7th Grade Students have been busy working on their self portraits. These portraits required a lot of outside research on symbolism and meaning. They are to identify the elements of their own identity that best symbolize who they are as a person. Once they've done that, they are to draw themselves with their symbols. Students then write about some of their symbols in an essay that accompanies their art. As a class, we spend much of their time writing, editing and finalizing their work into a final essay. Their narratives were both powerful and informative. Below are some of the student's portraits as well as excerpts from their writing. Enjoy!
"My new start started when I was three years old, but before then, life wasn't the best. My biological parents didn’t know how to be parents, so I wasn't treated well. My biological mother died when I was three, so I was adopted by my great Aunt and Uncle, who I consider to be my Mom and Dad. When I went to my first school, a school that was before pre-school. I had a problem with my brain which caused me to be slow and not as a fast thinker as I should of been. I had a learning disability. My learning disability eventually faded away while I was in that school but I still have trouble focusing and retaining little knowledge in. When I went to my elementary school I wasn’t treated as nice. I was kind of bullied, just not physically, I just wasn’t treated fairly. The only one who treated me fair was one of my best friend. The other kids thought I was very strange and different. Middle school is great for me. I met my best friend at the middle school. She is like me: strange and different. She still isn’t as strange as I am."
"To many the sun people can represent life, summer, or the beach; to me it represents spending summers with my grandfather who I loved so much. My grandfather was my idol and inspiration for doing many things from playing sports to being an Atlanta Braves fan. Most people hate being with their grandparents and say it’s boring, not fun, etc. but I love spending time with my grandparents and I used to especially love spending time with my grandfather. I remember this past summer I went golfing with my grandmother and I had fun but I only used one golf club the entire time, my grandfather’s favorite one. My grandfather and I used to love doing things together and my life hasn’t been the same since he died."
"Before I was born a tree was planted in my front yard. It was a Japanese maple tree. This tree would never grow too tall and would always stay just the right size. For as long as I can remember I was up in on the strong branches whenever I could be. I would sit on a sturdy branch high above and do almost anything. In that tree I would wait for my dad to get home from work, do homework, or just relax. Being up in that tree with the cool breeze on my face high above helped me relax and be calm. When the October snowstorm came the show piled up onto the tree slowly weighing the leaves down more and more. As I looked outside my window and saw nothing but sheer white snow falling down from the dark sky. finally the next morning the storm cleared and I could once again see my tree. My tree was still there but not standing strong. The weight of the leaves and the snow combined was too much for my tree and it peeled like a banana. It was never to be climbed again. I was devastated my tree, my special place was gone forever. Or so I thought, my dad had tied my tree together and after a few weeks it grew strong and sturdy once more."
"Ever since I was able to climb the tree in my backyard and I would always hang around on it. When the pears were ripe, I would go and collect them from the tree. I would also climb up on the tree branch and do my homework on it. My grandpa who is going through his second open heart surgery used to tell me when the pears were ripe and when I should go collect them. My grandpa and I have something with pears but it reminds me of him whenever he is in the hospital I look at the tree and think of him. When the tornado came on June 1, 2011, everything in our backyard was destroyed but the tree was still up. Considering how skinny it was, we were very surprised especially when the biggest tree on our street got rooted from the ground. That also reminded me of how strong my grandpa is because the tree, like my grandpa was able to survive so much."
"The birch tree that stretches out on the left of me means new beginnings, cleansing of the past and vision quests. When my grandpa died when I was six or seven, we moved to a new city, bought a new house and started from fresh.This move really affected us a lot. My grandma also died but she died three weeks after I was born, so I don't know how she looked but I have seen pictures of her. When I was about about six when my grandpa was still alive we had this really big birch tree outside my house. When it was a beautiful day he would bring a book to read to himself. That's really the only thing he could do because he had diabetes and lung cancer so he couldn't talk. When he died my dad cut the tree down because every time he looked at it he would break down in tears. When my dad would cry, my mom would cry and she would start remembering those days. Then my sisters start crying and it’s a start of a bad day. "
"My family is very different than most american families. My family is Christian. As you see on the palm tree there is a cross on it. We believe that Jesus is the son of God. We go to church every sunday and maybe other days of the week. I go to teens group and they are at churches. I’m not like other girls in school where they do activities like sports. I spend most of my week in church. I don’t really care what people think of me. I don’t want to blend into the world because I’d rather stand out and be who I am. I don’t want to be a normal person, I want to be someone different. Being a christian had impacted my life so much. I get to know what life is all about. Because my family is all Christian, we celebrate holidays a little bit differently. Instead of Santa Claus, we believe in the birth of Jesus. Instead of the Easter bunny, we believe that Jesus died on the cross for us then came back to life and went to heaven. I want to spend the rest of my life believing."
"When I was eight years old, my family and I went to Belarus, the country I come from. We all had a lot of fun with our cousins but the most fun was with my grandpa. He used to put us in his wagon and hitched a horse to the front of it. He also brought his dog along, which was a Black Lab named Bug. He drove us into a forest to get hay and while in the forest, he showed us some spots where to get wild blueberries. Those berries were like a delicacy in Belarus and if you pick enough, you could sell them for money. That’s usually how we got money in Belarus. Anyways, my grandpa was awesome! He bought us ice cream and candy and other treats. then the day came that we had to leave home. We were really upset and we said goodbye to all of our relatives. When we finally got back from the nine hour flight, we were all exhausted. A week passed and school started. Halfway through the year, one morning, I woke up and saw my mother crying. I quickly ran up to her and ask her if she is ok. What she said left me scarred for life. “Your grandpa has cancer and is in a deadly condition”. After that, I almost fainted. I didn’t go to school for at least a week and I felt like everything I loved broke apart. Since my grandpa meant a lot to me, his death left a deep scar in my life. Now, whenever I’m sad, I always think of him."
"From my own perspective, I believe I have gone through a personal transformation. This is what a crow symbolizes. When I was six years old, I started suffering depression and anxiety, after I lost my aunt. She was always with me when I was a kid. I would go everywhere with her. I loved her like she was a second mother, but she became an addict after her husband left her for another woman. She was depressed, and desperate. She died a one month before my birthday, and it was a struggle getting by without her. Over the past seven years, I have been recovering and depression is getting better. I still have those moments where I break down and become very sensitive, but overall I think I am becoming a brand new person. I have become very happy, and I learned to accept myself and the people around me."
"The lion head represents my heritage, where I was born, the Philippines. The head is found there in Baguio high up into the mountains. When I was in the Philippines over the summer on vacation, I remember passing by this landmark. My family and I were going to get out of the car and take pictures with it but we were driving for so long, we didn’t have time to stop. I still managed to get some pictures within the car though and it was really cool to see a landmark in person. Now more into my nationality. We celebrate most of the same holidays there and here but there is National Hero Day. In the Philippines, this day is to honor and remember all the country’s national heroes. Heroes consisting of men and women, both known and unknown. These heroes are people in Philippines history whose acts of courage enabled the Philippines to grow as a nation. "
"I chose the heart because it represents the trust between my mom and I. Also it represents that my mom is always there for me. My mom has always been there for me, but sometimes I don't get to see her because she is traveling. My mom travels for work, but if it wasn't for my mom I would not be living right now. My mom is the one that pays for me to do sports because my parents are divorced. My mom is the one that for me to do cheer and my dad pays for a very little amount, But I almost always have my mom for me. Whenever I'm upset or something she is always there for me and I now that she will never leave my side and always be there for me. I love my mom. whenever I ask my mom for someone to sleepover she just about always says “yes” unless we have plans or we have something in the morning, but if we have something in the morning she will always say that it is okay if we have them come over and stay until nine or ten. My mom is the best person I could ever ask for in my life and I love her for that."
"If you look closely at my shirt, you see a Ukrainian symbol. I chose it to describe my heritage. I am indeed Ukrainian, but I wasn’t born there. My parents and beyond that were. So it runs through my blood. I can speak Ukrainian like tying my shoes. So can my whole family. I try to speak it everyday so I won’t forget when I grow up. We follow the traditions. The holidays are pretty much the same. Christmas, Thanksgiving, New years, Easter, and some others. I also eat Ukrainian food. One food is Borshch. It is a traditional soup that every Ukrainian must know. It’s delicious. I also eat other foods beside Ukrainian food. But Ukrainian food is the bomb. I love it when I come home from a tough school day and seeing fresh Borshch prepared. One day I would love to visit Ukraine, where my parents grew up. My dad always told me stories of when he was young and living in Ukraine. I am, and always will be Ukrainian."
"Since I was small we had a grape tree outside the window. My grandmother in Turkey had kept that tree since I was born and she still has it today. When I was small I used to climb it and eat grapes out of it and we still do. My grandmother said to me that she the planted that before my uncle died and that she will never let anyone take that grape tree down. My grandmother has never let anyone touch it except for me and my family, she will never let anyone do anything to that tree. This tree was planted before I was born but I have been living in that house and whenever I go to Turkey I eat out of it and it is still there. The tree is really important to me and my family. When I go to Turkey I like to eat it and when I can’t reach it I call my mom to help me or get something to reach it. I usually love to eat it, I'm the most who like to eat those grapes so it means a lot to me. I wouldn't want nothing to happen to that grape tree either. This tree was planted by my uncle before he died and that's why my grandmother cares about that tree a lot."
"Before I was born, my grandfather passed away. He was from Quebec, Canada. He was able to speak fluent French. Although I never was able to meet him, most of my heritage is French Canadian. I also included a honeybee in my portrait. The honeybee stood for the state of Maine. Every year, since I was about five years old, my family took a trip to Maine in the summer. The vacation lasted for about a week. Because my parents are divorced, my trip to Maine consists of my mother’s side of the family. My mom’s side of the family includes my mom, brother, two cousins, grandparents, and my aunt. My father’s side of the family includes my dad, six cousins, three uncles, and one aunt. Being with my family is my idea of happiness. They have a sense of humor and they are fun to be around. This portrait has taught me a lot. It taught me to accept my flaws, stay strong, and be who I am without ever holding back."
"Every year me and my family go down to virginia beach for a week. One year when I was seven, I was swimming in the pool. I couldnt swim, so I was using a floaty. I was spinning in my floaty, then it flipped. I was trapped upside down in the floaty, with my face under the water and I couldn't breath. Have you ever been drowning? In my personal opinion it is the worst feeling. You can feel the water filling your lungs and water going down your throat as you choke. When I blacked out I thought for sure I was going to die. But a very strong, nice man lifted me up and flipped me, so that my head was back above the water. When you throw the water up from in your lungs it like an elephant being lifted off your chest. To this day I still can't swim, and I refuse to ever use a floaty again. "
