Theme

Harper walked into Crane Elementary for the first time on a cold November day. She had butterflies in her stomach. After Mrs. Murphy introduced her, a girl raised her hand and asked if Harper could sit next to her. A rush of relief came over Harper as she walked to the desk next to the smiling girl.

• Be kind to others

• Hard work pays off

• Being nervous is silly

• Teachers are there to help

Luis looked around the classroom. Everyone had finished the math test long before him. He tried not to worry about it. He wanted to take his time and check his work. Finally, he took his test to Mrs. Cura and she looked it over. Mrs. Cura said, "Well Luis this is the first 100 I have seen today, great job!"

• Do not be jealous of others

• Kindness is important

• Work at your own pace

• Math can be difficult

When my mom got home from work, I was busy playing video games. She shouted up the steps and asked if I finished my homework. I didn't tell the truth as I shouted "Yes!" I started to feel guilty and turned off my game. I went downstairs and grabbed my math book out of my backpack.

• Honesty is important

• Value your friendships

• Fun before work

• Love your family

Kyle came home everyday after school for the past week and studied his spelling words. He studied, with his mom, brother, and even his dog. Finally, on the day of the Spelling Bee, Kyle got first place and will advance to the City Spelling Bee.

• Spelling is easy

• Hard work pays off

• Family is everything

• Friendship is important

Rebecca slowly climbed up the ladder to the diving board. Her toes curled the end of the board as she looked down at the crystal, blue water. It looked like it was a hundred miles to the water. Even though Rebecca was scared, she took a deep breath and dove down. Everyone cheered as she swam to the surface of the water.

• Diving is a fun sport

• Be yourself

• Follow directions carefully

• Have courage to accomplish hard tasks

Frank was always worried about what other people thought about him. He was a fifth grader and in a wheelchair. He wanted to be like the other kids and play at recess. One day, Preston came over and asked Frank to play basketball. All the kids were impressed on how many shots Frank made.

• Basketball is the best sport

• Be honest with others

• Accept others despite their differences

• Don't worry, be happy

Tom's grandpa wanted his help. He was going to fix up an old dresser that belonged to Tom's dad. Tom asked why they couldn't just buy a new one. It would be a lot easier. Tom's grandpa insisted on fixing up the old one. When they were finished, they showed tom's dad. He was shocked to see the old dresser made new. He loved it so much! Tom felt proud of their hard work.

• There is a time to work and a time to relax

• Spending time with family is important

• Old things lose their meaning when they are made new

• Repairing old things can be rewarding

Kinley was having a bad day. She woke up late and missed her bus. Then she got a bad grade on her paper. She told her best friend all about it at lunch. After school her best friend invited her over to her house. When Kinley walked in still feeling bad, she saw chocolate cake on the table. Her friend handed her a plate and gave her a hug. Kinley forgot all about her bad day!

• Bad days happen often

• Friendships are important

• Chocolate makes everything better

• Waking up late will ruin your day