Monthly Archives: April 2018

More Contemporary Immigration Stories from: South Africa, New Zealand, Italy, and Egypt

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Craig – South Africa

Marcus – New Zealand

April  12th, 2018

Dear Marcus & Craig,

Thank you for coming in to share your stories. I really liked it, and I thought it was cool that you got to visit so many countries.

Some of my favorite parts were eating the food, when Marcus showed us the Kiwi picture, and when Craig told us the meaning of the South African flag. I think it shows how much people had to overcome to have their country become its own country.

A connection I can make to our curriculum is that we have learned about how people are treated differently based on their skin color. This reminded me of when Craig told us about the apartheid.

How old were you when first left New Zealand/South Africa?

Sincerely,

Harley

April 12, 2018

Dear Craig and Marcus,

Thank you so much for coming in and sharing your immigration stories.

Something that surprised me was that you only got your green card a week ago. It was interesting because it kind of fell perfectly for the share. I always thought that to apply for a green card took a year and a half for a green card to arrive for most people. But apparently that is fast.

Another thing that was really interesting was that both countries, South Africa and New Zealand, is that they were both colonies of Great Britain and they both kept memories of their colonization in their flags.

One last thing that stood out to me was that Craig has six passports and is only aloud to use his original one from South Africa.

Thanks again for coming in and telling us about your immigration stories.

Sincerely,

Sonia

April 19, 2018

Dear Marcus and Craig,

Thank you so much for sharing your stories. I thought it was so interesting how you traveled to very exotic places almost every month. And I remember what all the colors mean on the South African flag. Blue= sky, yellow= gold, black and white= skin, red= blood, green= nature, and blue, red, and white together mean the past because England colonized South Africa.

You wanted to travel the world do you think your going to travel more? How was Thailand I’ve heard it’s really beautiful, do you think so? And exactly how many times did you travel? You traveled a lot.

P.S. Next time you share bring a Kiwi bird,

Sincerely,

Alejandro Ulrich,

Dear Craig & Marcus,

Thank you for coming into our class to talk about your immigration stories.

Dear Craig,

One of my favorite parts of your share was when you told us what the colors of the South African flag meant. I also think it must have been sad for people of color in South Africa because of segregation while you, Craig, didn’t really know what was happening to them. Also, I still don’t fully understand why it is so hard to get a Green Card in the USA.

Dear Marcus,

One of my favorite parts of my favorite parts of your share was when you talked about things about New Zealand; after your share, at home I looked up photos of what the flag might have been and it was so funny, especially the Kiwi with laser eyes. I also was very interested in the kiwi bird, it is so small.

One thing you said actually was sort of scary, you said that the soccer team of New Zealand does an ancient war dance. Does it actually intimidate the other team?

Over all I loved your shares.

Sincerely,

Bo Gardner

Dear Marcus and Craig,

Thank you for teaching us your immigration stories. It was very interesting how you traveled and what made you keep changing your home.

My favorite parts were when Craig showed us his papers and when both of you showed us the places you immigrated to (my mother is an immigrant) and when you showed us the flags. It was so interesting how  Craig’s flag had many colors based in the history of the country.

It was so exciting when you gave us food especially because I’m extremely hungry. I really like your entire share. You had so many interesting things to say. It was interesting when you told us about your life growing up. I thought it was interesting because your lives growing up were so different and you are both in the same place right know, you have both come a long way to end up in America. You both have really amazing stories and it was very nice of you to come share them with us.

Sincerely,

Palma

April 12th, 2018

Dear Marcus and Craig,

Thank you for sharing your immigration story. It was really interesting how many places and cultures you got to experience.  

Craig, I thought that the fact that recently South Africa was still segregated is very sad. I think it is cool that for work you get to move all over the world and experience many cultures. Why did your company move you all over the world? How did it feel to be in countries where not many people speak English?

Marcus, it is interesting that people from New Zealand are called kiwis after the national bird. It is funny that when you were in Thailand you had to leave every 30 days to live as a tourist.

I loved the donuts in syrup. They were very good.

Sincerely,

Sarah

Simona – Italy

Dear Simona,

I thought your immigration story was very interesting and I appreciate that you came in to share it with our class. I thought it was also interesting that you like American pizza better than Italian pizza.  

I think it’s cool that you can speak three different languages (Russian, Italian, and English). Do you ever get mixed up in language like speaking Italian and all of a sudden say a Russian word? Where do you speak Russian?

I enjoyed seeing the map of Italian pastas, but it made me want to eat pasta!!!!! My favorite pasta is Spaghetti with parmesan cheese on the side.

My Mom and Sister went to Italy a couple years ago and really liked it. They said the food there was so amazing. I hope to visit Italy someday.

From,

Henry

Dear Simona,

Thank you for coming to our class today to share your immigration story.

You fill my head with amazing facts about Italy. I think the Italy quiz was my favorite part of your share but also the drinks and cookies you brought us.

Why did you like America so much?  What do you think was the biggest difference between Italy and America? When you moved to America was this what you expected? (Trump…etc…)

From,

Macy

Dear Simona,

Thank you for coming in and sharing your story.

I learned that you grew up in Torino and they are known for FIAT and Nutella. I learned that Italy became a country in 1861 and there are 20 regions in Italy. I also learned that the population of Italy is 60.6 million and that The first capital of Italy was Torino.

Thank you for bringing in the soda and the pastries, they were delish.

Thanks again, 

Saffron

Dear Simona,

Crazy story today, you really had a awesome life. Torino looked really nice, I’d like to go there.

The quiz was awesome, I nailed it!

You had so many careers, unbelievable. You had a really peaceful life. I liked how you did most of the things in your hometown like go to college and study there.

Thanks for coming,

Love,

Theo

Dear Simona,

Thank you for taking time out of your day to come into our classroom to talk to us about your immigration story.

Some of my favorite parts of your share were when you showed us the map of Italy with all the different kinds of pasta on it. I also liked the image of the chef kicking Fettuccine Alfredo into America. Another favorite part of your share was when you gave us a quiz on things in Italy and how it was a pretty hard quiz. Another favorite part of your share was when you talked about FIAT and how Italy created Chocolate like Nutella. Probably my favorite part of  your share was when you talked to us about your favorite pizza place in Torino and how you went to a college to study languages and you finished with a major in Russian.

Some things I learned from your share was that Juventus plays in Torino. Something else I learned was that there are 20 regions in Italy, the population of Italy is 60.6 million, the first Capital of Italy was Torino and Italy became a country in 1861. Probably the most incredible thing I learned is you were able to become a citizen in 3 years instead of five because you got married. The reason why this is important to me is because in class we are doing a small groups project and my group is studying how U.S laws are made and that involves becoming a citizen.

Once again thank you for coming in and talking to us about your immigration story.

Thank you,

Love

Bayo

Dear Simona,

Thank you for visiting on Thursday, April 19th. My favorite part was the soda and the pastry. It was really really good.  

Also, were you an undocumented immigrant when you first got here? Also, you never really explained how you met your husband. It was cool that the chef was kicking Fettuccini Alfredo out of Italy and into America (where it belongs).  

Do you know where to buy the soda from Italy? Have you ever regretted going to the USA? And did you know any family members in America who told how good  or bad it is?

Sincerely,

Arlo

Lisa – Egypt

Dear Lisa,

Thank you for sharing your immigration story with the class. It was very interesting. My mom also had some of the same traditions that you had because she was also born in the Middle East. In Iran. What was it like moving to a new country? My friend Maxwell did that too. I find it meaningful that instead of having a job that everyone else in your family did, you chose to help people instead. When was the first time that you had encountered another Egyptian person that had immigrated to the US?

The Sphinx sounds so cool to visit. Can you go inside? I found out why the Sphinx doesn’t have a nose. It’s because in 1378 CE, Egyptian peasants made offerings to the Great Sphinx in the hope of controlling the flood cycle, which would result in a successful harvest. Outraged by this blatant show of devotion, Sa’im al-Dahr destroyed the nose and was later executed for vandalism. Whether this is absolute fact is still debatable.

I loved your food. It reminds me of kotlet from Iran. It has that very good flavor and texture. I wonder if Iran’s kotlet is kind of like Egypt’s falafel but they just have different names.

Your share was fantastic,

Cy

PS, Are there lots of mangoes in Egypt because you brought in mango juice?

Dear Lisa,

Thank you for taking time out of your day to speak to us about your immigration story.

My favorite parts of your share were when I got my Arabic name. I thought it was cool to see what my name looked like in Arabic. Also when we ate the food. It was delicious and I really felt the food culture of Egypt. It was definitely more flavorful than the average American food.

What did it feel like when you ate the first food in America? What did it taste like? What was your favorite dish in Egypt?

It was awesome hearing your share and I learned a lot, like the Nile River is the longest river in the world. And thank you for sharing about your immigration story.

Sincerely,

SebastianTakeshiHarding

April 26, 2018

Dear Lisa,

Thank you for sharing your immigration story with us!

It is so interesting how you came to America when you 10. I liked when you showed us the pictures of you and Nazir next to the sphinx. That picture was so cool! I also liked when you showed us the picture of Nazir trying to read the hieroglyphics. I really liked the food. I thought it was funny when you first saw snow.

Thank you for coming in I hope you come again soon!

Love,

Giselle  

April 26th,  

Dear Lisa,

Thank you for coming to our school today and talking to us about your immigration story from Egypt to here.

My three favorite parts were: the delicious food including the falafel, which didn’t taste much different than Israeli falafel, the picture of Nazir and his cousins now and then because Nazir was so tiny and cute, and hearing your very interesting and nice story. I thought it was terrible how you had to leave to get religious freedom. It kind of reminds me of how my grandmother had to leave Poland because she was Jewish during WW2.

I hope you will keep telling your story as it is good and interesting.

Sincerely,

Libi

Dear Lisa,

Thank you for coming to our classroom and sharing about your immigration story.

I never knew that Egypt had almost has 100 million people. And I never knew that 11 million people lived in Cairo. Overall, I just never knew that Egypt was so big. I think that it is cool that the Nile River runs through the middle of Cairo. I also think that it is cool that there are still ancient temples and sphinx in Egypt.

I never knew that the Nile River is the longest river in the world. I also learned from you knew that it flows north and if you were looking at a map you would think the Nile flows south. I think living near the Nile River is smart because you said that most of the land is a desert. I think it is interesting that the Nile River is the only big mass of water in Egypt.

I thought it was interesting that when you first started school in America you didn’t know any English and people still wanted to be your friend. I never knew that people in Egypt spoke French. I thought it was nice that all your classmates were very supportive. I never knew soccer, volleyball, basketball and handball were popular in Egypt. What is your favorite thing about baseball?

I think it is nice that you always wanted a job to help people. I also think it is kind that in Baltimore there were no Egyptians but everyone was nice to you. It is cool that when you took English with the guy from Peru, you spoke way different languages but you found a way to communicate.

Sincerely,

Celia

 

News Flash: 4th Graders Visit the Statue of Liberty and Have Fun

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Class of 2026 Visits the ‘Statue of Liberty’

By Theodore Cornick

“It has a great historical background,” said Libby and Graham, from Australia. “It symbolizes freedom and liberty,” exclaimed Edwin and Adrianna coming from Houston on the boat going to the Statue of Liberty. Here we go!!!!!!!!

In 1886 the Statue of  Liberty was a gift from France because it was America’s 100th year anniversary. This statue was made by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi  and it was based on his family. The statue’s  head is based on his wife or brother, you can call it either one of them, their identical. The body is based on his wife. Bartholdi choose Bedloe’s Island because it was the smallest island and when he came to find where to put it, he wanted a place that would stand out. He wanted people to look at the statue not go on it.

 This sculpture was not originally green. The statue was made of copper. Copper turns green when it is exposed to the air for a long time.

Did you know that the pedestal is taller than the statue itself? The statue is 62,000 pounds. The crown represents the 7 seas, the 7 continents, and the sun. The average time the sculpture gets struck by lightning is 400 times a year. Fun Fact: the nose had 3 holes in it and they were thinking about patching it up with a nose ring, but the government did not like it.

If I were the Statue of Liberty I would say “freedom for all.”A question I have is that how many people come to the Statue of Liberty every day. The Statue of Liberty is a landmark for all and will never stop being one.

 

The DS4 Times

April 12, 2018

By Bayo

What does the Statue of Liberty stand for?

Today DS4, a 4th grade class at Little Red Schoolhouse, went to the Statue of Liberty for a field trip following their immigration study they were having. They went on Tuesday April, 10.

The first thing they did was walk from their school in the West Village to the Houston St station where they caught the 1 train to the South Ferry station. When they got to the station they walked to a bench near the port where the boat would be taking off.  

The tickets were in Castle Garden, which is the place where immigrants would go before Ellis Island was made. “It is pretty small for a place that let immigrants come in,” a student named Bayo commented. Deborah, one of the teachers for DS4, and Bayo, a student, went to get the tickets while the other students were eating snack. When Deborah and Bayo were coming back Bayo said he saw something about batteries. “Though it isn’t like the batteries we use for our devices and games there is a second meaning, which is a fortified emplacement for heavy guns which is pretty cool.” Bayo commented. After Deborah and Bayo returned with the tickets the class went to the gate for the boat. Then they were on their way.

When DS4 got to the Statue of Liberty they split up into groups and agreed that they were going to meet at 1:00 so they know where everyone is when it is time to leave. All the groups had to go to all 3 sections Pedestal museum, the actually pedestal itself and the Statue of liberty crown museum. The group that was Shelby with is  Bayo, Macy and Saffron went to the Pedestal museum first. When they got there they opened their trip sheet which on one page had questions on it like how much does the statue of liberty weigh and so in. After they answered the questions they went to the top part of the pedestal. Saffron, one of the students, commented on the amount of stairs saying “wow this is a lot of stairs”. When they got to the top of the pedestal they went onto another page of their trip sheet which was to interview someone, the person they interviewed was named Vani she was from India when Saffron, Macy and Bayo asked her about her thoughts on the Statue of Liberty she responded “It’s a good spot for tourist” Bayo commented later “that she probably didn’t know what the Statue of Liberty actually stood for.”

Then the class went back on the boat back to Manhattan and then the trip was over.

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Statue of Liberty: What is its significance?

By Cy Fawkes

April 10, 2018

Cy Fawkes and his 4th grade class from LREI visited the Statue of Liberty today. They had studied about the statue for a while but today was finally the day that they were going too see it.

The class only had tickets to the top of the pedestal but it was still pretty fun in their opinion. They met a park ranger named Ian at the top of the pedestal. He told them all about the statue and who made it. The Statue of Liberty was made in France to celebrate the US’s 100th birthday as a gift from France.

It was constructed on Bedloe’s Island on October 28, 1886. It was planned to be on 1876 but the people designing and creating the statue ran low on funding. The idea came from a man named Laboulayes. Then a French artist Bartholdi heard about the idea and he wanted to make it. With the help of an engineer named Eiffel they started designing the statue and that is how it has came to be this landmark in NYC.

On the ferry there Cy interviewed four different people from two different places. The first two were Libby and Graham from Australia and they went because it has a great historical significance. The other two were Edwin and Adriana from Houston, Texas. It was a new experience for them and they came because the statue was a big US landmark. They thought that it symbolized liberty and freedom.

In the end the 4th grade class learned so many new facts such as it weighs 66,00 pounds in their wonderful experience. They all had loved the trip and pondered the idea of, what is liberty?

 

Deborah＆Shelby’s Fourth Grade Class Take a

Trip To The Statue of Liberty

April 10th, 2018

By Harley Bosamonte

 

Deborah and Shelby’s class, a fourth grade class at LREI, a school in Greenwich Village, Manhattan, went to the Statue of Liberty on April 10th. They interviewed some passengers that were on the boat asking questions like, “What is your name? Where are you from? What are your thoughts on the Statue of Liberty?” The students got many different answers from different people.

To get there, the students, teachers, and parent chaperones took a train to the ferry. Then they took a ferry all the way to The Statue. While on the ferry, some students interviewed the passengers on the ferry. Students named Sebastian, Sonia and Harley interviewed a woman from Ireland, named Cliabhana. She said “I don’t know much about it. But I hope to learn more on my trip.” Sonia and Harley also interviewed parent chaperone, Momii (Sebastian’s mother), who is from California.

She said, “I think it means different things to different people.”

The students also learned a few facts about the statue. Here are some things they learned that the statue is 151 feet tall, it is 62,000 pounds, and the 7 points on her crown represent the 7 seas and continents.

The Statue of Liberty is located on Bedloe’s Island. The creator of the Statue chose this area because it would be the first thing you saw on the island, and “Bedloe’s Island is small, so if you put a small statue on a small island it looks bigger.”, said a person who worked at the Statue of Liberty Museum.

It was 20 days into spring, but some students claimed to be cold.

They went to learn more about the Statue of Liberty. In preparation for the trip, they learned some things about the statue during class. For example, Sebastian (mentioned in second paragraph), brought in a book by David Eggers called “ Her Right Foot” in this book, they learned that the statue’s right foot is raised, which means she is walking. One student named Hanako tried to guess where she could be going. She said, “ She is facing east, and that is the direction the sun rises in. So maybe it represents a new day.”

 

4th Graders Visit the Statue of Liberty and Have Fun

Date: April 10th

By Henry Edward Hutchins

 

On Tuesday, April 10th, at 9am, 18 Fourth Graders started their adventure. Their teachers planned a trip to the Statue of Liberty because the Fourth Graders have been studying immigration!

They started the trip by walking to a subway then they went through security,so next they went on a boat to the island where the statue of liberty stands on a big square rock  which is also known as the pedestal! They went through security again and had lunch. The kids weren’t allowed to touch the statue but they walked under it Arlo thought it was a little amazing.

They then went to a museum and wrote down questions about the statue of liberty and thought about how tall it was, how much it weighed… Then they got back to the boat (after going through security AGAIN) and went back to school.  

Quotes: Theo thought “the trip was amazing” Al thought the trip was “the trip was very inspiring!” Arlo thinks the trip is amazing.

 

A FOURTH GRADE CLASS VISITS STATUE OF

LIBERTY        

By Arlo Scherr

 

On April 10th 2018 DS4, a class in LREI, visited the Statue of Liberty. I interviewed One chaperone on the ferry he says “the Statue is inspirational and it shows that America is a land of immigrants”. The chaperone’s name is Jason and he’s a parent of a student.

The kids in DS4 went to the  South Ferry train station. Then they transferred to a ferry that took them to the Statue of Liberty. They had lunch and got in a bad situation with seagulls. The seagulls tried to eat people’s lunches.

Once DS4 got into the museum they had to answer questions on a trip sheet like: How much does the Statue of Liberty weigh, and how tall is it?

The reason for this trip was that they were studying the meaning of the Statue. Some of the students in DS4 went up to the pedestal. They observed how tall the SOL is.
 But they didn’t know how to get down other than to leave the building. So they had to exit and re-enter. Here are some of the facts the students learned. The Statue of Liberty was re-done in the 1980’s. Also it’s 151 feet tall. And it is green because of a chemical called oxidine. The Statue of Liberty and the pedestal weigh 450,000 pounds.

Also they explored a model of the head. It was the actual size! A student named Henry says “This model is so cool”. DS4  also explored ads that included the Statue of Liberty. Also they saw ads to get war bonds. They also listened to recordings of immigrants looking at the SOL.

DS4 got back to school at 2:45 PM so they could have free time before they left for home. And they wrote a news article about it or a poem.

 

 

L.R.E.I.®️  Fourth Graders Go to The Statue of Liberty

By Bo Gardner

 

On April 10, 2018 Lrei Fourth Graders went to The Statue Of liberty.

The fourth graders first got on the 1 train, then got off at South Ferry. The kids then walked through Battery Park and then got on to the “Statue Cruise” boat. The fourth graders then interviewed people about where they from and there thoughts on the Statue of Liberty. A kid named Bo interviewed a person from Australia, he said, ”It has great historical significance.” After that, the boat came in to the island and the eager class did a full walk around the statue. They eat on a bench by the water but, while they were eating lunch a flock of seagulls came over and pestered them. Many kids got annoyed at a student who they said “Attracted the birds.”  A kid named Cy said, “Back of birds!”

After having an eventful lunch, the kids set of to the pedestal. The pedestal is 65 feet tall and the fourth graders climbed to the top of it. Many of the kids said that it was a long hike and some kids said it was nothing. They met a park ranger named Ian.  He told them some things they did not know, like how the statue weighs 62,000 pounds, how it is 151 feet tall and why they replaced the torch. Ian also told them how he had climbed to the top of the torch and got into a lot of trouble.

At the end of the trip, the kids got back on the boat and went back to their school. When they got back, they wrote about the trip and made their own versions of the Statue of Liberty.

 

LREI NEWS

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

A7

By Sebastian Takeshi Harding

 

Deborah and Shelby’s fourth grade class set off on an adventure on Tuesday, April 10, 2018. They were going to the Statue of Liberty to learn more about how it was built and why. It is there. They set off on a trip with a lot of transportation, they took a train and a ferry. They also interviewed people on the ferry to see what people thought about the statue of liberty.

A when the fourth graders finally got to Bedloe Island they ate lunch on a bench. Lunch was going well at first but then seagulls noticed them and swarmed them like a group of ants  swarming a piece of watermelon. In this case we were the watermelon. Some of the students lost their appetites and some students kept feeding the seagulls their Pirate Booties.

After lunch Deborah and Shelby’s 4th grade split up into groups of 3. All the groups were supposed to meet at a wall near the entrance by 1:30 pm.

In Momii’s group they went to the top of the pedestal were the feet are and there was a sign that said there was 195 steps leading to the pedestal but a student named Harley counted 196. When they got to the top of the pedestal there was a window on the ceiling and you could see the inside of the Statue of Liberty. Their teachers said they didn’t have the tickets to go to the top so they weren’t allowed to go to the top but if they were than they would go up a winding staircase. There was a gentleman that was at the top of the pedestal and said that when you go higher up the stairs get narrower. They also had a emergency elevator that only fit 3 people. The gentleman said that it was for if someone breaks their arm or if someone was to pass out.

The fourth graders made sculptures of what they thought a Statue of Liberty would look like today in 2018.  They made it in Art and Shop at their school LREI.

Deborah and Shelby’s fourth grade class persevered to learn a lot even though some students were tired or felt sick. It was an amazing trip!

 

Another great article by LREI NEWS

More on B8

A Day With Lady Liberty: Poems

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A Day With Lady Liberty

By Hanako

 

As we glide underground

In the silver blur of the subway

My friends play a game

To choose your own adventure

 

We got off the long elegant metal snake

To the ferry

Smoothly gliding across the water

 

We got out into

The knife sharp air

The figure of Lady Liberty

Just visible through

The bustling crowd

 

We visited the miniscule memories of

Bartholdy

Eiffel

Emma Lazarus

 

We sit and eat

Get attacked by pure white birds

Gray spots tease on their feathers

Like shells on sand

 

We went in the gift shop

Dropped off what is banned in

The mother of exiles

And we went on

Into

The Statue of Liberty

 

We went in

There before us

Was a model of the torch

 

We imitated it’s every detail

On a piece of paper

We left

 

To go to the pedestal

We climbed

Stairs and stairs and stairs and… you know what’s coming

My legs were about to part company with me

 

I was as glad as a sailor reaching shore

We made it!

 

Information about the Statue of Liberty

Flying at me like arrows

 

Bedloe’s Island was chosen because it makes her look big

The torch up there is a model made of  24 karat gold

 

Too fast to write down

I sketch instead

The unique and beautiful stair pattern

 

We go down down down

Get lost and find where we are

 

Go to the museum

Get lost in a question

Bo helps us with a riddle

 

And we’re on the water once again

 

April 10, 2018

Beacon                             1886

By Alejandro Ulrich,

 

Boats surround me, for the water is my guard,

Lines of white, streaks of light,

for the city is my crystal shard.

 

The golden hand into reach of the sun, the diamond crown shines like a starry night.

For freedom is now in sight.

 

Her still eyes gaze upon us with a gleam of hope.

She lassos the world with her mighty rope.

 

The soft ring of the sky echoes in my ear, the cloud calls.

 

The warmth covers me like heavy wool shawls.

 

Lady Liberty, Free For Us To Explore

by Sonia

 

The sculptures in the front

Caught my eye;

Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi,

Gustave Eiffel,

Édouard René de Laboulaye,

Richard Morris Hunt,

Emma Lazarus.

We go to the top of the pedestal.

I feel completely comfortable and calm.

But then I look up…

My whole world spins.

My stomach drops

But I keep going.

 

Looking out at the harbor calms me.

The smell of the sea is the smell that the

Statue of Liberty

Is true too.

It is the smell that brought

Lady Liberty

To welcome everyone

Coming from everywhere.

I hear the call of the seagulls

A lot flying in search of their

lunch.

 

The honor to come

From anywhere.

It’s been taken.

Only the ones like Norwegians

The ones Trump likes

Are aloud to explore

Our free country.

 

The others,

They try and try

But he just won’t except.

Only the 45,000 that he adores

Can come.

 

3.5 million visit

Lady Liberty a year.

2.7 million visit

Ellis Island a year.

Only 45,000 new ones

Get to experience the

Glory, the freedom, and the happiness

Each year.

Only the ones he

Knows and wants can come.

Liberty

By Giselle Molaei

 

She is big.

She is powerful.

Her arms stretch like a seagull’s wings.

The sun shines like a diamond against her jade skin.

The pedestal casts a shadow of fame.

I can hear the rough sound of the engine bubbling in the calm sea.

I can feel the stone cold wind from the tips of my hair to my toenails.

I can see water filling people’s eyes.

Like a rainy day when the clouds are crying.

Her torch is a flame that shines across the seven seas.

Her lips shine in the sun like silk.

She is going somewhere nobody knows.

She stares across the world no looking back.

Nothing can stop her.

She is the mother of all people.

All immigrants want to come to America because of her.

When I look at her I see freedom.

The Totally New Colossus

 By Libi

Towering over

The place I call home

The big green lady

With the robes of a Greek giant goddess

She moves towards the sun  

And freedom

Welcoming the people and seagulls (caw!)

Of different worlds

Welcoming “your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.”

Taking them under

Your copper-green wing

Your 62,000 pound copper-green wing

Walking from

Your 87 foot pedestal

Centered on Bedloe’s Island

You never felt less at home

The seven rays on your crown

Do they shine anymore? No.

Now they call for money, fame, power, and dullness

She is yelling for change

Her voice is not heard.

Liberty Rising Out of the Ocean

By Sarah

 

As we walk along the gangplank the wind whipped through the trees

The water gently sloshing to accompany the breeze

She really is like all the stories say

I can’t believe he dreamed this: Mr. Laboulaye

Lady Liberty is truly very grand

As well as in the poem, her mild eyes command

We walk onto Liberty’s base

And learn the history of every line on her face

The overlay of her dress makes shadows smirk, dance, and tease

Again, here comes the flimsy, nimble, breeze

Emma Lazarus helped create the image we see now

Mother of Exiles, immigrant queen now they don’t have to bow

To anyone

You will be safe

In America

 

Soft, sweet, safe, surrender

To the obliviation of pain

Warm, welcomed, wrapped in a blanket of love from her

Coming through Ellis Island

Hope for a new life

When your eyes catch hers

Liberty seems to rise out of the ocean

To meet you

Is this the land that comes through from your dreams?

The land of love, peace, and tranquility?

Will you be safe

In America?

 

Liberty the Majestic Queen

By Palma

 

The wind blows on the old bedloe’s island now called liberty island

It is cold outside and the sky is blue

and The talk, talk, talk, of amazed people is there

To lovely liberty island we shall go

to the copper mighty women.

They seeked freedom.

So come to America      

as she greets you

you have arrived

As she stands on her pedestal of 87 feet tall we think it is a throne…

She has a beautiful dress of green that many have seen

She wears a crown that used to be brown

Evan though you can only see her shoe you know she is saying hello to you.

She has the torch that lights the way to freedom.

The beautiful colossus who is know to be brown has changed to green just like her emerald self –

will she change more?

She is like a precious jewel, one that all want to see, one where not one can look away.

She is like a good dream, one that make all want to stay in bed and continue dreaming, one that we all want to be true… Liberty is true…. True.

Liberty!

 

 

The Woman of Freedom

By Celia

 

It was cold and windy

The sun was locked up by the clouds,

Birds were soaring above,

“caw caw…” they sing,

Where am I?

I think to myself

Then I look up,

And see the Woman of Freedom

A woman of hope

And a woman of

welcoming

 

 

What the World Meant to Me and Her

By Macy

 

She holds the torch in her hand with

the grip that brought people together.

To show that a woman can do things bigger than a man could do.

More than a tennis match or protesting,

she let freedom rise in America.

She whispered to the waves and welcomed the ones going through Ellis Island.

She made great hope for America

that soon it will be more fair than ever before.

 

Lady Liberty

By Saffron Zeff

 

From feet

to train

to boat

to high up in the sky

an adventure

a cold windy adventure

with people speaking in different languages

Shooooo

as the sound of planes flying by

I feel relaxed

  I feel as if I’m flying,

I lean over the edge

and my heart drops

inside I hear a little voice screaming

“I know it’s high, but you’re alright.”

I slowly walked away.

    

Contemporary Monument Project: The Statue of Liberty Reimagined in 2018

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Title: Kneeling for Freedom

Artists: Sebastian, Harley and Macy

Medium: Papier Mache, Wood, Wire, and Paint

Date: April 4th, 2018

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Our sculpture represents a Statue of Liberty in 2018 because it shows that everyone should be treated equally. For example, we made a sign that had a mixture of a “female symbol”, and “male symbol”, often used as a bathroom sign, to show gender equality. There is a necklace on the person’s arm that says “Welcome all people” and that means that anyone can come settle in the country.

There are a few things that symbolize liberty on our sculpture. Some of these things are that  the person kneeling is holding up a torch. There is also a LGBTQ+ flag to show that people support people in the LGBTQ+ community. The necklace, (mentioned in the previous paragraph), represents that immigrants are welcome into the country. The head is an eagle, which is America’s national bird, and to some people, america is a free country.

We used a lot of symbols but this one I think stands out and it’s that the person is kneeling. This was a big deal in the NFL because of Colin Kaepernick. He started kneeling in October for racial injustice. It has been one of the big, important protests in 2018. Also, the person who is kneeling is holding a torch, which was inspired by the current Statue of Liberty. We think he should start kneeling for gun control too.

People need to calm down sometimes and look at something peaceful. Can you find something that symbolizes peace in your home?

 

The Cage of Countries Needs American Freedom within its Wings

By: Giselle Molaei & Palma Schwab

paper mache and wood

2018

Our sculpture represents a good statue for 2018 because it expresses the freedom that some people do not have and wish to have. We are trying to show the immigrants that if they need a place to stay for freedom they can always come to America (Well, not always because of Trump.)

What we put in our statue to support the idea of liberty was we used the idea of freedom. We made it so the other countries would be the cage of no freedom, by the bird escaping the cage we made it so the bird was fleeing and was going to America which is represented by putting an American flag on the outside of the cage.

The symbols we used was a cage with a bald eagle in it. The cage represents non-freedom (slavery, unfairness and in a country.)

 

Imprisoned Warrior

By Sonia Stomberg-Firestein, Saffron Zeff and Celia Binn

Thursday, April 5, 2018

When you look at our project you may notice that there is a symbol of barbed wire at the top. This represents refugees stuck in camps with nowhere to go. This sends a strong message out because only 10% of refugees resettle in camps.

As you can see there are posts around the edges of the platform. T hose posts symbolize being caged in your home country with no way out. This is a problem for a lot of people in countries like Syria and Venezuela. One problem with the Venezuelan refugee situation is that  25% of whites in the world don’t know what is happening in Venezuela at the moment. There are a lot of countries in the Caribbean and South America that people don’t really think about. We feel that this is true in these places because they are of a different race and some people think that this particular race is of a lower class.

As you continue to observe our project you may notice that the cage only has three caged sides. The open side has a woman walking out, she symbolizes opening the refugee camps and letting people get away from what they are fleeing. Another thing that the open side of the cage represents is freedom so people can be free and go where they want.The woman walking out represents women rights and how not only men are powerful and strong. I think this is one of the most important parts of the monument because it represents freedom and people (refugees) who can’t do a lot of things that others can.

If you look at the very bottom of the monument, you can see there is a mashup of all the flags mixed together. This represents that no matter who you are, or where your from you are welcome to New York. We got this idea from Emma Lazarus who wrote the poem The New Colossus wich now stands on the bottom of the Statue of Liberty.

Also, we choose to name our moment “Inspired Warrior” because she is standing up for herself by walking away from her “bad life.”  One minute she’s stuck in a refugee camp, the next minute she’s out in the real world with a feeling of pride.

 

 

The Collaborative Flag

Created by  Bayo and Libi

The materials: Paint, paper and cardboard

Started on Feb.31, 2018

Finished on April.11

The way it is the Statue of Liberty of 2018  is because of the current situation with Donald Trump and how he has been banning certain countries. It shows everyone is welcome no matter where they’re from.

We included the literal idea of welcoming people in different languages and the kind of metaphorical idea of a bunch of different countries’ flags to show that here everyone is welcome even though our president might not think that. We also did it to restore hope in those who are not allowed to leave their home countries.

 

Liberty Kneeling

Hanako Gibersztajn and Sarah Mehl

Papier Mâché, paint, paper bags, newspapers, fabric, yarn, fake leather, and wood

2018

Our monument represents a Statue of Liberty for 2018 because there is a football player kneeling, which is a recent protest about racial injustice. It supports the idea of liberty because there is a football player and a goddess kneeling and pulling a chain apart together and an eagle with its wings majestically outstretched. They are on a base that has the words,

“We the people work as one”

The symbols we used are a kneeling football player, a goddess, a broken chain, and an eagle.  They represent power, strength, and freedom.

 

 

Freedom Escaping                                                                       

Made with wood, cardboard, wire, papier mâché and paint.            

Theo, Bo, Cy and Alejandro

2018

This represents the Statue of Liberty today because it shows a bird breaking free from a cage (freedom). We think it represents freedom as the bird flies out of the cage but it’s also connecting to the Statue of Liberty because they are both breaking out of chains.

This has a powerful meaning that we need to use now of all times because the numbers of immigrants coming in are getting smaller and smaller because of Donald Trump.

 

Title: The Welcomer (new modified Statue of Liberty)

Medium: Paper Mache and Cardboard

Artists: Henry and Arlo

Date: 2018

  1. Our monument is the Statue of liberty except it has signs about modern problems.
  1. I included a sign that says “Up With Freedom.
  1. The sign that says “Boo Donald Trump!” symbolizes that the USA has a bad president. And it has a big welcome sign that show immigrants are welcome here.

 

A Trip to THINK Coffee: Learning about Sustainability

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From Arlo:

Dear Dad and Noah,

Thank you for showing me how bad Starbucks is. The reason you said this is because Starbucks doesn’t compost. When Starbucks gets rid of their waste they put it in the landfills and that pollutes the world.

My favorite part was when you (my Dad) told the class about when I carried the 100 pounds of cement. It was my favorite part because it made me feel proud about doing it. Also Noah, you told me the only thing I don’t know about coffee which is the rust disease (Hemelia vastarix). Hemelia Vastarix kills the coffee trees.

Also, it was funny when you kept saying bad stuff about Starbucks. You even ended it by saying “Think is way better than Starbucks.”   I think your company connects to the idea of sustainability because you compost everything, like cups, coffee bags and lids, even though it is way more expensive. This means that the world will have less waste.

Hope you beat Starbucks. And try to make everyone compost.

Sincerely,

Arlo

Dear Jason and Noah,

Thank you for inviting us to your AWESOME coffee shop.

The pastries smelled amazing I had a lot of fun.

It was so interesting how you guys went to different continents just to see if the coffee fruit is clean and if there’s a good farmer (who does good things to the environment).

And you guys made the first ever compostable valve! And it’s just a valve but it’s the first ever in probably history!

But I have to ask you, what was it like going continent to continent just for coffee?

Sincerely,

Arlo’s friend, Alejandro Ulrich

Dear Jason and Noah,

Thanks so much for letting us come in and telling us about your sustainable company.

I learned so much, I learned that coffee grows on trees, I also learned that Starbucks cups aren’t compostable just because of one little layer of plastic around the inside of the cup. I learned that you invented the first ever compostable valve. I also learned you get your coffee seeds from Nicaragua and Ethiopia.

Thank you so much for letting us try an espresso it was really good. Keep up the good work.

From Saffron  

Dear Jason and Noah,

Thank you for inviting the class to learn about sustainability at your business. It’s so inspiring that you try to support the locals wherever you go. My mom tries to do that to except in different ways like supporting the local business and not the massive commercial empire (like Starbucks, your rivals) which has no need for the money it gets.

It is so cool that you compost everything because your “plastic” is vegetable-based. It’s unbelievable how people make see-through cups that aren’t made out of plastic or glass.

By the way, your coffee is okay and that’s amazing feedback from a person like me who absolutely despises the bitterness of coffee’s caffeine but my dad visits your cafe on Bowery all of the time for coffee.

I think that it’s very important that we keep the environment clean because even if there are no big big global warming problems when we’re around, future generations will get affected.

I had a brilliant time,

Cyrus William Fawkes

 

 

 

Immigrant Visitor: A Visit with Yael

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…one of my favorite parts was how your mom kept dreaming about how beautiful it would be when she finally got to Israel.

Dear Mom,

Thank you for coming to our classroom today and talking about your and grandma’s stories.

My three favorite parts were 1. The pitas and chocolate 2. You telling grandma’s story and 3. The great slideshow that you spent some of your work time making for us.

I also liked how you took some time to answer my questions and comments as well as other people’s.

Love,

Libi

P.S. Why didn’t you say how many chocolates you ate in the army?

Dear Yael,

Thank you for  visiting our class room and sharing your immigration story.

I never knew that Israel is a very small place!

I think it’s interesting that Bella was born in Poland because my great grandfather was born there too. I also found it interesting to hear about the ways they survived while they were traveling from place to place to escape from the Nazis – like how they only wore shoes in the winter when they really needed them and grew their own food, like wheat.

This story reminded me about how we’ve been studying immigrants who move from place to place for a better life or to be safe.

Even though I’ve heard this story before, I really liked hearing it again because I heard some details that I didn’t hear before so I feel like I understand her story even better.

From, Henry!

April 5, 2018

Dear Yael,

Thank you for coming to our  class to talk about you and your Mother’s immigration stories.

One of my favorite parts was when you told us that you came to America because of NYU. I thought this was interesting because you wanted a better education so you came here. Another of my favorite parts was when you told us how your mother had to walk over dead horses; it really made think about how that might have felt. I also liked when you told us that you still meet up with friends from then now.

A thing you said that connects to our immigration curriculum is that your mom left because of war and we learned that war is a push factor.

Over all your share was very interesting and I learned a lot

Sincerely,

Bo K. Gardner

April 5, 2018

Dear Yael,

Thank you so much for coming and sharing two immigration stories.

I thought that your share was really interesting. In fact, one of my favorite parts was how your mom kept dreaming about how beautiful it would be when she finally got to Israel. Even when she got there and saw reality about the landscape in Israel, she kept her hopes up for the future. Another favorite part it was how interesting it was how you were a teacher in the army. Another interesting part was that I thought it was cool how you decided to come to America to go to school. You were going to Tel Aviv University but you thought about what you would get out of it and decided better education is better. Even though you didn’t have enough money, you kept your hopes up and went for a scholarship.

One connection to our immigration curriculum is the fact that your mom was pushed and you were pulled. I have always thought it was interesting to compare push factors and pull factors. In this circumstance I have been given two stories which automatically makes it much easier to compare.

Thanks again for coming. It means a lot that you took the time for two stories.

Sincerely,

Sonia