We've begun reading PUSH here are our first thoughts...
"...It's crazy that she had to go through that at 7 years old in the 2nd grade. I imagine my niece at 7 years old being treated that way and the way I would react to something like that, and I'm only her aunt. I imagine my mother undergoing something like that with me and knowing that the possible outcome would definitely not just be "ok."She would do anything in her power to keep that from happening to me and I would do everything in my will to make sure noone ever hurts my niece."
"...I think that Precious went through HELL!!! She didn't deserve to be treated that way growing up. That as sick the way her father did her growing up. Her mother didn't make it no better. Where's da rest of da family?!!... It hurts me that someone in this world goes through something soooo painful. And many people probably went through worse. THis world is all F'ed up!!... Where is the peace??... Happiness??..
I really feel for Precious!!"
"... I mean about the book... of everything that had happened in the back of her mind which has her thinking that she is a failure. I feel that if anyone really wanted to love her she wouldn't let them get close to her and its sad. People believe that the hurt mostly comes from her mother I feel even though that happened with her father she really needed her mother to play part so she could at least get over the feelings, so she could go on.
"... I think the story is very depressing. It makes me really mad how Precious' real dad f'ed her! I don't even have the expression to say how I feel. And her mother is so wrong for not doing anything and especially when she knows that Precious is pregnant again by him. Precious' situation is hard to go through, and if I was able to help, I would."
"...What I think of the whole situation is that its wrong what she have to go through. I feel bad for her cause it ain't nobody to help her. But she can tell people the way how she feels."
"... Precious is a very strong girl to be her age and have gone through all that stuff and haven't already did to herself. Young girls her age that go through things like that go through depression and commit suicide, but she never did anything to hurt herself because of the lack of love she receives from her mother and father, even the students in school. She is already a strong little girl."
Thursday, January 07, 2010
Letters from my six year old self
In the story PUSH Claireece talks about being tormented by her classmates and ignored by her teacher at the age of 7. We began to wonder what would happen is she and all little girls felt powerful enough to speak their truths to introduce themselves to the world. And so we introduce ourselves to you...
LETTERS FROM MY SIX YEAR OLD SELF.
Princess
My name is Princess and I'm 6 years old. I like riding my bike around the block. I smile as I feel the ool wind blowing in my face. I'm happy all the time when my cousins be playing with me. WE play in the dirt, making mud pies, jump rope, running and playing on our playground in the back yard. Thats the best thing I love to do because thats the only time I don't feel shy. I am also friendly but am scared to talk. I don't talk much until until I start playing with my babydolls. I then met a friend a couple of houses down named Stephanie. She is the best friend anyone could ever have. She has a clubhouse inside of her tree in her back yard. I love the way it looks. Inside the clubhouse was pink and it was filled with baby dolls and teapot sets. I love playing with her because she is my only friend, beause the kids at school all me mute (I just figured out what that means)! so all I do is play around with my cousins, (most of them are boys but I love playing with them), even though they don't like being around me. I don't really care beause they don't tell me but always and fussing and getting mad when I come around, but they still show me a good time, thats why I love them. I'm a very spoiled young girl. I get everything I want... I just want a brother or a sister that can look up to me.
Unique
Hello I'm Unique,
I am 6 years old and I have 2 big sisters named Kynisha and Shymeka. My sisters teach me how to ride my bike and play barbie dolls with me.My sister walks me to school and walks me home everyday. In school I cut oranges and apples and learn how to write my name. They make me sleep a lot and I really don't like that. At recess I play with my friends. running up and down the court yelling and screaming. My teachers say I'm a good girl and I love to get along with others very well.I look forward to going to shool everyday to see my friends.
Dream
Hello my name is dream. I am 6 years old. I love to play hopscotch, but I mostly draw mines. I never really liked dolls they scare me, just something about that...uuugggghhh. I also love to sing. Sing anything that rolls past me from gospel to slow songs. anything my mother loves to hear. I love to play with my friends. We all used to run just to see who is the fastest. I get sad when I don't win. but who really cares!
For me being 6 I loved lunch time, my favorite. In school I always loved to each chicken with mashed potatoes, uuuhhhmmm, but I really got along with everybody.
Shaccaria
Hi my name is Shaccaria and I am 6 years old. I go to Lakewood Elementary school and I'm in the first grade. I love to go to school and play with my friends on the playground at recess. Me and my friends like to jump rope, run around on the playground and play on the monkey bars.When I get out of school I like to ride my bike with my big brother. I also like to play barbie with my friends in the neighborhood. I love the weekend because I get to spend time with my daddy. I love spending time with my daddy because he spoils me and I get everything I want, because I'm his only child. I also like to go to my grandma's house and ride my power wheel. My grandma is really nice to me and shows me a lot of attention. My favorite thing I like to do is play with my chawawa. My dad brought me my chawawa on my birthday and thats why she is so special to me. My chawawa is like a sister to me because she shows me love and attention and protects me and I do the same for her.
Christie
Hi! I'm Christie, and I'm 6-years-old. I am in the first grade and I hate it! I pee on myself just to go home with my mommy and daddy. I love my mommy so much because she always gives me cereal and yogurt, and when she gives it to me, I get sooooooo happy!!! My daddy seemed to know I would pee on myself just to come home with them but I don't care. They knew I was very afraid of the doctor so they started threatening me to take me there if I continued, so I stopped! I started liking school and having fun. Every weekend my mommy would take me to the mall to get toys out of the dollar store. Now that would really make me excited! Especially when I would already have two toys already in my hands and she would say "wow look at this one." Do you want this too? I would be so happy that she would but me a lot of toys. But hey I'm a kid!! Its easy to satisfy kids! Only if I knew how cheap they were, I would've been mad and wanted to get bigger and better things. I also spend a lot of time with my cousin, Nesha. We always have fun together, riding our bikes playing Barbies and coloring in different coloring books. My dad is known as "Jerry, the bike man." He will never be seen without his bike. If something happens to his bike or it gets stolen he has many other bike parts to put together a new one. My daddy taught me to ride my first bike, and I follow him around.
My mom takes really good care of me but my dad has started to get on drugs really bad and isn't the fun daddy I knew. He and my mommy get physically into fights around me all the time. It is very scary for me because I am scared that my dad will hurt my mom But the funny part about it is that my mommy beats the crap out of my daddy, like LITERALLY!! And my mom kicked my dad out. After they fight my mom throws all his things on the porch. As a child I run to see what she threw out and pick some cool things up and ask my mommy if I can have it! It is kinda funny, lol! My daddy stops by often to see us and things are fine!
Alyxe,
Hello,
My name is Alyxe and I am 6 years old. Some of you already know me but for those who don’t I wanna say it is very nice to meet you. Do you wanna be my friend?
I’m the fastest kid in my class. I like to climb trees, jumprope, play hopscotch, and my favorite game is steal the flag. I like to color, play stranded on a desert island with my Barbies, make collages and (here’s my first secret) sometimes I still suck my thumb when I watch T.V. I love to be barefoot and most of all I love, love, love to sing (show tunes are my favorite but I will sing anything)!
I live in the woods with lots of really tall trees, that I can hide behind (even though mama Nia says I am safe) and a bubbling warm springs that are not too deep.
My best friend’s name is Talya she comes to visit me on butterfly wings.
Mama Nia calls me her first Breath she says I was here before hurt or heart break. I am her best self, I keep her in love. She remembers much better than I when it wasn’t safe, when I wasn’t free, and she has vowed today to protect me.
LETTERS FROM MY SIX YEAR OLD SELF.
Princess
My name is Princess and I'm 6 years old. I like riding my bike around the block. I smile as I feel the ool wind blowing in my face. I'm happy all the time when my cousins be playing with me. WE play in the dirt, making mud pies, jump rope, running and playing on our playground in the back yard. Thats the best thing I love to do because thats the only time I don't feel shy. I am also friendly but am scared to talk. I don't talk much until until I start playing with my babydolls. I then met a friend a couple of houses down named Stephanie. She is the best friend anyone could ever have. She has a clubhouse inside of her tree in her back yard. I love the way it looks. Inside the clubhouse was pink and it was filled with baby dolls and teapot sets. I love playing with her because she is my only friend, beause the kids at school all me mute (I just figured out what that means)! so all I do is play around with my cousins, (most of them are boys but I love playing with them), even though they don't like being around me. I don't really care beause they don't tell me but always and fussing and getting mad when I come around, but they still show me a good time, thats why I love them. I'm a very spoiled young girl. I get everything I want... I just want a brother or a sister that can look up to me.
Unique
Hello I'm Unique,
I am 6 years old and I have 2 big sisters named Kynisha and Shymeka. My sisters teach me how to ride my bike and play barbie dolls with me.My sister walks me to school and walks me home everyday. In school I cut oranges and apples and learn how to write my name. They make me sleep a lot and I really don't like that. At recess I play with my friends. running up and down the court yelling and screaming. My teachers say I'm a good girl and I love to get along with others very well.I look forward to going to shool everyday to see my friends.
Dream
Hello my name is dream. I am 6 years old. I love to play hopscotch, but I mostly draw mines. I never really liked dolls they scare me, just something about that...uuugggghhh. I also love to sing. Sing anything that rolls past me from gospel to slow songs. anything my mother loves to hear. I love to play with my friends. We all used to run just to see who is the fastest. I get sad when I don't win. but who really cares!
For me being 6 I loved lunch time, my favorite. In school I always loved to each chicken with mashed potatoes, uuuhhhmmm, but I really got along with everybody.
Shaccaria
Hi my name is Shaccaria and I am 6 years old. I go to Lakewood Elementary school and I'm in the first grade. I love to go to school and play with my friends on the playground at recess. Me and my friends like to jump rope, run around on the playground and play on the monkey bars.When I get out of school I like to ride my bike with my big brother. I also like to play barbie with my friends in the neighborhood. I love the weekend because I get to spend time with my daddy. I love spending time with my daddy because he spoils me and I get everything I want, because I'm his only child. I also like to go to my grandma's house and ride my power wheel. My grandma is really nice to me and shows me a lot of attention. My favorite thing I like to do is play with my chawawa. My dad brought me my chawawa on my birthday and thats why she is so special to me. My chawawa is like a sister to me because she shows me love and attention and protects me and I do the same for her.
Christie
Hi! I'm Christie, and I'm 6-years-old. I am in the first grade and I hate it! I pee on myself just to go home with my mommy and daddy. I love my mommy so much because she always gives me cereal and yogurt, and when she gives it to me, I get sooooooo happy!!! My daddy seemed to know I would pee on myself just to come home with them but I don't care. They knew I was very afraid of the doctor so they started threatening me to take me there if I continued, so I stopped! I started liking school and having fun. Every weekend my mommy would take me to the mall to get toys out of the dollar store. Now that would really make me excited! Especially when I would already have two toys already in my hands and she would say "wow look at this one." Do you want this too? I would be so happy that she would but me a lot of toys. But hey I'm a kid!! Its easy to satisfy kids! Only if I knew how cheap they were, I would've been mad and wanted to get bigger and better things. I also spend a lot of time with my cousin, Nesha. We always have fun together, riding our bikes playing Barbies and coloring in different coloring books. My dad is known as "Jerry, the bike man." He will never be seen without his bike. If something happens to his bike or it gets stolen he has many other bike parts to put together a new one. My daddy taught me to ride my first bike, and I follow him around.
My mom takes really good care of me but my dad has started to get on drugs really bad and isn't the fun daddy I knew. He and my mommy get physically into fights around me all the time. It is very scary for me because I am scared that my dad will hurt my mom But the funny part about it is that my mommy beats the crap out of my daddy, like LITERALLY!! And my mom kicked my dad out. After they fight my mom throws all his things on the porch. As a child I run to see what she threw out and pick some cool things up and ask my mommy if I can have it! It is kinda funny, lol! My daddy stops by often to see us and things are fine!
Alyxe,
Hello,
My name is Alyxe and I am 6 years old. Some of you already know me but for those who don’t I wanna say it is very nice to meet you. Do you wanna be my friend?
I’m the fastest kid in my class. I like to climb trees, jumprope, play hopscotch, and my favorite game is steal the flag. I like to color, play stranded on a desert island with my Barbies, make collages and (here’s my first secret) sometimes I still suck my thumb when I watch T.V. I love to be barefoot and most of all I love, love, love to sing (show tunes are my favorite but I will sing anything)!
I live in the woods with lots of really tall trees, that I can hide behind (even though mama Nia says I am safe) and a bubbling warm springs that are not too deep.
My best friend’s name is Talya she comes to visit me on butterfly wings.
Mama Nia calls me her first Breath she says I was here before hurt or heart break. I am her best self, I keep her in love. She remembers much better than I when it wasn’t safe, when I wasn’t free, and she has vowed today to protect me.
2010
Wow,
I haven't been here in a while busy busy busy it is time to reconnect. As many of you know I have for many years now worked with Students at New Horizons academy of excellence in Durham NC. This year is proving to be as amazing as all the previous years. Students are expressing themselves through writing, audio, video hosting symposiums and forums and we have decided to blog.
Now, me trying to be less wasteful even with internet space, has decided rather than create another blog, to dedicate my "Better to Speak" blog (after all who could come up with a better name), to my students. I hope you will follow us cause we got a lot to say!!!
Peace
I haven't been here in a while busy busy busy it is time to reconnect. As many of you know I have for many years now worked with Students at New Horizons academy of excellence in Durham NC. This year is proving to be as amazing as all the previous years. Students are expressing themselves through writing, audio, video hosting symposiums and forums and we have decided to blog.
Now, me trying to be less wasteful even with internet space, has decided rather than create another blog, to dedicate my "Better to Speak" blog (after all who could come up with a better name), to my students. I hope you will follow us cause we got a lot to say!!!
Peace
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