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A loner found frieds, but still enjoys time alone

I really enjoyed the story about the kid who was a loner but not lonely because I can totally connect to him. I feel like I’m a loner sometimes because I like to read when I have the chance and I like having my personal space. But I also enjoy having friends who I can talk to and count on.
Torrey Veloz
Wilson MS (Glendale)

I connect with this article because when I got to my new middle school I didn’t have any friends. I also wanted to be a loner all my life because many people thought of me as different. Now things have changed and I have many really great friends. There is still part of me that feels lonely even though I have people around me.
Diana Cortez
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy

This article reminded me of when I was in elementary school. I felt that nobody was like me and that they all had their group of friends. I was the person who went to class, stayed by myself at recess and lunch, and went straight home from school. People thought of me as “that girl who has no friends.” I felt really disappointed because I wanted to make new friends. Once a girl who was in my class came up to me and asked me a question that really annoyed me, “Hey, aren’t you going with your friends?” My reply was always the same, “I don’t know.” That same girl asked me if I wanted to play jump rope. I said yes. I realized that I was too shy to make any friends. Now I am in middle school and this story really connects to me.
Hermelinda Calderon
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy

This article made me think about my first day of fourth grade. I had just moved to Los Angeles and didn’t know anyone. I used to be very shy and quiet. But when I entered the class the students greeted me like they had known me forever. I made friends right away. This showed me that when a new student comes, be friendly and do not judge him or her right away.
Yeni Santana
Wilson MS


A girl got help recovering from her meth addiction

When I started reading this article, it felt like a magnet stuck to my hands—I couldn’t put it down. It really grabbed my attention. I felt sorry for her because of how she changed [when she was on drugs]. She used to be a sweet, nice girl, but then became a drug addict. But the person I really felt sorry for was her dad. He lost his whole family to drugs. Thanks to this article, I now know the dangers of meth. I liked how it explained every part of her life to show us the consequences of doing drugs.
Joshua Collado
Wilson MS

This story touched me by showing me that being on meth or other drugs means that you are losing the time when you could hang out with your best friends and family and have adventures. In the story, the girl showed that you have to be strong to leave drugs and I think she was so brave and strong to leave the drugs she [was addicted to].
Nataly Villalobos
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy

“My life on meth” was an inspiring story. There are times when people around you are going through struggles similar to this one. It touched me when she got sick from using drugs and struggled to get clean. I relate to this story because I have seen people’s lives destroyed by addictions. No one ever said that trying to confront these kinds of problems is easy but it’s a fight for a better life.
Jennifer Martinez
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy

I loved the article “My life on meth” because it gave great details about what it was like to be a meth addict and the pain she went through. This is an inspiring story that not only cautions everyone not to try drugs, but gives a personal experience to tell us why we shouldn’t. After reading this article, I see not only how doing drugs affect the addict, but also the people around them. The writer’s mom’s and brothers’ meth addictions are what drove her to try it herself.
Haley Hyden-Soffer
Wilson MS

The article “My life on meth” was interesting because it has to do with a real life story. It teaches you that you shouldn’t do drugs because your whole life comes down. It’s an interesting way to learn a life lesson.
Cynthia Martinez and Michelle Velasquez
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy

I really enjoyed this article. It taught me many things about how bad drugs are and what is sacrificed when someone is doing drugs. “My life on meth” inspired me to never use drugs and to just say no when offered.
David Isakhanyan
Wilson MS

As I finished reading this article I began to understand what different drugs, including meth, can do to you, what it did to the girl in the story who smoked it, and what it did to her parents. I liked this article because by reading it, it made me understand what to do when people are offering me weed and to make the right decisions so I can have a great future.
Josue Yax
Wilson MS

We connect with “My life on meth” because we have experienced or watched other people in our community use drugs. Like one day I decided to take a walk around the park. I saw a man under a tree with a plastic bag. It looked like there was sugar inside the bag. He was sniffing it and his eyes got red like chili peppers. I realized it was someone I knew and that he was sniffing cocaine. I was shocked. It’s really hard for people like the girl in the story to leave drugs to enjoy their lives. This story inspired us to be good examples to others.
Alejandra Aguilar and Christy Vasconez
Camino Nuevo Charter Academy


Finding fun in "boring" suburbs

When I read the article “Adventures in suburbia” it reminded me of myself. The article is about a few teenagers, around my age, who live in an area where there is nothing to do. I really related to the story because the neighborhood I live in is just plain boring. I liked the way he wrote the story because there was so much detail. I learned that with the help of some friends, imagination is priceless!
Brandon Meral
Wilson MS

I Found this article very interesting because I have the same problem where I live. In Monterey Park there is nothing to do except eat seafood. I started to skate with a bunch of friends around town. It’s fun and easy to do.
Nathan Olguin
Design HS


A favorite teacher who died inspired a student

I’ve met some pretty interesting teachers in my lifetime. I’ve always thought, “Wow, he’s so cool” or “She’s so funny.” It truly would be a tragedy if they passed away and other students didn’t get a chance to be in one of their classes. However, the story of Mr. Charlap’s teaching style and his jokes was beyond anything I’ve ever heard. I understand how Daisy felt about losing someone like that. Even thought he was a teacher, in Daisy’s mind, he was much more— a helpful friend. Most students like teachers who have a sense of humor. Not to say that others who don’t are bad. It’s just that students make more of a connection to some teachers they aren’t afraid to laugh with or open up to.
Arpine Tsaturyan
Wilson MS

When I read “His lessons live on” I felt sad because it’s horrible to see teachers, family or friends pass away. Reading this article helped me realize how the students felt when their favorite teacher passed away. My grandma died a year ago, and now when I see pictures or videos of her it makes me cry. Now I know how people feel when they lose a loved one.
Donet Shahbaz
Wilson MS


Stereotypes stop us from really knowing each other

I loved this article. It shows kids how to not be racist or prejudiced toward people around them. I think we’re all the same, yet different inside. I’d say we’ve all said something racist before. That’s why you should think about what you’re going to say before it comes out of your mouth. You have to treat people the way you want to be treated.
Darenn Chavez
Wilson MS

I thought “Shattering stereotypes” was very inspiring. I’ve learned that no matter what race you are, you’ll never escape racism. After reading this article I started to respect people more. Plus I think everyone should reach out to new people and get to know their cultures. From now on I’m going to try to not be ignorant or blurt out things I don’t mean to say.
Liza Hwang
Wilson MS


Getting used to living with diabetes

I really liked this article because she is very comfortable with having diabetes. If I was in her situation I wouldn’t be able to not eat sweets! How does she do it? The thing that I like about Wendy is that she’s a strong girl who has to keep track of what she eats. I know how she feels because my dad has the same problem. Whenever his blood sugar level goes down he always has to eat a piece of candy or something sweet. Sometimes I get scared when my dad’s blood sugar goes down because his face changes color and he doesn’t feel good, which makes me uncomfortable. I think that this article is a perfect story for teens because it shows that you can do anything even if it’s hard to do.
Angela Stepanyan
Wilson MS