Issue 7 - June 2009 - Ramallah Friends Schools

Children Without Borders 

A Joint Magazine/Majjalah Published by the Students of Park Day School 

in Oakland, California and The Friends School in Ramallah, Palestine 

Issue 7 July 2009 

Note to Our Readers: 

Park Day School, Oakland, California 

iIn this, our seventh issue of Children Without Borders, we continue our 

collaborative dialogue between the children of Park Day School and the 

Friends School in Ramallah, Palestine. 

News of the Middle East is often on the front pages of the papers but rarely 

do we hear about the lives of ordinary people and, certainly not of the children 

in these countries. Putting a face on the people whom our government’s policies 

affect is not only important, it is necessary. It is our hope that many 

years from now, the children who participated in this program will look back 

with pride on this project. 

We would like to share our pleasure working with 

the children involved in the magazine project as they 

opened themselves enthusiastically to more and 

deeper cross-racial and ethnic friendships. Our tenthrough-twelve 

year-old students have moved away 

from their early childhood's views where they could see 

only from their own perspective to a wider lens that can 

encompass multiple viewpoints, their own and the one 

of the other. It is an important developmental mission 

of childhood as well as one goal of Park Day education. 

At our end of the year party, the children shared 

meaningful insights into their work. Some of the children are Jewish and felt it 

was important for Palestinian children to know of their interest in them and

vice versa. Others were delighted to discover similarities in their schedules 

and routines. We were most impressed with the joy the children expressed at 

getting to know another child thousands of miles away, another child from a 

different region of the world. 

We gratefully acknowledge the Park Day staff, Dickie Magidoff and Marcia 

Beales, our graphic designers, and Farouk Barzin of Green Copy for their 

support and contributions. 

Special thanks to Frieda Dahdah Khayat, Deputy 

Principal at the Friends School, the children of the 

Friends School, Tom Little, Park Day’s Director, 

Lesley Bell, Park Day teacher, and Karen Colaric, 

Park Day administrator, for their commitment to the 

magazine project. 

But most importantly, we thank the children for 

sharing their stories. 

Cathy Shields, Mona Halaby and Suzie McLean 

Children Without Borders 2

Note to Our Readers 

Friends School, Ramallah, Palestine 

another year has passed and I am again writing an editorial for a Children 

Without Borders magazine, the seventh issue. Despite the long 

distances between the two communities, the students from the Friends 

School and Park Day School have managed to create a warm relationship 

through their exchange of interviews and other stories. Once again, students 

at both schools have welcomed and demonstrated their readiness to learn 

about new cultures and people from a different area. This process of learning 

is one that we value so much at our school. 

Writing, from my point of view, is one way of expressing one’s feelings and 

beliefs. Children sometimes find it easier to communicate their experiences, 

fears and points of views when writing for their peers. Through this magazine 

we open doors for our students to freely express and relate to other children’s 

experiences who are their age even though they are from different 

backgrounds and cultures. 

This magazine is the result of the cooperation and collaboration between colleagues 

in both schools as well. I would like to thank both the teachers as well 

as the students who participated in this work and made it a success. I hope 

that these bridges will stay for years to come. I would like to end with a quotation 

by Joseph Bruchac: 

“Have pride in what you are and recognize that 

we as human beings make ourselves.” 

Frieda Dahdah Khayat 

Deputy Principal, Friends School 

The Ramallah Friends School

Interviews with kids

Bader Barghout interviews 

Niko Darci-Maher 

Bader 

Niko 

What is your name? Are you a boy or a girl? My 

name is Bader Barghouti, and I am a boy. 

My name is Niko Darci-Maher, and I’m a boy. 

What grade are you in? How many students are 

there in your class? I am in the 6th grade, and 

there are 18 boy and 11 girls. 

I’m in fourth grade, and there are 17 kids in 

my class. 

How old are you? I am 11 years old. 

I am 10 years old. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters? How many 

and what are their names and ages? I have one 

brother and one sister; their names are Bisher 

and Zaina. 

I have two brothers, Theo and Toby. 

What do you do when someone hurts your feeling? 

I go to him and ask him why did he do 

that, and then I will ask him if he wants to solve 

it and if he says yes, we will talk together and 

solve it, and if he says no, I will go and write it 

down in the class meeting notebook to discuss 

it later. 

I usually walk away, or I get mad. 

What do you do when you see someone without 

a friend? I will go and talk to him about his 

problem, and then I will try to be his friend and 

also to look for other friends for him. 

I try to be their friend and help them. 

Do you want to live in peace and why? Of 

course, I want to live peacefully as any other 

child in the world, feeling more safe and secure. 

Moreover, living in peace is a natural right for 

every human being on this earth. 

I want to live in peace, because I think that 

war is bad, and it feels safer to live in peace. 

How would you feel if your best friend plays with 

someone else and what would you do about it? 

I think that my best friend is free to play with 

whomever he wants, but if he leaves me, and 

didn’t play with me anymore, I will talk to him 

and try to solve this problem. 

I don’t really have a best friend, but I would 

feel bad if one of my friends didn’t like me anymore. 

What kinds of ethnic foods do you like, and 

why? I love Palestinian food, because my 

favorite meal is a Palestinian dish called 

Msakhan. I also like Jordanian food, because 

another favorite meal is Jordanian and called 

Mansaf. And the last thing is Italian food, 

because my favorite fast food is pizza. 

My favorite food is Italian food. 

What countries have you traveled to and how 

did you feel? I traveled to many countries such 

as, France, Bulgaria, Egypt, Dubai, Turkey, Jordan, 

Lebanon, Cyprus, Spain, and I felt very 

happy and excited while visiting these countries. 

I have been to Italy, but I was so little that I 

can’t remember it. I have also been to Mexico 

four times and that was really fun. 

What would you like to do when you grow up, 

and why? When I grow up, I would like to be a 

businessman and have my own car companies. 

I want to be a businessman and have my own 

companies to become rich and live in a huge 

villa. 

I don’t really know yet. What is a villa? 

What is your favorite subject, and why? I like 

many subjects such as, math, science, English 

language, but my favorite subject is P.E. 

because I play football, basketball and these are 

my favorite activities. 

I like sports a lot, too, because I like running 

around and playing physical games. 


What are your favorite after school activities, 

and why? My favorite after school activities are 

football, and basketball. 

I like playing in my yard with my chickens and 

my brothers, or playing board games. 

Do you play sports, or musical instruments? 

What are they? Yes, I play sports such as, basketball, 

football, and tennis. Also, I play a musical 

instrument, the guitar. 

I play soccer and the piano. 

What colors and numbers do you like and why? 

There are many colors that I love, but my 

favorites are black, white, green, and red. I love 

these colors, because they are the colors of my 

Palestinian flag. Also I have many numbers that 

I like, but my favorites are 15, 11, and 1997 I 

like these numbers because they are my birthday 

numbers. 

I like brown and yellow for no reason at all, 

and I like 22 because it’s my birthday number. 

What is the weather like where you live? Here it 

is a Mediterranean weather, which has a dry hot 

summer and rainy cold winter. 

It’s cold in winter, but it doesn’t snow, and it’s 

rainy in the fall and hot in summer and spring. 

What would you do if your friend lies to you? I 

will feel suspicious about him and also I will feel 

angry and sad. 

I wouldn’t care. 

Describe your school to me. How many 

languages do you study? My school is a big 

school with a big basket and football court and 

big garden for playing games, such as, hide and 

seek, and also my school has big rooms for 

learning subjects like, science, math, and the 

languages such as Arabic, and English. 

My school has a big yard with an Astroturf 

field and 6 basketball hoops and swings and 2 

play structures. We study Spanish at Park Day 

School. 

What are some things that you like about your 

school? I like many things about my school, 

such as my teachers, the football and the basketball 

court, my class, the garden that we run 

in and play in it. 

I like the field, and how we don’t have grades, 

or marks. 

Do you like living in Palestine (or America), and 

why? I would not like to live in America because 

it has big cities, and all my friends and my family 

live in Palestine and also the important thing 

is that I was born in Palestine. I do. I like how 

we have lots of different foods and all my 

friends and my family live here, and it’s fun. 

Daliah Rishmawi interviews Sonya Patel 

Daliah 

Sonya 

What is your name? Are you a girl or a boy? My 

name is Daliah, and I’m a girl. 

My name is Sonya, and I’m a girl. 


in your class (Males or females)? I’m in the 6th 

grade, and there are 28 students in my class 

(18 males and 10 females). 

I’m in the 4th grade, and there are 17 students 

in my class. There are 9 females and 8 

males. 

How old are you? I’m 12 years old. 

I’m 10 years old. 

Do you have brothers or sisters? How many and 

what are their names and ages? I don’t have 

any brothers or sisters. 

I have one sister, who is 5 and her name is 

Meera. 


a friend? I go and ask that person to play 

with us. 

I would go and ask if they want to play with 

us. 


What would you do if you discovered that your 

friend is American (or Palestinian) and how 

would you feel? I would still be friends with that 

person and I would feel happy, because I like to 

have friends from America and other places. 

I would still be friends with them, and I would 

be happy to have a friend that was from another 

place. 


would be very disappointed and I would go and 

ask that person why he/she is lying to me. 

I would ask the person why did they lie? 

What kinds of ethnic food do you like and why? I 

like Chinese food, because it’s spicy. 

I like Indian food, because I am Indian, and 

I’m used to eating it a lot. 

What colors and numbers do you like, and why? 

I like the color pink, because it’s girly and the 

number 6, because I was born on the 6th of 

June. 

I also like the color pink, because it’s girly, 

and I like the number 1, because I was born on 

the first of the month. 


languages do you study? My school is very 

nice. We have 2 small football fields and 1 basketball 

field. In this school, the languages that 

we study are Arabic and English. 

My school is really fun. We have 3 basketball 

courts and a field. 

What is your favorite after school activity? My 

favorite after school activity is choir. 

Soccer, I play on a team. 


What are they? I play basketball, and play a 

musical instrument, the Oud (like a lute). 

I play soccer, but not a musical instrument. 

What is your favorite subject and why? My 

favorite subject is English, because we speak a 

different language in the class and the teacher 

makes learning fun. 

I have lots of favorite subjects. It is hard for 

me to pick one. This year I liked studying the 

Gold Rush and going to Columbia the best. 

What is the weather like where you live? The 

weather where I live is very cold and windy in 

winter, and very hot in summer. 

The weather changes here - sometimes it is 

cool and sometimes sunny. 

Dalia Shaheen interviews Lola Keene 

Dalia 

Lola 


name is Diala Shaheen, and I am a girl. 

My name is Lola Keene (pronounced Keen) 

and I a girl. 


there in your class? I am in sixth grade, and 

there are 29 students in my class. 

I am in fifth grade and there are 18 students 

in my class. There are 10 girls and 9 boys in my 

class. My teacher’s name is Lesley. 

How old are you? I’m 11 years old, on May I will 

be 12 years old. 

I’m 11 years old and my birthday is December 

24. 


and what are their names and ages? Yes, I have 

two brothers, Shaheen and Fadi. 

I have one 8-year-old sister named Ruby. 

What would you do when someone hurts your 

feelings? I would go and tell him/her that she/he 

hurt my feelings and try to solve the problem 

with him/her. 

I tell them my feelings are hurt and why. I try 

to talk about it and solve the problem. 



friend is American (or Palestinian), and how 

would you feel? It would not change anything 

about him/her, because we are all children from 

all over the world. 

It would not affect our friendship and I would 

be happy if they could teach me about Palestine. 


languages do you study? My school is so big, 

has many buildings and classes, it has many 

areas where we could play, and it’s beautiful 

because it’s an old school. I study two 

languages: Arabic, and English. 

My school is pretty big. We have 220 

students and a big yard. We study English and 

Spanish. 


weather here in Ramallah is cold in winter, and 

moderate in summer, dry and hot. 

It is usually pretty warm here but it is cold in 

the winter. Right now we are in a drought. 


did you feel? I went to the U.A.E and had a wonderful 

time there, and also saw my aunt and 

uncle there. I also went to Jordan many times. 

I’ve gone to Mexico when I was 2. I don’t 

remember it. 

Dina Hanania interviews Amelia Huster 

Dina 

Amelia 


name is Dina Hanania, and I am a girl. 

My name is Amelia, and I am a girl. 


there in your class? I am in sixth grade; we are 

27 kids in my class - 8 girls and 19 boys. 

I am in 4th grade. There are 17 kids in my 

class, 9 girls and 8 boys. 




and what are their names and ages? I have 1 

brother and 1 sister; I am the oldest. My 

brother is Salem; he is 3 years old. My sister is 

Natalie; she is 8 years old. 

I have one brother, and a mom and a dad. My 

mom’s name is Karen, my dad’s name is John 

and my brother’s name is Cole. 


I like red, baby yellow and orange, I like them 

because they are the colors of the sun, and sun 

means summer. My favorite numbers are 23 

and 1. I like them because I was born on 1-23- 

1998. 

I like blue, brown, white and purple. I don’t 

know why. And I like the numbers 2, 15, 1, 3, 

12 and 22 for no reason. 

What is your favorite subject, and why? My 

favorite subject is English, because my teacher 

teaches English in a way that is fun. 

I like to write, because I like pencils, and 

ideas come to me easily when I write. 


why? I like Italian food, like pasta, pizza, etc. I 

like it, because it contains lots of cheese and I 

like cheese. 

Mexican food, like burritos, Japanese food, 

like sushi and Italian, like pasta. 

Do you play sports, musical instruments? What 

are they? I play soccer with my classmates 

twice a week and sometimes we play basketball. 

I also play the piano. 

I play soccer, tennis and I swim. I also play 

the piano and the xylophone. 




would you feel? I would feel very delighted 

because I will get to know new traditions, 

games and song, etc. I will stay his or her friend 

like any other Palestinian kid. 

I would be really excited to make a friend who 

is from a different place. 


weather here is sunny and hot in summer and 

not very cold in winter. 

It rains in winter and snows once a year. 

Sunny a lot. 


school? I like that my school has so many 

trees, which make the weather cooler in the 

summer. I like the teachers and my 

classmates. We sometimes make a big game 

only for 6’B’ students. 

I like my school because we do lots of plays 

and skits, and we have different enrichment 

classes, like sports, Spanish, music and art. I 

also like it that we have many different people at 

our school. 

Do you like living in peace and why? I like living 

in peace so I can travel in my country freely 

without borders. I can have fun at the beach. 

I do, because I wouldn’t have nightmares of 

people hurting each other. 

Dina Hanania interviews Siena Bogatin 

Dina 

Siena 


name is Dina Hanania, and I am a girl. 

My name is Siena Bogatin and I am a girl! My 

birthday is January 3, 1998! 

What grade are you in ? How many students are 

there in your class? I am in sixth grade; we are 

27 kids in my class - 8 girls and 19 boys. 

I am in 5th grade and there are 9 girls and 8 

boys in my class. My teacher’s name is Julie and 

she’s really nice. 


I am 11 too! 



brother and 1 sister. I am the oldest. My brother 

is Salem; he is 3 years old. My sister is Natalie; 

she is 8 years old. 

I have one brother named Cassady; he is 13. 


I like red, baby yellow and orange, I like them 

because they are the colors of the sun, and sun 

means summer. My favorite numbers are 23 

and 1. I like them because I was born on 

1-23-1998. 

My favorite colors are hot pink and neon 

green and orange. I mostly like neon colors 

(bright). I like them because they are bright. My 

favorite number is 11 because it is 2 number 1’s 

and it’s how old I am. 


favorite subject is English, because my teacher 

teaches English in a way that is fun. 

I like English too since I love writing! I like 

writing stories. 

What kinds of ethnic foods do you like and why? 

I like Italian food, like pasta, pizza, etc. I like it, 

because it contains lots of cheese and I like 

cheese. 

Same here! I like it because I am Italian and I 

have been there and loved the food. 

Do you play sports, musical instruments? What 

are they? I play soccer with my classmates 

twice a week and sometimes we play basketball. 

I also play the piano. 

I do Indian dance, modern dance and I play 

the piano too! 




would you feel? I would feel very delighted 

because I will get to know new traditions, 

games and song, etc. I will stay his or her friend 

like any other Palestinian kid. 

I would enjoy every minute of it because I 

love meeting new people and learning about 

them. 


weather here is sunny and hot in summer and 

not very cold in winter. It rains in winter and 

snows once a year. 

It is sort of sunny in the summer and spring, 

but in the winter and in the fall it rains a lot. 

Right now we’re having a drought. 


school? I like that my school has so many 

trees, which make the weather cooler in the 

summer. I like the teachers and my 

classmates. We sometimes make a big game 

only for 6’B’ students. 

All the teachers are kind and nice and if you 

don’t get anything they always help you. There 

are so many great things about my school! 

Do you like living in peace and why? I like living 

in peace so I can travel in my country freely 

without borders. I can have fun at the beach. 

I don’t like war so it helps if there is peace. It 

is fun to travel without getting stopped. 

Fadi Dawani interviews Maya Yaropa 

Fadi 

Maya 


name is Fadi Dawani. I am a boy. 

My name is Maya and I am a girl. 


there in your class (males and females)? I am 

in grade (6A) there are 28 students in my 

class. There are 10 girls and 18 boys. 

I am in 4th grade and I have 15 people in my 

class. 

How old are you? I am 11 years old. I will be 12 

years old on the in 13th of March. 

I am 10 and I will be 11 on December 4th. 



brothers and sisters, I have one sister and one 

brother and their names are Hanna and Dalia. 

I have a biological sister named Aziza; she is 

12 years old. I also have 2 stepsisters; one is 

named Emma and she is 15, the other one in 

Ada and she is 11, almost 12. 

Do you like living in America and why? Yes, I 

like living in America because there are no wars 

and they live in peace and you can go from 

place to place easily without checkpoints and 

delays. 

I like America because there’s no wars. 


will be unhappy. 

So would I, but he/she would still be my 

friend. 


The colors that I like are two colors; blue, and 

yellow. Numbers that I like 3 because it is the 

month of my birthday. 

I like black and I don’t really know why I like it. 

I like the number 4 because of my birthday. 


did you feel? I traveled to Turkey and on Christmas 

we went to Egypt. I felt happy and a little 

bit unhappy because I was ill. 

I haven’t traveled out of the country, but I 

traveled to Washington, and Wisconsin. 

Do you play sports, games, or a musical instrument? 

What are they? I play basketball, football, 

and I play the piano and I want to be in drama. 

I play soccer and tennis. I play the piano. I am 

in drama camps in the summer. 


What is your favorite subject and why? My favorite 

subject is math, because it is easy for me. 

I also like math. I also like sports and art. 


languages do you study? My school is big. It 

has a room for art, music, library and office. We 

study two languages English and Arabic. 

Well, it’s kind of hard to describe my school, 

but I’ll do my best. Ok, well, there is sports, art, 

and Spanish, oh, yeah and music. 

Faris Ameen interviews Ella Griego 

Faris 


name is Faris Ameen, and I’m a boy. 

My name is Ella and I’m a girl. 


there in your class (males and females)? I’m in 

6th grade, we have 27 students in our class 

(the males are 17 and the females are 10). 

I’m in the 4th grade. There are 8 girls and 7 

boys; that makes 15 kids in the class. 

How old are you? I am 11. 


Ella 



brother called Amer, and one sister called Lour. 

I have one younger brother; his name is Ben; 

he is 7 years old. He’s just not supposed to go 

into my room. 

What do you do when someone hurts your feelings? 

I either get hurt his feeling back, or I just 

ignore him. 

Yeah, I just ignore them. 

Do you want to live in peace and why? . . . I do, 

because I don’t like wars and people killed. 

Yes I want peace, because I hate bullies. 

Do you like living in America (or Palestine), and 

why? I kind of like living in Palestine; it has cool 

things, but not as much as the other countries. 

I also have many friends here. 

I like living here because I have so many 

friends here. 

What do you know about America (or 

Palestine), and how did you find about it? I 

know many things like, it has 50 states, it has 

many museums, and many shops too. I found 

out about America when I was 2 years old, 

when I traveled there. 

I love to read, so I learn from books. 



I would be so angry, sad, and mad. I’d go talk to 

him about it and how I feel about it. 

I’d play with another friend. 

Would you like to come visit America (or Palestine), 

and why? How do you think your life will 

change after the visit? Yes, I did go to America 

twice. I would like to go again, because the life 

there is so comfortable, and awesome. It has 

many parks. I would like to try the schools 

there. My life will change completely, I will be 

speaking English, and I will have many friends 

there. 

Well. I would not see my friend for a long 

time and I would be sad. 


Blue is my favorite color, but I kind of like yellow 

and green; I also like the number 5 it is my 

lucky number. 

My favorite colors are purple and black, and 

my favorite number is 2, because it is also my 

luck number. 

Describe your school to me? How many 

languages do you study? My school is huge; it 

has 5 buildings, 3 playgrounds, with monkey 

bars, slides. We have in and out door basketball 

playgrounds, soccer too. We study 2 languages 

Arabic and English. We have music art, computer, 

and lab rooms. 


My school is big; it has 4 building. We study 2 

languages, Spanish and English. 

What are your favorite after school activities? 

Mine are art, basketball practice, cello lessons. 

Soccer (where my dad coaches) and swimming. 

Do you play sports, or a musical instrument? 

What are they? I play the cello and basketball. 

I play soccer and I play the recorder. 

Layan Anabtawi interviews 

Angelica Zabin 

Layan 

Angelica 


name is Layan Anabtawi, and I am a girl. 

Hello, my name is Angelica. And I am a girl. 


there in your class (females and males)? I am 

in the 6th grade. There are 28 students in our 

class 10 females and 18 males. 

I am in the 4th grade. In my grade there are 

17 people, 9 girls and 8 boys. 



Do you have any brothers and sisters? How 

many and what are their names and ages? Yes, 

I do have brothers and sisters. I have 2 brothers 

and 1 sister the youngest brother is called 

Feras, and my older brother is called Waleed, 

and my oldest sister is called Razan. 

I do not have any brothers or sisters. 


a friend? If I see someone without a friend, I 

go and be his friend unless he/she was dirty 

and speaks bad words and hurts people physically 

and emotionally. 

Well, when I see someone without a friend, 

then I would invite them to play with me so they 

wouldn’t feel left out. 

Do you want to live in peace and why? I do, 

because if there was safety in our state or 

country, we all would feel comfortable, and also 

we could travel from a city to another easily and 

without the Israeli soldiers stopping us, and we 

would feel FREEEEEEE. 

I think that we should live in peace too, 

because there would be no war and nobody 

would get killed, or kidnapped and it would be a 

better place. 

Do you like to live in America, (or Palestine), 

and why? Yes, because it is so organized; people 

follow the rules; it has big streets, and they 

sell and do things that we don’t do here in 

Palestine. 

Well, I like living in America, because I can 

ride my bike to a lot of places and it’s just really 

fun in America, ‘cause we can go swimming and 

do a lot of different things. 


Palestine), and how did you find out about it? I 

know about America that it has big streets, 

famous people live in it, the president is 

Obama, the color of the American flag is red, 

blue, and it has stars on it too, there is a statue 

in New York city called “the statue of liberty,” 

and I learned all of this from the television. 

I don’t know very much about Palestine, but I 

learn a lot because my mom likes to watch the 

news and I watch with her. So what I see on the 

news is what I know about Palestine. 



would you feel? If I discovered that my friend 

was American, I would not do anything because 

we are friends because we like each other not 

because we are the same religion or from the 

same city, and I would feel so surprised. 

I would feel good if I had a Palestinian friend 

because then I would have a friend from a place 


I don’t really know much about and if I had an 

American friend I wouldn’t be as happy because 

I wouldn’t learn much about her or (him.) 


I like blue, yellow, orange, red. I like them because 

they are beautiful. And I like 12, 13, 5, and 

21. And I don’t know why I like those numbers. 

My favorite color is blue and I don’t really 

know why. 


languages do you study? My school is big, it 

has 2 football courts, 1 big basketball court, 

monkey bars beside the basketball court, there 

is a big building called the main building which 

has the office, chapel, teachers’ room, a library, 

art room, music room, computer room, 2 bathrooms, 

a lab, and 1 classroom. We study 2 languages 

- Arabic and English. 

We study Spanish and we talk English regularly. 

We have Spanish class, which rocks 

because I love art and my mom is an artist and I 

am too. I just love art. Do you? Then we have 

music. Those are all the classes we have but 

then there comes the yard. We have a big yard 

right next to it is the playground, then there is 

the swings in the sand, and then there is really 

little monkey bars. And then there is another 

sand pit. 

Do you play sports, or a musical instrument? 

What are they? Yes, I play football, tennis, and I 

play the cello. 

I play soccer. In fact, I am on a soccer team 

and I do not play a instrument. 


favorite subject is art, because I like drawing, 

painting, creating things from paper and other 

stuff. 

I love writing; that is my favorite subject, but I 

don’t exactly know why. 

14 What is the weather like where you live? The 

weather here is so cold in winter and fall, and 

very good in spring and hot in summer. 

In the winter it is soo cold!!!!!!!! 

Mario Kashou interviews Sarah Marin 

Mario 

Sarah 


name is Mario Kashou. I am a boy. 

My name is Sarah Marlin. I am a girl. 


in your class (males and females) I am in the 

sixth grade. There are 29 students in my class. 

I am in the 4th grade, and there are 17 people 

in my class 


I am 10 and going to turn 11 in December. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters? I have one 

sister and one brother; my sister’s name is 

Dalina, and my brother’s name is Issa. 

I have one sister named Julia; she is 12. 

What do you do if you see someone without a 

friend? I go to them and say, “Do not worry. I 

will play with you and be your friend.” 

I would go up to her, and ask her if she 

wanted to play with my friends and me. 

Do you want to live in peace, and why? Of 

course. I want to live in peace, because this is 

how every person should live. 

Because peace has amazing power. 


will ask him why he lied to me to understand 

and try to solve the problem. 

I would probably not even figure out that she 

had lied to me. 

What kind of ethnic foods do you like, and why? 

I like falafel and humus, because they are delicious 

I love burritos and noodles, because they are 

delicious. 


Mira Khayyat interviews 

Laurel Rosenbaum 

Mira 

Laurel 

What is your name? Are you a boy or girl? My 

name is Mira Khayyat and I am a girl. 

My name is Laurel Rosenbaum and I am a girl. 



in sixth grade, and there are 28 students in our 

class; 10 females and 18 males. 

I’m in 5th grade and in my class there are 

18 kids. 

How old are you? I am eleven years old. 




one brother and he is called Michael. 

I have a sister named Margo and she is 8 

years old. 


I always try my best not to hurt others’ 

feelings and I don’t ever like my feelings to be 

hurt by anybody. However, when anybody does 

hurt me, I feel bad, and I show them that I am 

hurt and that I don’t like to be treated like that. I 

either tell them that I feel bad, or I just let them 

know through the way I talk with them. 

I try to take a deep breath and I try to calm 

down. Then I try to talk to that person. 


a friend? When I see someone without a 

friend, I feel sorry for him/her, and I ask my 

friends if they would agree to let the person 

play with us. 

I would try to be their friend and be nice to 

them. 

What would you do if your friend lies to you? If 

my friend lies to me, I would feel bad, but I 

would try to ask myself why my friend lied. 

There must be a reason for it. 

I would try to tell them that I do not like it 

when they lie to me. 


why? I like Musakhan (chicken with special kind 

of bread that we call shrak), and Mansaf (meat 

with rice, kishek, a special kind of yogurt, and 

bread (shrak) 

I like a lot of foods. I really like Italian food. 


I like the blue color because it is the same as 

my eyes, also I like pink because I feel it is cool 

and a girl-like color. For numbers, I like the 

number 12, because it means a dozen of 

things. 

I like pink and the number 10. 


school? I love my school, for I have been in it 

since I was four years old, and I have many 

good memories. My school has a large campus 

where I can play with my friends, also it is clean 

and I love the old buildings there. 

I love my school! It is so friendly and nice. 

What changes would you like to make in Palestine 

(or America)? I would like for Palestine to 

be free, and to live in peace just like any other 

child in the world. Also, I would like to be able 

to go to any place in Palestine without having to 

cross borders or checkpoints and wait for many 

long hours. 

I would take away all the fast food 

restaurants. I would do that because they are 

releasing gross smells and they are making people 

unhealthy, and the people who work there 

are not treated well sometimes. 


weather in Ramallah is nice. We have cold 

winters with many sunny days, and in summer 

it is hot, but not very much. 


It rains a lot and gets hot in the summer. It 

sometimes snows at my house. It also gets 

pretty hot in the summer. 

Mira Khayyat interviews 

Shira Fitzpatrick-Zimet 

Mira 

Shira 

What is your name? Are you a boy or girl? My 

name is Mira Khayyat and I am a girl. 

My name is Shira Fitzpatrick-Zimet. I’m a girl. 



in sixth grade, and there are 28 students in our 

class; 10 females and 18 males. 

I am in the fifth grade. 


I’m 10, and my birthday is July 19,1998. 



one brother and he is called Michael. 

I have no siblings. 

What do you do when someone hurts your 

feelings? I always try my best not to hurt 

others’ feelings and I don’t ever like my feelings 

to be hurt by anybody. However, when anybody 

does hurt me, I feel bad, and I show them that I 

am hurt and that I don’t like to be treated like 

that. I either tell them that I feel bad, or I just 

let them know through the way I talk with them. 

I would talk it out, and if it doesn’t work, I 

would take it to a class meeting. 


a friend? When I see someone without a 

friend, I feel sorry for him/her, and I ask my 

friends if they would agree to let the person 

play with us. 

I would try to help them by playing with them. 

What would you do if your friend lies to you? If 

my friend lies to me, I would feel bad, but I 

would try to ask myself why my friend lied. 

There must be a reason for it. 

I’d tell them not to lie to me if I found out. 


why? I like Musakhan (chicken with special kind 

of bread that we call shrak), and Mansaf (meat 

with rice, kishek, a special kind of yogurt, and 

bread (shrak) 

I like Chinese food, because it’s tasty. My 

favorite dish is chow fun, which is made of noodles 

and vegetables. 


I like the blue color because it is the same as 

my eyes, also I like pink because I feel it is cool 

and a girl-like color. For numbers, I like the 

number 12, because it means a dozen of 

things. 

I like the number 13, because it’s an unlucky 

number to everyone else. The colors I like are 

blue and green, because they’re the colors of 

the sky and land. 


school? I love my school, for I have been in it 

since I was four years old, and I have many 

good memories. 

My school has a large campus where I can 

play with my friends, also it is clean and I love 

the old buildings there. We have a big yard with 

swing set, two slides, basketball hoops, and a 

nice field. 


(or America)? I would like for Palestine to 

be free, and to live in peace just like any other 

child in the world. Also, I would like to be able 

to go to any place in Palestine without having to 

cross borders or checkpoints and wait for many 

long hours. 

I would like for America to have no wars. 


weather in Ramallah is nice. We have cold 


winters with many sunny days, and in summer 

it is hot, but not very much. 

In the winter it’s cold and rainy, but it doesn’t 

snow. In the summer it’s hot and it hardly ever 

rains. 

Mohammed Janem interviews 

Chloe Pruitt 

Mohammed 

Chloe 


name is Mohammed Janem, and I am a boy. 

My name is Chloe Pruitt, and I am a girl. 



in grade 6/b, and there are 27 students in my 

class. 

I am in the fourth grade. There are 15 pupils 

in our class. 





sisters and 1 brother and their names are 

Raneem, Manal, Aseel, and Hadi. 

I have one brother, and his name is Aharon, 

and he is 17 years old. 


favorite subject is P.E., because I have fun and 

it is good for our health. 

My favorite subject is reading, because I am 

good at it and it is also fun. 


What are they? I play sports and they are football, 

basketball, swimming, and rock climbing. 

Well, I don’t play soccer, or basketball, or anything. 

But I do play the violin, and the recorder, 

sort of. I sometimes play the drums, and I am in 

after school chorus. 


school? I like in my school that it is always 

clean, it has good teachers, and it has comfortable 

classrooms and desks. 

Me too. My school isn’t always clean, but it is 

pretty clean. 

What are your favorite after school activities? 

My favorite after school activities are football 

and basketball. 

I like to play “Capture the Flag,” and other fun 

games. I like to play on the swings. 

What is the weather like where you live? Here It 

is cold in winter and medium hot (warm) in 

summer. 

It has been very windy lately, but it is still 

sunny. It doesn’t snow here, but I wish it did. It is 

usually very hot in the summer. 


I like the red color, because it stands for blood, 

and I like number 7 in Arabic because it stands 

for victory. 

I like the color blue, because it is like water, 

and I like number 11, because it is very, VERY 

easy to multiply. 


why? I like Palestinian food, because I enjoy it. 

I like Japanese food, because I really like raw 

fish and rice and soy sauce. 


would feel unhappy, and I would be mad. 

So would I, but I would just go to someone 

else to hang out with. 


Raja Sakakini interviews 

Violet Traub Epstein 

Raja 

Violet 


name is Raja Sakakini. I am a boy. 

My name is Violet Traub-Epstein. I am a girl. 



in fifth grade, there are 27 students in my 

class. 

I am in fourth grade. There are 17 students in 

my class, 9 girls and 8 boys. My teacher’s name 

is Kris. 

How old are you? I am ten years old. 



and what are their names? I have 3 sisters and 

no brothers. My sisters’ names are Haya, Luma 

and Loor. 

I have a younger brother. His name is Simon, 

and he is 6 years old. 


I would express my feelings to him or her, 

and tell him or her to stop bothering me. 

I would walk away. 

Do you want to live in peace, and why? Yes, I 

would like to live in peace, because there would 

be no borders or checkpoints and I would be 

able to go anywhere I want in my country. 

I agree with you. Peace is the way to go. 


would ask him why. And tell him that he should 

have told me the truth. 

I really do not know. I would tell them that 

lying is not right, but I wouldn’t get mad. 

What changes would you like to make in 

Palestine (or America), and why? I would like to 

make Palestine a free country, because after 

that I could live in peace. 

Me too, I want the whole world to live in 

peace. 


and why? I would like to be a scientist who 

knows a lot about animals, because there are a 

lot of beautiful animals that I like, such as the 

tiger and the leopard. 

I would like to be a llama farmer. In second 

grade I did a report on them and I have loved 

them ever since. 


school? There are lots of friendly people at my 

school and the playgrounds are very big with 

lots of trees and grass around. 

I would probably give the same answer. I also 

love how my school is green. 


favorite subject is mathematics, because I like 

using my brain in calculating numbers. 

My favorite subjects are definitely reading and 

writing. When I read, it makes me want to write. 

I love pencils. 

What is the weather like where you live? In the 

area where I live the weather is like the Mediterranean 

weather, it is hot in summer and warm, 

too cold in winter. 

Our weather is totally different! It can rain in 

the winter and be really cold, but a couple of 

months ago, it was really, really hot. 


Sa’ad Abudaka interviews 

Kai Nyame Drayton-Yee 

Sa’ad 

Kai 


name is Sa’ad Abudaka. (Boy) 

My name is Kai Nyame Drayton-Yee. I am a 

girl. I’d like to tell you about my name. Kai 

means ‘vast ocean’ in Japanese, ‘spirit’ in Chinese, 

and in Portuguese it means ‘fall down.’ 

Nyame is the African goddess who gives people 

the golden bath into the material world from the 

spirit world. Drayton might be a slave name. Yee 

is my Chinese grandpa’s last name on my 

mom’s side. 

What grade are you? How many students are 

there in your class? I’m in the 6th grade, and 

there are 29 students in my class. 

I am in the 4th grade, and there are 17 kids 

in our class (9 girls and 8 boys). 

How old are you? I am 12. 

I am 9 years old, and my birthday is April 11, 

1999. 


and what are their names? Yes, I have 2 brothers. 

Their names are Izz, and Zayne. I have one 

brother and one sister. 

My brother’s name is Noah, and he is 4. My 

sister’s name is Swan, and she is 25. 


I try to tell him, “Do you want to solve it?” 

If he says no, I will write it in the class book, 

and if not, I will tell my teacher or my parents. 

I say, “Why did you do that and how would 

you feel if I did that to you?” 


a friend? I’ll be his friend, and will always let 

him play with me. 

I would go up to him/her, and ask if they want 

to play with me. 

Do you want to live in peace, and why? I do 

because I don’t like to see death and people 

dying. 

I want to live in peace so everyone will be 

happy. 

Do you like to live in America (or Palestine), 

and why? I’d like to live in America, because my 

aunt lives there. 

I love living in America, because I get so 

many choices. 


someone else and what will you do about it? 

Sometimes I am sad and sometimes normal, 

and I don’t do anything. 

I am pretty used to my best friend and I getting 

into arguments, so it’s normal for me. 



would you feel? I won’t do anything. I’d feel 

happy, because I’ve already got an American 

friend. 

I wouldn’t really do anything, because I don’t 

care if he/she is Asian, Palestinian, or any other 

race because he/she is my friend. 

Would you like to live in America (or 

(Palestine), and why? How do you think your life 

will change after the visit? I would like to live in 

America, because I like the parks and hotels. 

I would probably learn more about the history 

and I would probably learn a lot more. 

What would you do if your friend lies to you? If it 

is a small white lie, I won’t do anything, but if 

it’s not, I’ll make him sorry! 

I’d probably notice and say, “Chloe, are you 

lying to me?” And she would admit it to me. 

(Well, probably!) 

What kind of ethnic food do you like, and why? I 

like Musakhan, because it is delicious (chicken 

with onions on bread). 


I love sushi, and once I even choked on some 

seaweed when I was five. 


(or America), and why? I would love to 

make Palestine free so I can go wherever I 

want. 

I’d like to have peace between Palestine and 

America. 

What colors do you like, and why? I like iron 

red, baby blue, hot pink, black, white, natural 

green. 

I like dark blue like the ocean and emerald 

green like the sparkly gem. 

What countries have you traveled to, and how 

did you feel about them? I went to Canada, London, 

Jordan, California, Egypt, and so many 

more and I felt happy. 

I traveled to Canada to visit my friend and his 

mom. I felt happy. 


and why? I’d like to be married to a smart, 

beautiful woman and work as a doctor. 

I would like to become a veterinarian so I can 

help animals in need. 


languages do you study? Mine’s a large school 

with three buildings and an office and two 

courts and three large gates. 

We have 3 buildings and an annex, and the 

Matilda Brown Home, which will be renovated for 

our 7th and 8th graders to move in. 

What are some of your after school activities? I 

play Soccer, do home economics, basketball. 

My activities are capoiera, or Brazilian dance, 

and I sing in a chorus. I also go to Destiny Arts 

Center and take dance. 


school? I like that mine is large, its courts, and 

the activities. 

I really like writing stories in writer’s 

workshop. 

Do you play sport, musical instruments? If so, 

what are they? I play basketball and soccer, and 

I also play the Oud, which is an Arab 

instrument, like a lute. 

I am about to start piano lessons. 

What is your favorite subject, and why? Mine 

are Arabic, physical education, music, and art. 

I like writing stories and poems, because I 

can express myself. 

What is the weather like where you live? Here it 

is hot, cold, cool. 

At different times it is rainy, sunny, windy, 

cold, hot, pleasant and warm. 

Sabri Barham interviews Ana Neifeld 

Sabri 

Ana 


name is Sabri Barham, and I am a boy. 

My name is Ana, and I am a girl. 



in sixth grade. And we are 27 students, 9 

females and 18 males. 

I am in the fourth grade. There are 17 kids in 

my class, 9 females and 8 males. 



Do you have any brothers and sisters? How 

many and what are their names and ages? I 

have three sisters, Nour, Reem and Razan. 

I have one sister; she is 11 and her name is 

Ellie. 


I feel sad and might be angry, too. 

When someone hurts my feelings, I tell them 

that what they just said was not very nice, and 

then I just walk away. 


Do you want to live in peace, and why? I do, 

sure, I want to continue my education and live 

as normal persons. 

I agree with you, I like peace. 


would feel sad and would forgive him/her about 

it, if he/she promises not to do it again. 

Then I tell my friend that I thought what they 

just said was a lie. 


I like the white and black, because they are 

Real Madrid clothes and I like number 7, 

because it is Cristiano Ronaldo’s number. 

The color I like the most is dark purple, 

because when I think of dark purple I think of a 

purple sky. And my favorite number is 4, but I 

am not sure why. 


do you feel? I traveled to Turkey, Egypt, Jordan 

and United Arab Emirates. I was very happy and 

I am looking forward to traveling to Spain next 

summer. 

I have been all over Europe and I love it there 

and I am also going to Spain. 

What would you like to do when you grow up 

and why? I would like to be a soccer player in 

Real Madrid Team, because this is my favorite 

team. 

I do not know. 


What are they? I play soccer and I am in the 

school soccer team. And I play the guitar. 

I play soccer, baseball and basketball, and I 

play the piano, too. 

Tala Shehadeh interviews 

Sophia Taylor 

Tala 

Sophia 


name is Tala Shehadeh. I’m a girl. 

My name is Sophia Taylor. I am a girl. 


there in your class? I am in 6th grade; there are 

27 students, 8 girls and 19 boys. 

I am in 5th grade. There are 17 students in 

my class. There are 8 boys and 9 girls. 


I am 11 years old, and my birthday is February 

18th. 



brother named Aziz. 

I have two sisters-Estella who is 17, and 

Gabriella who is 13. 


favorite subject is English because we have 

many interesting activities to do and this keeps 

us active. 

My favorite subject is science, because we 

get to do different experiments. 

What is the weather like where you live? Here 

the weather is moderate. 

It is usually breezy. 

Do you play sports, or musical instruments? I 

used to play the piano and since two years I’m 

playing the flute. 

I play xylophone and I used to play soccer. 


What countries have you travelled to and how 

did you feel? I have travelled to many countries 

and they are: Spain, Turkey, Sharm-Elsheik 

(Egypt), Cyprus, and Jordan. I felt amazed and 

astonished, because I never saw anything like it 

before. 

I’ve been to Oregon, New York, Virginia, New 

Jersey, Washington, Baltimore, and Mexico. And 

this summer I am going to Europe and Africa. 

What kind of ethnic food do you like and why? 

My favorite ethnic food is Musakhan (It’s an Arabic 

food). 

I like Indian food, Ethiopian, Middle Eastern, 

Thai, Italian, and Japanese. 


My favorite color is baby yellow and my favorite 

number is 10, because I have good memories 

with it. 

My favorite color is most all shades of blue. 

My favorite number is 3. 

Do you want to live in peace, and why? I want to 

live in peace, because there are many things 

we are deprived of that we’d like to see, but we 

can’t, because of the Occupation. 

I would like to live in peace, because then 

there would be less people dying and more people 

would be safer. So I do want to live in peace. 


school? There are many things that I like about 

my school and one of them is that it is clean, 

and it is comfortable to study in. 

I like a lot of things about my school. I really 

enjoy the Matilda Brown home, which our school 

just bought because it has a really nice garden 

and the campus is huge. I also like the field and 

the structures. All the staff are really nice. We 

also take fun field trips. One was in Napa for a 

week without our parents and at the camp we 

learned how to be more peaceful. 

Tala Shehadeh interviews 

Tess Rubenzahl 

Tala 

Tess 


name is Tala Shehadeh. I’m a girl. 

My name is Tess Rubenzahl and I am a girl. 


there in your class? I am in the 6th grade, there 

are 27 students, 8 girls and 19 boys. 

I am in the fifth grade. There are 18 students, 

10 girls, and 8 boys. 


I am 10 years old and my birthday is August 

15 1998. 



brother named Aziz. 

I have a brother named Jesse. He is thirty. He 

just got married last October. 


favorite subject is English because we have 

many interesting activities to do and this keeps 

us active. 

I like art because you can make stuff. 

Recently, we started making wire sculptures with 

nylon stockings over the wire. It covers it and 

makes a shape. Next, we paint them. 

What is the weather like where you live? Our 

weather is moderate. 

The weather changes a lot. Recently it has 

been raining a lot. It never snows where we live. 

Do you play sports, or musical instruments? I 

used to play the piano and since two years I’m 

playing the flute. 

I don’t really play an instrument. My mom 

would like me to, but I am not interested yet. 


What countries have you travelled to and how 

did you feel? I have travelled to many countries 

and they are: Spain, Turkey, Sharm-Elsheik 

(Egypt), Cyprus, and Jordan. I felt amazed and 

astonished because I never saw anything like it 

before. 

I have been to many countries, like France, 

Austria, Italy, the USA (I live here!). I love traveling 

because it makes me feel excited. 

What kind of ethnic food do you like and why? 

My favorite ethnic food is Musakhan (It’s an 

Arabic food). 

I like Chinese food. I think it tastes good. I 

love sweet and sour chicken. 


My favorite color is baby yellow and my favorite 

number is 10, because I have good memories 

with it. 

I like the number 7 and the color green; for 

no reason. 

Do you want to live in peace, and why? I want to 

live in peace because there are many things we 

are deprived of that we’d like to see, but we 

can’t, because of the Occupation. 

Because I don’t like war. 


school? There are many things that I like about 

my school and one of them is that it is clean, 

and it is comfortable to study in. 

Because I have friends here at Park Day. 

Tareq Bseiso interviews Ben Schecter 

Tareq 

Ben 


name is Tareq Bseiso. I am a boy. 

I’m Ben and I’m a boy. 



in 6th grade and there are 30 students in my 

class. 

I’m in 4th grade and there are 8 boys and 9 

girls. 



Do you have brothers or sisters? How many and 

what are their names and ages? I have 2 brothers, 

Talib and Kareem, and 1 sister, Hiba. 

I have one sister, Sarah. 


I go to him, and I talk to him politely, and 

ask him not to do it again, since we are friends, 

also we are in the same school. 

I walk away, but sometimes I say something 

back that reflects the comment back on them, 

which makes them hear what they are saying to 

me. 


a friend? I go to him and try to tell him that 

I want to play with him. 

I don’t see people without friends, usually 

kids here work together. 

Do you want to live in peace, and why? I do, 

and every child will answer like me, because I 

don’t want to see someone hurt. 

Yes, I don’t like fighting or war. I may like to 

see movies with fighting, but not in real life. 

Do you like living in America (or Palestine), and 

why? Maybe yes, because there is peace in 

America. 

Yes, I like it in America. There are lots of fun 

things to do and there is freedom here. 


Palestine), and how did you find out about it? I 

know about America, because my 3 uncles are 

there. 

I am Jewish and so I have heard about Palestine 

and Israel. Also, my mother is a reporter 

and knows a lot about Palestine and Israel. 




It’s normal that my best friend plays with someone 

else because we are all friends. 

It has happened to me and it makes me sad. 



would you feel? I will be happy to have an 

American friend and a new friend also with new 

nationality from the world, so we can exchange 

information about our countries together and 

learn about each other’s culture, so yeah, I will 

be happy to have an American friend. 

I wouldn’t care-a friend is a friend. 

Would you like to come to America (or Palestine), 

and why? How do you think your life will 

change after the visit? I would like to come to 

America and see how the American people are 

living, and try to learn some new things about 

them and the way they live. So I guess if I 

come I think I could change my community for 

the better too, and the important thing is that I 

can meet some new people, and have some 

new friends in America. 

I don’t really want to travel right now. 

Amelia Hurster interviews 

Dunia Kassis 

Amelia 

Dunia 

How do you spend your time at home, on the 

weekends, and after school? At home, I love to 

play with my pets. On the weekends I love to 

play soccer, go shopping, play with my family 

and have play dates. I love to make up stories. 

After school, I have piano once a week on Monday, 

I have soccer practice on Tuesdays, and I 

have therapy on Wednesdays and Thursdays. I 

have soccer games on Saturdays. 

At home I love to play on the computer, read, 

and play on the Game-boy. On the weekends I 

love to play on the computer, visit my friends, 

inviting them to my house, going picnics with 

my family, sometimes going swimming and 

every Friday I have cruces class. After school I 

have basketball and football (soccer) class on 

Tuesdays, yoga on Thursdays and Saturday. On 

the other days I play with my friends. 

Can you tell me your schedule on a typical day 

at home? 

Yeah, it goes like this: I wake up in the morning, 

I finish cleaning my room, take a bathe, play 

a little on the computer, finish preparing breakfast 

for Mommy and Daddy, then I wake them 

up. It is 11:00 a clock by the time we eat. I play 

on the computer, or talk with my friends on the 

phone, or go for a visit. Then Grandma would 

finish cooking our lunch, so we eat. Then I visit 

my friends, or I go picnic. When I get back, I eat 

diner and go to sleep. Good night!!!!! 

Tell me a story about your family. I have a mom 

named Karen, a dad named John, and a brother 

named Cole. Cole is 8 years old. When I turned 

6 my mom took me to New York for my birthday. 

We went to a play and we ate at delis. We 


also went to the coolest museum in New York 

called The Museum of Natural History! 

We have a garden full of flowers. Near the 

kitchen door we have a sunflower. It’s tall; it 

looks taller than me. My dad passes in front of it 

six times a day. It took two months before he 

discovered it. When he did, he was so surprised. 

If you ask me how come he didn’t know about it 

all this time, I’ll tell you that he comes and goes 

to and from the house in such a big hurry that 

he didn’t notice it. 

Can you tell me your schedule on a school day? 

On Mondays we have art and Spanish. On Tuesdays 

we have sports. On Wednesdays we have 

music and Spanish. On Thursdays we have 

sports and on Fridays we have nothing. 

I wake up on 5:00, I finish cleaning my room, 

then I take a bath, and I eat my breakfast. Then I 

go to school. 

How do you spend your free time at school? I 

spend most of my free time writing stories. 

I mostly play with my friends. 

How do you get to school? My dad and mom 

take me to school and my friend always drives 

with us. 

My mother takes me to school. 

What is your favorite subject, and why? I love to 

write!!!! Ideas just come to me, and I guess 

that’s why. Someday I want to get a story that I 

wrote published. 

My favorite subject is sports, because I love 

to play and hop and pop; it’s just my favorite 

subject. 

Do you have any pets? What kind, and what are 

their names? What do you like to do with them? 

Can you tell me a story about one of your pets? 

I have two hamsters - one is named San and 

one is named Snowball. I have a cat named 

Zelda, and two Leopard geckos named Cutie Pie 

and Spotty. 

I had four cat, but they all died. They were 

named Black Beauty, Lolo, White Chocolate, and 

Little Evil. I also had one hamster named: Honey, 

but he died, too. I liked watching Honey running 

in his cage and playing with her toys. And my 

cats I used to like watching them running after 

each other, and feeding them. 

Ben Schecter interviews Rajai’ Barakat 

Ben 

Rajai’ 

How do you spend your time at home, on the 

weekends, and after school? When I am at 

home, I just play on the computer, watch T.V., 

or read. After school, I do homework and sometimes 

watch T.V. or practice baseball. I also like 

to read. On the weekends, I hang out with my 

friends, go to card tournaments, buy comics, 

watch movies, and read. 

At home I play on my own PC and practice 

playing basketball. After school I play basketball 

with my best friend or I do my homework. On 

the weekend my family and I go to Jerusalem 

and stay there for one day. 


at home? I’m supposed to wake up at 7:30 am 

on school days, but I stay in bed till about 7:45 

am. Then I either take a shower or get dressed, 

and then I eat a bagel, grits (like oatmeal, but it 

is white and tastes good with salt) or some oatmeal. 

Then, I brush my teeth and put on my 

shoes (now it’s about 8:15 am), get in the car 

and ride to school. 

I wake up at 6:30 am, and I have breakfast. 

Then I get dressed, and I brush my teeth to be 

ready to go to school. 

Tell me a story about your family. I was on vacation 

in Texas and around 6:00 pm I started to 

feel bad and wanted to throw up and my stomach 

hurt. I went to the hotel and my mom gave 

me a Tylenol; I threw up. Then my mom gave 

me some soup; I threw up again. I had some 

water and, I threw up! By then I was feeling 


super lousy and in the middle of the night (I 

could not sleep), I threw up 2 more times. At 

3:00 am my mom took me to the hospital and I 

was put in a bed. The doctors put an I.V. tube in 

my arm. They said that I had appendicitis. I was 

really scared then. They gave me an ultrasound 

test and I was transported to a different hospital 

in an ambulance. 

In the other hospital I was in this room and 

they said that the surgeons would come and 

see me soon. I waited for three hours and 

nobody came to see me. Then I found that the 

results from the ultrasound test never made to 

the new hospital! So I had to drink three cups of 

a purple drink that made my insides 

fluorescent. Then I passed out. I woke up in the 

CAT scan room and had another test that they 

tell me is like having 150 chest scans. The test 

showed that I did not have appendicitis. After 

another four-hour wait, my uncle showed up 

and he said that if nothing was showing up 

wrong, then they should let me go home. 

Later, I found out that it was serious case of 

gastroenteritis that means inflammation of your 

intestines. It was good that I found out about 

this, because you can get very dehydrated and 

die from it. 

One day I woke up with a horrible pain in my 

stomach, which made me scream. My dad came 

quickly to my room and he was so horrified. 

Then he asked me what had happened. I told 

him my stomach hurt and he told me to take a 

medicine. But then I threw up. My father, who is 

a doctor, tried to help me. He gave me some 

soup; it was very hot, but I drank it. My stomach 

started roaring, but it helped me a lot. My mom 

came and stayed with me all the time so she 

could check on me. 


In the mornings we usually go over homework, 

or we do some math or writing. Then we have 

recess (around 10:15 am), followed by math or 

more writing. 11:55 am is lunchtime. On Mondays 

and Tuesdays, we have community circle 

where we sit around and talk about what we did 

that week. Social Studies is usually in the afternoon. 

School ends at 3 pm. 

In the mornings we have homeroom from 

(7:45-8:00). At 8:00 we have classes such as 

math English, Arabic, etc. from 8:00-10:00. 

Then at ten we have a break and we go out to 

recess from 10:00-10:45. Then we have classes 

until 12:20 when we have our second recess 

from 12:20 to 12:45. Then we have more 

classes from 12:45 to 2:50. 

How do you spend your free time at school? 

When I have free time at school, I play football 

or ball tag. I sometimes sit around and talk with 

my friends. Occasionally, I read. 

I play basketball, or I talk with my friends, or 

read. 

How do you get to school? I get a ride to school 

everyday from one of my parents. 

Me, too. 


favorite subject is writing, because my mom is 

a magazine reporter. I just finished my first 

book in the P.o.o. Chronicles. My next book is 

going to be One Thousand Excuses. 

My favorite subject is P.E., because I like playing 

basketball. 




I have two guinea pigs and one cat. The guinea 

pigs are at my dad’s house and the cat is currently 

at my grandmother’s. 

I had one hamster named Brownie, but he 

lived two years only. L I liked playing with him a 

lot. 


Ella Griego interviews Dina Rishmawi 

How do you spend your time? One way that I 

like spend time is in making “little houses” all 

around my house for these little multicolored 

puffballs. Puffballs are little balls that you can 

buy in the store. They come in many colors. I 

collect them. I make the houses out of empty 

tissue boxes. I cut doors and windows into the 

boxes for play houses. 

I like to spend my time drawing and dancing. I 

love them both. They give me a special character, 

I think... because drawing make you feel 

good. You feel that you are sitting with yourself 

thinking about what you want. You feel comfortable. 


at home? My typical schedule at home is to get 

up, watch TV, eat, get dressed, brush my teeth, 

shower, write some of my story and, then just 

play the whole rest of the day. 

My typical schedule at home is get up from 

sleeping, go to the bathroom, brush my teeth, 

wash my face, fast shower, wear my clothes, eat 

breakfast, and play. 

Tell me a story about your family. One story 

from my family is about my brother, Ben, who 

is seven years old. My brother came in my 

room and sat on my cat. My cat scratched him 

and he yelled. My mom and dad came in and 

yelled at him. They told him to get out of my 

room and he got in trouble because Ben is not 

supposed to come into my room unless I invite 

him. 

I will tell you about my brother. One day he 

was sleeping. I was shouting and shouting at 

him to wake up, but he didn’t. I got down to the 

freezer. I took lots of ice up to his room. I put 

the ice inside his T-shirt to wake him. He jumped 

from the bed and he started shouting at me. I 

started laughing and laughing and that I make 

him feel nervous. 


My schedule on a school day is to talk something 

different every day, recess, read, lunch, 

sports and then leave for home. 

My schedule at school is to talk with my 

friends, read, write, eat my lunch, and go home. 

How do you spend your free time at school? I 

spend my free time at school drawing flowers. 

I spend it talking to my friends and walking 

along with them. 

How do you get to school? My mom drives me 

to school. 

Dad drives me to school. 


favorite subject in school is science, because 

we get to make go-carts. Go carts are little cars 

that we make out of cardboard and put on top 

of wheels. Then we push them to make them 

go. 

My favorite subject in school is art, because 

we draw many beautiful things like flowers, butterflies, 

and many other things. 




I have a pet cat and her name is Hazel. Once 

my brother, Ben, was trying to get Hazel to play 

with a hair tie and he dropped it. Then Hazel sat 

on it. 

I have a turtle and her name is Lexia. Once 

my cousin took it from under the grass where 

she was hiding there every day. He held it and 

then the turtle pooped on him. It was a disgusting 

view. 


Articles by 

Park Day School 

students

Baseball 

Ben Schecter 

Fourth Grade, Park Day School 

the bases are loaded and your best batter is 

up. The count is 2-3, a full count, the pitcher 

winds up and lets loose a 90 mph fastball, a 

perfect pitch. The batter swings “crack!” and the 

ball sales through the air. The left fielder runs 

back and tries to catch the ball, but it’s no use, 

the ball lands in the bleachers…it is a “grand 

slam!” The crowd goes crazy. The batter runs 

around the bases when he reaches home plate 

his teammates jump on him and pound his 

back. This is baseball. 

Baseball is a game that consists of 4 bases, 

1st base, 2nd base, 3rd base, & home plate. 

A baseball field 

There is a 1st base player, a 2nd base player, a 

3rd base player, a short stop (who stands 

between the 2nd base player and the 3rd base player), and a pitcher who 

stands in the middle of the of the field and throws the ball for the batter to hit. 

A catcher stands behind home plate. The outfield (the green part behind the 

dirt) is where the middle, left, & right fielders stand. 

The two teams take turns batting at the ball the pitcher throws across the 

plate. The batter tries to hit the ball. Each team gets 3 outs before they 

switch turns batting and fielding. There are many complicated rules and 

guidelines that I have not explained but you can Google baseball rules for kids 

and click the top site that explains the rules. This sport is America’s past time 

and should be played all over the world. 


A Day in the Life of Park Day School 

by Ben Schecter, Fourth Grade 

Football on our 

playing field at 

lunch time. 

The swing set is 

popular with 

everyone. 

The big climbing structure is fun for most kids and 

the dragon is lots of fun for the younger kids to climb on.

Basketball is 

the most 

popular game 

on the campus. 

We eat lunch outside most days and 

many classes grow food for themselves and others.

Gold Rush Country 

Chloe Pruitt 


in the fall of 2008, the whole fourth grade went on this big field trip to the 

Gold Country of California in Columbia. The 4th grade teachers take their 

classes there every year, because we study the Gold Rush in 4th grade. 

Parent volunteers drove us there and stayed with us. It took about two 

hours’ drive. We stayed there for three days and two nights. We slept in 

tents—boys and girls in separate tents. It was very fun. 

We each brought with us from home a bowl, a cup, a spoon and fork. We 

mostly ate sandwiches, and cereal in the morning in the clubhouse. For dinner 

we had pasta. We roasted marshmallows over the fire, and made 

S’mores. To make S’mores, you use graham crackers, which are cookies, 

chocolate and melted marshmallows, and you put them all together into a 

sandwich. 

There was this panning place, not that far away from our camp, and we 

went there a lot to pan for gold. You use a pan, and you mix pebbles and water 

and sometimes you might find gold pebbles. When we were panning, the 

teachers gave us each a small plastic vile to put our treasures in. There were 

some stores near the panning area where you could buy jewelry and antiques. 

At the end of our camping trip, we got souvenirs to bring home with us. 

There were lots of gift shops in the preserved Gold Rush town of Columbia. 

There was a butcher shop and a candy-store and a blacksmith and a bank that 

had a scale and ounces to weigh the gold. 


I love llamas 

Violet Traub-Epstein 


ilove llamas ever since I did a report on them on second grade. Llamas live 

in hills and because there are lots of hills in California, lots of people own 

them here. Before I moved, I lived near a hill. Sometimes I would see llamas 

on walks with their owners. 

Llamas are my favorite animals. They can be 4 to 5 feet tall and 

sometimes they spit. Llamas rarely spit at people, but they spit at other llamas 

frequently. One time a llama spat at my aunt! My aunt told me that it was 

so disgusting that now she 

doesn’t really like llamas. 

Llamas are so soft. They are 

cousins of camels and alpacas. 

Llamas can be white, brown or 

black. They have hooves like 

a horse. 

I really like llamas because 

they are sweet and cuddly. 


Barack Obama 

Kai Nyame Drayton-Yee 


hi, my name is Kai Nyame Drayton-Yee and I go to Park Day School. This 

year Barack Obama was elected 44th President of the United States. For 

the inauguration of Barack Obama, my school rented a huge projector so 

everyone at my school could watch it together. 

The teachers were talking to the 6th graders about what part of the inauguration 

to watch and a teacher suggested that we only watch Obama become 

the president. The 6th graders said that we should watch George Bush leave 

office and Barack Obama be sworn in as the 44th President of the United 

States of America. The 6th grade did not want to edit what was watched. 

To me Obama becoming President meant we were a step closer to having 

world peace. 



The Matilda Brown Home 

Sophia Taylor 

Fifth Grade, Park Day School 

the Matilda Brown is our school’s new campus. It has a beautiful garden with 

lots of flowers and other plants. When you walk in from our campus there 

is a turquoise gate with vine designs. If you look straight ahead you will see a 

circular driveway with a big magnolia tree in the center (see photo below). If 

you look to the left there are two paths, one is a curvy path towards more 

plants and the other takes you to an area with tables and leads to yet another 

path near the building. 

If you follow either path, you will head towards the Gazebo, which is the 

sitting area right next to the main building of Matilda Brown. To the right from 

the Gazebo there is a fountain and, if you keep on walking, there are two 

swinging wooden benches. If you keep on walking for a few minutes, you 

come to a driveway with a gate and you can see the back of the main building 

of Matilda Brown. 

Now you have completed a huge circle and are at a gate to the main campus 

where we now have Kindergarten through sixth grade. 

The new campus is very beautiful and you almost always see something new 

every time you go there. It has lots of flowers and other plants. There are also 

animals, like squirrels, and lots of birds. That is our new and amazing campus. 


At work on the magazine 


Mona, Cathy, and the magazine team 


Articles by 

Ramallah Friends School 

students

while the students at Park Day decided to write on a variety of topics, 

the children at Ramallah Friends’ School decided to write on one 

theme this year. In the following stories, RFS students reflect on their lives 

twenty years out. 


Twenty Years Into the Future 

Ahmad Zaghmouri 

Sixth Grade, Ramallah Friends School 

it’s 2028. I am on my way to the skate park to practice because it’s 

the skateboarding championship in two weeks, and it’s going to be in 

Cleveland, Ohio. 

Oh, by the way, it’s me, Ahmad Zaghmouri. I’m 31 years old, working in a 

big marketing company in Miami, Florida as a general manager. My work is all 

about supporting youth sport teams through the media. I love my work 

because it gives my friends, Tony Hawk and Chaz Orteis, and I, the chance to 

help all youth make their dreams come true. 

My life is busy working and practicing all the time, but when it comes to 

my family, my wife and kids are the most important. My kids, Rayan and Mike, 

are 5 and 3 years old. Rayan is interested in skateboarding just like his dad, 

and he keeps talking and talking about it all the time. 

I’m happy for who I am these days. I have a great family, good work and 

exciting hobbies. 


My Life in 20 Years 

Faris Amin 


hey, I’m Faris Amin, the famous artist. I’m 31 years old. We’re in the 

year 2028. I live in Paris, but I travel a lot to Germany, Italy and America 

because of my drawing exhibitions. I am married and have one son whom I 

love very much. My wife helps me and supports me in my work. Every so 

often I go visit my parents in Palestine. 

In my exhibitions I meet many important people like, journalists, and T.V. 

reporters, who come to take pictures of my drawings or interview me. From 

time to time you’ll see me in the newspapers, or hear me on the radios. 

I got my Bachelor’s degree from the “Florence Academy of Arts” in Italy. 

My graduation project was a collection of very beautiful drawings. I also got an 

honor degree from the college. 

I have my own store, but sometimes I work with art communities. I sell my 

drawings to art exhibitions. 

I’m a famous artist; people like my drawings. They say that I’m talented 

and smart, but some don’t. I like to draw natural scenes, cartoons and 

characters. 

During my free time, I like to play my cello, which I’m good at. I also enjoy 

my hobbies, like pool, tennis and ping-pong. The best thing in my life is to 

spend time with my family, like going shopping, swimming, going on a trip to 

the zoo or the park to have a picnic and visiting friends. But the most cool 

thing is that I play with my son. He is 5 years old and he likes basketball just 

like his dad. 

Last but not least, I invite you to my next exhibition in Ramallah, the 

Cultural Palace on October 13th, 2029 (my birthday). 


In the Future 

Mireille 


iwas born in the beautiful city of Jerusalem on 31 August 1997, and was 

raised in Ramallah. Growing up, I spent many hours drawing dresses and 

listening to music, and designing dresses for my Barbies and Bratz. High 

school graduation finally came, and soon I moved to Canada with the help and 

support of my parents. I spent four years attending fashion design and sewing 

courses in Toronto, then I started creating my own designs. 

After four years, I finished my courses and came back to Ramallah. I 

started my project with my grandfather who was a tailor and offered me his 

shop to start working. While working in Ramallah, I found out that being a 

designer is very limited and difficult, so I decided to move to Canada and 

restart working there. I started working very hard and at the beginning I faced 

many problems and then after that I became a famous designer. 

After 3 years of hard work I had my first fashion show in one of the biggest 

fashion showrooms in Canada and then I opened my own gallery. 

Now, I’m a famous designer. You can find my designs around the world in 

Canada, Europe and the United States. You can visit “my” design website: 

www.mireille.com. 


My Future 

Kristy Shammas 


my name is Kristy Shammas and I am 31 years old. I live in the United 

States of America and work as a children’s doctor. I have my own 

clinic, and I enjoy seeing the small children with an innocent smile on their 

face, visiting my clinic and playing with the nice toys I have brought for them. 

When I leave work and go back home, I like to practice my hobby of writing. 

When I was a little girl at school, my teachers and friends were always 

encouraging me to become a writer because I had my own writing style. 

I am happy with the life I am living now, and I would like to thank my teachers 

at the Friends School for teaching me and encouraging me to continue 

my studies and become what I am now. I thank God for all the blessings He 

has given me. I have always learned that with Him everything is possible. 


After 20 Years 

Mira Khayyat 


iremember when I was in sixth grade, our English teacher asked us to write 

a speech about how we would see ourselves after 20 years. I was then 11 

years old. As I sat to write about myself, I had many ideas. I thought about 

where, what, and how I see myself after 20 years, and I remember that I felt 

one thing for sure and that is, I want to be the best that I could be. 

Twenty years have passed, and I am now 31 years old. I can say that I have 

fulfilled many of the things that I wrote about in my speech. I have done many 

things during these 20 years. After school, I went to study interior design at a 

university in America. I studied very well, and after I finished my studies, I 

came back to work in my country, Palestine. 

Now I have my own business. I am a successful woman, who is happy with 

her work. I do very well in my work and I gain good money. All the people 

know me as a good interior designer, and they ask me to do the interior 

designs for their homes and projects. I hired people to help me with my work. 

I am married and have children, and thank God my kids are healthy and 

they study at the Friends Schools. I live in a nice house with my husband and 

children. We have our own house on top of a mountain. Each morning I wake 

up and drink coffee in the terrace and enjoy the nice view from there. 

Because I work, I need someone to help me with the housework. In the morning, 

I go to work, and drive my children to school. When I finish work, I come 

back home and take care of them. Each summer we travel to Europe. 

I live around the people whom I love—my mother, father, brother, and 

family—and I thank God for their health, and because they live a happy life. 

I am happy in my life, for I feel that I have done many good things for 

myself, for my family and the people around me. I am kind to others and I 

help people as much as I can. 

This is me now, and if you heard my speech before 20 years, you will say 

that this girl has done a lot in her life and has worked to make her dreams 

come true. 


After 20 Years in the Future 

Monther Al-Ahmad 


now I am 31 years old. I remember when 20 years before, my English 

teacher, Frieda, asked me to write a speech about how I’ll be when I am 

31 years old. I would love it if she were here now with me to see who I really 

am. 

Now, I am a man who is responsible for many things. First, I’m a director 

of a small engineering company, which provides different building designing 

services. I am an architecture engineer. I finished my Master studies of 

engineering in London. After finishing my studies, I made this company in 

Kuwait three years ago. Why Kuwait? Well, since I visited my uncle there in 

2008, I kept thinking of coming back to Kuwait. I enjoyed living there. And 

here I am back. 

I should say that my company is a small family business. Besides, my sister 

who helps me in my work is an internal designer. My wife also helps me in 

managing this company. Yes, I’ve told you, I have many responsibilities and 

as you see it is all about family here. But the sweetest responsibility that I 

enjoy each moment is taking care of my family. 


My Career 

Mohammad Shbat 


hi, I am Mohammad. I am 30 years old. I am a professional soccer player. 

I play offense mostly and sometimes defense. I played with more than 

one team, but now I am playing with Barcelona. I got a lot of goals and 

medals. I got the Best Player Award in 2003. In 2026, we played with Real 

Madrid, another good soccer team. That game ended in a tie, and the score 

was 2-2. It was a powerful game. 

I am married to a beautiful woman and have two kids, one boy named 

Ahmad, and one girl named Hiba. We live in Spain where my team is. We 

travel a lot because of the games and sometimes I take my family with me 

and sometimes I don’t. 

I spend most of my days practicing with my team and when I go home I 

play with my son, so he can be like me. I hope that my dream will come true. 


My Life 20 Years Later 

Raja Salti 


hello, my name is Raja. I am 31 years old and I’d like to introduce myself. 

I’m a famous doctor. 

When I graduated from high school, I went to Canada to study at the University 

of Toronto. I studied medicine and I graduated from the University. 

Then I became a doctor and opened a hospital in Palestine, named “Salti Hospital.” 

It’s always been my dream to help desperate children and old people. I 

have always been praying for God to become a famous doctor whom everyone 

knows and can go to for any help. And I did, I succeeded. 

Now, I am Dr. Raja Salti, and I have one child who is five years old. I teach 

him how to play basketball because it was my favorite hobby when I was little. 

So now I am sure my kid will enjoy it when he learns it. My wife, my child and I 

live in my beloved country Palestine. I have a nice home in Ramallah, living 

my dream and wishing that happiness, peace, and joy will always remain on 

the road of my life. 


My Life 

Tala Shehadeh 


hi my name is Tala. I am 30 years old and today I’m going to tell you 

about my life. 

Twenty years ago, some people said that it is a long way to go to age 30. 

When we were little kids our skills and desires were not clear, but as we 

grew up, things started to become clearer. 

Have you ever thought of being a lawyer? All days and all nights I have 

been questioning myself, what’s the job of a lawyer? Finally, I found out the 

answer and that is to give advice on legal matters. I wanted to know more 

about this job. 

After learning more about this job, I decided that when I grow up I will 

be a lawyer. As you see me now, my dream came true, and I am now a 

famous lawyer. 

After I decided to study law, I went to Jordan University and studied law, 

and I earned my Bachelor’s degree in four years. Then I went to the United 

States to continue my studies at Harvard University, and I had my Master’s 

degree. 

Afterwards, I opened my own law office and it worked pretty well for two 

years. During those years, I always had the feeling and the need to go back 

to my country Palestine so that I can serve my country with all the experience 

I have. 

When I got back to Palestine, I went to work at Shehadeh Law Office, which 

was founded by my grandfather, Aziz Shehadeh. I made that decision because 

I wanted to keep the good reputation of his office. 

When I became 24 years old, I got married and I had 3 children, one girl 

and two boys. I named them Talleen, Chadi and Ramzi. 

I spend a lot of time with them playing and doing many activities like 

basketball and tennis, and sometimes I would call my best friend, Dina, to 

join us. Since I used to play sports all the time, this kept me healthy and in 

good shape. 

I hope that everybody will have a great life like me and will have many 

chances in life that will lead them to the best. 


My Future Life 

Yousef Jubran 


after a long day of studying, I was very tired. I started dreaming of the 

days that I would have no homework to do. I began to see myself in the 

future. 

I saw myself in Los Angeles, California, as a young man, with big muscles, 

healthy body and good shape. I have blond hair and a mustache. 

I’m in the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment). After I finish practicing, I 

go to act in Hollywood. I’m a well-known actor, known as Josef Jubran. I act in 

many movies with different characters. I act with lots of famous stars such as 

Zac Efron, Will Smith and Selena Gomez. 

When my mom woke me up to study, I was upset. I wished that my vision 

of my future life did not end! It was so much fun, and above all it was homework-free. 


My Future 

Zaid Shaka 


hi, I am Zaid Shaka and I am thirty years old. I am married and I have two 

kids named Mohammad and Issa. Mohammad looks exactly like me, but 

Issa looks like his beautiful mom. 

I studied engineering at Harvard University in the United States. I spent five 

years there, and made a lot of friends. 

I like my job, even though I work for long hours, but I don’t mind. I 

designed many beautiful buildings. You can go and see them if you visit 

San Francisco. 

Now I am settled in the beautiful city of Malaga in Spain in a big beach 

house, which I designed especially for my family. Every year, I come to Palestine 

so I can visit my parents. 

Thank God I have a beautiful house and the car that I wished for, the 

amazing Ferrari. I also thank Him for the happy family and the nice house 

He gave me. 


My Life in 20 Years 

Jawad Malki 


my name is Doctor Jawad Malki. I am a 31-year old veterinarian living in 

Ramallah in the independent and free State of Palestine. 

I have finished my studies in medicine at Toronto University in Canada. 

After my graduation from the university, I started working with the Toronto 

City Council Animal Protection Department, in addition to a private practice 

with a friend. 

I have gained a good experience in Canada, and then I decided to return to 

Palestine where I have started my own animal hospital in Ramallah. 

I am married and I have three children. I am planning to send my children 

to the Friends Girls School soon. I like living in Ramallah because I love my 

country Palestine. And I love taking care of my children and my old Dad 

and Mom. 


Interviews with adults

Michael Chabon, Parent and Author 

Interviewed by Lola Keene, fifth grade, Park Day School, and 

Violet Traub-Epstein and Amelia Huster, fourth grade, Park Day School 

michael Chabon is one of the most celebrated 

writers of his generation. His first 

novel, The Mysteries of Pittsburgh (1988), was 

published when Chabon was 25 and catapulted 

him to literary celebrity. He followed it with a second 

novel, Wonder Boys (1995), and two shortstory 

collections. In 2000, Chabon published The 

Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, a critically 

acclaimed novel that The New York Review of 

Books called his magnum opus; it received the 

Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001. His most recent 

novel, The Yiddish Policemen's Union, an alternate 

history mystery novel, was published in 2007 to 

enthusiastic reviews and won the Hugo, Sidewise, 

and Nebula awards. 

Michael 

Lola, Violet & Amelia: 

Michael: 


Michael: 


Michael: 

When did you start writing? 

I started saying that I was going to be a writer when I 

grew up around the time that I was 10 or 11. The first 

story I ever wrote was about Sherlock Holmes meeting 

Captain Nemo from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I 

had so much fun writing it that I decided that was the 

life for me. Plus my teacher gave me an A on it. 

What was your first book called? 

The Mysteries of Pittsburgh. I was 21 when I started 

writing it. It was published when I was 24. 

Do you write books for kids, or do you only write 

books for adults? 

So far I have written one book for readers young and 

old, called Summerland. 



Michael: 


Michael: 


Michael: 

What is your favorite book that you have written? 

The one I am working on now. It's called Telegraph 

Avenue. 

How long do books usually take to write? Which one 

took the longest? Which one was the fastest? 

The slowest was one that I never published; it was supposed 

to be my second novel and I worked on it for 

nearly five years before I finally abandoned it. The 

fastest was Gentleman of the Road. It's short. It only 

took about two months to write. 

What or who inspired you to start writing books? 

My love of reading, which I got from my parents who 

were both big readers. When I told them I wanted to 

be a writer, they thought that was a fine ambition. 

Lola, Violet & Amelia: How old are you now? 

Michael: I will be 46 on May 24. 


Michael: 


Michael: 


Michael: 


Michael: 

Did writing change your life, if yes, how? 

I am sure that it must have, but since I have been 

doing it for such a long time, and since a writer is all I 

ever wanted to be, it's very hard to imagine how my 

life would have been otherwise. 

What do you do when you are not writing? 

I take care of my four children, Sophie, Zeke, Rosie 

and Abe, and hang out with them and my wife, Ayelet 

Waldman. I travel a lot for work. For fun I like to read, 

watch movies, cook and listen to music. 

What kinds of books do like to write? 

The kind that, I hope, make people sorry when they're 

over. 

What kinds of books do you like to read? 

I like to read books that tell good stories, using language 

that is elegant, powerful and stylish. 



Michael: 


Michael: 

Which book was the hardest to write? 

It depends on what you mean by “hard.” It was hard to 

write that book for five years and not finish it. But 

they're all hard. They're mostly hard just because they 

take so long to write. You have to stick to it, every day, 

day after day, year after year. That's hard. 

Where do you work? 

In a little office, in the garden behind my house in 

Berkeley. 

Lola, Violet & Amelia: Do you write the first draft on the computer, or do 

you hand write it? 

Michael: Everything on a computer, since 1983. 


Michael: 


Michael: 

Have you ever written a book with one of your kids in it? 

Little bits and pieces of most of the people in my life 

have ended up in my books over the years. Sometimes 

it's a physical trait, or something they said, or a 

memory I have of them. 

How many books have you written? 

Um, 10, I think. 


Tom Little, Director, Park Day School 

Interviewed by Niko Darci-Maher, fourth grade, Park Day School 

Tom 

Niko: 

Tom: 

Niko: 

Tom: 

Niko: 

Tom: 

Can you tell me what job you do at Park School? 

My job is Director of Park Day School, and I have been 

the Director for 23 years. My job is to manage the 

finances of the school, to hire new teachers and staff, 

and to make sure that the kids and teachers are 

happy. I am also in charge of supervising the staff and 

helping them grow. I work with the Board and I am 

responsible for the overall big picture of the school. 

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when 

you grew up? 

When I was a kid, I thought I would be a professional 

basketball player, but I was too short. 

What are your hobbies outside of school? 

I used to be a basketball referee, but I retired a few 

years ago. I love to read and take long walks in the 


country with my wife, Elizabeth. I have a granddaughter, 

Alaya, and I love to spend time with her 

and her parents. 

Niko: 

Tom: 

Niko: 

Tom: 

Niko: 

Tom: 

What are the worst parts of your job? 

The hardest parts are when a good friend, and parent 

at our school, like Jeff Rosen (Sammy’s dad) is so 

sick, and then dies. I really miss Jeff. The most fun 

parts are when I get to be in the classroom with the 

kids. Any time I am around the kids it is really fun. 

Where is your family from? 

My grandparents were from Ireland, and came over to 

America in 1896. They started out on the East coast, 

but moved to San Francisco. I am a second generation 

San Franciscan, and I love the city. I still identify as a 

person with Irish ancestry. 

What are the best parts of your job? 

Once a group of 6th graders came to my office, wanting 

to start a peace demonstration and walk through 

the streets of Oakland. It was when the United States 

first invaded Iraq in the early 1990’s. I knew that I 

needed their parent’s permission, but I also knew that 

it would be important to allow them to express their 

opinions about the war. So, I decided to call all of the 

families and get permission, and then we marched 

around the neighborhood. I think the kids remember 

that day, and felt that their voice made a difference. 


Cassandra McCraw, Office Manager, Park Day School 

Interviewed by Shira Fitzpatrick-Zimet, fifth grade, Park Day School 

Cassandra 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Cassandra, how long have you been at PDS? 

I’ve been here for ten years, because I wanted to be 

connected to a community of families. 

What do you do around the school? 

I help set up and entertain. 

What did you do before you came to Park Day? 

I worked at UC Berkeley. 

What else would you want to do if you weren’t at Park Day? 

I would want to be a special education teacher. 

What inspired you growing up? 

My family inspired me. 

What inspires you now? 

Now people who are working for peace inspire me. 


Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

Shira: 

Cassandra: 

With whom do you live? 

I live with my daughter, partner and two dogs. 

What is your whole name? 

Cassandra Ursula McCraw. 

What sport did you play growing up? 

I did ballet until 7th grade. 

What do you like to do when you are not working? 

I like to walk my dogs at Point Isabel, and I like to read. 

What is your favorite food? 

My favorite food is pasta. 

Do you have any siblings? 

I have two brothers. Their names are Cedric and Steven. 

Where do you live? 

I live in Oakland. 

Where did you live in the past? 

I was born and grew up in Oakland. 

When you retire, what will you do? 

After Park, I will rest and travel. 

How long do you plan on working here? 

I will work here until I can’t work here anymore. 

What is your favorite fruit? 

My favorite fruits are berries. 

What do you like about your job? 

The kids and the variety of tasks I do each day. 

What do you dislike about your job? 

Probably the most distasteful is having to clean up 

after a child is sick. 


Julie Skolar, upper grade Spanish teacher, Park Day School 

Interviewed by Tess and Sophia Taylor, fifth grade, Park Day School 

Julie 

Tess and Sophia: 

Julie: 


Julie: 


Julie: 

What do you enjoy about teaching Spanish, and why? 

I love teaching languages. The silliness of the method 

I use is effective because it makes it fun; it makes 

people want to learn the language. 

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time? 

I love bicycling and exploring in general. I don’t like 

cars, but I do think it would be fun to ride like a dog 

in the back of a pick up truck. 

What do you dislike about teaching Spanish, and why? 

There is nothing I dislike about teaching Spanish! 



Julie: 


Julie: 


Julie: 

When did you learn to speak Spanish and was it 

challenging? 

I learned as a teenager and yes, there were hard 

parts, but I always loved it. 

What do you like about the language and the culture 

that you teach, and why? 

I love the Spanish culture and I especially love 

going to Puerto Rico. It is a warm and joyous culture 

and language. 

When you lived in Puerto Rico what was your favorite 

thing to do? 

I loved the long walks on the beach and having fun 

with friends. I also enjoyed hiking in the mountains. 


Food

laurel and Siena are really interested in food and cooking. They are 

responsible for the food section of this magazine and have included an 

interview with the owner/chef of a local restaurant as well as some of their 

favorite recipes. 

They are curious about others’ interests and tastes in food and so they 

have started a blog, which they invite you to visit. They are interested in 

knowing what your favorite types of food are … 

Please go to the blog listed below to participate. Thanks. 

introducingrestaurants.blogspot.com 


An Interview with Chef Chris Rossi 

Laurel Rosenbaum and Siena Bogatin, fifth grade, Park Day School 

chris Rossi is a parent at Park Day School, and is the chef/owner of 

a popular restaurant in Oakland named Citron. 

Chris, Siena and Laurel 

Laurel and Siena: 

Chris: 


Chris: 


Chris: 

What is your favorite dish, and why? 

There may not be a specific one. When I go to a store, 

I like what is in season and fresh. It is fun to go to the 

fish market and ask what came in this morning. At 

Citron, we do that for the menu. 

What is the hardest dish, and why? 

Believe it or not, the hardest dish is the one that I’ve 

done a lot. If I’ve done things over ten times, then it’s 

the hardest, because I get bored with it. Desserts and 

pastries are very hard. 

Why did you decide you wanted to become a chef? 

I don’t know that I ever made a conscious decision. At 

first it was just easy - one thing followed another. I was 


in college and I found out I could cater during weekends. 

The weekend jobs became more consistent 

and all of a sudden it was 25 years later and I own a 

restaurant. 


Chris: 


Chris: 


Chris: 


Chris: 


Chris: 

How did your life change when you had kids? 

Everything changed really. My wife and I waited to have 

kids for three years while I got Citron restaurant going. 

When you have kids it gives you a purpose to keep 

working hard. 

Where did you go to become a chef? What was 

your experience? 

I never went to school to become a chef. There are 

two ways to become a chef --go to school and get a 

degree, or the European model of apprenticeship. 

Under apprenticeship, I went to restaurants and helped 

chefs, and got a certificate for working as a chef. 

Could you tell us about starting Citron? 

I started working there in 1995. I was working there 

as a prep cook. I worked with a chef named Craig 

Thomas. He asked me if I had ever thought about 

owning a restaurant. Then he offered the restaurant 

to me. 

Why did you choose Mediterranean and French food 

for your restaurant? 

I did not really choose it. I owned the restaurant with 

the previous owner and decided not to change his 

menu at first. But, since then, in the past 12 years, we 

have changed a lot. Now our menu is more Californian 

than French or Mediterranean. 

What other jobs would you do if you were not a chef? 

I think about this one a lot. I guess I would be a handyman. 

I have learned how to do plumbing, electric work 

and welding at the restaurant. These are things you 

have to do when you own a restaurant business. 


Recipes for Different Kinds of Cakes (From the Internet) 

Siena Bogatin and Laurel Rosenbaum, fifth grade, Park Day School 

Ingredients 

2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 

1 tablespoon baking powder 

3/4 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 cups white sugar 

1/2 cup shortening 

2 eggs 

1 cup milk 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Directions 

For a Yellow Cake: Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in 

shortening until fine crumbs are formed. Add eggs, milk, and vanilla. Beat at 

low speed for 1 minute, then high for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl frequently. 

Pour batter into greased and floured 9x13 inch pan. Bake in preheated 

350 degree F oven (175 degrees C) for 25 to 30 minutes. 

Variation for a White Cake: Prepare as for the basic cake except use 3 egg 

whites for the 2 whole eggs. Whites may be beaten separately and added for 

a lighter cake. 

Variation for a Chocolate Cake: Add 1/4 cup cocoa powder to the basic 

cake mix prior to adding the milk. 

Variation for a Spice Cake: Add 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon 

ground cloves, and 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice to the basic cake mix. 

Variation for a Pineapple Upside Down Cake: Melt 1/2 cup butter in the bottom 

of a 9x13 pan. Add 2/3 cup brown sugar, stirring into the butter. Arrange 

pineapple slices in the pan. Top with the basic (yellow cake) mix recipe. Bake 

30 to 35 minutes, cool 5 minutes, and invert to serve. 


Chocolate Chip Cookies (From the Internet) 

Siena Bogatin and Laurel Rosenbaum, fifth grade, Park Day School 

Ingredients 

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

1 cup butter 

3/4 cup granulated sugar 

3/4 cup brown sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract in 1 1/2 tablespoons of water 1/2 teaspoon 

vanilla bean paste (optional) 

3 small or 2 large eggs 

2 cups chocolate chips or chunks 

1 1/4 cup walnuts, pecans or Macadamia nuts, chopped 

1/2 cup raisins or dried cherries, chopped 

Before Baking: 

Preheat oven to 375°F. 

Remove butter and eggs from refrigerator about 20 minutes before baking. 

Soak raisins or dried cherries (or a combination of these) in 1 teaspoon 

vanilla extract and 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of water for 1 hour before using. 

After dried fruit have soaked up the vanilla, measure two tablespoons of liquid 

and reserve to add to cookie dough. 

Cut sheets of Parchment Paper to fit the cookie sheets that will be used. 

The paper helps to keep the bottoms of the cookies from becoming too 

browned and the cookies slide off the hot sheets easily, making clean-up a 

breeze. 


Making the Cookies: 

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together butter and the two kinds of 

sugar until creamy. Add one egg at a time, beating after each one is added. 

Stir in the vanilla liquid and the bean paste. 

On a piece of Parchment Paper, sift together flour, baking soda and salt. 

Folding paper in the center, gradually pour flour mixture into the mixer bowl 

while mixing at the lowest speed. Mix only until combined; do not over-mix or 

the cookies will be tough. 

Using a wooden spoon, stir in chocolate chips, chopped nuts and dried 

raisins/fruit. 

Drop onto baking sheets lined with Parchment Paper by spoonfuls using a 

small ice cream or cookie scoop or two large tablespoons. 

Bake from 9-12 minutes or until golden brown along the edges. Remove 

from oven and allow to cool for 2-3 minutes before removing to a cooling rack 

or flat cool surface. 

Makes 50-60 cookies, depending on size.

Issue 7 - June 2009 - Ramallah Friends Schools

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