LITERARY AND ARTS PUBLICATION

Welcome to the third annual issue of Confluence, a publication that features writing and art from School District 197 fourth-grade students.

May 2024

This year's theme is Celebrate Imagination.

Students have explored how stories

spark creativity, ignite curiosity,

and transport us to amazing worlds.

In this issue, you’ll find:

Whimsical Poems

Enchanting Tales

Creative Artwork

We hope you enjoy!

A Child's Imagination

By: Ava Stocking

If you try to stop the imagination of a child.

That idea at the start is pretty wild!

Simply a child's imagination is not just an “it.”

It also is not just a little bit.

A child's imagination can be their thinking.

Their thinking can be faster than blinking!

A child's imagination,

Can be their own creation!

From unicorns to flying cars.

They can imagine running around on mars!

A child's imagination can be their type of thought.

That's something that could never be bought.

Box of

Imagination

By: Noelle Stukel

Both Sides of the Story

By: Lucy Borgstahl and Linnea Lichtsinn

Hi I am Abby. I’m a 5th grader at Bakerfield Elementary.

This might seem crazy, but…I have a secret world in my

closet. It’s called Abstracción. In Abstracción there are

creatures called artistás. I know it’s kind of weird,

but they look like a leopard crossed with a dolphin.

I have a best friend named Max and he’s the only one

that knows about Abstracción. Not even my parents know.

Now it’s time to talk about the dreaded topic: SCHOOL.

The only good part about school is art. The rest, I hate.

I hate it because of Heather. She and her friend Becky are

the worse kids on earth. They make fun of me because my

best friend is a boy, I like art, and I can’t focus. Oh yeah,

I didn’t tell you about that. I can’t focus because I’m

always thinking about Abstracción and the artistás.

Less about me—back to real life. May 27, 2023. One week until I can get away from those bullies at school. Likely we’re going to different middle schools. Today’s my birthday and party. My mom made me invite everyone in my class, including Heather and Becky. Ugh. My party is in only 3 hours!!! I told my mom that my room’s off limits and she helped me make a sign. Thankfully she didn’t ask questions.

It's 1pm now and the first person to show up is Max, phew. We go to my room and I show him the sign I made. We cross our fingers and hope it works. Then we hear the doorbell ring. It’s some of our friends. Still no Heather and Becky. “I hope an evil demon kidnapped them,” I whispered to Max. Just as I finish saying that, the doorbell rings. Guess who it is…Heather and Becky. Just kidding, I’m messing with you. It’s just some other kids from our school. Then when we’re about to start a movie, there’s a knock at the door. When I open it, I curse under my breath. It’s Heather and Becky, for real this time. “We’re here! Oh, and we forgot to buy presents, sorry,” Heather says. “Welcome,” I say sarcastically. “You’re just in time for the movie. The bathroom’s upstairs but DO NOT GO IN MY ROOM!” They giggle.

When we’re half way through the movie (Mathilda, of course!) I notice Heather and Becky go upstairs. About 10 minutes later I check on them because they’ve been up there for a while. When I go upstairs my door’s open but I don’t see anyone inside. I check Abstracción just in case. When I open the door, I see them. “Did you know you had this your room?” they ask. “Yes, I did,” I answered. “That’s why I can’t focus in class, because I’m always thinking about Abstracción and the artistás.” “Oh…” said Heather. “I finally understand and am so sorry for always being so mean. Sometimes you have to know both sides of the story.”

Love

By: Ri’Elle Bailey

I see hearts in the air

I hear skipping sounds softly

I smell chocolate hearts cupcakes

I taste the sweet chocolate frosting

I feel the warm hands on my hands

I am love

The Loud Books

By: Mackenna Schumacher

A girl named Tamala went over to her grandparents

house one day and her grandpa started off the day saying,“Let's go to the bookstore! It will be fun!” “Why not,” said Tamala. When she got to the library, she was blasted with voices! Some saying “please somebody besides her check me out!” Others saying, “I'm dusty, I'm old and only one person has ever picked me up!” Who was saying this? Then Tamala realized it was the books!

From that day forward she always listened to the books. Whenever she hears one say “I have never been read” she always picks the book up, checks it out and gets to reading. Whenever she hears the popular books start bragging she moves them to the back with the non-read books also. Non-fiction always think they're better than fantasy because they're true.

But one day she walked in the library, and it was silent. Not a peep! She walked around and tried to say

“Do you happen to know where the next book of you is?” Nothing, not even the cocky books!

She was about to knock on them when her hand was stopped by a glass protector. The librarian came over and said “ don't smudge the glass. It's new!”

As Tamala looked at the librarian she saw the key on her neck! That was for the glass case and she needed it! Later as the library closed, Tamala hid. After the librarian left, she ran over to the front desk, grabbed the key, ran to the activity center, molded the key and filled it with clay, put the real key back, grabbed the fake one and unlocked the glass protector.

Then she hid in the back of the store until the library opened. When the librarian walked in she heard a strange chatter. She walked around the library looking for the noise, when she noticed the glass protector was unlocked and opened.

When she walked up to the case the chatter was louder. Then the librarian thought to herself is this really the center of all this noise? “No its not…. or is it? Wait a minute I'm not going crazy am I? No, no, no,

surly not...let me look it up in the computer just in case!” The librarian ran over to her desk.

Tap, tap, clack. “Ummmmm I must be out of my mind! Nowhere on here does it say books talk!” Ok now the librarian was starting to really question herself. “Hey! Lady! Let me out of this glass case!” “Yea man! You kept me cooped up to long!” The librarian looked over at the case and said “Ok! Ok! I'll take off the glass case if you leave me alone!” The next day as Tamala walked in the library she noticed the glass case was gone! She had finally got what she wanted! Then she asked “Hey! The glass case is gone! Where did it go?”

“I took it off! You got a problem with it, missy?”

“Oh no not at all!”

Imagine

By: Abigail Montoya Merino

Reading

By: Arie O’Keefe

Reading a book feeling peaceful,

running through the pages,

meeting different characters,

feeling the book in my hands,

seeing the words on the pages,

imagining the scenery in my head,

looking at the trees in the forest,

seeing rivers slither like snakes,

hearing a water fall splash,

reading a book,

feeling peaceful.

Swimming is a Puzzle

By: Ben Wilcox

Floating on a piece of jigsaw puzzle

Connected to the other seas

Divers piecing together problems

Gliding through the vastness

Schools of fish connect

Bubbles create pictures

Dashing by corners and shapes

Many different colors and sizes

Deep sea fishers collecting things

Just one last cast into the water

If Doggos

Could Fly

By: Emily Grace Rosas Morales

If doggos could fly

Oh my oh my

How cute it would be

If doggos could fly

If doggos could fly

There would be hair in the sky

In the air and, well, everywhere

If doggos could fly

The world would be dirty

It would be muddy and icky

But doggos live on

And what squirrels would there be to chase that one.

Joy

By: Eala Cotton

Joy is everywhere

It is in the Earth, the ground and the trees.

In the serenity of the sunset sky.

In the exuberance of your favorite team winning the game.

In the living beauty of all humans.

In the perfect family get-togethers.

In the exercise of your favorite dance.

In the beauty of cardinals.

In the pleasure of laughing about a funny joke.

Joy is everywhere.

The Dream

By: Kendyl Blood

“Yay! I’m winning,” Wendy yelled happily as her fingers

played with the switch. She was first place in the

Mario Kart Racing competition until suddenly her mom yelled,

“Wendy bedtime!” Wendy looked at the clock, “Wait no please

I’m first place!” Wendy replied eagerly, “Play tomorrow hun!”

Her mom said calmly. Wendy sighed and turned off the game

and changed into her striped pajamas. Her mom eventually

came into the room and turned off the lights then tucked her in,

“Night honey.” Her mom said giving her a kiss on the forehead,

“Goodnight,” Wendy said before closing her eyes and slowly

but surely falling asleep.

She woke up on the floor outside the grass was soft but she didn’t care because she was scared, “Huh?!” Wendy said as she rubbed her eyes and looked up then screamed, “Oh my lord! You have wings?!” Wendy yelled there was an earth fairy and a pale vampire above her. “Jeez calm down human,” The vampire said before continuing, “My name is Star, his name is Ray.” “Oh… Okay I guess,” Wendy said, getting up and slowly shaking their hands carefully, “I’ll show you around,” said Ray, staring into Wendy’s eyes. Wendy was nervous. Ray had dirty blonde hair and red eyes. She wondered why they didn’t wear shoes and was about to ask why until she realized Ray had already started walking. She quickly caught up and listened to Ray as he spoke, “So this is the town and the town hall is around the corner…” Ray went on for hours until he mentioned quests. “Do you like quests?” Ray asked calmly. “I guess?” Wendy said as Ray wrote 5 quests on the paper then gave it to her. It read,”Find a dragon, climb a brick wall, drink a random potion, visit a rat and a cat mutation then finally bring me back a spider demon.”

Wendy read the quests in shock, where was she?! “Wait! This is too hard,” Wendy said, still in shock from everything. Ray shook his head at her then walked away. She decided to try and complete the quests so she looked at the paper and thought of an easy one to complete. “I’ll just climb a brick wall that should be easy.” Wendy said to herself as she started to walk around to look for a brick wall. She eventually found a brick wall and climbed it, finding a person on the other side. “Hello! I’m Eli,” The person said they were holding a cat and a rat mutation. She was glad to be able to cross that off of the list. “Uhm hi,” Wendy said she really didn’t wanna meet anyone new but fate lead her this way. Suddenly she was grabbed and dragged to a fire pit. “You must be cold aren’t you?” Eli asked as he put the cat and rat mutation down then started the fire. “You can call her Summer,” Eli said “What,” Wendy said she got distracted “The cat or rat? You can call her Summer, I named her that because I found her in the Summer.” “Oh okay.” Wendy said before asking a question, “Do you know where I could find a spider demon?” Eli’s ears perked up at the sound spider demon. “Yes but you won’t be leaving anytime soon so you won’t be getting it.” Eli said calmly. When suddenly Wendy looked up at him and quickly got up. “Nope,” Wendy yelled, running away quickly. She eventually got away and sighed but she couldn’t stop yet she still had to find a dragon, drink a random potion and bring back a spider demon for Ray she kept walking until she found a witches hut in a swamp, “They must have a random potion I can drink!”

She quickly ran inside it was empty surprisingly with just a witch with a name tag reading Ocean and a blue dress with only one eye. “Uhm hi,” Wendy responded, going up to the counter looking around for a second before looking back at her. “Hello, what are you looking for? We have potions, food and maybe even splash potion?” Ocean said, looking at Wendy attentively. “Just get me a potion! Anyone will work, surprise me!.” Wendy exclaimed, pulling out a bit of coins and then putting them on the counter for Ocean. “Got it!” Ocean said going to the back for them she took a bit of time but when she did she gave Wendy the potion. Wendy immediately grabbed it and drank it. She suddenly grew tall all the way to the ceiling. “Wait no! I’m too tall!” Wendy looked down and noticed that Ocean had already disappeared. “Ugh! Everything is going wrong!” Wendy yelled and slowly stepped out of the witch hut and noticed that she wasn’t in the swamp anymore she was in a castle and once she had stepped out of the witches hut it had disappeared but she didn’t have much time to react before a dragon appeared and almost hit her in the head but it did end up knocking her down. She fell, hitting her head roughly. She opened her eyes and she was in her room… “Was I asleep this whole time?” She wondered looking at the time. She was late for school. She sighed softly and hoped to herself that tomorrow’s dream would bring her back so that she could complete her given quests and find answers to where Ray went.

THANK YOU!