Just a Drop

There are now 7 billion people in the world. Looking at that number can make you feel like a drop of water in all the world’s oceans. 

Mother Teresa once said of helping others, “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But if that drop was not in the ocean, I think the ocean will be less because of that missing drop.”

Even though you are one person out of billions, the role you play is significant. Sometimes, as kids, we think that we can’t make a change. That is not true. Kids have the opportunity to make even more of a difference than adults. We are the future after all.  If we start doing great things for our community now, imagine what an impact we can have once we’re adults.

Even the smallest efforts will make a difference. It’s important to remember that, especially now, during the holidays. There are families everywhere who don’t have what we enjoy and can’t have a nice holiday. You may think, “I can’t do something big enough to help those people.”

But that’s the kind of thinking that Mother Teresa wanted to change. It doesn’t take something huge to make a difference. The smallest effort, or drop of water, can make someone’s holiday better.
So, I challenge you to think of this quote every time you think that what you do doesn’t matter. I want you to remember that even if all that you add is one drop, you still make a difference. All it takes is for you to add a drop. Just a drop.

From Dec. 1-31, I will run a children’s clothing drive for the kids of migrant families that live in Wimauma, just one hour from Westchase. If you would like to add a drop and be part of this ocean, you can ask your parents to help you bring your used clothing to me. Simply e-mail editor@westchasewow.com for a drop location. Items need to be in good and clean condition.

I would love to hear from you. You can post your comments or ideas below my column here.

By Isabel Giovannetti

Giovannetti is a seventh grader at Williams I.B. Middle School.

Honoring Veterans Day

“I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America…”

We say those words every morning but do we really know how much sacrifice it takes to make them true? This Nov. 11 is Veterans Day, a day to commemorate and honor all of the men and women who have fought for this country.

To protect us and keep us safe, the brave men and women of our military have sacrificed so much. But they are not the only ones.  The families of these courageous people have been through a lot and are proud of their families in the service. I spoke with Radcliffe’s Megan Gullekson, whose father is a veteran. She said that while her father was serving in the military, she would get scared when he would go overseas, months at a time. She’s glad, however, that all that her dad did was for the good of our country.

I also asked a few kids what Veterans Day means to them.  A seventh grader at Walker Middle School said that veterans are important because they have fought for us and our freedom. Another seventh grader said that veterans are important because for every life that was lost, veterans made sure that more lives were saved.

I believe that we should honor our veterans every day.  Throughout the year, you can show our veterans that you care and that you honor them for all that they have done. You can send holiday cards to veterans, or you can visit any veterans in your family to show that you are thinking about them. You can also send care packages to our troops, who still need our support. Simply thanking them for their service will brighten their day.

Right now, there are men and women fighting for their lives, and ours, overseas. When they come home, they deserve to be treated like heroes. They deserve to be honored for all of their sacrifice and courage. That’s what Veterans Day is for – to make sure that their amazing sacrifices will never be forgotten.

So, the next time you say the Pledge of Allegiance or sing the national anthem, what will you think about?

By Isabel Giovannetti

Giovannetti is a seventh grader at Williams I.B. Middle School.

What Can You Change?

If you could change one thing about your school, what would it be? For over a month now Westchase students have had time to get used to our schools. We’ve seen the great things about our schools and the not so great things. What are the pros and cons at your school and, more importantly, what can you, a student, do about them?

I first spoke with Emma Duffey, a seventh grader at Walker Middle School. She said that she likes the way that education is a top priority at her school. She says that the teachers “teach you well but in a really fun way.”

What doesn’t Emma like about her school?

It’s having to wear khakis as part of her uniform. 

The next person I asked had a similar opinion. Seventh grader Lauren Green, who attends Williams IB Middle Magnet, said that she doesn’t like having uniforms at her school either. Lauren does, however,  like having so many different classes with many different people. 

Another Westchase student, who attends Davidsen Middle School, says that he likes almost everything about his school. He said that if he could change one thing about Davidsen, it would be the amount of time between classes.

If you’ve been complaining about something you don’t like about your school, it’s a good idea to do something to fix it. As Denis Waitley has said, “There are two primary choices in life: to accept conditions as they exist, or accept the responsibility for changing them.”

I’m not saying that you should cause a riot at your school in protest, but you could try writing a letter to your principal. Perhaps you might also try running for student government to make a difference.

It’s just important that you don’t sit around when you think that something in your life can be improved. Instead it’s important to take responsibility for improving it.

After all, it is your school and you will be there for a couple of years.

Do your part and make your school the best that it can be.

By Isabel Giovannetti

Giovannetti is a seventh grader at Williams I.B. Middle School.

What Do Kids Think About Writing?

Every time a teacher tells his or her class to pick up a pencil and write, the same thing happens.

Half of the class gets bored, worried or annoyed expressions on their faces. The other half of the class just groans.

I love to write, but over the years I’ve learned what happens next in the classroom. Knowing what will happen, I’ve often joined my class and offered a bored look of my own.  For the next 45 minutes I’m going to have to write an essay about my favorite day of the week or my favorite subject in school. This is not exactly my – or any other kid’s – idea of fun.

Unfortunately, this is sometimes the only form of writing to which kids in elementary and middle schools are exposed.  It perhaps isn’t surprising how many kids don’t like to write. I can’t help but wonder if the way that schools teach the subject has something to do with it. 

I spoke with a few kids about their feelings about writing. When I asked Jonni Shell, a seventh grader at Walker Middle School, what she thought about writing, she said that writing wouldn’t be her first choice of something to do. Jonni added, however, that if she got a good topic to write about, then she would enjoy writing more. She agreed that kids would probably like writing more if they got to choose their topics.

Another seventh grader at Davidsen Middle School says that he doesn’t like writing because it’s boring.
When I asked an Alonso High School student what she thought, she said she liked writing because it can be fun. What makes the difference between it being a fun or boring assignment, she says, is the prompt or topic about which she has to write. Another high school student said that he didn’t like writing because it was too tedious.

After speaking to students, I came up with two reasons why writing isn’t enjoyed by most students: It’s too dull or boring.

Well, writing isn’t for everyone. Regardless of topic, some kids would rather be outside than inside writing a story. I also found that some kids don’t like writing because they aren’t given enough freedom to choose the topic they prefer. At school we are often given dull topics that realistically can’t be used to write an interesting two-page essay. This causes kids to groan at the thought of having to write.

The truth is that you can’t avoid writing. Writing is still a main form of communication.  In the future, you’ll need to write important essays for school and, let’s not forget, college applications. Avoiding writing won’t do you any good. Like with any sport or hobby, to get better at writing, you need to practice it. If you don’t like writing at school, try doing other things to improve your writing skills. This can include writing letters to friends or family that live far away, keeping a journal, or maybe even writing short stories.

Believe it or not, just by reading a well-written book, you can improve your writing skills. The more you read, the better you write. 

Writing is an essential skill to have. Though you may not see it now, writing is also a great way to be creative and use your imagination. Hopefully, in the future schools will lighten up a bit on their standard, dull prompts, and let kids enjoy the creative side of writing.

When they do, there won’t quite so many groans or annoyed looks when the teacher announces that it’s time to write.

By Isabel Giovannetti

Giovannetti is a seventh grader at Williams I.B. Middle School.