Cool School Essays - Making school “cool”

For more than 10 years, NEARI had asked students of all ages to commemorate their favorite teachers in an essay for National Teacher Day. Now, in a twist on the original contest, we asked this question: Is your school a “cool school” because one teacher or support professional makes it so? Does he or she work for special causes, play some hoops, make you laugh? Is his or her classroom your favorite for all time?

Enjoy the winning essays below.

First Place Winner - Grades 3-5

Tyler Vangel
Grade 4, Elmhurst Elementary School, Portsmouth
Teacher: Kevin Weaver, Elmhurst Elementary School

My Classroom

 “Thanks to Mr. Weaver, Elmhurst Elementary is a cool school and this is why.”

I think our classroom is very interesting and exciting! One of the amazing things we built was our Grissom, White, and Chaffee aviation space capsule museum. Another cool thing we have in our class is our Rosa Parks bus museum. We also do many other exciting things. You will see how awesome our class really is!

Our Grissom, White, and Chaffee aviation space capsule museum is one of my favorite activities in our classroom. It honors the astronauts that gave their lives in Apollo 1. It is the exact shape and size as the Friendship 7 capsule. On the walls are exact replicas of the patches that astronauts wore during the space race.

There is also a tray with sand in it with a footprint like Neil Armstrong’s when he first set foot on the moon. There are also cool images of space happenings on tiles in the capsule.

Also our Rosa Parks Civil Rights museum is interesting. It is a tribute to the civil rights movement. It has blinkers that work to represent a change in direction of segregation laws. We also have portraits that the students drew of famous African Americans. Last we have a replica of the balcony Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on.

We also do many other exciting activities. Here are three other fun activities. One of them was when we build real launching model rockets and got together on a Saturday and launched them. Another cool thing we did was our school store. We sold school supplies and abacus kits which made us $160! We donated $80 dollars to the school so they could buy fish for the school aquarium in the lobby. And last, one of the best parts of the day, “Smarty of the Day!”  In “Smarty of the Day” we all get a piece of paper, then Mr. Weaver our teacher asks us a question and we put the answer down on the piece of paper and put it in a box. If your name gets drawn out of the box you win a Smarty candy!

If you lose you still get to keep your paper in the box and since we do it every day, each day you get a better chance of winning.

Now you know how cool class our class is. All 25 students in our class get to participate in these fun activities. Probably my favorite activity is our Grissom, White, and Chaffee aviation space capsule museum. I think our class is really awesome. If you were in my class you would really enjoy it!

First Place Winner - Grades 6-8

Chelsea Brunette
Grade 6, Davisville Middle School, North Kingstown

Teacher: Stephen Skaggs, Quidnessett Elementary School, North Kingstown

Cool School

Thanks to Mr. Skaggs, Quidnessett Elementary School was a cool school and this is why.

Quidnessett was the best school because he helped me with my self-control problems a lot. He also did the best job at bonding with his students. Mr. Skaggs, taught me the most because he made it fun to learn. I have ADHD and he coped with it and my problems. He was my 4th grade teacher and everybody that had him as a teacher really loved him.

We went on so many field trips and had such a fun time on them. At first I didn’t want a male teacher, but all in all it turned out to be pretty awesome. I was in Quidnessett for 5 years straight. He helped me with my self-control problem by being tough and made me move my clothes pin and he would joke but would kind of be good to me in ways that nobody else could possibly even try.

Mr. Skaggs was such an inspiration to me. There were good times like the time he made me talk to the plant, and bad times like the times I had to sign “The Book.”

He as like a second father to me. He would never yell and we got along great. He was a lot like Mr. T. We would make jokes about him and he would make jokes about us. We made so many memories and it turned out to be the best time and year of my life.

First Place Winner - Grades 6-8

Crystal Cote
Grade 6, Davisville Middle School, North Kingstown.
Teacher: Diane Shamirian, Quidnessett Elementary School, North Kingstown

My Favorite Teacher

Thanks to Mrs. Shamirian, Quidnessett Elementary school is a cool school and this is why.

The most loving, caring, truthful teacher of all times was my fifth grade teacher. She listened and talked to children as if they were her own. She gave us advice and listened to our problems.

She was a tall woman who got dressed up almost every day. She had rosy cheeks and shoulder length hair. Plus a smile from ear to ear.

Mrs. Shamirian made everything a game. It was a blast. I remember the first day of school. We all went outside and played a game to learn each other’s name. It was so much fun.

She was an awesome teacher. She would always push us. Good was OK, but great was so much better. She taught us a lot. Of course social studies, math and spelling but responsibility, generosity and confidence. She taught me to be true to myself.

Out of all the things that Mrs. Shamirian taught me, one thing will always be in the back of my mind. Being the best is totally different than being your best.

Thanks to Mrs. Shamirian, Quidnessett is a cool school.