Middle Winkle, May 2013 David Schneider 6th Grade Organized Chaos Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 Robert J. Kaiser Middle School
Middle Wrinkle
Literary-Art Magazine
Volume 12 Edition 3
May 2013
Free to all students and faculty
Robert J. Kaiser Middle School
45 Breakey Avenue
Monticello, NY 12701
Awards from Columbia Scholastic Press Association
One Gold Medalist
Four Medalist
Ten First Place
One Silver Medalist
Awards from the National Council of English Teachers
One rating of Excellent
Two ratings of Above Average
Awards from the American Scholastic Press Association
Eleven First Place
Three First Place with Special Merit
Most Outstanding Middle School Literary-Art Magazine 2002
Most Outstanding Intermediate School Literary-Art Magazine 2011
Most Outstanding Middle School Literary-Art Magazine 2012
Goals:
The goals of the Middle Wrinkle are to demonstrate exemplary literary and art pieces from the
students of the Robert J. Kaiser Middle School, grades 6-8. Students or teachers may submit any
piece of student writing or art work to be considered for print in the Middle Wrinkle. The pieces
are selected by the advisors based on content, originality, and quality of work. All students are
encouraged to submit writing or art work to be considered. Students choose titles for their artwork, write it on the back with their names and grade. The Middle Wrinkle Staff meets after
school to work on art and written material.
The students and advisors decide the format of each edition based on the material accepted for
publication. Material selected gets typed into Microsoft Publisher. The font used is Tahoma size
12. Word Art is used for the cover page and occasionally within the magazine for variation. Clip
Art is used occasionally. Student artwork is scanned and put into the document.
The Middle Wrinkle is fully funded by Monticello Central School District’s budget. Publication takes
place from start to finish in RJK Middle School.
2 Middle Winkle, May 2013 Teachers Who Contributed to Students’
Writing
Cherise Barasch
Debora Bausenwein
Beth Cleary
Karen Deans
Jennifer Ducey
Justin Fenichel
Nicole Hamburger
Dorrie Lounsbury
Nadine Nicotra
Sarah Slinsky
Jamie Volpe
Christine Worthington
Teachers Who Contributed to Students’
Artwork
Elizabeth Bassett
Debora Bausenwein
Karen Deans
Dorrie Lounsbury
Tracey Orlan
Jamie Volpe
Nadine Nicotra
Student Distributors
Lorenze Massey
Dylan Rivas
Dinaja Clark
Joseph Ulaj
Art Advisor
Elizabeth Bassett
Advisor
Debora Bausenwein
Principal
Nichole Horler
English Language Arts Director
Donna Bushey
Student Editor
Alex Feldman
Front Cover
David Schneider
Staff Page
Tyler Dempsey
Back Cover
Truckin’
Alex Feldman
By Tyler Dempsey,
Grade 7
3 Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 My Favorite Animal
5
Dylan Broder
Koala Bears
Gary Ivory
Rain, Rain
6
Jalyne Massie
The City Mystery
Denise Dumas
Hurricane Sandy
7
Ali Ali
Johnny Cade
8
Bianca Watkins
Johnny’s Obituary
Jaison Rivera
Manuel’s Confession
Shereen Persaud
Dairy Entries from The Witch of Blackbird
Pond
Gabriela Ramirez
9
Travan Powell
Found Poetry from The Witch of Blackbird
Pond
Gabreila Ramirez
Maya Williams
Hope
10
John Connor
Who Am I
Jenna DeGrote
Be Courageous
Thadeus McElrath
My Wonderful Journey to China
11
Alissa Maybloom
China
Kimberly Torres
Tiger Sharks
12
Taylor King
Hurricane Sandy
13
Ali Ali
The New Student
14
Lauren McFadden
The Fantastic Barn of Ms. Goodman
Candace Battiste and Lauren McFadden
Divaa
15
Juliana Schlosser
Dolphin
Rachel Hernandez
Eternal Luck
Kelton Ramos
How Life Is
Zachary Kyle Ocasio
Growing Up
Aiden Johnson
My Growing Life
Michael Abramson
A Flower Growing in the Sun
Sarah Alies
16
17
18
Rectoroara 19 Christian Roman Out of this World 20 Jorge Perez Puppy 21 Jessica Connor and Lauren McFadden House 22 Jordan Laymon Full Moon 23 Jessica Connor Spring Christian Phillips 4 Middle Winkle, May 2013 My Favorite Animal
By Dylan Broder,
Grade 7
My favorite animal is the giraffe. The giraffe adapts to its
environment in many ways. One way is that it has a long neck so it
can reach its food. Another adaptation is that it has thin fur so it
doesn’t get hot. Giraffes are also very strong so they can defend
themselves. These are a few adaptations a giraffe has.
Without these adaptations giraffes would not survive. Without a long neck giraffes would not survive because they would not
have anything to eat. Giraffes live in Africa so if they had thick fur
they would get really hot, with thin fur they can stay cool. This is
how giraffes’ adaptations are beneficial to their environment.
Giraffes are herbivores. This means they only eat plants. As
you know giraffes have long necks; this is so they can eat leaves
from the top of trees. A lot of other animals in Africa eat plants, too.
There are a couple animals that eat giraffes. Lions and leopards eat giraffes. Lions and leopards are both carnivores, so giraffes
would be a perfect meal. Another animal that eats giraffes are hyenas. These are animals that eat giraffes.
Koala Bears
By Gary Ivory,
Grade 7
The Koala bear is a fascinating animal. It is beautiful to
watch the Koala sleep. But the Koala bear is endangered, there
are 43,000 to 80,000 Koalas left on Earth. Experts say within 30
years the Koala bear will become extinct.
The Koala bear has many adaptations, but I’m only sharing
three. For one, the Koala has very long nails to defend itself from
enemies. Second, the Koala does not show fear so it becomes a
dominant animal. Third, it has the ability to climb trees and stay
away from enemies.
The Koala are great parents to their children. They sleep
together and they eat together. The Koala doesn’t eat much, in
fact, they only eat eucalyptus trees. The baby koalas need lots of
protection from their parents. They can be a tasty snack to owls.
The Koala can weigh between 15 and 30 pounds. These creatures
can be found in
Australia.
5 Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 Rain, Rain
By Jalyne Massie,
Grade 8
Rain, rain go away
Because of you my pain will stay
Block my voice, break my heart
Leave it there, and shred it apart
Poison tears stream down my face
My heart beats at a steady pace
As I try to stand, alone
Crying in the rain
“I don’t need you any more”
Is what I think while the tears pour
I love you but I hate you
Love is what cuts like a knife
Love is death, and death is you
It’s a pain that stains like a black tattoo
Those memories come back again
And bind me in the ropes of pain’
Crimson blood streams down my face
Like a long silk ribbon tied by a thread
It’s just that memory, that’s become dead
The City Mystery
B y Denise Dumas,
Grade 8
It was a regular day in New York City,
but this day stands out more than any other
day. A man named Jim was on his every day
run in Central Park. He saw something as big
as a body and wrapped up in black garbage
bags getting dumped off the back of a pickup
truck.
At first, he stared not knowing what it
was then as he looked hard, he saw a familiar sweater accidentally drop from inside the
black garbage bag onto the ground of the
woods. Then he noticed, as he looked back
up from the ground, a man staring up at him.
Out of fright, Jim ran off.
The next day, Jim went out to run, being curious, he went back to the place where
he saw the wrapped thing get dumped off.
He went into the woods where he saw the
familiar sweater and picked it up. He noticed
that the sweater was that of the sweet girl
who lived down the street!
“Oh, that must have been her father in
the truck and he dropped her sweater!” he
thought. Then, as he went to walk out of the
woods, he smelled something so horrific that
he had to find out what it was. As he kept
looking, the smell drew deeper and deeper
until he reached the bagged object.
He unwrapped it and it was the little
girl from down the street. “Oh, no!” he
thought. As he was looking at the girl, he
suddenly heard heavy breathing behind him.
6 Middle Winkle, May 2013 Hurricane Sandy
By Ali Ali,
Grade 6
Can you imagine how horrible Hurricane
Sandy was? On Monday morning a horrible thing
happened to New York State in the U. S. A. It
was the hurricane that won’t be forgotten in the
history of the United States of America.
What I wrote about wasn’t the worst
thing that the hurricane did. The worst thing
that happened in those fateful days was that
the police found 108 citizens had died in this
horrible event. I want you to imagine one of the
Hurricane Sandy was the most dangerous dead people as a member of your family. Won’t
you be sad if that happened? Won’t you hate
hurricane in the history of New York and New
Jersey states. This hurricane cut off the electric- those fateful days? Sure you would. I send my
condolences to all the people who lost their famity from more than 500 houses. The electricity
was off from Monday noon to the next Friday at ily member in this horrible hurricane.
the most. Can you imagine that? That’s five days I want to write another sentence or two.
without electricity. And let me tell you someFirst, let’s forget this sad past and begin to make
thing. No electricity means no machines or tech- our future better. Second, I want to ask you to
nology. That meant no technology for five whole ask yourself a question. Do you think our family
days.
members who died would be happy if we continThis hurricane had another bad or horri- ued crying about them without doing anything?
No, they will never be happy if we did that. Let’s
ble affect. This hurricane made no phone call
service. This hurricane also cut the Internet from try to work hard to improve our technology,
a lot of houses. Can you imagine now how horri- then no hurricane won’t be able to kill any person.
ble Hurricane Sandy was?
7 Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 Johnny Cade
1951-1967
By Bianca Watkins,
Grade 8
Johnny Cade was laid to rest. He was
only 16 when he passed away. He lived in the
town of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Johnny died as a
hero because he tried to save some sweet innocent children out of a burning church, and
yes, he saved them all, but Johnny suffered
severe burns upon his body. That’s what
brings his name to this paper today. He was a
very strong person on the inside, but a very
soft person on the outside.
Manuel’s Confession
By Shereen Persaud,
Grade 8
I committed the crime because I need
money.
I love to play Chinese lottery and to
gamble, and I need money for my wife and
progeny. I have a job as a gardener, but I
waste all my money on the Chinese lottery
and gambling.
I stole the dog when the judge was at
a meeting of the Raisin Growers’ Association,
and the boys were busy organizing an athletic
club. No one saw me take Buck.
So, I told the dog, “Let’s go for a walk.”
When we got to the little flag station known
as College Park, the man who got bit by Buck
said I only asked for $50. I asked for $100. I
got $150 for Buck.
I sold Buck to the man who worked in
the saloon. I saw them put a rope around his
neck and choke him. Then I saw them put
him on the train. Buck is going to Canada to
be a sled dog.
I am sorry for what I did. I don’t know
how the Judge is feeling. I am ready for my
punishment. I regret what I did to Buck. I’m
so sorry.
Johnny’s Obituary
By Jaison Rivera,
Grade 8
Johnny Cade died on November 16, 1967,
at the age of 16. He died in the Rivera Hospital
at night, surrounded by his friends. He was born
on November 15, 1951.
Johnny grew up in Tulsa. He was raised
by Mr. and Mrs. Cade. He hung out with Ponyboy, Darry, Dally, and Two-bit. He was talking
to Ponyboy and Dally when he died.
Johnny got injured in a burning church.
The church roof fell on top of him. He broke and
burned his back and died in the hospital a few
days later.
If you are close friend, family member, or
knew Johnny Cade, contact his parents. If not,
call 845-555-2761 to contact his parents.
Johnny had some hobbies like going to
the movies with friends. He was kind to his
friends and didn’t like Socs. He got nervous
when girls were around.
8 Middle Winkle, May 2013 Diary Entries for The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Dear Diary,
My new cousin Kit came to town
and she cannot do anything. I gave
her the easy jobs in the house. We had
to eat corn pudding with lumps.
The next day we went to the
Meeting House. She was wearing a
dress that she was going to give me.
Then William saw her with happiness
in his eyes. When we got home, my
dad, Matthew Wood, said William
would like to come over to see Kit.
From Judith
(written by Gabriela Ramirez, Grade 8)
Found Poetry adapted from The Witch of
Blackbird Pond
By Gabriela Ramirez,
Grade 8
Kit
Row of trunks
Full of dresses
Dresses and petticoats and slippers and
such
First lid opened
Pulling out a handsome gown of filmy silk
So many ribbons and bows
Red satin petticoat
Bright peacock blue padusoy
Like a kitten’s fur
Found poetry adapted from an interview with
Elizabeth Eckford
By Maya Williams,
Grade 8
That night too excited, couldn’t sleep
Next morning was about the first one up.
I still wasn’t afraid
My knees started to shake
They moved closer and closer
Yelling, “Lynch her! Lynch her!”
White man sat down beside me
His arm around me
“Don’t let them see you cry.”
Dear God,
I have a niece that came here without
writing a note saying she was coming. She and
my daughters weren’t working when I came in
the house. They were wearing fancy dresses.
Then, to make everything worse, Kit can’t make
corn pudding or do carding.
Then Reverend Gershom Bulkeley ate
dinner here and started talking about the King
of England. I got mad at him. To make it even
worse, he started to read about the King of
England.
Your faithful servant,
Matthew Wood
(written by Travan Powell, Grade 8)
9 Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 Hope
By John Connor,
Grade 6
Hope is what wakes you in the morning
Hope is the day of the big dance and nobody
asked but you still go.
Hope is the boy or girl that you really like and
you finally get the confidence to ask her out.
Hope drives the salmon downstream
Hope is what brought you to me.
Who Am I…
By Jenna DeGrote,
Grade 6
I always have been afraid to make new friends…
What if they didn’t like me…
What if they made fun of me…
What if they didn’t like what I looked like…
What if they hated what I wore…
So I got over my fear…
I moved to a new school…
And that is where I met my best friend Caitlyn…
I also met Emily, Cheyenne, Alison, Eddie, Emma,
and a lot more people…
They all been so nice to me…
Thanks for being there for me and being my
friend...
Be Courageous
By Thadeus McElrath,
Grade 6
Courage is bravery
You have to be fearless and strong
You have to care for people and face your
obstacles
Also you have to be optimistic
If you follow these things, you won’t have
trouble
Being courageous and successful
10 Middle Winkle, May 2013 China
By Kimberly Torres,
Grade 6
My Wonderful Journey to China
By Alissa Maybloom,
Grade 6
Hi, my name is Kimberly and I’m
going to tell you all about what I learned
in China and what I have experienced.
China is located on the mainland
of Asia. Modern day China has the biggest population in the world! Most of
today’s goods are produced in China as
well.
The civilization of China began
about 8,000 years ago when people settled in the areas of the northeast and
beside the two great rivers, the Yellow
River to the north and the Yangzi River
in the south. For centuries the ancient
Chinese were enclosed by mountains,
deserts, and sea. They had little contact
with the rest of the world. They developed their own way of life.
The Chinese were always looking
for practical ways to solve problems. Ancient Chinese inventions of paper, printing, the compass, and gunpowder have
probably had more impact on the world
than anything else that has ever been
invented.
Farmers made the most of the
area they were given. Often the land
they got was mountainous and growing
on the side of a hill is next to impossible.
This is the end of my journey and
what I experienced. I hope you will love
to come to China and always think that
nothing is impossible. If they did it, you
can do it too.
Hello, my name is explorer Miss Alissa
Maybloom. I just got back from the most
amazing journey ever! A week in China. China
is located in Asia. Guess what? China’s the
shape of a moose head! That’s silly! China has
the most population in the world.
Did you know that their writing is not
English? They write in pictographics. Isn’t that
interesting?
China invented gunpowder, yo-yo, noodles, silk, and porcelain. Their most valued exports are silk and porcelain. I can just hear it,
“Buy my goods. Please, buy my goods.”
I just walked the Great Wall of China. I
bet you want to know why they built the Great
Wall of China. During the war they wanted the
Mongolians out of China. But, now, they don’t
really have to worry about it. I’m telling you, if
you want to walk the Great Wall, you have to
be a great walker.
The Himalaya Mountains are super
huge! They spread through India and Asia.
Huang He, nicknamed the Yellow River because it picks up yellow silt. The capital of
China is Beijing.
Chinese use turtle shells and oracle
bones because they help to predict the future.
hat is so interesting!
I’ve always wanted to know, what is
the Mandate of Heaven. Guess what I know?
It means the divine right to govern for the
good of the people.
Just go to China to learn more facts.
It’s more fun than you think. You can see how
long the Great Wall of China is (more than
3,000 miles). Also, how tall the Himalayas
are….
Well, you will see if you go to China, of
course….
11 Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 Tiger Sharks
By Taylor King,
Grade 7
I like tiger sharks. I like them for their unique markings. Even
though I might like them, the biggest possible predator to a tiger shark
is the human. It is very dangerous for a person to have a bad impression
on a tiger shark, for they are known to be very aggressive, just ask
squids, fish, and turtles, the tiger sharks favorite foods.
The scientific name for the tiger shark is Galeocerdo cuvier. Tiger
sharks have thin skin that is smooth to help them adapt to the warm
tropical waters they live in. Another adaptation tiger sharks have is their
unique stripes. The stripes will fade as the average tiger shark ages, but
when they are young and vulnerable, the stripes help them blend in with
dark and patterned objects in the sea. Strong sharp teeth are another
adaptation because tiger sharks need tough teeth to eat through the
chewy skins of its favorite prey—the squid. It is a carnivore that weighs
850-1400 lbs. on average, with a lifespan of 30-40 years.
The lifestyle of a tiger shark is hunting at night, large body size,
and being solitary. The tiger shark is threatened because they are used
for food, pills, and other goods. They are also hunted for sport. Tiger
sharks have sensors on the sides of their heads because they can feel
the movement of prey nearby.
Female tiger sharks can have up to 35 baby sharks. The female
shark lays the eggs inside her body, and then the egg hatches after a
certain amount of time. When they hatch, the mother tiger shark will
keep her babies inside of her body for up to 16 months. Then proceeds
to have a litter of 10-80 babies.
At the end of tiger sharks lifespan, which are 30-40 years, the 3-5
meters in length will then make its way to the tiger shark afterlife, leaving their tiger shark-y legacy to their 10-80 babies.
Food Chain
Phytoplankton krill whale
squid tiger shark humans bacteria
12 Middle Winkle, May 2013 Hurricane Sandy
By Ali Ali,
Grade 6
Can you imagine how horrible Hurricane Sandy was? On Monday morning a
horrible thing happened to New York State in the U.S.A. It was the hurricane that
won’t be forgotten in the history of the United States of America.
Hurricane Sandy wasn’t the most dangerous hurricane in the history of NY
and NJ states. This hurricane cut off electricity from more than 500 houses. The
electricity was off from Monday to noon the next Friday at the most. Can you imagine that! That’s five days without electricity, and let me tell you something. No electricity means no machines or technology. That means no technology for the whole
five days.
The hurricane had another bad effect. This hurricane made no phone service. This hurricane also cut off the Internet from a lot of houses. Can you imagine
how horrible Hurricane Sandy was?
What I wrote wasn’t the worst thing that the hurricane did. The worst thing
happened in the fateful days was that the police found that more than 108 citizens
died in this horrible accident. I want you to imagine one of the dead people was a
member of your family. Won’t you be sad if that happened? Won’t you hate these
fateful days? Sure you will. I send my condolences to all the people who lost their
family members in this horrible hurricane.
I want to say another two sentences in this composition. First, let’s forget
this sad past and begin to make our future better. Second, I want you to ask yourself a question, do you think our family members, who died, would be happy if we
stayed crying about them without doing anything? No, they will never be happy if
we did that. Then, let’s try to work hard to improve our technology, then any hurricane won’t be able to kill any person.
13 Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 The New Student
By Lauren McFadden,
Grade 8
One day a little girl named Kaycee came to town. She was new and didn’t know anyone. When she went to school, the teacher introduced her to everyone.
“Class, we have a new student. Her name is Kaycee Mendez.”
Everyone smiled and she blushed.
“Chris, why don’t you show Kaycee around,” said the teacher,.
He stood up and smiled. He had dirty blond hair and brown eyes. Kaycee had dark
wavy hair and dark brown eyes. Chris took Kaycee and showed her around.
“I had an awesome time,” Kaycee said. Chris smiled again.
“Thanks. Hey, I’m having a party on Tuesday. Wanna come?”
Kaycee shook her head, “Sure. See you soon.”
Chris walked Kaycee home.

****
The following Tuesday, Kaycee got ready for Christian’s party. She was wearing blue
skinny jeans and a white under top and a dark blue Hollister top. She walked to Christian’s
house and knocked on the door. His older sister, Caitlin, opened the door. She walked in.
The whole time she was having so much fun and making new friends, Christian, Kelli, and
Caitlin.
Fantastic Barn of
Ms. Goodman
By Candace Battiste
and Lauren McFadden,
Grade 8
14 Middle Winkle, May 2013 Divaa
By Juliana Schlosser,
Grade 6
Dolphin By Rachel Hernandez, Grade 8 15 Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 Eternal Luck
By Kelton Ramos,
16 Middle Winkle, May 2013 How Life Is
By Zachary Kyle Ocasio,
Grade 6
Growing up is…
A baby bird learning to fly
Trying to make your dreams come true
Wanting to jump up to the sky
Being like Winnie Foster from Tuck Everlasting
Being a student but becoming a teacher
Growing up isn’t…
Being fearful of the dark
Having to sleep with a night light
Using a GPS and still not know where to go
Being cold but acting like you’re hot
Having a job but not going to it
Growing Up
By Aiden Johnson,
Grade 6
Growing up is…
Falling down and getting back up
An egg becoming a baby chick
Choosing wisely
Treating others with respect
Making good choices
Being honest
Growing up isn’t ...
Making excuses why you didn’t do something
Handing you homework in late
Complaining about things that aren’t important
Doing things that are inappropriate
Being rude to others
Talking while someone else is
Stealing from others
Telling on others
17 Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 My Growing Life
By Michael Abramson,
Grade 6
Growing up is a tree
You start off as a seedling
Adding one and two
Then you start to bloom
And you just have scratched the top
As you grow
You start to know
Of life’s wonders
You start off as a seedling
And you start leaning
Into the winds of wisdom
Growing up isn’t cowardly
You need to show no fear
You can’t be as boring as a bush
Don’t you dare scream and pout
Because that’s not what life is all about
Don’t complain
You’ll be in pain
Try not to be the cowardly lion
Cause the you’ll keep on crying
A Flower Growing in the Sun
By Sarah Alies,
Grade 6
Growing up is…
To stop a bully from hurting someone
To help the elderly cross the street
Another bird feeding her young
Or a mother bear protecting her young
Doing something you’re scared of and
wanting to do it again but better
Seeing you got the last cookie and
sharing it with someone who did not get a
cookie
Growing up is a flower growing in the
sun
Growing up is not…
Bullying others for no reason
Cheating in a game because you’re
scared to lose
Stealing from others when the voice in
your head tells you it’s wrong
Going down along beautiful paths and
turning into a dark road
Not growing up is a flower that is getting no sun, water, or care.
18 Middle Winkle, May 2013 Christian Roman 7th Grade Rectoroara 19 Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 Out of This World
By Jorge Perez,
Grade 6
20 Middle Winkle, May 2013 Jessica Connor and Lauren McFadden 8th Grade Puppy 21 Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 Jordan Laymon 8th Grade House 22 Middle Winkle, May 2013 Jessica Connor 8th Grade Full Moon Christian Phillips 8th Grade Spring 23 Middle Wrinkle, May 2013 Dream Vehicles
By Alex Feldman,
Grade 7
24