Writer’s BlockBy Imani Smith, M3On the hot summer day of September 21, 2011, I, Imani Smith had to write a piece for English class. I had to write a memory. I was thinking hard about what I could write but my mind was blank. I couldn’t think of anything and the noise from my classmates was distracting.My teacher encouraged me to take a memory walk. I started, but became very annoyed as everything I thought of I was able to dismiss. I thought about writing about my dog, Faizah, but I didn’t think it would be interesting enough, even though she makes me laugh. I remembered a time when she bit the heels off of my mother’s brand new CROC high heels, but couldn’t provide enough detail to bring it to life.I considered writing about my sisters, Precious and Kessiah. I thought about writing about how one minute we were fighting and the next we would be having a conversation. But again, I couldn’t think of how to make it interesting enough so I gave up on that idea.I thought and thought about what I could write. I searched my memory high and low for some really interesting experience. I finally decided to write down what I did in the class that day and realised that I had just written my memory.FirstsBy Nikye Johnston, M3I remember when I caught my first fish. It was when I was five years old. The fish I caught was a yellowtail snapper. The fish was so big it was almost the size of me. I had gone fishing with my dad, and I was so excited to be with him. The fish was very strong, but with a little help from him, I was able to pull it in.I remember the first time I almost got into an accident. I was about eight years old and we were at White Hill Field in Somerset. I ran off the field and a bus nearly hit me. Luckily, my daddy was behind me and knocked us both out of the way.My first day of school is one I will never forget. The first friend I made was Jai-Zel. We have been together ever since. We have even travelled to middle school together.I guess you can call my mother my first love. She is the most special person in my life. She has taught me how to be a gentleman. She has shown me lots of things. She constantly reminds me of the good there is in people.Even though I am just 14, my firsts have helped to shape who I am.‘You don’t have to be great to start but you have to start to be great’By Beatriz Aquiar, M2This quote means a lot of things. The first part means that if you want something you have to be prepared to put the effort into it. The second part of the quote means that if you never start something you will know whether you are good at it or not.What you do in the present will determine your futureBy Tyejae Burchall, M2If you do good in school, you will be able to get a good job. What you do now sets you on a path for the rest of your life.Parents and teachers push us to do the right thing. I sometimes get tired of mommy and daddy saying ‘Make sure you do good in school”, but I know that they want the best for me. So I will keep doing my best, because I want to can be successful later on.Family can help through hard timesBy Stanwon Swan, M3The hardest time of my life was when my little brother died. He drowned at a boat race across from the airport. It felt like the end of the world to me. It made me more upset because I saw everyone crying, so I felt even more sad. I was very hurt on the inside because I did a lot with him. We got haircuts, played football, cricket, went out together and joked around.I overcame it by talking to friends, laughing, joking around; even getting a shower and feeling fresh made me feel better. Talking to my mama, dad and family made me feel better. Going out with family members and friends made me feel better. We went to Dockyard, dinner and to the beach. We went to a friend’s house, the barber shop with friends, on a bus ride with family and friends. They all made me feel better than I was feeling before.My LegacyBy Sage Jackson, M2One hundred years from now, I want people to remember me as a person who worked hard and accomplished a lot of things because working hard is a characteristic that I have.Having a great legacy is important because everyone should be remembered for something that they did. Some people don’t want to live the way others do. You might be rude to someone and another person sees you, and that is how you are remembered.I admire the legacy being left by my granny. She was hard working. She is almost 80 years old and will still help my brother and me whenever and however she can. She is caring and kind.I hope that I can leave something behind too.Not a trick but a treat!Candace’ Paynter, M1After many days of staying at home during the October break, my parents decided to take my sister, brother and me for a drive. My dad was supposed to be dropping something off before he and my brother caught the late flight to Miami. My sister and I believed him and so we were surprised when we pulled up into the driveway of the Reefs Hotel.We arrived at sunset and checked in. I was so excited I could hardly control the giggles I had. We walked into a wonderfully large, two-bedroom suite that had a balcony with an ocean view. When my parents told us that we were staying the entire weekend, my sister and I jumped up and down.That night at dinner we laughed at the trick that my dad had played on us. It certainly made the weekend and the end of the break a treat for us all.The Pink NecklaceBy Savannah Lewis, M3This necklace reminds me of my great-grandma who recently died. She loved pink. I went to her funeral that Sunday, and I was so sad that I cried. When I got home I cried myself to sleep. I couldn’t go to see them bury her because I knew that I would break out in tears.At the viewing, my sister, Brianna, acted liked a tour guide, taking family members and friends to see my dead great-grandma. I didn’t go inside because I wanted to remember her the way she was. I snuck a peak in and saw that she was wearing pink a pink dress, pink earrings and a pink necklace. I think towards the end my great-grandma wanted ‘to go home’ and God granted her wish.The pink necklace has shiny small, pea-like pearls that seem to reflect any light that hits them. I like looking at it. When I pass it through my fingers, it feels smooth, like my great-grandma’s skin. I hold it to the light and remember how she used to smile and make me feel that everything will be okay.