what my mom had. She went to many doctor appointments.

I knew I had to be strong and support my mom so I did. After many appointments and tests, the doctors told my mom there was no hope. She had Stage 4 cancer and in Puerto Rico they couldn’t treat her. I was devastated and all I wanted to do was to die with her. My mom knew I needed her; she always told me she wasn’t going to give up on me.

My dad found a cancer hospital in New York City called Sloan Kettering Memorial. This 

meant we had to leave Puerto Rico. This was very hard for me because I had my whole family in Puerto Rico. My mom and dad had to leave first because I wasn’t finished with school yet. I always missed my parents and was worried because my mom had some surgeries while I was in Puerto Rico. Finally, the day to go to New York had come.

   

When I arrived in New York, I was very excited. At first I really liked New York; I thought it was going to be just like the movies I had seen, and at first it actually was. My mom had recovered well from her surgery. My parents took me to Times Square. They also took me to Central Park, and many other places that made New York look amazing and beautiful like a fairytale. Then reality came back..

 

After I came to New York I was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy. This is a neuromuscular disease that damages your muscles.  Many people have lost their ability to walk because of this disease. I had to go through some surgeries to fix my feet. This was the first time I faced really bad physical pain. Again I wanted to give up but my mom never let me. She was the one who really taught me resilience. I had to wear a cast for a few months. Then I had to wear metal braces to hold my feet and it was very uncomfortable. I kept being resilient and I learned to appreciate what I have, because it could have been worse.

While I was recovering from my surgery and about to start school, my mom’s cancer came back. It was very hard for me because I couldn’t help my mom as much as I wanted to. My mom and I were both going through a lot of pain in those months. This was the most painful surgery my mom had ever had. I really felt bad I couldn’t help her. After all of this passed, it was time to start school in New York.

Thinking about school in New York was very scary to me. People spoke another language. Also, I had to leave all my friends in Puerto Rico. Another challenge for me was that I had to read 25 books in the whole school year. I like reading but I mostly read in Spanish, so it made it very hard for me. All of my teachers always encouraged me to read aloud and to study a lot. I started making many friends and school wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I passed the 4^th and 5^th grade with good grades. Now it was time for graduation. My school was only grades K to 5^th so after I graduated I had to go to another school. After many applications for private schools and public schools, it came down to only one school: TI Charter. I got in, so now this was going to be my school.

The first months of TI were hard for me because I had to go to school with a cast after another surgery on my foot. At first, I didn’t make friends but then I made some. I worked very hard academically and got good grades. I really love TI. All the teachers are very nice and helpful. Now I’m almost done with 6^th grade.

It has already been two years since my mom got cancer last. I’m very happy about that. I really hope she keeps doing fine. I need to have another surgery on my foot so the process is still going. Also, school is going great, I really like my school. We can never give up in life.

We have to be resilient because if we do give up, we will fail. Hard experiences can’t let us 

down. Being resilient was really worth it. This was the story of my life. I have shared my story because all of these situations that I have written about in this essay are the ones that have brought me to New York, and being in TI Charter has given me the opportunity to enter this diversity conference. I really would like to go to this conference because I really like challenges, I like to work hard as a student, and I am resilient so I will never give up.

If I am selected to attend the Hilltop diversity conference I would volunteer to share with my homeroom how it was and what happened. This is why I think I should be chosen for the 

diversity conference.

Hi, I'm Phil

by Phil, 6th grade student

Hi, I'm  Phil  and  I'm  11 years old. I would I would like  to  go  to  the Hilltop  Middle  School Diversity Conference  because  I  would  like  to  learn  something new. I  would  learn  something  new at this conference  since  its  a different  environment  and  there are  different  people   that  come  from  different  places.  I  would  also  like  to  make  new  friends  because  at   the after school  meeting you  said that different  schools  and  people  would be at the conference.

Integrity - Being  honest

Empathy -  To  put  yourself   in  someone  else's  place/  position.

Times  I  Used  Integrity  and  Empathy             

There  was  one  time  where  Sam  from  ASFM   lost  his  wallet  on  the  bus;  I found it because I  saw  his  name  on it. On  the  next  day  of  school,  I  went  to  Sam  and  gave  him  his  wallet  and  then  he   said  ''Thanks''.

       

There  was  also  a  time  when  I  helped  students  in  my  class finish  their  history  work  and  helped  them  not  get  an  after-school  detention  since  the  work  was  due   that  day. At  the  end  of  the  history  class,  I  was  rewarded  with  a  pencil  that  had  soccer balls,  baseballs,  basketballs,  footballs,  and  other  colors. Also  during  I.S.  (Independent  Study ),  I  helped  two  people  with  their  TI  Lab  homework.  I  did  that  since  I  already  got  a  100%  on  my  homework  and  I  didn't want    them  to  get  a  homework  detention  after school;  I  wouldn't  want  to  stay  after  school  until  5:00 P.M since  I  might  want  to  do  something  fun  after  I  did  my  homework.

        

This  helps  in  life  because  it  shows I  can  be  trusted.  It  shows  I  can  be  trusted  because  I  can  return  things  on  time  and  I  can  help   people  in  life.   This  also  reflects  on  my  life  because  other  people  can  know  that  I'm  a  good  person.  I  have  learned  that  it  is  better  to  be  kind  to  people  than  to  be  unkind,  since  they  might  show  the  same  respect  that  I  showed  them.  The  takeaway  is  to  have  more  friends  and  to  be  a  better  person  to  others.

Friendship   Is  All  About.......

• Having each  other's backs
• Being  kind
• Helping  each  other  out
• Sharing  with  each  other
• And  most  important,  STAYING  TOGETHER  when  times  are  hard  for   your  friend.                                

In  Friendships  Its  O.K  To  Be  Different  :)

Sometimes  you  and  your  friend  might  not  have  something  in  common,  but  in  the  end  it  still  might  work out  okay, so  don't  be  nervous  to  lose  him or her  as  a  friend, just like  Tom  and  Jerry.

                       

Sometimes  your  friend  might  move  away  to  a  different  city,  state,  country,  or  continent.  So  being  a  true  friend  is  a  true  takeaway.

                                                       

Plan  B - To  have  another  plan  when  the  plan  before  that  didn't  work.

Times  to  Use  Plan  B

A  good time to  use  Plan  B  is  when  you   lose  your  homework.  At  the  end  of  the  day, if  you  lose  your  homework,  you  should  call  a  friend and see if  they  can  give  you  the  questions  on  the  homework  (but not  the  answers). You  can also  call  the  school  and  ask  them  if  you can  have  a  homework  pass  because  you  lost  your  homework.

     

Another  time  to  use  Plan  B  is  when  you  are  playing  a  sport  like  basketball  and  you  can't  make  the  basket   because  there  is  a  good  defender.  So, your  options  are  to  shoot  or  pass,  the  ball  but  when  you  try  shooting  he  blocks  the  shoot.  The next  time  you  have  the  ball,  the  same  person  comes  up  to  defend  you.  So  the  options  are  to  shoot  again  or  pass to  a  guy  who  is  open  and    ready  to  take  the  open  shot.  So  this  time  you  use  a  Plan  B  and  pass  it  to  the  open  person  and  he  makes  the last  shot  of  the  game  and  you  win.

          

Another    time  to  use  Plan  B  is  when  you  lose  your  school  Metro  Card,  you  can  go  to  a  teacher  at  4:00  p.m  to  get  another  student  Metro  Card,  or  you  can  ask  the  bus  driver  for  a  free  pass/ride. Did   you  know  that  student    Metro  Cards  cost  $640?  This important to know  because the school has to use it's money to buy another one if you lose it. If you don't lose your metro card, the school could buy more stuff that the students want.                                                                

Dedicate - To  devote  time, effort, or  oneself  to  a  particular  task  or  purpose.

Times to be  Dedicated
When  you  don't  get  something  in  school  or  when  you  want  a  good  education.

If  you  want to  be  better  at  something.

                                                 

Conclusion

Having  TI  PRIDE  is  a  lot of work , but  it  helps in  life  because it shows what type of person you are a hard-working person, an honest person, a person who helps someone else when they really need it, or even a person who makes another plan when the first plan doesn't work.   Having TI P.R.I.D.E  helps in life because  it shows you have something unique, something others might not even know about. There is something different in all of us. If you didn't find it yet it is okay.    It is okay that you don't know this yet because you are going to find out later in life, but in the meantime you could try to find it now.