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.                   
  

Hilltop Middle School Diversity Conference

by Erica, 6th grade student

Hi, my name is Erica. I’m 11 years old. I was born in a hospital called Maternidad de Lima, in Lima, Peru. I was born on June 6, 2001. I came to America when I was one. I only spoke Spanish. I learned English when I was in Kindergarten. The students in my class spoke to me in English. I also watched “Nick Junior.” I enjoyed “SpongeBob” and “Dora the Explorer.” I also had ESL classes from Pre-k until 5th grade. My English improved more and more.

My mom and dad have made me strong. When I was failing math and ELA in 5^th grade, my parents told me to work harder. If I didn’t understand something, they told me to re-read the passage. My mom and dad made me read out loud to them. If I had trouble with a word, I would look it up in a dictionary or try to sound it out. I love my parents because they are always there for me. They support me in everything I do.

Time became difficult for me when my teacher told my mom and me that I was probably going to repeat 5th grade. My mom and I tried very hard. My mom put me in Saturday program. My mom got me a tutor she helped me with homework and helped me with other stuff. Since my mom and dad got home late from work, my mom put my sister, and I in after-school. My teacher asked two girls from my class to help me with my homework if I didn’t understand something. Ena would help me on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, while on Tuesdays, and Thursdays Jeysa helped me with homework. Those things helped me a lot.

During the time that I struggled with math and English, I incorporated the pillar of dedication. I stayed focused on learning. I went to afterschool tutorial programs. I went to Saturday Academy. Dedication to my studies and hard work helped me through this difficult time. I was promoted to 6th grade at the end of the year, due to my dedication.

The pillar of dedication saw me through my difficult time in school. Hard work pays off when you work hard to achieve something. I’ve worked really hard so now I am succeeding in math. I am now in advanced after school math programs which I go to every Tuesday. I’ve improved my English. My grades have gotten better. I am very proud of myself. My parent are proud of me as well. If you work really hard for something, you will succeed. Nothing succeeds like success!

I want to go to the diversity conference to enrich my learning and meet other students my age. When we meet new people, we learn new things. I feel that I would be good student representative from TI because I am well-mannered, hardworking, outgoing and willing to learn about new ideas.   

            

School Days of Educated Pride

by Touba, 6th grade student

As a student at Tech International Charter School I value respect and in return I have been treated respectfully by my teachers, classmates, and other students throughout the school.  I am amazed at how quickly I was accepted by students and how much I am valued as a person.  There is a feeling of acceptance at TI, and we all look at each other equally.  Over the past year, the majority of my growth as a person has come from experiencing new cultures at TI.  This school has opened up a new world for me, and I take pride in the insight I have gained from a broad diversity of students’ ethnicities and interests.

            

At TI the students and their families come from different countries, such as Bangladesh, Poland, Puerto Rico, Guinea, and more.  Students are proud of their heritage, and they do not feel pressured to blend in with everyone else.  What I like most is the fact that students’ race, religion, gender and other characteristics do not separate us.  We can express our heritage and not be ridiculed for it.  The students who attend TI can be their selves especially in America, where every person has a colorful heritage to share.

            

To me, being a TI student is related to being a team player.  I know I can find help when I need it, and I will volunteer my help to someone in need.  Many students are less likely to find warm welcomes at other schools.  TI is a school where I can focus, learn, love and thrive.  It is difficult to find a school that shares the same togetherness that TI students have, and I am proud to be a link in that chain.

            

I know that TI has a lot to offer me and that is what is most exciting.  Students are competitive to get the best grades and get into a good high school.  The fact that students are so competitive helps me stay motivated to accomplish my goals.  I take pride in my work as a student at TI, and a committed attitude shows my teachers that I am willing to learn because TI is made for students who have a passion for learning.

            

Ultimately I believe that empathy is the heart of TI PRIDE because it allows students to understand each other, learn from each other, and respect each other.  Attending class with students from totally opposite beliefs and traditions not only made me aware of the diversity of our world but it also influenced my ability to understand and empathize with people from different cultures.  The ability to understand one another is one of the main benefits empathy provides and it is what makes each student at TI unique.    

            

I am very excited to be attending TI and to join with new students I have met at this school.  I have only begun to help my school with things like forming a basketball team and organizing different clubs.  As I continue my years here, I hope to instill the same feeling of TI PRIDE in newcomers as they begin to explore a new world of opportunities here.  Taking pride in my school can also inspire others to take pride in what they do and to work hard.

            

I realize from my experiences that I am capable of many things and should have the confidence to never underestimate myself.  TI has helped me to become more open minded in life and it is an honor to express the pride I have in my school at the Hilltop Diversity Conference.  Attending the conference is a rewarding experience that could offer educational and networking opportunities.  I am looking forward to connecting with students from other schools who will be participating in the conference, as well as reconnecting with friends of mine who are also invited.     

            

As I got to know some of the students at TI, I began experiencing new cultures and grew a greater appreciation for life.  The students I met are welcoming and warm, and I knew that I would be happy attending TI.  I really appreciate the kindness shown to me, and I hope to proudly return that kindness to other students who attend school here.  This is something that other schools lack, and for this reason, it is a place I will always feel welcome at and a home I will always need in order for a peaceful mind and heart.

            

I feel that I should go to the Hilltop Diversity Conference because I want to see new places, learn and see new things.  I will be a good representative for TI Charter because I am well-behaved, and I like to meet new people.  This conference can help me to be a better person in life and at school by talking with students who plan to have a career in Mathematic because my goal is to become a math teacher.  Also, I plan get information about some high schools that I can go to in the future, such as the Bronx High School of Science.  These are the reasons why I want to be chosen to go to the Hilltop Diversity Conference.    

Dedication

by Willy, 6th grade student

My name is Willy and I'd like to tell you about the time I used  one pillar of TIPRIDE. I used  dedication. I dedicated myself to do better in school. Another way I dedicate myself today is by helping others, so I can be a good citizen. This is what I did to do better in school.

Doing better in school has always been a goal for me. In my old school my grades weren't very good. But when i know I was going to a charter school,I realized it would give me many opportunities in the future to go to better schools and get a good job. Ever since I've come to TI Charter school my life has changed. I dedicated myself ever since to do better in school. All the teachers at TI Charter are very nice;they push the students to dedicate themselves to do better in school academically. This is where I get my courage to do better and dedicate myself in school. Doing better in school is one way of being dedicated and it really helped.

I also dedicate myself to helping others in need, or when they don't understand something that I do. Most people really didn't understand math in my class. So when I see someone not understanding something, I check up on them. I really try and dedicate myself to do this but most kids in my class are smart. I really help people when they are at home. Sometimes my friends ( like Sebastian) text me saying they need help. They text me what they need help with and I remind them what we learned in class that day.

Almost anybody can be a good citizen. I choose to be a good citizen to the environment. Most kids in our school leave garbage in the hallway. So what I tend to do is clean up after others and myself. Another example is in our classroom. People leave many things, like wrappers, and little bits of paper all over the floor and in cubbies. I ask my teachers if I can use the broom (if possible yo clean our class). Another way I try to be a good citizen is by trying to be respectful  to my teachers and not get detentions. Not to mention I have zero detentions! Most teachers would agree; I am very well-behaved . (This is what makes me a good citizen; I follow the rules.) Also I try to be good friends with people who I'm  not really close with (This whole paragraph was approved by Ms. Maller and Ms. Lonergan.)

So now you know what I have done based on TI PRIDE. I try to do this every single day I come to school. Even though I act silly in school, I'm always behaving in class and focusing. School is tough for most students but I tend to help them out. Also including that I try to be a good citizen to the environment. But at the end of the day I even though throw up and downs I always dedicate myself to be a good person.

Going to Fieldston would be a huge opportunity for me. One reason why that I would like to go to Fieldston is because I would like to visit the school. Why I would like to go to the diversity conference is because I would like to meet  people that are really successful in life and that can inspire me .Another reason why I would like to go to visit the children there and see what it is like in Fieldston. I also want to go there and meet the teachers and staff to see if I could probably go there for high school. Also Fieldston gives many opportunities to kids and helps them get into a good college. This is why I want to go to Fieldston.