Family essays from grades 5 & 6

First, we have Harry's.  I was stunned when I read this.  It's by FAR the best piece of work he ever produced for me, and probably about equal to the sum total of all the work he did throughout the rest of the year. :P   I love the part about having to emulate his sister - if you only knew Harry and Stella, you'd know just how true that is. ;)

  I have family that is very normal. I have a mom, dad and my young sister stella. Now, I will introduce our family.

  First, I will introduce my fater. My fater works alone, doing stock. So, mt dad uses two computers for stock. He is very kind and he studied very hard when he was young.So, he is very good at English. Now he helps me and my sister's homework sometimes.(he doesn't want to tell his age)

 Second, My mother is housewife. She also very kind and nice. Sometimes she is very tired about housework and helping us study. When she is tired, me and my sister helps houseworking.(when, I was trying to know about her age, she said "girl's age is always secret")

  lastly, My sister is student. She is kind, but mischievous girl. She sometimes interupt my study but she is very cute. She works very hard when she does her English homework.(I have to emulate her) She can do soccer little bit better than her ages. Because she wants to learn soccer to me.(she is 10 years old in korean age)

I think I am very lucky. My family is all kind and nice also, funny. My mom and my sister is very humorous. I am always thanked for this.

Then there's Susan's.  Like most things she writes, it was a little hard to follow but made me laugh. :)

My family is four members mother, father, younger sister and me. my parents job is police they work very hard. And my younger sister is four years old she is so cute and pretty at last me is the student. My father is most busy person in my family but he always call to us to hear us's voice. He is very handsome i think so.... also he is good at english he get a certificate and Canada. When I was 10years old he met ms.Eva who is the last teacher in B.I.S. My father and Ms.Eva talk about it. This explain how my father good at it. My mother is very pretty. She is not very well at english but, she really love my younger sister and me. Also my mother is police too. She is look very awsome when she wear police clothes. I proud my mother and father is police.That is not always good. I need to stay at home many time. But It's okay. My younger sister is very cute and pretty. she is four years now. I really love her but some time I hate her because, she hit me and kick me sometimes also she cried when I scold her.

I love my family very very much

 

Isabella and Rose are twin sisters... most of their writing is pretty easy to follow, but I love the last sentence of Rose's essay. ;)

ISABELLA
     We can be alive because of our family, and we are happy to see my family everyday. They work and pay money and use part of them in academy so we can be educated. They are also part of my friend, so everybody likes their family.

     There are 3 other family members. They are my father, mother and a twinsister.(1 minute older) My father is a doctor and he works in Yongin, the place where Everland(amusement park) is located. He comes home at 7:30, then he shower and watch TV, and play 'Ba-dook' until 12:00. My father sometimes play with me and go to the park and do hoolahoops or jumping rope. He wear glasses, he is nice and smart.   

     My mother is a teacher on BIS academy ins seocho. My mother always gives me presents when she got things, she also wears no glasses. She come home in 8:30~9:30, which is very late at night. When she comes home, she first take a shower and change her clothes to pajama, and get a pillow and a blanket and ly on the sofa. Then she chat with me, of give messages to her friends, then after 30 minutes, she starts to sleep.

     My twinsister is a student like I does. She is a Seohyun elementary school grade 6 class 7 and number 48 student. She studies well, more than me on mathmatics and she runs very fast, she got a first place on running 5 times in our school track(1200m). Sometimes she makes me angry, like making me not to concentrate well on studying. However, she teach me things that I do not know.

     I love my family and they are people who will make me smile and cry in my life.


ROSE
Most of the people have their family to live with. If there are no family, we could not be happy very much. I have my own family. I like my family.

 There are four people in my family. Me, Isabella, Grace and John. Exept John, are all girls and girls' blood type is B and John is O. John, me and Isabella's first name is Park and my mother is Choi.

First I will introduce my mom and my dad. My mom is a Seocho Bis principal. She likes golfing and she likes to sleep a lot. My dad is an ear mouth throat doctor. He has his own hospital and it's in Young in. My parents works very hard to make us happy and to study.

I will introduce me and my sister now. Me and my sister are 13 years old. We are going to Seohyun elementary school. We are in sixth grade. We are both twins. I like to write essays and Isabella likes to sing.

I hope our family don't loose a laugh in their mouth.

Superpowers...

More essays by my grade 3 students. ^_^

Brandon:
   If I could have a superpower, I will do soccer player. Also I want to rescue some people.

   I will make thousands of goal. Then, Korea will win. But I think the goal net will be ripped. Also,I will get a prize by rescue some people.

   But if I could have a superpower, I will do soccer player. And rescue some people.
(Hahaaaaa I love the afterthought... "oh, and rescue some people." :D He actually added that in after submitting it the first time.)

Daisy:

   If I have superpower, I will go to the moon. If I am at the moon, I could see a Earth. Than I will pick up the Earth! Everyone in the Earth exept me, they might think there is Earthpuake. It is kind of danerous. But it will be a good memories for me.
   Also, I will be on the newspaper or TV. And if I pick up the Earth very softly and quetly, it dosen't matter to the Earth people. But I don't wan't to. Because that means I miss a good chance. I want to be famous. A superpower hero.
   If I am famous, people will give me a money to. And I will be a rich. Daisy. Or Seong hye min, my Korean name will be in a newspaper. What a fun thing! It is only my think and dream, but I wish one day, that will be real.
(Hmm, endanger the lives of all human beings, or miss out on making a good memory.  It's a tough call.)

Lisa:

If I could have one super power, I want to read other person's thinking.  I want to get this superpower because I want to know that who think god or bad, also in test time, I can read other children's think and I can copy that and write in test peaper. And it will change I get all the test 100%.I will get many praised!!!!!But my mom will be angry that I copy the test.That's okay for me!

(Ohhhhhh dear..... ;) )

  

Stella:

My super power is to go to "Yong Pyong"
My super power is when i go to yong pyong, i can sleep many times,and i can play many times,and i can go swimming pool,and i can ride some bike,and i can do lots of things.
I like my super power, because i can do lots of things.
When my life change to my power, than i am so Happy!i can play everyday!!!!!
(Wow, don't dream TOO big now, Stella... ;) )

Kris:
       If i can have one super power, I will have  wings. I will fly with those wings. I will travel other countries. I want to have wings because  I want go fast. Then I can have many time to play.
      If i have wings, I will reduce money. Then I can help people. So I want to make there is no poor person.
      I will meet the bird,too.Then the bird will be frighten.
(Trust a Korean kid to associate having wings with "reducing money." ;) )


Eric:
My super power will be making the money.It will make a 1000\.Then i will be rich.Then my life will change.It will be happy.Then i can it cake many.And i can help the people. Then i buy many toys.And then i will buy big biulding for my parents.Then i will eat meat very much.Then l will buy my computer.I will happy.

(Highlight is his.  Wow, someone's got great priorities in life. ;) )

William:

I have a superpower and I help a many peoples.I am very heavy things go get to home. I fight a very bad person and I call to police officer.I do a resling and I get a trophies and resling belt and I do soccer with my friend.

(Annnd this kid has been at our English school since Kindergarten. Aigoo.)

 

More G3 Family Essays ^_^

my family is have three people.my famile is my dad,mom,me and my dog,choco.
my dad was very lovely,and great.my mom is frendly,and great,too.sometime choco doing stupid,but he are cute,lovely and smart.
I love my lovely family !
~ Tia ("sometime choco doing stupid" - love it ^_^ )

My family is mom, dad ,and sister. My mom is housewife. My dad is architect. My sister is 21years old. She is in canada. She go to univercity. She go famous of canada Seneca Univercity. My sister dream is designer. My sister job of univercity is the Department of Industrial Design. she is 1grade of univercity. I'm11years old. In elementary school I'm 4grade. My dream is golf player. I look like My mom and My sister look like My dad. My sister like to do drawing. She draw very good. I like to do exercise. I think I am good in exercise. My dad is very good in exercise. My mom to not bad in exercise.
~ Diamond (the only 3rd grader I've ever met whose dream is to be a golf player ^_^ )

     My family is five people.Me,my grandfather,my mom,dad,grandmother lives in my house.
     My grandfather likes to see Baduk.He always see it.My mom likes to see TV.My grandmother likes to see TV,too.But they watch other programs.My dad likes to do Jangi.So he do Jangi in Ipad.This is all about my family.
~ Kris (Wow... really, that's ALL about them? :P  TV and Ipads... how sad :P )

In my family there are 4 members.
They are mom,dad, younger sister,and me.
Mom is good at cooking.
I love cheese rice all of all in foods that my mom cooks.
Dad is very handy.
He makes my desk and chair!
I really enjoy to play jump ropes.
My sister name is Anna, and she is so cute.
We always read books in bed like worms.
I love my family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~ Kay (I LOVE that bit about reading books in bed "like worms"!!!  LoL!  And again... the cooking/food motif! :P )

Grade 3 Family Essays

For this week's "online essay" assignment, I told my two grade 3 classes to write about their families, and I've been enjoying the results so much that I decided to post them here.  They range from heartwarming to hilarious. ;)

   My family is important ever!My family is 4 people. There is my dad, mom, baby brother, and me.
   My dad is  fun. He plays with us. He is good at making 'Chicken panbroilling.' My mom is good at cooking. She is good at making 'Bi-Bim Bab.' My baby brother is good at playing with cars. He is naughty. But he is a best baby brother in the world ever!
   My family is important ever!
   ~ Brandon (I love how just about everything he had to say about his parents involved food!)

I have 4 family members. My mom and dad, little brother and me.My mom is scary and my dad is kind. My little brother is naughty. Also, my mom likes to eat much, my dad likes to buy things. My brother likes to play. They all enjoy shoping.
~ Lisa (From the scary mother to the common love of shopping, I'd say she comes from a pretty typical Korean family!  Interesting - she's the only kid who didn't say her mom cooks - just eats! :P )

My family is 4 people.My mom,dad,me and my brother harry.My dad is very handsome, and my mom is very beautiful, and i don't know how i am look like. and my brother is very cute and handsome.
My mom is is nice and kind and good.because she makes food. and she helps me to do anything.and my dad is nice and kind and good. because he buys me what i want.and my brother harry is very good and kind. nice and good because he play very fun with me.
~ Stella (Haha I love her reasons for why each of her family members is "nice, kind and good"... ^_^ )

I am youngest people in my family. There are 4 people in my family. My mom, dad, me, and my sister Rina. My dad work but mom stay at home to take care of me. Rina and I go to the school every day except sunday. Thats how my family work.
Now, I will tell you what my family looks like. Dad has glasses on his face. In sunday, he always enjoy playing and talking with family. My mom have short curly hair. I like to eat food that she make. Last, Rina is fun sister because it is fun to play with her. Her hair looks like me, but it is little longer then me.
Also I will tell you about my family's personalities. Rina is nice so it is fun to play tea party with her. She teach me when I don't know something. My dad say many joke when we eat diner. He always come to BIS and take me home. I like my mom. She thinks my birthday is very important because it is day that I come out to the Earth. This is all about my family.
~ Daisy (Awwww... this one is just so sweet. ^_^ )

My mom do a cook very well and mam do a computer very good to do.My dad is do a soccer very good,make the program and do computer very well.Im like do a math,game,play a soccer with my friend and do a computer game.
~ William (Oh dear... can you tell he is NOT one of my star pupils :P )

Kind and Trusting Behaviour of an Emart Employee

Katelyn and I went to Emart to get a new adaptor for our router, because this is what happened to the old one:

Crazy, right?  Don't really know what happened there.  Anyway, Emart didn't have the adaptor we needed for sale separately, it only came WITH the router we bought.  So the sales guy was telling us other stores where we could look... then he asked if we lived nearby.  Because if we did, then in the meantime we could borrow another router from him, so that our internet would still work.  Just bring it back any weekend, he said, whenever we'd found another adaptor to use and didn't need it anymore.  We were a little stunned by this extreme display of trust and kindness, and thanked him in rather a dazed manner.  No problem, he said, "When I was back in the USA, I had the same problem - I didn't know what I could buy."  Awwwwww. :)

Moving - Part 2

We took our suitcases up in the elevator to our new 4th floor (yay!) apartment and surveyed the scene.  We were a little bummed to discover we had no loft, meaning our new living area (only slightly bigger than our last one) would now have to also fit our two beds as well as the suitcases, Christmas tree, etc. that we used to store in the loft.  Also, no separate sleeping area anymore which was really helpful with our highly different sleeping schedules.  Ohhhh well, we can "take a few smooths with a rough."  We sat and waited for the mover to bring up the rest of our stuff...

We waited for quite some time.  After a bit, a man in uniform (an apartment security guard, I think) rang the bell and attempted to question us using a piece of paper with room numbers written on it.  We gathered he was trying to confirm that we were moving from 853 City of Angel 1 (our old place) to 428 City of Angel 3.  He seemed a little confused about the whole thing and I began to wonder if there was some problem.  Were we in the wrong apartment, perhaps?  He left without seeming to have resolved anything in his mind.

A few minutes later, someone keyed in the lock combination on our door and came barging into our apartment.  He seemed rather taken aback by our presence.  Needless to say, we were also a bit taken aback by his.  He went outside and began to commune with our mover, who had also just arrived with a load of our stuff. Meanwhile, we sat inside for perhaps ten minutes listening to them shout at one another in a fashion not uncommon among older Korean men, and wondering what on earth was going on.  The altercation grew more and more heated, and eventually we poked our heads outside to investigate, to discover that two Korean policemen were now on the scene.  It appeared that the man who had barged in (we figured he must be the owner) was determined to prevent us from moving in, and our mover was determined that we SHOULD move in, at all costs.  A conscientious mover, apparently, and one who could not allow himself to fail in carrying out his commission.

As we appeared on the scene, the homeowner guy appeared to be in the process of presenting his case to the police.  Upon our arrival, he indicated us with an agitated wave of his arm and angrily shouted something about waegugin (foreigners.)  We began to feel a little uncomfortable.  I was glad the two policemen were there; they, on the other hand, did not seem glad.  They appeared to be quite bored and unimpressed with the whole situation.  The man who had barged in was also unimpressed, but far from bored.  Our mover, also, seemed to be grappling with some very strong emotions.  To "cigarettes" and "packing tape" had evidently been added "slugging this agressive homeowner" on the list of things required to make him a happy man.  And for the first time I found myself rooting for him.  True, he might have a packing tape obsession and have left cigarette butts in our toilet, but there was something one couldn't help liking about him.

From this point on it's all a bit of a blur.  All our posessions were in the hall outside the apartment by this time, and I recall Rozzer #2 taking a seat in one of our chairs, where he remained throughout the rest of the proceedings.  Nothing seemed to arouse any feeling in Rozzer #2, not even the high point of the action, which occurred when our mover (all the while engaged in heated debate with the other guy) defiantly packing-taped our apartment door open, hoisted a crate of our stuff into his arms, and attempted to enter.  The homeowner guy immediately lunged at him and they started scrapping violently over the crate.  Rozzer #1 strolled over and managed to dissuade them using words rather than force, but Rozzer #2 remained blankly staring into space.

I suppose it's worth mentioning that at one point, the aggressive homeowner said "sorry" to us.  He appeared to view us with pity rather than censure, and it seemed that whoever he thought should be blamed for the situation, it wasn't us.  To be honest, we felt that no amount of apologizing could really make up for our lack of a place to live, but at least it was some comfort to know that if the police decided to leave and he managed to overpower the small but servicable mover, we wouldn't be next on his hit list.

Eventually, the angry homeowner guy locked himself into our apartment, and we sank dejectedly onto our couch.  Katelyn made a breakfast run while Azumi (her poor visiting friend) and I stayed behind to witness any further developments.  We had of course tried to communicate with the police early on in the proceedings, but they didn't really speak English so Katelyn had called her school and put her coworker on the phone with Rozzer #2 (he being clearly the less useful of the two for other, more official purposes.)  It appeared that the angry man required money before we could move in.  Katelyn tried to find out who he was and her coworker said he wasn't the owner, but we figured he must be or else what possible claim could he have???  And how would he know the combination to get into the apartment?  (It occurred to us later that because of the huge "key money" deposits renters have to put on apartments here, he could have been the former tenant and have not yet gotten his key money back.)  Anyway, Katelyn's coworker wasn't really able to shed a whole lot of light on the situation for us (her English isn't very good), but she said head office or human resources or someone would deal with the situation, so we just kept waiting.

All told, I'd say we hung out in that hallway for a good hour or two.  We began to feel quite hopeless and to think sad, wistful thoughts of the days when we'd had a place to call home.  The policemen continued to bum around, and our committed mover (who, unlike us, seemed quite certain that eventually this thing was going to go through) began to reassemble Katelyn's bed in the hallway.  And suddenly, there arrived on the scene a realtor.  And such a realtor as I have never before met with.  From his neatly combed middle-aged haircut through his bubblegum-pink polo shirt and down to the hem of his khaki pants, he exuded both peacefulness and an air of quiet control.  After conferring briefly with the policemen, his first move was to bow to us and apologize very politely in Korean.  Then he walked resolutely up to our apartment door and summoned forth its crazed occupant.  When he emerged, the realtor handed him a cheque.  The angry man once more raised his voice in protest, but there was already a hint of feebleness creeping into it.  A few more quiet words from the realtor in the pink shirt and he acquiesced mildly and withdrew from our lives forever.  Our pink-shirted hero apologized to us once more and then helped us and the mover carry our things inside.  Our admiration, respect and affection for this credit to the real estate profession were by this time practically limitless.  And then before we knew it, all was over and the apathetic constabulary, the boorish but loyal mover and the strong-and-silent realtor had alike disappeared from our lives, leaving us tired but triumphant tenants of 428 City of Angel 3.

"You're putting 'oh no' together to sound like 'Ohno'..."

This month, the book my 4th graders are reading for their "RDB" class is called "Out in the Cold." I thought it was devoted solely to Arctic explorers and mountain climbers, but it turns out there's also a section on winter sports.  Unfortunately, the athlete the authors chose to feature was Apolo Anton Ohno.  I actually wasn't aware of that whole speed-skating controversy in the 2002 Olympics, but after observing my whole class vigorously pummelling the photo in their books, I sure am now.  Hahaha.  (They were also quite taken with the fact that his name is "Oh-no" - seemed to think it very fitting.)

They started off by telling me they "don't like Ohno" and "he is vely vely bad."  When asked why, they told me that in the Olympics, he had pushed the skater in front of him, but the judge "said that he didn't push" and so he won the gold medal - this story was related very heatedly and concluded with "and that person that he pushed is Korean!!!"  I sympathized with this tragic tale of injustice and agreed that, from the sound of things, Ohno was indeed "very bad."  They waxed scornful on the topic for quite some time - I'm not sure I've heard an athlete disparaged in such disgusted tones since the days when my sisters and I took strong dislikes to Rudy Galindo, Ilia Kulik, and Philippe Candeloro (among others.)

I googled it later on and read how in fact, Ohno had not pushed anyone but had complained of being blocked by Kim Dong-Sung and gotten Kim disqualified.  I was also surprised to find that what these kids were so passionately riled up about had happened when they were babies - I had kind of figured it must have been in 2010.  Oh - and they'd also told me that the judge who ruled in favour of Ohno was Ohno's father and thus shouldn't have been officiating at an event in which his son was competing (that being the case: quite so!)  But I couldn't find anything about Ohno's dad being a speed skating nib, only a hairdresser. Hahaha.

I'm teaching the same class again next week, and this time we'll actually be reading the section on Apolo Anton Ohno (they had skipped ahead to it today.)  Being American, the book will of course praise him to the skies.  Hahaha... it should be an interesting class. :)