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Sixth Graders

 

I love them.  I really do.

A student, let's call him "Jacob," who I'm tutoring in writing wrote me a story about a cat who fell into toxic waste and lived.  Then we played hangman.  His sentence?

"[my name] will lose to the wrath of the almighty Jacob."

My students answered some questions today in a writing exercise.  Here are some of the highlights:

What do you want me to call you?
  • Call me Ana but it's not my name.
  • I want you to call me Mr. Ramos
  • I don't care.
  • Call me "Daddy."

What languages do you speak?
  • I speak English.
  • I speak Tagalog, Visaya*, and English
  • I speak english at school & a little filipino
  • Bosnian, English, and a little of Spanish
  • I speak English and Spanish and Samoan.
  • I speak English every day and I could speak Spanish.
  • I speack Bosnian at home and English at school.
  • I speak english in school, spanish in spanish class and chinese at home.
  • I speak english at school and Arabic at home.
  • I speak english and Russian and learning hebrew.
  • I speak english at school and half englis and have togan [Tongan] at home.
  • I speak African American.

Where were you born?
  • I was born in Oakland.
  • I was born in the Philippines and stayed there until I was 8.
  • Bosnia
  • I was born is the state of Main all the way across the United States. The hospital's name is Machias.
  • Bosnia
  • I was born in Russia.
  • Berkeley
  • I was born in China.
  • I am born in Alameda.
  • I was born in New Zealand.
  • I was born in a hospital.
  • How would I know?
Describe your family.
  • I have one sister and my mom but my dad is in the Philipines and I never seen him since I was seven.
  • I have 4 people.
  • My family is wonderful an my pets.
  • I live with my mom and visit my dad on school breaks.  My mom and dad dont live with each other.  My dad lives in oragon and my mom lives here in California.  I ahve 2 older sisters and they live in Oakland the safe sid.  On my moms side of the family I have 1 uncle, 4 cousins, 1 Great Aunt, and 1 Aunt.  On my dads side I have 2 uncles, 1 Aunt, and thats it.  I have a black lab named Dozer and 2 Cats named Sneaker, and Boots.
  • My family is nice and my pet is a small dog and her name is Chamila.
  • Dad-Mom-sis-sis-sis-brother-brother-female dog.
  • My family is cool and nice.
  • I have a fun brother two awesome parents and two awesome grandparents.  five boring fish.  My parents never yell.
  • My sister is bossy, My brothers are electronic people, My parents are working hard, my grandmother cooks a lot.
  • I have 6 family members My mom wears a head scarf just like me My dad drives a truck with this company and My brother is 10 My other brother is 8 My little sister is 5
  • The family that I live with is not my Real parents but now since they adopted me they are and when I came to California from Russia I got a dog and there was 2 cats but 1 died but we got another cat.
  • I have a mother and a father.
  • Unique, nice, caring, kind, loving, a piece of my heart.
  • I have four family members including me, my mom, dad, and my brother, and I also has a flower horn fish pet.**
What is the best thing that has ever happened to you at school?
  • The best thing that happened to me is I got 1st place on my art project I did.
  • Nothing
  • I got out of school.
  • Getting all 4.0 grades for the whole year.
  • The best thing that happen to me at school is I got an 4.0.
  • I fonud a five Dollers
  • The best thing that has happen to me is have my first best friend at school
  • The best thing that ever happen to me was my fifth grade graduaion.  I had food and all kinds of stuff.
  • That we won our basketbal game.
  • I got an award for math.
  • when I got A's and B's
  • when I used to go to school in Oragon I got an award for not getting in trouble on the yard for a mounth.  That was the best thing that ever happened at school.
  • Nothin.
  • I got alot of rewards.
  • I figured out that a lot of guys like me.... haha shh! don't tell anyone ^o^

What is the worst thing that has ever happened to you at school?
  • The worst thing is when I first came to the U.S. I went straight and I didn't know anything the people are saying.
  • when I got suspended.
  • I went to school.
  • getting out of math class.
  • I dunno.
  • the worstest thing that happen to me at school is I fell because I run too fast and my backpack is heavy.  The ground was wet and I fell.
  • win I got hit with the Ball
  • The worst thing that happend at school was lose my friend because he moved.
  • the worst thing that ever happened at school was when I threw up in the hall way.
  • I don't know maybe when I got in trouble the last time I remembered.
  • The worst thing ever happed to me in school was I got saspended.
  • My enemies.
  • I never got it.
  • when I used to have F's
  • when I was in 4th grade at school I Farted really loud and every body heard it.
  • Nothin.
  • I got in trouble badley
  • Someone tripped me and the worst was someone spit on me.
  • The worst thing that happened is that I threw up in class.

Don't worry... that is not it, it's just bedtime.  To be continued...

*Pretty impressive that she speaks a language I've never heard of.

**Can anyone clue me in on a flower horn fish pet?
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