Ranger Journal
Volume 21 • No. 1
April 19, 2017
FERDINAND, IN
Breaking News
by Camren Giesler and Evan May
Grade 7, Forest Park
According to recent studies,
people in Ferdinand have been diagnosed with a virus called Ranger
Fever. The virus has been listed as
highly dangerous due to the side
effects of going to constant Ranger
games, changing everything to
green and gold, and constantly
Seasons
chanting the Ranger cheer. We assure you nothing will stop you from
getting the Ranger Fever, especially
cheering for anyone else. The virus
is now spreading to the Wildcats in
Jasper, the Patriots at Heritage Hills,
and even the Commodores at Perry
Central. We have even more cases.
The Jeeps, the Braves, the Vikings,
and even the Eagles have contracted
this virus. Everyone has Ranger
Fever, and IT WON’T STOP!!!!!
Rats
by Mikayln Meyer
Grade 7, Forest Park
My hair blows in the summer
breeze
by Jace Schnarr
The smell of flowers flow through
Grade 7, Forest Park
the trees
Ninety percent of my friends are
Every moment like a precious animals,
flower
and half of them are rats.
Time goes by, hour by hour
I have four rats;
Everyday the sun will fall
they are all albino.
Rolling around like a ball
My mom says they look like
The bees’ hive will soon be gone
they are looking into your soul.
The season of fall will soon spawn
I think they are adorable.
The leaves are gathered in a pile
All they do is
We run and play for almost a mile
eat,
Then one day the cold came
drink,
The warm is gone, no one to
and rip up paper.
blame
I just got them,
When we build a snowman
so they are still very shy.
Winter has already began
They will lie
Spring is here
on your shoulder
Let’s bring some cheer
and play with your hair,
The flowers bloom
but they will not eat anything
The birds in a plume
outside their cage.
Summer is back
They won’t even take treats
No time to slack
from my hand.
The sun is hot
Other than the rats
Glowing in the sky like a dot
and snapping turtles,
A year has passed
my life
I admit, it’s been a blast.
is not very interesting.
Anne
Family
Letter to Anne Frank
by Daniel Eckert
Grade 8, Forest Park
Dear Anne Frank,
The diary you wrote taught me
many things. Living in the conditions of the annex must have been
very hard. The hardships of the
Holocaust were very hard for many
people, and the diary showed that
very well.
The diary you wrote showed
how even in the hard times you
kept your hopes up. This showed
me that you can always keep your
hopes up in hard times. You were
very strong and hopeful throughout
the time you were in hiding and in
the concentration camps. This helps
show people they you can try to get
through anything.
The diary has taught me so much.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Daniel Eckert
by Marcus Huff
Grade 7, Forest Park
I have a large family
13 members big
Wonderful and precious, they say
I eat like a pig
We live our lives together oh so
happily
by Laney Vaughn
Grade 8, Forest Park
Anne
Who is Jewish, loud, and cheerful
Who is Margot’s little sister
Who loves writing, outside, and
talking
Who feels lonely, sad, and hopeful
Who fears getting caught and
never being able to go outside again
Who accomplished writing her
journal
Who wanted to be free, become
an author, and have a family
Who lived in an annex in
Amsterdam
Frank
Sports
by Andi VanMeter
Grade 7, Forest Park
Huffing and puffing I run
Running in the hot summer sun
Winning races and filled with glee
I will be so happy
Then the temperature will fall
Tina Tommie Donnie
Meaning it is time to ball
Ashley Randy Joseph
Dribbling, shooting, and scoring
Jazzmine Jada ME
Basketball will never get boring
Angelina Mya Mom and Dad
The long season soon will end
We got through them like a breeze
And softball shall begin
Practicing every day
One lives in Illinois
Doing what our coaches say
The rest in Indiana
When I get to take a break
I am mama’s boy
I will never complain that I ache
My favorite fruit is a banana
The next year of sports will begin
And I want to win
I go to Forest Park
Through all of this I will always
But I live in Crawford County
remember
Mamma drives to ‘n’ from
That while I play sports, I will
over every boundary
never be bitter.
Write the Diary
by Molly Lusk
Grade 8, Forest Park
Dear Diary,
The telephone in the office below
us keeps ringing. Dussel thinks that
it is Miep trying to get ahold of us.
Mr. Van Daan and Dussel want
Father to go down and answer the
phone, but he will not answer it
because it could give up our location. Dussel tried to go down, but
as he started towards the stairs, the
telephone stopped. The Van Daans
are having another one of their
“discussions”. Peter seems embarrassed by his parents actions, so I am
going to check on him. Peter and I
really want to get out of this annex.
It is hard being stuck with the same
people all of the time.
Oh no! We just heard a car stop
abruptly outside of the annex. And
another one! We must be very quiet.
The doorbell buzzed below us; we
all realize what has happened. The
Nazis have discovered us. Now, they
are violently pounding on the door.
Father gave Margot and I each a
school bag. I kissed Peter goodbye
and waited for them to break down
the door. Father tells us to remain
hopeful, because right now, hope is
all we have. Well, dear Diary, while
the soldiers are giving us time to
pack, I guess I should tell you goodbye. If anyone is to find this, please
save it for me. Hopefully someday,
I will be able to write in you again.
A Retelling of “The Tell-Tale Heart”
from the Old Man’s Perspective
by Ava Hamilton
Grade 8, Forest Park
I walk by that man every day on
my way out of the house. He has
never given me the time of day.
I walk by and he stares with his
dark eyes and shaggy brown hair.
I know not what he thinks of me. I
have never done wrong by him. He
is my servant, yet I’ve never really
spoken to him. Does he want my
money? Does he need help? This I
may never know. He walks around
the house, looking nervous, scared
even. I wonder about him every
night before I fall asleep.
These past few nights, I’ve sensed
someone watching me as I sleep.
I cannot quite explain this feeling.
I have a magnificent house that I
keep latched, although I leave my
bedroom door unlocked. I am unmarried, but I have some money. I
inherited it all from my late father.
It’s been several nights, since
I have sensed anything unusual.
Here on the eighth night though,
I have a strange feeling. I latched
the shutters tight, just to be certain. Then all of a sudden, I heard
a clang.
“Who’s there?” I cried, sitting
up in my bed.
The next hour, seemed to last
days. I stayed sitting up in my bed
listening for the suspect.
“Uhh!” I let out a fearful groan.
Hours had passed and I began to
recite to myself, “It is nothing but
the wind in the chimney--it is only
a mouse crossing the floor,” or “it
is merely a cricket which has made
a single chirp.”
I knew that a cricket it was not,
and I was just comforting myself. I
knew what was coming, for death
was upon me. In that moment is
when I saw it, I saw the shadow of
a man, and felt his presence inside
my bedroom.
MInutes had past and he and I
both knew what was coming. Then,
ever so carefully, the man opened
a little crevice in the lantern and
a beam of light shot into my eyes.
Nowhere on my my face was the
light shone, except my eyes. I finally
got a good look at his face. It was
that man! My servant! The one
who stares at me everyday. In that
moment, my stomach dropped, and
my heart started pounding inside
my chest. It was beating so fast it
was as if someone was locked in a
cell, banging on the walls to get out.
The fury must have been too much
for him, because he threw open the
lantern and crashed into the room.
“AHH!” I screeched, loud
enough for the neighbors to hear.
I yelped again, but no sound came
out, for the fear had crept over me.
He grabbed my leg and pulled me
to the floor. Then he lifted my heavy
wooden bed and threw it over me.
Then darkness swept over me and
everything was still. Was I dead?
Could I be dead? I was.
Now, as I watched him from up
above, I felt pure hatred. He began
to dismember my body starting
with my head and moving to my
arms and legs. He then took up
three planks from my flooring
and placed my body inside the
floor. Now the clock struck four
O’clock and a knocking came at
my door. I watched as this man
nonchalantly walked to the door
as if nothing was wrong. It was
the police! Maybe they will find
my body and arrest this sick man.
“A shriek had been heard from
a neighbor during the night. We
have permission to search the
premises.” The officers announced.
I saw him tell them lies.
“The shriek was my own, in a
dream” He lied.
He showed them all around my
house, and flaunted my treasures.
The man even had the nerve to
place his chair right above the
floorboards my body was under.
The officers believed him! This
sight furiated me, so I decided
to taunt him. Even though I was
dead, and my heart was not really
beating, I put the sound of a heartbeat into his ears. Up here in the
afterlife, you get certain abilities,
that you can use on the people on
Earth. They sat and chatted with
him, but I saw the guilt getting to
him. His face began to fade into a
pale color and his voice became
high pitched. I knew he could hear
my heartbeat.
He talked quickly, paced the
floor, and finally yelped, “ Villains!
Dissemble no more! I admit the
deed!-- tear up the planks!--here,
here!--it is the beating of his hideous heart!”
I wish I knew he had had such
a problem with me sooner. Then,
maybe I could have stopped the
crime. I watched as the officers
took him away and nothing ever
made me happier.