1

2

2008-09 Bull Dog Tales

Table of Contents

Sixth Grade Writings

5 A Father‟s Love ····························································· Carrie Dunsmore

5 Big Ball of Fur ······························································ Katelyn Arbaugh

5 Chewie ··············································································· Tracie Andes

6 Boston Tea Party ··································································· Ester Ulmer

7 Mackinaw Michigan ······················································ Allison Vanhorn

7 Eagles ··············································································· Sierra Conchas

8 Dreams ···················································································· Ben Garber

9 Fox Hunt ········································································ Rebecca Reeves

9 Chocolate Addicts Poem ·················································· Sierra Conchas

10 Surfing Gone Bad ······························································· Hannah Cox

11 The Immortal ····························································· Jasmine Mendoza

12 The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ···································· Emily McMillion

13 War Between Colonies Great Britain ······························· Parker Glenn

14 Boom! ·············································································· Rachel Mason

Seventh Grade Writings

16 Stream ············································································ Breanna Woolf

16 Tin Man ······················································ Megan Good and Carli Hill

17 Baseball ············································································ Evan Stickley

17 Basketball ········································································ Becca Wenger

18 Day vs. Night ································································ Taylor Marcum

18 Dove ·················································································· Megan Good

18 Eclipse ············································································· Jennifer Miller

19 Music ········································································· Victoria Wooddell

20 You‟re My Wish that Never Came True ······················· Christin Rankin

20 Ocean Shore Poem ·························································· Mollie Sheffer

21 Springtime ······································································· Rebekah Flick

21 Nathan Landes ······························································· Nathan Landes

22 Sneaky Sam and the River Encounter ································ Megan Good

23 Concerns for Parent ······························································· Mrs. Lantz

3

Eighth Grade Writings

25 Haiku ············································································ Matthew Sprouse

25 Haiku ·················································································· Hunter Tay;or

25 Haiku ···················································································· Tyler Miller

25 Haiku ··········································································· Andrew Moseman

25 Haiku ············································································ Stephen Helmick

26 Haiku ·················································································· Adam Frazier

26 Haiku ·············································································· Megan Shifflett

26 Haiku ········································································· Regine Washington

26 Haiku ··················································································· Luke Martin

27 Adelie Penguins ································································ Lucy Gordon

28 What is Behind the Door? ················································· Reagan Uhler

29 The Locked Door ································································· Jacob Cline

29 Forgive ································································ Anonymous Architect

30 Dear Host ········································································· Hunter Taylor

30 Citizenship ········································································ Nia Emerson

31 Grandmother ··································································· Emilie Hoefler

31 Stranger ········································································· Emily Van Sant

32 Siege of Leningrad ······························································· Kayla Reed

33 Broken Window ···································································· Anonymous

33 The Moustache ································································ Lauren Ritchie

34 The Open Door ····································································· Matt Rolhf

35 The Story of the Magic Turtle ······································· Jerry Suffecool

36 The Blacksmith ································································ Reagan Uhler

37 Wild Cats ········································································ Emilie Hoefler

38 High School Reunion ··················································· Kayla Robertson

39 Acknowledgements ·········································································· Staff

4

Stewart Middle School’s 6th grade presents:

Writings by students on teams including: the Eagles,

the Explorers, and Nebula

5

A FATHER‟S LOVE As every grain of sand drops

Into the lost pit of time

I hear a song of hope sung in a timeless rhyme.

No one stops and stares

For they know this tune.

The tune of a father‟s love,

Sound not only on the date set in june

But all the time it lingers steadily about.

At times you even hear it

In a proud triumphant shout.

As you see my friend this tune

Never dies away,

For a father‟s love is everlasting

And will always stay.

Carrie Dunsmore

Big Ball of Fur

I go to the pet store, but cannot decide

Until a big ball of fur caught my eye

His fur was silky, shiny and black

He wiggled his tail, then rolled on his back

His eyes simply said, ”Please, can we play?”

That‟s when I knew that I‟d take him home

that day

I could hear his toenails clacking on the floor

I knew I‟d never regret that day as I walked out

the door.

Katelyn Arbaugh

CHEWIE Chewie is my hamster.

Her ball is her favorite thing.

Every day, she eats and sleeps.

White and brown are her fur colors.

I love her a lot.

Even though she doesn‟t like me.

Tracy Andes

6

Boston Tea Party:

British taxes were protested

On the ground people watched patriots throw the tea

Some people followed King George; they thought this was

wrong

The colonists didn‟t get any good responses from King George

On the ship there were around 320 boxes of tea

No one thought the Intolerable Acts would be the results from

their action

The Boston Tea Party took place during 1773-1775

Everybody that was a colonist did not like the Quartering Act

All the tea was thrown off the ship

Patriots were very mad the king closing the Boston Harbor

About 2,000,000 dollars worth of tea was lost

Red coats started coming to the colonies after the Boston Tea

Party

The colonists had to pay for all the lost tea

Yesterday the Patriots planned for the Boston Tea Party

Esther Ulmer

7

Eagles Eagerly ready for anything that comes our way

Always striving for our best everyday

Glory is our middle name

Lifting spirits is our game

Entering middle school, oh how fun

Surely the year of fun has just begun.

Sierra Conchas

Mackinaw Michigan

Mackinaw is as blistering cold as the North

Pole

It is as beautiful as the sky on a bright summer

morning

Mackinaw is as lively as a bucket of tadpoles

It is as exotic as a pickle with orange juice

Mackinaw is as delightful as strawberry ice

cream with cool whip

It is as adventurous as flying into the eye of a

hurricane

Allison VanHorn

8

Dreams

When one drifts off and sheds their burdens

To stand before the gates of a citadel of dreams

Calling to the Sandman in the gatehouse

Granted passage to another universe

Inside the radiant city is a surreal world

Bazaars full of merchants selling otherworldly wares

Palaces full of eccentric nobles and oddly calming

music

Dungeons full of darkness and demons and chaos

Alchemist‟s labs full of strange substances

Towering homes made of gleaming, sparkling glass

Roads leading out into a featureless desert

Wizard‟s towers with their tops in the clouds

You finish drinking it in and come to a stop

Finding yourself at the gat once again

You step onto the winding path

Out into the barren wasteland of waking life

I set down my pen and drain my glass

And head upstairs into bed, pulling the covers ever

tighter

Speculating on what I will see tonight

In that multi-universe of Dreams

Ben Garber

9

Fox Hunt There sounds the horne

Quick, away from the pack

The fox wishes he‟d never been born

The yelping pack is hot in pursuit

The riders are wearing fancy suits

A limping hound is in the back

Oh fox, there is no time for a snack

The fox slips through a hedge

He finds himself on a garden ledge

Panting the fox scampers away

The scent of a rabbit sends the pack astray

A little girl in the house looks out

Hoping the fox will see another day

The whipperend, in confusion, turns around

The master of the hunt wonders

Whether following the fox is a blunder

The fox ran into the wood

Wondering if he‟d lose the pack for good

Ravens are startled and fly off the ground

Owl wakes up and looks around

The head hound has caught a whiff

The fox fords a river to give him the stiff

Suddenly, a rider‟s horse bucks

The rider goes flying, startling the ducks

The fox scrambles to his hiding place

And having lost the scent

The hunt pack did an about face

And away they went

But readers, this is not the end of the story

The pack went home to supper, the fox to his

family

The4 sun is setting, all is well

This tale has ended for a spell

Rebecca Reeves

Chocolate Addicts Poem

Chewy, crunchy or all of the above

Heavenly chocolate does slowly ooze

Overwhelmed that there are so many to

choose

Caramel, peanut butter, fillings galore

Oh how your smell lingers to my door

Losing my sanity over you

Apparently it‟s just too much to think

about you

Tick, tick, tick, it‟s time for a chocolate

crave

Eventually I will get over this spell;

it may take days

Sierra Conches

10

Surfing Gone Bad

The young surfer frantically

scrambled back to her banana yellow surfboard. As Callie jumps back on to

her board, she notices wave after wave pounding her into the rough sand. She

is wiped out. The tide was going out and so was she. “I‟ve got to get back to

shore,” Callie thinks to herself. Callie can feel the tide pushing and pulling the

surfboard she was grasping.

After an hour of getting pounded, she felt a sharp pain go through her

foot. The water turned red. “This can‟t be happening.” Callie screeched in dis-

belief. With all of her strength, she hoisted herself onto the surfboard and

prayed. With her injured foot on the board and other in the water, she saw

millions of fins both under and above the water. They could taste the blood.

Callie lifted her other leg out of the water and lost her balance. She plum-

meted into the bloody water. Finally, the water settled and she could see what

was under her.

Dolphins! She couldn‟t believe it. As she turned her head she noticed

the Coast Guard and signaled for help. The first aid crew on the boat helped

bandage up the wound and took her home. Realizing she was okay, she told

her family what had happened and told them she WAS going back to surf

some more tomorrow!

Hannah Cox

11

Who you say, is out there? You shouldn‟t know. It could kill you. Mor-

tals such as you, think foolish of Witchcraft, spells or just to say it plain so

you‟ll understand “magic”. You say “If I had magical powers I‟d make him

fall in love with me or if anyone bugs me I‟d destroy them.” That‟s why you

don‟t know of our creatures out there.

When writers tell you things of Vampires, Werewolves, Shape Shifters,

Ogres, Dragons and witches– the only thing they have right is some of their

names.

Vampires read minds, are swifter than the mortal, much stronger and

live off human blood. The sun doesn‟t burn them or make them shine, instead

it lowers their strength to human strength. They amazingly can stop aging

when they‟d like. Their fangs grow in thought of blood or its smell. They are

endangered species, more alive than you. Their species is over a trillion in

number. The bad thing is there isn‟t enough human blood in the world. They

each need 20 gallons a day. I must stop. I'm putting you in serious danger.

Mortals mustn‟t learn of us OR you. Me, don‟t worry I‟ll just be tortured for

eternity. Farewell mortal.

Sincerely,

THE IMMORTAL

Jasmine Mendoza

Traditions

Time to celebrate Jesus‟ birthday

Roasted turkey, ham, and mashed potatoes

Angel is placed on the top of the tree

Dig in on a big breakfast

Invite family and friends over

Tree decorated on Wednesday every year

I go to my grandparent‟s house on Christmas

Eve

On Christmas Eve we watch a movie

Never go to bed before ten „o clock

Sleep in late

Esther Ulmer

12

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz

A tornado threw Dorothy

High, up into the sky

She landed hours later

On top of a witch

The munchkins did hate her.

So she set

off on the

Yellow brick road

To ask the

Great Wizard

To send her home,

She meets three great

Friends along

The way, even

Though one is

Made of hay. They

work together

through whatever

And make it to

The Emerald City,

But the only way

To get what they

Want to get

Is to kill the evil Wicked Witch

But there was no road to

The west for no one

Dared to take this quest

The witch looked through

Her all seeing eye

Then told her monkeys

“FLY!” They went after

These poor strangers

To keep their queen

Safe from danger

But the tin man

Said “Do not be afraid

For soon the animals

Will be slaid” Then

With his axe sharp and

Clean he killed the evil flying

Fiends. They went to seek

The witch in her castle

To end this big dangerous

Hassle. A pail of

Water was all they

Had nearby, so

They through it

On the witch

And she died.

Emily McMillion

13

War Between Colonies Great Britain

British taxes were protested.

Out went the tea into the Boston Harbor.

Samuel Adams was having secret meetings with the Sons

of Liberty.

Tea was not rightly taxed.

Often colonists thought about rebelling against England.

No Patriots like King George.

Tea seemed to be for rich loyalists

Everything seemed unfair to the colonists.

A lot of colonists were mad at King George.

Patriots help throw tea into the Boston Harbor.

All patriots had heart and courage in the war.

Rich patriots had heart and courage in the war.

Torrey is another name for loyalists in the colonies.

Yesterday the Sons of Liberty had a meeting.

Parker Glenn

14

BOOM! The sound of cannons blasting in my ear was enough

to frighten off anybody but a full-blooded pirate. My name is Mary

Beth, but every pirate knows me as „Mary.‟ I had liked the sound of it

ever since I had boarded the ship, Queen Ann’s Revenge, eight years

ago. I was now 18. Clang! I have to keep my mind on the fight! I

told myself harshly, as I rushed to parry an attack. We were in the

midst of a bloody ship rivalry fight, and things weren‟t going so well.

And all of this had started out so simply! We would quietly sneak up

on the opposing ship and steal their gold.

That was the plan until one of the crew decided to let out the

shot that had started this whole masquerade. No you couldn‟t even see

if someone was coming or not. The tiny white diamond on my right

shoulder tingled as I enjoyed the chance to use my sword. I was born

with it, supposedly passed down through my family; even though I

never even knew my mother. But I had heard whispers throughout the

ship. They knew my mother, but every time I asked, no one would say

anything.

Suddenly a woman pirate jumped out at me from behind a fog

of dust. I froze. She was all too familiar. She must have thought the

same thing because she was just standing there, not attacking. “No, it

couldn‟t be,” she whispered. When I looked into her eyes I was ap-

palled to see myself staring back!

If only I had been looking at the darting figure, not her. The

next thing I knew, one of the crew was diving down onto her with his

sword. My feet were moving before I even knew what had happened.

When I looked at Jon‟s face he had a look of complete fear. “Mistress,

Anna!” How did HE know her?! Suddenly it seemed as if the whole

world had come to a complete stop. The fighting had stopped and eve-

rybody had fallen into a dead silence.

“What is going on here !?!” I cried. I felt a cold hand on mine.

My mom‟s.

“Honey, I will tell you in good time.”

“I couldn‟t believe what I was hearing! All this time of not see-

ing her and I get, not a conversation, but yet more puzzles to piece to-

gether! With so much going on, my mind was doing a complete head

spin. As they carried her down deck, I knew that I would have to wait

to figure out who and all that I am.

Rachel Mason

15

Stewart Middle School 7th Grade presents………

Writings by students on teams including: the

Minds in Motion, Investigators, and Allies.

16

Tin Man

There once was a man made out

of tin,

He needed a heart within.

He went to see Oz,

And pleaded his cause,

And then he was happy again.

Megan Good and Carli Hill

Stream

Peacefully flowing

Gleaming in the bright sunlight

Calming the wild earth.

Breanna Woolf

17

Baseball

Happily players run the bases

Carefully making sure they tied their laces

Completely swinging their aluminum bat

Usually wearing a safety hat

Viciously pitchers rocket the ball

Fortunately hitting a batter is not against the law

Exactly when the ball is hit

The infield takes off after it

Evan Stickley

Basketball

Loudly the team runs up and down the court

Anxiously the crowd screaming “Let‟s go

Fort”

Quickly we gain the lead as the ball swishes

through the net

Easily I get a steal and run down the court

like a jet

Instantly the buzzer sounds as we all go to

celebrate our win

Happily we throw our water bottles and

warm-ups in the bin

Now we will get to move on to state

A game we should all appreciate

Becca Wenger

18

Day vs. Night

Patiently we lie in wait

Tragically we get disappointed and it‟s too late

Now as the darkness breaches light

Gradually the sun gave up fight.

Quietly we sleep sound in our beds

Brightly the moon shines its light on our heads

Slowly the night fades back into day

The hot yellow sun keeps the morning at bay

Taylor Marcum

Dove Wondrous white bird

Symbols for peace, love, and hope

Gliding through the sky

Megan Good

Eclipse

Surely not able to stay away

Forever their love won‟t allow to astray

Invincibly their bond is wound

Quickly her heart races, he hears every sound

Obsessively they love each other

Obviously they can‟t stand to be without one another

Frighteningly he watches her sleep

The two are connected by a passion that is deep Jennifer Miller

19

Music

Heavily the bass busts through the speakers

Quickly I feel the beat go to my sneakers

Amazingly people flood through the door

Crazily they all crowd the dance floor

Happily everyone is having a great time

Delightfully listening to the awesome rhymes

Sadly it is now time to leave

The door is again filled with a large stampede

Victoria Wooddell

You’re My Wish that

Never Came True

I made a wish about him,

It didn‟t come true,

I wished on a star for him,

Then why is he still with you,

Most wishes don‟t come true,

I didn‟t know what to do when I met you,

I just stood there waiting for you,

I learned that it didn‟t work,

Because you were shy too,

So now we are friends and I still like you

And I still don‟t know what to do,

You‟re the one I know it‟s true,

You cheer me up when I am blue

And even when I look at you,

I can tell it is true

Christin Rankin

20

Ocean Shore Poem

Secretly I walked down to the sea

Gently feeling the waves brush against me

Suddenly I saw a seagull wisp by

Softly floating through the sky

Quickly I sat on the sand

Carefully watching to see if it would land

Cautiously I gazed to see if it would land

Fiercely flying but could not be heard

Hopefully I will come here again

Completely happy, walking on the sand

Mollie Sheffer

21

Nathan Landes

I, Nathan Landes

Was quite very little.

My parents would tell me

A good fellows riddle.

I‟d fall on my pillow

Thinking of a king‟s ruler

Though instead of all of that

I ended up being a big drooler.

Nathan Landes

SPRINGTIME

Slowly winter fades away

Finally warmth comes with each new day

Always hear birds singing a happy tune

Thankfully spring has gotten here soon

Joyfully flowers blossom with care

Sweetly sending fragrances into the air

Impatiently my dog waits at our door

A day spent enjoying the outside world

Rebekah Flick

22

Sneaky Sam and The River Encounter

Sneaky Sam was the strongest man that ever lived. He could solve

any problem and could help anyone he wanted to. He was part of the cattle

ranchers, and was coming from Texas and was headed to Kansas. He was

named the Trail Boss of the trip because of his great skills.

The cattle ranchers were somewhere in the middle of Oklahoma on a

wet, foggy day, when the cowpunchers heard a very loud noise, it was like

the sounds of rushing water. When the cowpunchers got closer, they noticed

that where there was once a huge drop-off, was now a river filled with water

all the way to the sides. The river was probably about 3,000 feet deep, and

the cattle ranchers knew they couldn‟t get across. But Sneaky Sam always

found a way. Down yonder, there was a couple of massive trees about 2

miles high. So Sam walked up to the trees and lifted one up like it was as

light as a feather. When he got back to the river he swung the tree around and

lodged it into the ground so about half of the tree was showing. He tied his

lariat to the tree and then tied it to himself and being very plum loco he

jumped into the river. 5 minutes later he had past, and Sneaky Sam was no-

where to be seen in the water so, the cowpunchers began to worry. Then, all

of a sudden, one of the cattle shouted, “There he is, he is riding on top of the

river.” It was like he was in the rodeo. The river was bucking, and trying to

get Sneaky Sam off, but he never tested gravel with the river. All of a sud-

den, the river made a loud noise and disappeared. Sneaky Sam had scared it

off. Now the river was gone, but they had to figure out a way to get across.

So, Sam went back to the trees and pulled one up and took it back to the cat-

tle ranchers. With the tools that the cattle ranchers brought with them, Sam

got an axe and made a bridge out of the tree.

As the cattle ranchers and the critters went across the bridge, they

thought that this would be another story about how Sneaky Sam had a way to

figure out anything. When the cowpunchers arrived at Kansas they took the

cattle and sold them and they had to make their way back to Texas. On their

way back, nobody knows what will happen with the cattle ranchers and some

of the problems Sneaky Sam will encounter and how he would figure them

out.

Megan Good

23

“Concern for Parents”

Days, weeks, months,

and years pass by,

Intense Experiences

Weave a tight bond

Between the child

and the parents.

Love, Trust, Friendship

Interdependence.

Joy, happiness and

Warmth.

Then…

The Worry

Of the Future

The worry of

Loss

of these Precious Moments

of these

Precious People

Wanting to make

The most of every day,

To make them feel

Loved and

Needed

So the day doesn‟t come

Of regret

Wanting beautiful

Memories

and not wanting

To Let go.

Mrs. Lantz

24

Stewart Middle School’s 8th Grade

Presents:

Writings by students from the 8th

grade teams:

-Zenith

-Architects

-Masterminds

25

The Spring Time is here So get your fishing poles out And head to the pond. Matthew Sprouse

The waterfall flows Like the nice Niagra Falls It’s blue as oceans. Tyler Miller

Trees are growing now Running through lush, green valley The animals play. Stephen Helmick

The snowy morning Casts over Jefferson’s Place It’s beautiful site. Andrew Moseman

It was getting dark And the waves started roaring Until the night came. Hunter Taylor

Haiku

26

Haiku Cows graze in the field

Fall, cool, breezy air

Leaves change on colorful trees

Adam Frazier

Cold waters flowing

Waters tumbling down through rocks

Icy cold waters flowing

Megan Shifflett

Water tumbling down

Leaves falling with different

Trees dying like cut

Regine Washington

White gate unlocked closed

Noisy, creaky, and shaky

Magic, enchanted

Luke Martin

27

Adelie Penguins

Live in water most of their lives

Layered feather for warmth

All the zoo penguins must be trained to eat on land.

Brood patches keep the eggs and young penguins warm.

Often, human water pollution is a threat to penguins.

Underground nests, for some types of penguins.

Tails are used for balance on land and steering in water.

Antarctica is a common penguin habitat.

Not all penguins live where it‟s cold.

Intensely, penguins watch for predators.

Molt every year

A gathering of penguins for warmth is a huddle.

Live in the Southern Hemisphere

Sometimes sleep on their feet

Preen to keep feathers wind proof and water proof

Eat a lot of krill

Noisy when in a colony with lots of other penguins!

Galapagos Penguins

Unlike human, penguins can drink salt water.

If penguins are in a large group, they can pose a

threat.

Nests

Swim an average of 8 miles per hour.

Lucy Gordon

28

What is behind that door? Since I was born I have lived in this same house, passed this

same door, and pondered that very question on my mind right now. I‟ve tried opening it since

I‟ve realized its existence, but not once has it budged. As I sit in my chair across from that door,

I calculate ways to get it open. The door alone is not what makes me want to see behind it, but

the strange brightness coming from the cracks in the bottom. Suddenly, all the lights in the

house go off and I‟m left alone in the dark. My face lit only by the light from beneath the door.

As soon as my eyes become adjusted, the lights flicker, and the door swings open.

At first, I‟m not frightened. My curiosity gets the best of me. When I poke my head

through the door, my stomach tightens, and it‟s not curiosity I feel, but fear. The room behind

the door goes on for as long as the eye can see. I then become overwhelmed by a sense of dread

that these doors will, also be locked. Although when I look at the first one, it opens without the

slightest touch.

The maze of strange doors is something that is becoming annoying to me. Aggravated,

I step into the new door. My aggravation soon turns to confusion, as I see what‟s on the door.

“September 11, 2001” is scribbled on it. I peek around the door, and in the glinting sun, there are

two towers. People are walking by the buildings admiring the structures, when out of the corner

of my eye, I see planes. My mind races back to what I saw on the door, and I start to cry. I am

screaming at all the people below me, trying to stop what I know is coming, but they are deaf to

me. My voice, to them, is yet another part of the breeze blowing in their hair. I watch as the

planes come crashing down, and the hysteria begins. I don‟t remember not, but in the next in-

stant, I‟m crying in the hallway for those that lost loved ones they would never see again.

I walk down the hallway, drying my eyes, and try to remember what happens on the

dates on the doors. Soon I come to a door that doesn‟t have a date. Instead, it is blank. I walk

through the door, expecting the worst, but the first thing that comes to mind is complete and utter

joy. I‟ve never felt this happy in my life and come to realize I‟m looking through the eyes of

someone else. I try to look around but my eyes keep staring straight into those of a child. Then I

see that I am in my grandmother‟s body. She has just witnessed my mother‟s first birth and was

holding my mother‟s first child, me. It is weird to see yourself through the eyes of someone else,

even when you are young. The feeling I remember through my grandmother is one I will never

forget, and will always feel when I look at her.

I decided to leave this room of doors and let it go on as if I was never here. When I

walked out, the door quietly shuts behind me. Walking down the stairs feels like a dream, be-

cause I see my family sitting there, safe and together. Tears well up in my eyes, but I quickly

hide them, for I want to keep my adventures to myself. I go and hug my family and they seem

suspicious of my sudden compassion, but I shake it off, because it‟s my secret. My secret only.

Reagan Uhler (8th Grade)

29

Forgive

I‟ve been waiting all this time

You look so good, so grand

I didn‟t think you come

Beginning to feel uneasy

I was about to protest

But stopped

Be patient. Humor her. Be gentle

Forgive.

-Anonymous Architect

Every day I always pass a locked door. I often wonder what‟s on the

other side, But I‟ve never seen it unlocked. Well, one day, I walked past it

and noticed that the door was ajar, so I stepped inside and halfway shut the

door.

When I shut the door, it was dim, so I pulled out a book of matches

and lit one. What I found was a long, dark tunnel. The tunnel was dirt and

there were roots coming down from the ceiling. I followed it until I came

upon a torch. So I lit the torch and found banks and cans of dried food. I ate

and rested, and then I followed the tunnel until I got to the exit, which was a

creaky, wooden door.

The door was locked, but it was so old and had so much termite dam-

age that it gave easily. I walked into a beautiful, green, sun-filled grassland

with scattered trees. I walked around and saw large animals in the distance.

I got closer and I was amazed that they were dinosaurs. I then heard a roar

behind me and I turned around slowly to see a very large dinosaur. I turned

and ran back for the door, but I couldn‟t find it. I waited for dark and ate

leaves and drank fresh water.

The next morning I crept out and started searching for the door.

When I didn‟t find it, I knew I had to get something to eat. I made a kind of

spear and with time, caught a fish. I didn‟t have a fire, so I ate it raw. Then

when I was walking, I fell into a hole. When the dust settled, I found that I

was in the tunnel.

When I got back, I made sure the door wasn‟t locked and went home

and told my best friends. Later, we brought supplies and we went back to the

tunnel. The only problem is…The door locked

behind us. Jacob Cline

30

Cares about our nation and its leaders.

Interest in finding ways to help our nation.

Takes time to help others.

Involved in keeping the community looking nice.

Zealous

Each person lends a helping hand.

Never gives up fighting for our country.

Serves in community service.

Has the desire to keep our nation united.

Integrity.

Pays taxes on time.

Nia Emerson

Dear Host,

I have been living on your floor eating your dead skin cells. I have been

doing this for a while so that your dead skin cells don‟t pile up. I have

eight legs, big pinchers to my size, and other than eight legs, I look like

a hermit crab. On my legs, I have feelers to look for dead skin cells. I

am cleaning your dead skin cells so you will have to clean my waste. If

you don‟t clean up my waste, it could cause an asthma attack. Now you

have seen how I am good and bad, so I will keep feasting on your dead

skin cells.

Your closest friend,

The Dustmite

Hunter Taylor

31

Grandmother

Be patient with her.

Her eyes were brighter than ever as she looked at me now, but tear bright,

the tears gathering.

Humor her. Be gentle.

Not movie love,

But love, like something alive and tender, asking nothing in return.

Kind of soothing sounds that mothers murmur to their children when they‟ve

awaken from bad dreams.

She‟s my grandmother all right, but she‟s also herself.

Her eyes were still bright, but they merely stared at me.

The silence was deafening.

Emilie Hoefler

Stranger

I am but a stranger.

No one talks to me or acknowledges me.

I am but a stranger.

I wake each morning thinking things will go better, but

it all ends up in shambles, for I am a person with no face.

People stare and call me the devil, but I know the truth.

I‟ve been this way ever since I could remember.

Maybe someday I will find a friend.

Emily Van Sant

32

Siege of Leningrad

Sleds were used to carry dead people

I

Executions of Russians

German artillery shells

European‟s master would soon be Hitler

Observation post

Freezing temperatures

Leningrad Children‟s Hospital

Effort to defend their city

Non aggression pact

Immediate attack on all fronts

Neva River

General Ivan Fedyuninskey

Red Army

Andrei Zhdanav in charge of Leningrad

Deaths were common in the winter

Kayla Reed

33

The Moustache They reminded me of hospitals

“And I think of that night, Mike, that

terrible night.”

her breathing serene and regular

“Say you forgive me, Mike. I‟ve waited all

these years…”

I drift and dream.

It‟s the things of the spirit that count, Meg.

What could happen to her when she

realized the mistake she had made.

None but the Lonely Heart.

Lauren Ritchie

I see a cold, damp room, with a concrete floor, a small, dirty window, and a

tiny table. Suddenly, the door slams shut behind me and a shadowy figure

steps forward out of the darkness. He was black, with brown baggy pants,

a white tank top, and a tattered red bandanna. Then, in a flash, I remem-

bered seeing a gang in a nearby alley. “Why was I dumb enough to take

this road to school, and walk in this stupid building?” I grumbled to my-

self. “Curiosity killed the cat,” whispered the stranger. As he said this, he

pulled out a shiny knife; I could see my face shimmer on the cold, hard

steel. Then he started to slowly shuffle toward me. In a desperate attempt

to escape, I charged with all my strength, head first into the man‟s stomach.

He let out a quick gasp for air and then he started panting and dropped the

knife. “This is my chance!” I thought. I scurried to the knife with caution,

and picked it up. He had, by now, regained his breath, and he looked at

me with a furious rage burning in his eyes. I made a quick move and

plunged the knife into his leg. As blood oozed from the wound, I pushed

him backwards and he tripped over the table. He went reeling backwards

and his head smashed violently into the glass, cracking the window. His

body slumped toward the ground as I realized he was unconscious. I

dropped the knife and ran for the door. I opened it, paused only for a sec-

ond, and then ran away. Anonymous

34

The Open Door This has got to be the strangest story you have ever heard. This is how I

became a military commander just by opening a door. What I saw was normal,

but what happened wasn‟t.

I was walking down the hall in between classes when strangely I found a

door open. This might not sound strange but that particular door was always shut

and locked. I stopped and hesitated. Should I go in or not? Curiosity must have

got the best of me because when I came to, I saw a military installation. I sud-

denly got the feeling that I was going to be late for class.

I then started exploring the place and I saw a lot of people. Everyone kept

on calling me commander. I then thought it was a joke on me. I was about to tell

everyone that they could stop when I saw a large wall of monitors at least twenty

feet high. Every one of the monitors was a different security camera around the

world. I then realized that this was real. While I was in awe, a messenger came

to me and told me that I needed to stop a group of terrorists from destroying the

Capital Building. I couldn‟t believe it. They were taking orders from a 13 year

old kid! I laid out every detail of the mission. That was when the real fun began.

Thirty minutes later, the five best pilots in the base were flying Raptors to

intercept the terrorist‟s planes. Three of them split from the main five, all in dif-

ferent directions. The other two acted as bait to distract the terrorists and to get

them off course. The two terrorist planes took the bait hook, line, and sinker.

While they followed the other two “bait” planes, the other three planes discretely

flew behind them. The terrorists never stood a chance. Lucky for us, the terror-

ist‟s planes fell into the Potomac River with no damage to the Capitol. The five

Raptors escaped undamaged. I received many congratulations for my mission.

This was short lived though. One of the personnel saw where I came from. Out

of nowhere, two big burly men dragged me to a room filled with medical equip-

ment. They must have given me a sedative because the next thing I knew, I woke

up in the janitor‟s closet. I reached for the door knob and left. I wanted this to be

over as fast as it could be. I just hope that I didn‟t miss my bus ride home.

In conclusion, this was very strange. I became a commander at a military

base, destroyed terrorists, and got my first sedative all within two hours. I had

never expected this to happen. I also hope it never happens again, (although it

would make a good sequel!)

Matt Rohlf

35

The Story of the Magic Turtle In the beginning, there was a boy named James. James lived with his brother,

dad, and mom in Virginia. He was 5‟6”, and had blonde hair and blue eyes. Even

though James was Richard‟s brother, he was treated more like Richard‟s servant.

Richard was very mean to him. His mom and dad made him do everything like

clean, cook, and whatever else needed to be done around the house. James was

muscular from doing all the chores, even though he had only a little leftover food

to eat every day.

One day, while James was cleaning, his mom and dad received an invitation to the

king‟s house in West Virginia. James dad had gray hair, was short and fat, and had

blue eyes. His mom was tall, blond, and fat from eating so much. His mom, dad,

and Richard took a couple days to get ready for the ball, but James did not under-

stand why everybody was getting dressed up.

One day while he was cleaning, he found the invitation. He asked, “May I go?”

They said, “No just a servant can‟t go.”

James started crying about not going. As everybody as getting ready to leave,

James was filling up their pool with buckets of water

from the creek. While he was filling the bucket, he

found a magic turtle. The turtle asked,” Why are you

crying James?”

“I cannot go to the ball.”

The turtle said, “YES! You can. Poof!”

James was turned into a handsome prince.

“This spell wears out at midnight.”

James asked, “How am I supposed to get there?”

The turtle replied, “Sorry, I forgot. Poof!” and out of nowhere, a plane suddenly

appeared to take him to the ball.

While James was dancing, he looked up at the clock, and the clock said “11:59.”

He left quickly.

The next day the princess put out a sign that said Try on the shoe, if it fits, you

may marry me. So everybody tried, but it was either too big or too small. She

started to cry until she saw James. She said excitedly, “You try this shoe on.”

He did, and it was a perfect fit. So they married, and lived happily ever after. The

magic turtle moved into the castle with them. As for his mom, dad, and brother,

James and the princess told them they had to go to the gym for the rest of their

lives, or they would have the magic turtle put a spell on them to make them go.

Jerry Suffecool

36

Thump. Thump. Thump.

As he heard the footsteps approaching, he quietly put down the

shoe he was working with. The footsteps soon became more rapid

and determined. After a minute of catching his breath, a man

named Aiden entered the room. You‟re late,” exclaimed the black-

smith in a mock serious tone.

“Aye mate,” replied Aiden, “tis you that is just early.

Rolling his deep emerald eyes, the blacksmith got back to work. By

the fire lay an assortment of tools and clamps, only the steady eyes

of a knowing man could sort through. As Aiden sat down beside the

fire to warm his frost- bitten hands, conversation turned from chilly

December weather, to the new a so-called “better king”

“If you ask me-“ started the blacksmith, but he was cut off by a sud-

den shadow that fell across the floor. To act as if he saw nothing,

the blacksmith kept talking to Aiden about unimportant events

while slowly creeping towards the window. At the last second, He

bounded to the window in a short stride and threw open cracked

shutters. The only thing to be seen along the desolate, icy road, was

the slow rocking of the rusty baker‟s sign across the street. He

waited a couple of seconds, then hesitantly closed the shutters and

went back to work. “It would be wise to guard your tongue,” in-

quired Aiden, “for we never know what‟s lurking around the next

corner.”

“Speaking of,” Said the blacksmith, "why did you arrange this

meeting?”

“I will tell you another day,” he said, “ When I know there will be

no one listening.”

Biding his time, Aiden packed his things and walked to the door.

Reagan Uhler

37

Wild cat

Iberian lynx

Lion

Domestic cats

Cheetah

Andean mountain cat

Tiger

Snow leopard

Puma

Asian golden cat

Serval

Thylacine (Tasmanian

tiger-wolf)

&

Pallas‟ cat

Rusty-spotted cat

Eurasian Lynx

Sand cat

Exotic cats

Nimravids (false saber-

toothed cats)

Tigrina (oncilla)

Emilie Hoefler

38

High School Reunion

The people were motionless

No one said a word

But then, right then he asked just

this

And everybody heard

Will you, will you sing tonight?

The crowd agreed and shook their

heads

I looked up to the light

And everybody fled

I fell backwards onto the floor

They carried me to the car

As they shut the door

Now I‟m not there

Kayla Robertson

39

The Bulldog Tales Staff:

The Editing Staff: Ben Garber Alexa Hite Rachel Mason

Talula Mays Emily McMillion Holly Miller

Kaitlyn Sheaves Branden Thomas Esther Ulmer

Laura Baber Dylan Farley Rebekah Flick

Ben Good Braden Herman Tyler Mullins

Victoria Woodell Randy Zimmerman Allison Alexander

Lydia Critchfield Lucy Gorden Gracyn Hill

Brigid Pettit Kirby Purdom Matthew Rohlf

Allison Van Horn Kristina Winn

CoverDesign:

Rebekah Flick

Special Thanks To: All those who submitted writings and art work, to the Language Arts teach-

ers, to Ms. Missal, Mrs. Shifflett and Mrs. Lubkowski for their individual

expertise.

And all those amazing SMS teachers who met with us individually in writing

conferences three times this year!

The front cover for our magazine was chosen as a winner out of a school-wide contest and was selected

by blind vote. Poems and writings were selected by Bulldog Staff Members in a blind vote after being

submitted by the Language Arts teachers.

We did not choose by reputation, but by the quality of the writings. This is how it should be in every-

thing, we should be judged on our abilities not by who we are.

Faculty Advisors: Rhonda Harris and Amy Michael

40