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Potomac Almanac ❖ Children’s Almanac ❖ 2012 - 2013 ❖ 1www.ConnectionNewspapers.comDecember 26, 2012 – January 1, 2013 online at potomacalmanac.com

PotomacPotomacDanielle Dietz, Grade 12, McLean

School of Maryland

ChildrenChildren’sAlmanacAlmanac

20122012

Children’sAlmanac

2012

2 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ Children’s Almanac ❖ 2012 - 2013 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

See Hoover Middle School, Page 5

Mrs. Bryant’s grade 6 English

students.

Beach DinnerLaughing so hardAt the tableBecause JoeyForgotTo cook the chickenOnly dipped in mayonnaiseWhich he remembersAfter the firstSmushy bite.

Outside danglingDanglingFrom the balcony railing15 rainbow swimsuitsHang to dry inThe salty ocean air.

Then Sadie saysThe carrotsAren’t so badIf youHold your noseAnd shut your eyesEveryone gigglingInto the sudsyMashed potatoes.

Looking back atThe bathing suitsHanging limp fromLaughing so hard.

— Gloria Herman

ThanksgivingWe’re sitting at the tableon Thanksgiving nightsaying our prayersin Philadelphia

my little cousins are whiningelders are talkingeveryone eatinghaving fun andexhausted from playing outsidewe all eat uplike we are hogstrying new foodsall at our grandmother’swe play outsidewith our bikesand scooterslaughing andracingif we do nothave all of this funevery yearwe would miss itvery sorely.

— Charlie Butchko

Thanksgiving DinnerWe are sitting at the table,on the day of Thanksgiving,with the turkey on the platter,and the gravy on the side,and we have two dogs,one small, one big, to eat the scraps under the

table,with the babies crawling around,and the grandparents making faces and strange

noises,and the babies smiling and laughing,and the cranberry sauce,now we are with the family,big and small,I hear the families talking,joyous to all,all so very thankful,for the wonderful feast,we can’t wait ‘til we dig our teeth in the turkey,big and juicy,

Hoover Middle School

Potomac Almanac ❖ Children’s Almanac ❖ 2012 - 2013 ❖ 3www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

Potomac Almanac Editor Steven Mauren

703-778-9415 or [email protected]

See www.potomacalmanac.com

Madison Gramm,grade 5, Bullis

School

Jocelyn Norman,grade 3, BellsMill ElementarySchool

Alexa Powers,6, grade 1,The Woods

Academy

Print by Dayna, grade 8, Norwood School

Children’s Almanac 2012

WelcomeDear Readers:

This week, the Potomac Almanac turns overits pages to the youth and students. Weasked principals and teachers from areaschools to encourage students to contribute

their words, pictures and photos for our annualChildren’s Issue.

The response as always was enormous. While we wereunable to publish every piece we received, we did ourbest to put together a paper with a fair sampling of thesubmitted stories, poems, drawings, paintings, photo-graphs and other works of art.

We appreciate the extra effort made by school staffto gather the materials during their busy time leadingup to the holidays. We’d also like to encourage bothschools and parents to mark their 2013 calendars forearly December, the deadline for submissions for nextyear’s Children’s Almanac. Please keep us in mind asyour children continue to create spectacular works ofart and inspiring pieces of writing in the coming year.

The children’s issue is only a part of our year-roundcommitment to cover education and our local schools.As always, the Almanac welcomes letters to the editor,story ideas, calendar listings and notices of local eventsfrom our readers. Photos and other submissions aboutspecial events at schools are especially welcome for ourweekly schools pages. Our preferred method for mate-rial is e-mail, which should be sent [email protected], but you canreach us by mail at 1606 King Street, Alexandria, VA22314 or call 703-778-9415 with any questions.

— Editor Steven Mauren


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‘Shelf Portraits’

Anna Looney, 10, grade 5,Bethesda

Julia Myers, 10, grade 5,Rockville

Charlotte Norris, 10, grade5, Germantown

Marianthi Georgakopoulos,13, grade 8, Potomac

Mia Blossom Baker, 11,grade 6, Ijamsville

Lou Johnston, 10, grade 5,Bethesda

‘Mouse Paint’

Eva Lee, 5, Kindergarten, Rockville Daniel Lee, 5, Kindergarten, Rockville

“1 Corinthians 15:57” bySara Cate Murray, 8, grade3, Bethesda

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See Hoover Middle, Page 7

I smelled the yummy goodness,of the roasted potatoes,I can feel the dog’s cold nose against

my knee,and the warmth of the food in my

mouth,I would miss everyone’s wonderful

cooking,(except for my Dad’s — love him, but

he can’t cook except for steak),but I wouldn’t care about this Thanks-

giving dinner,and wouldn’t look forward to Thanks-

giving,unless I had it with cousins and fam-

ily.— Michael Primmer

ThanksgivingWe’re sitting at the table,All of us,With trays of good food in front of usWhen my brother says “ But I want

more turkey!”I say to myself “Ugh, give me a break.”Finally, Grandma announces, “Who

wants pie?”That’s the one part of Thanksgiving,I’d surely never miss!

— Teddy Freeman

Getting theChristmas tree

It’s all ways funMy dad getting lost in the woodsAlmost every timeMy little sis getting a cutCrying and cryingThen there is me getting stuck in the

rutYes getting the tree is a wonderful

time— Katherine kalin

DinnerWe are sitting at the table, All four of

us;with the curry’s aroma filling our

noses and heartswhen mom asks “What did you do

today in school?”addressing me and my sister,I sigh as my sister tells a (very de-

tailed) descriptionof her day in school,my father glances at meas if to say“Shh; your sister is talking”I close my eyesand think about “If my sister never

talked, dinner would be silence”so I realize thenthat we would miss my sister’s chat-

ter during dinner.I then remember when I was five,I was a very talkative child;I then realize that we would miss her

chatter,if she never talked.

— SriLahari Tammera

Rainbow of FoodWe are sitting at the table, laughing.Mom and Dad are telling stories from

before.The aroma of the turkey in the oven

fills the air.There are cranberries, vegetables, and

wonderful desserts.The table looks like a rainbow of


Bells Mill Elementary School

Veronica Starchenko-BMES

Rebecca Lu-BMES

Maira Rai-BMES

Stephanie Zoltick-BMES

Avani Shetty, MES

Melissa Finke-BMES

Eva Xiao-BMES

Naz Yavuz-BMES

Dan Wei Zuo-BMES

Jenna Bergman-BMES

Andrew Liu-BMES

Art from Sophia Wang’s thirdgrade class at Bells Mill

Elementary School.


From Page 5


foods.Dad brings out his famous turkey.It is decorated with tomatoes and sea-

soningthat my brother and I helped arrange.The mashed potatoes taste flavorful

and soft,especially with gravy.Without the food,We wouldn’t have a Rainbow or be

Happy on Thanksgiving!— Anoushka Sharma

Holiday DinnerWe are sitting at the table,all of us,sighing with happinessof too much food and laughterand my mom says,“When we were in Floridaand your sisterwas just bornwe had a house with apool and she would always swim in

it”…So we listen and eventhe splashes are part of it,because If we didn’tknow it we would missthe fun she had.

— Ben Pham

Thankful for familyIt all startsWhen we wake up in the morningThe Cowboys play their annualThanksgiving gameWe have to wearOur blue and white jerseysAnd lunchIs always from Boston Market

Turkey, chicken, stuffingMashed potatos, and cranberries tooThe table is a colorful displayGoing around the table eachSaying our thanksThen Dad my sister, and I enjoy some

chickenWhile my Mom and brother enjoyClassic turkeyRooting for the CowboysThose Redskins have the leadOver to my cousins’ houseWhere the whole family meetsAll of the forty-something peopleChattering awayI’ve decidedFamily is the best part of the day.

— Dhilan Shah, 11, Potomac

ThanksgivingDinner

At my Grandma’s house waiting fordinner.

I start to smell that wonderfulsmell of Turkey. Just that smelland thought of the Turkey canmake me feel just like I was eating it.Suddenly I hear, “Dinner’s ready.”I immediately rush to the table andfinally my dream has come true.I am now eating that wonderful Tur-

key.Oh how I love the taste of juicy Tur-

keywith gravy on a Thanksgiving dinner

night.— Julia Chambers

ThanksgivingDinner

Bright lights come from the windowof otherwise dark homes

A rush of excitement rushes down myspine

Even though we’re completely lostTrying to find the house where joy

will rise

We step in the cozy homeAnd greet new and old friendsI step in the kitchenTo find her standing over a pot

I laugh when I find outThat she can’t boil waterWe make dinner, a weird one thoughAnd eat in front of the fireplace

I would forget anythingAnd remember everythingThat happens todayJust because I’m thankfulThanksgiving DinnerWe’re sittingJoyfully at the tableAll of usTogether givingThanks....Grinning at all the wonderful foodDad says “thank you to all you have

givenUs and we want to say thanksAnd to every day he givesUs....(Everyone clinging thereGlasses together)Then we eat the delectableFeast in joyWe would missThat moment everyYear....But until next yearHappy Thanksgiving

— Amy Lee

8 ❖ Potomac Almanac ❖ Children’s Almanac ❖ 2012 - 2013 Potomac Almanac ❖ Children’s Almanac ❖ 2012 - 2013 ❖ 9www.ConnectionNewspapers.com www.ConnectionNewspapers.com

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McLean School

Jamie Van Valkenburg, Grade 12

Sara Black, Grade 12

Emily Meredith, Grade 11

Jack Watson, Grade 11

Sarah Morris, Grade 10 Austin Kerr, Grade 9

Natalie Giglio, Grade 9

Sophia Minkoff, Grade 9

Alexander Hallas, Kindergarten

Alexia Lalos, Grade 6

Daniel Ticktin, Grade 4

Drew Walker, Grade 4

Max Bernstein, Grade 5

Taylor Forbes, Grade 8


Caden Campbell, 5, Chevy Chase,Blessed Sacrament School

Blessed Sacrament School

“Morning Sun” Christopher Lindsay, 6, grade 1,Chinese Immersion, at Potomac Elementary School

“The Sun is So Hot,”Alexander Lindsay, 9, grade3, at Potomac ElementarySchool, with Mrs. Johnsonand Mrs. Entwistle

The HamsterIt travels on little feet.It finds a cracker - mission com-

plete!It likes its wheel,It goes to bed, and lays down itslittle head.

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SunsetFire overhead,the color turns red.A big red blanket in the skyalso rests there.

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“Mom & Baby Horse,” Kat Schneider, 7, PotomacElementary School

Potomac Elementary School


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For Weekend &Evening Classes

For Daytime

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Colored Chalk on BlackPaper, Totatsu Yokogawa,4, Rockville, Mrs. Pyle

CrushedLeaves andPaintGinergerbreadMan, ElijahLiu, 4,Rockville,Mrs. Pyle

Magic Marker Family Portrait,Adele Roca, 3, Potomac3s and Young 4s, Ms. Franzetti

Tissue Paper Collage,Catalina Navas, 2, Rockville2 year-olds, Ms. Franzetti

Watercolor Booklet Art, ShivaliDurbhakula, 3, Potomac3s and Young 4s, Ms. Franzetti

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Bullis School

Artwork from grades 4 and 5 at Bullis School.

Avery Ulanet, grade 5

Rachel Sita, grade 5 Marin Spilimbergo, grade 4 Coley Samuels, grade 4


Norwood School

Abstract composition by Anna, grade 6 Abstract painting by Celia, grade 4 Apple drawing by Mira, grade 3

Autumn collage byOliver, Kindergarten

Chair watercolor byInjoo, grade 3

Geranium watercolorby Abbey, grade 4

Geranium watercolorby Evan, grade 4

Landscape by Olivia,grade 8

Leaf drawing byTabitha, grade 4

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Turtle drawing byCassidy, grade 1

Henry Moore inspired line drawingby Audrey, grade 7

Henry Moore inspired line draw-ing by Annie, grade 8

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What I think I feel. What I’m afraid tothink I feel. Moreover, is what I feel symp-tomatic of what I’m afraid to feel? Is it thecancer doing what cancer so often does:create pain and suffering? Or is it simply anolder age than I’ve ever been: middle age,manifesting itself with all the associatedmental, physical and emotional adjustmentsthat come along with living longer than youever have? Unfortunately, the timing of allof it couldn’t be more problematic in mydetermining whether any pain or discom-fort I feel is symptomatic of a cancer on themove or characteristic of an age whoseeffects I’m only beginning to understand.

The underlying and complicating factorto my constant self-assessment is that Idon’t want to think any of the physicaleffects I feel are the cancer. I want tobelieve they’re middle age. As a result ofthis continual denial, I neglect to admit thatwhat I think I feel is potentially cancer-sig-nificant and presume instead that it’s justanother day in middle-age paradise (aliveand reasonably well; not terminal) – it’sbefuddling, sort of. Am I being incrediblystupid, stubborn and irresponsible withrespect to not acknowledging certain symp-toms that might be e-mail-worthy to myoncologist or, have I found the key to livingwith cancer: not making too much ofanything?

I feel this because I worry that once Iopen that door, I’m likely going through tothe other side – and likely not coming back.As my father jokingly asserted about his car:“If I don’t take it to the dealership, theycan’t find anything wrong with it.” Therelated advisory concerning life and healththat I’ve often heard is: once you’re admit-ted to the hospital, you’re not coming out –alive. It’s a slippery slope between the fearand loathing (with attribution to Hunter S.Thompson) of being sick and lying in a hos-pital bed versus what the medical profes-sionals don’t know not being able to hurtme. (I know, I might as well be JudyGarland in “The Wizard of Oz” clicking myheels together three times: I don’t havecancer. I don’t have cancer. I don’t havecancer.)

But the fact that I’m still alive and notjust beating the life-expectancy odds I wasgiven, but smashing them to smithereens, isa kind of reinforcer to “what I feel” and“what I’m afraid to think I feel.” Having sur-vived for as long as I have might just beblind luck or inherited DNA doing what Ihad no reason or expectation to believe itcould: enable me to survive the stage IVnon-small cell lung cancer with which I wasoriginally diagnosed and live beyond the“13-month to two-year prognosis” thatwent along with it. Or, however, why everI’m doing what I’m doing, or not doingwhat I’m not doing or not admitting what islikely symptomatic – or not; all this confu-sion, juxtaposing and double-negativerationalizing might somehow make apositive.

I realize this haphazard approach ishardly a strategy, but perhaps it is and hasbeen so far, a means not to my end. Andconsidering that I haven’t reached that endas yet, maybe the means are justified? Noone knows for sure, and that’s what I’mcounting on. It’s too late to stop now; heck,why would I? See you next week.

Kenny Lourie is an Advertising Representative forThe Potomac Almanac & The Connection Newspapers.

By KENNETH B. LOURIE

What Am IThinking?

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