Proud to be from Pottstown (Part II)

Outgoing Franklin Elementary Principal Mia DiPaolo, left, with some of her students and staff at the award ceremony at the McDonald's on High Street.

Back on July 25, The Digital Notebook presented a post about what some of the students in the Pottstown School District had written about why they are "Proud to be from Pottstown."

The awards were sponsored by Bruce and Marcia Graham, owners of the local McDonald's franchises.

The first post had an alluring titled which included a "Part I," suggesting there would be more, and there are.

Here now is the much-anticipated seqel.

In a strategy that is both helpful and greedy, information guru John Armato is trying to stretch this saga into several posts, which the staff here at The Digital Notebook appreciates given that summer is not the most fulsome time for local news.

He is trying to milk it into four installments, but we have decided upon three, because trilogies are traditional.

So presented below are writing samples from students in the second and third grades; followed by those from the fourth and fifth grades.

Here are the expressions of “Pottstown Pride” from students in second and third grade:

• Yameen Rahim – Barth Grade 2 – I am extremely proud because at Barth we work as a team to take care of each other and we motivate each other.
•  Christinna Longenecker – Barth Grade 3 – I take pride in Pottstown and you should too. I take pride in my town, my school, and myself. At the senior center, elderly people are safe. It makes me very happy to see their smiling faces. At Barth I walk in the door and feel that every day will be successful. I take pride in myself by keeping my neighborhood clean. When I go outside, I remove litter from the yards and park. I take pride in myself because I help people.
• Gabrielle Cassell – Edgewood Grade 2 – I’m proud of our community because there are nice people that like me and play with me and I’m proud of myself because I am able to learn new things everyday and I can accomplish the things I want.
• Jack Engleman – Edgewood Grade 3 – The citizens of Pottstown should be proud of their town. The Pottstown School District is 133 years old which makes it one of the oldest in Pennsylvania. I’m proud of some of the people that graduated from Pottstown High School like Lionel Douglass who was part of the television program “Sesame Street,” Robert Davidheiser made background music for Disney World, and Robert Shantz who was a pitcher for the New York Yankees and helped them win their first World Series Championship. The steel from the Golden Gate Bridge, which is one of the most popular bridges in America, came from Pottstown and Pottsgrove Manor does great things for the community and tells about the history of our town.
• Kaela Auman – Franklin Grade 2 – We have a big volleyball tournament at Memorial Park every

  

  Rupert Elementary award winners joined by
  School Board President 

  Judyth Zahora, center.

  year. 
• Akira Love – Franklin Grade 3 – We have a fantastic community, wonderful schools, and terrific people. Our police are always there to protect us. In school, our gym teacher Mr. Fabian makes up fun games for us to play that are exciting and enjoyable. My experiences in Pottstown have really helped me to become a fantastic person. You should take some time and visit us here at Pottstown and see our wonderful community, fantastic schools, and terrific people.
• Jedi Buting –Lincoln Grade 2 – Our class is like a colorful wall of friendship. In Pottstown our schools are filled with kids who have different imaginations, minds, and sizes. We are not all the same and we learn together in peace.
• Jayniana Williams – Lincoln Grade 3 – Have you ever been to a place where friendships are built and people work together? Well, I have. My community is a great place to be. I am proud of my community. There are great parks, wonderful people, and terrific places to eat. During the winter when you are playing in a park with your friends in a white blanket of snow, nature’s picture show looks very beautiful. Everyone in my community is generous and tries their hardest every day to be the best they can be.
• Abigail Eagle – Rupert Grade 2 – I’m proud of the doctors that save our lives every day. I’m proud of myself for doing a food drive. I feel good for doing that. I collected canned foods that went to orphans. 
• Gabriel Roseo – Rupert Grade 3 – I’m proud of what we do for the Relay for Life. The thought that while I’m walking on the track knowing that I’m helping find a cure for cancer makes me feel honored. Art classes at ArtFusion are fun and my favorite thing to do after school. I’m proud of being a swimmer because it takes hard work and exercise and I’m willing to do it because I love it.

And now here, are samples from grades four and five:

• Hadaysha Rivera – Barth Grade 4 – I am proud of my school because they are like another family to me. Pottstown has special places like the Ricketts Center and the hospital. Another special place to me in Pottstown is the Red Cross. When the Westford Apartments caught fire last year, they were the ones to help me and my family. 
• Brea Corbin – Edgewood Grade 4 – I am proud of myself for giving fifty cents to Hurricane Sandy Relief and helping charities like Jump Rope for Heart. I like the stores in Pottstown. My favorite restaurant is Argento’s. I want to help Pottstown, my school, and my community. I am proud to be training at the YMCA for gymnastics, Zumba, and yoga. In my home, I want to be a better child and in school a better student. 
• Madison Friedman – Edgewood Grade 5 – I’m proud that my friends and I are on the honor roll. A

  

  Lincoln Elementary award winners, also with Mrs. Zahora.

  lot of people graduated from Pottstown. Some of those people became teachers, invented things, and served in the Army. Pottstown residents should be proud of Pottstown because we work hard and have many people volunteer for things. 
• Kaylin Lascik – Franklin Grade 4 – Pottstown has beautiful nature. You should see the nature some time. Pottstown has green areas and parks. The parks are full of trees and flowers. Streets are lined with trees. Pottstown has a community garden. You should see Pottstown as a beautiful green town.
• Phillip Shiffler – Franklin Grade 5 – One of the great qualities of Pottstown is their parades. The parades include Halloween, the 4th of July, and Memorial Day. Our schools in Pottstown have some of the best teachers and most enjoyable activities. Every year our schools have Fall Fest, Spring Fling, North End Pool trip, and many more activities and field trips throughout the year. 
• Raymond Long – Lincoln Grade 4 – There are so many thoughtful people in my town. I know a vast amount of people. A lot of them are very, very nice. I always see people outside sweeping and lawn mowing for others. That is the type of kindness I am talking about. I am also proud of myself. I strive to improve Pottstown. I feel that I am a grand resident and citizen of Pottstown. I donate clothes and money to charities. 
• Evan DeBlase – Lincoln Grade 5 – The Very Best is a hotdog place with very good hotdogs. My teacher’s opinion is that they have the best hotdogs in the world. I haven’t been there yet but I hope I will be able to some day. I wonder if they have a secret ingredient in their hotdogs. 
• Kameryn Herpich – Rupert Grade 4 – I show pride in my community by being on safety patrol and helping first graders get on the bus safely. I take pride in being a safety because I got picked out of a lot of students. I also take pride in good quality schools in Pottstown. I show pride in myself by holding my head high when I get an A on a test and work hard on my school work. It is important to have pride in at least one thing that you do. Different people show pride in different things. 
• Zelias Bray – Rupert Grade 5 – I am proud of myself because I caught a fish with my bare hands. I am also proud of myself because I got on honor roll for the first time. I am proud to have a good family. When I was sick, my family was there to take care of me. I am also proud that I am a good friend. When my friends need help carrying their instruments, I am there to help them.