June 2012 - 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 10 June 2012 

Note to our Readers 

Park Day School, Oakland, California 

this issue marks the 10th anniversary of Children Without Borders, a joint magazine between the 

students of Park Day School in Oakland, California and The Friends School in Ramallah, Palestine. 

It seems incredible now to remember back to 2002, in the aftermath of rising anti-Muslim and 

anti-Arab sentiment in American following 9/11, when two students from PDS requested help in 

creating a magazine with children in an Arab country. They believed that if American children had an 

opportunity to connect with Arab children and get to know them, the former would grow up with a 

more open heart and mind to question stereotypes they encountered. 

The children, through their interviews, their stories and poetry, through their art and through the 

process of putting together each issue of the magazine have come to learn something about their 

similarities and their differences and to appreciate the diversity that is expressed in the product of 

their labor. They are able to experience the satisfaction of contributing to something larger, worldlier. 

There is a sense of empowerment at being able to take action to promote peace and understanding in 

the world. 

We thank the children for sharing their 

stories, the staff at Park Day School, our 

graphic designer, Dickie Magidoff, as well 

as Fred Schwartz and Cherlyn Oto, and 

Farouk Barzin of Green Copy for their support 

and contributions. 

Special thanks to Stephanie Cole at 

the Ramallah Friends School and the children 

of the Friends School for their commitment 

to the magazine project. 

The energy and enthusiasm that the 

children bring to this project each week 

gives us hope for the future. 

Thank you. 

Mona Halaby, Suzie McLean and Cathy Shields 

Park Day School of Oakland, California

Note to Reader 

Friends School Introduction 

what is it like to go to school in California? Do kids play soccer in Oakland? Do they have a big 

playground? Do the kids know how to speak Arabic? Do their teachers speak English? Do kids 

there like falafal and hummos? Do they live in apartments or houses? 

These questions and more were all things we discussed as the students at Friends Girls School in 

Ramallah worked on their parts of Children Without Borders and “met” their partners from Park Day 

School. 

Children Without Borders prompts our students to consider a world outside their own, looking past 

differences and seeing common ground. The wall disappears between them and they express themselves 

with no inhibition or prejudice. They go above the adult world of politics and see a common 

future as a new generation in the world—hopeful, happy and free. 

It has been my pleasure to work this school year with the Children Without Borders team on the 

tenth anniversary issue of this unique publication. Our 4th, 5th and 6th grade students have enjoyed 

writing articles, making acrostics, taking photos, and responding to the interview questions from Park 

Day School students. I would like to 

recognize the efforts of my English 

Department colleagues for their 

assistance with this project. 

We greatly appreciate Park Day 

School’s continued engagement 

with Ramallah Friends Girls School. 

Our students are eager to continue 

to reach out and learn about the 

day-to-day lives of the students in 

Oakland, California. 

Happy 10th year, Children 

Without Borders! 

Stephanie Cole, Academic Head, 

Ramallah Friends School 

Friends School of Ramallah, Palestine 

Children Without Borders 2

working on the magazine

Acrostic Poems

these acrostic poems are meant to be introductions before the kids from each school send their 

interview questions to the other. Using the initial letters in their name, each student created a poem 

describing themselves to their new penpals. 

Park Day School 

lollipop lover 

unique 

laughable 

awesome 

Lula Coldiron, Grade 5 

super Awesome 

totally Cool 

energetically Energetic 

lOL 

loco 

amazingly Owly 

Stella Strader, Grade 5 

spelling lover 

awesome friend 

math lover 

intelligent 

a drawing lover 

Samia Nelson, Grade 4 

soccer 

yells loud 

loves ice cream 

vaughn is one of my best friends 

i like cupcakes 

acting is fun 

Sylvia Barmack, Grade 4 

supper 

outstanding 

funny 

intelligent 

also I LOVE soccer 

Sofia Sani, Grade 5 

totally loves moose and parkour 

ostriches are really scary 

being happy! 

yaks are awesome! 

Toby Darci-Maher, Grade 5 

soccer 

optimistic 

never not liking alphasmarts 

i like acting 

awesome 

Sonia McCollum, Grade 4 

yogurt is my least favorite dairy 

um, I am awesome! 

kind 

interested in dance 

Yuki Koch, Grade 4 


moo! 

awesome 

totally cool beans 

totally weird 

insane for pandas 

easily excitable 

Mattie Hollenbach, Grade 5 

platypuses are cool 

artistic 

others are awesome 

loves nature 

almost always reading 

Paola Giron-Carson, Grade 5 

mammal 

independent 

yellow is not my favorite color 

apple pie is yummy 

Miya Kutchins, Grade 5 

passionate 

animal lover 

really loves owls 

krazy 

excited 

really happy most of the time 

Parker Reinheimer, Grade 5 

not a moose but I wish I was 

i like to do parkour 

care about stuffed animals 

over excited about bunnies 

likes moose and platypus 

artistic 

Nicola van Moon, Grade 5 

olive eyes 

loves to read 

interested in many things 

very fun 

ideas pop in to her mind all the time 

artistic 

Olivia Talley, Grade 5 

i like cake 

dinosaurs are so cool 

awesome 

ridiculous 

optimistic 

silly 

energetic 

Ida Rose Chabon, Grade 5 

super cool brother 

acting is awesome 

dog lover 

intelligent 

excited about going to Australia to see my 

family. 

Sadie Ellis-Caleo, Grade 4 


silly 

awesome 

marine enthusiast 

Sam Lopez, Grade 5 

jazzy 

artistic 

kicks soccer balls 

energetic 

Jacob Greenberg-Bell, Grade 5 

clarifies things 

loves dogs 

also likes rats 

ridiculously funny 

absolutely extravagant 

Clara Hollowgrass, Grade 5 

loveable 

easy going 

intelligent 

likeable 

awesome 

Leila Mottley, Grade 4 

energetic 

marvelous 

makes lots of jokes 

epic guitarist 

totally loves sports 

Emmet Burk, Grade 5 

likes Parkor 

invincible 

awesome 

monster Man 

Liam Cunningham, Grade 5 

happy 

artistic 

yay hedgehogs 

loves root beer 

enthusiastic 

yippy, Blue 

lovely 

unique 

crazy cool 

yo! 

Lucy Pierce, Grade 5 

Hayley Ross, Grade 5 

half-man, half-bear and half-pig 

energetic!!!!!!! 

never hates sports 

really artistic 

yes, I am single! 

laughing! 

unique! 

crazy Creative! 

yo dude! 

Lucy Swinson, Grade 5 

Henry Smith, Grade 5 


Ramallah Friends School 

artistic 

young 

adventurous 

happy 

Ayah Ghozzi, Grade 4 

modern 

innocent 

clever 

happy 

eager 

lively 

Michel Masaad, Grade 4 

funny 

artistic 

dark 

industrious 

Fadi Shihadeh, Grade 4 

gabrielle 

animal 

bright 

rice 

igloo 

egypt 

lean 

letter 

ear 

Gabrielle Nino, Grade 4 

adventurous 

helpful 

magnificent 

attractive 

delightful 

Ahmad Durra, Grade 4 

tired 

ambitious 

little 

elegant 

excited 

nice 

Taleen Abdullah, Grade 4 

intelligent 

young 

alert 

dark 

Iyad Altamimi, Grade 4 

yellow 

animal 

ramallah 

apple 

Yara Barghouthy, Grade 4 


kangaroo 

apple 

rabbit 

arrow 

melon 

Karam Al-Deek, Grade 4 

sweet 

angel 

lover 

moon 

amazing 

Salma Amro, Grade 4 

lettuce 

elbow 

elmo 

nail 

exciting 

Leene Zraiq, Grade 4 

zebra 

english 

instruments 

nurse 

Zein Abu Hijleh, Grade 4 

Looking to the Future 

in the following articles, two students, one from each school, have spoken from their 

hearts, teaching us about the world as they see it. We felt that Yara’s expression of hope 

and Sophia’s belief in her ability to change the world spoke eloquently to the goals of this 

magazine project. 

Children have a lot to teach us. Truly one can believe in a better world with young people 

such as the ones we have met at the Friends School and here at Park Day. 

Mona, Suzie, and Cathy 


Hope for the Future 

by Yara Abu Yousef 

Grade 6, Ramallah Friends School 

i 

am a positive person and I have hope for the future. Even if it’s difficult, 

but there is an end in sight where things will be better, then I 

have hope. 

Yara 

When I see kids that are younger than me and they’re working and they don’t go to school 

because their parents are farm workers and have no money and they have to work, I have hope 

that one day if the occupation ends, their parents will be able to provide for them so they can 

go to school. This means that they can work on the land and have control over their lives. 

We don’t really have money as a country. Most Palestinians work as farmers. That makes the 

land really important to us. It’s the only way parents can provide for children. 

When I’m at a checkpoint, I still have hope. I hope that the checkpoint will come down 

someday and I’ll be able to go wherever want just like other kids in the world. 

When I see the wall and how it divides our citizens and stops people from knowing 

their own families, I still have hope. I see the campaigns against the wall and have hope 

that it will one day be torn down. 

When I hear kids talking about Israel and say wrong facts, I still have hope that in the 

future kids from Palestine and from Israel become friends and not stay enemies forever 

because of an occupation. I want them to just talk about it like it’s the history of 

a country. I hope they can enter our schools and we can enter theirs. They can learn 

things about us and we can learn from them. We 

can learn each others’ traditions and that will help 

a lot. We can learn about Hanukkah. If kids start 

coming here, we can learn more things about the 

Jewish religion and they can learn about Islam and 

Christianity. Palestine is the only place with three 

religions, but if you’re a citizen you’d realize that 

people don’t know much about other people. 

In America, it seems like it’s easy to have 

hope. America is a strong country. People have 

rights. No one can come in and take your house. 

In America you can go where you want to. You can 

see your family and visit places. You don’t have to carry a card with your 

identification information all the time. I hope Palestinians can also be like 

that one day. 

I am a positive person and I have hope for the future. We will 

be like other children in the world. One day 

we will be friends. 


Looking to 

the Future 

by Sophia Taylor 

Grade 8, Park Day School 

Sophia 

on the occasion of Tom’s 25th Anniversary as Director of Park Day 

hello, my name is Sophia Taylor and I am an 8th grade student here at Park Day 

School. I would like to start today by acknowledging Tom Little for 25 years of being 

a dedicated director of this school. 

Park Day is an amazing and unique community. There is an awareness of the world 

at Park that you couldn’t find at any other school. From Care Week, Pride Day, and 

Cultures Day, students get to hear stories and learn about the experiences of others, 

from the guests that visit. At Park we students have the opportunity to expand our 

knowledge and dive deeper into our thoughts. I have always felt encouraged by my 

teachers and peers to share my opinions. Park feels open and welcoming. Learning 

is something students here love and enjoy. 

Our beliefs about education are reflected in the principles this school is built 

around. “We believe that it is essential to foster in our students the belief that an 

individual can make a difference in the world.” I choose this quote from a letter, 

about our school that Tom wrote on the Park Day School website. I really love 

this quote because it makes me think about how my actions affect others, and 

it makes me feel I have the power to make a change in the world. Park helps 

students feel that we can make a difference, big or small, and not to feel 

like our opinions don’t count, because of our age. Today I have the honor 

of presenting the “Identity and Social Justice Library” that will be placed in 

the middle school library, in Tom’s name. Students for years to come will 

be able to read books about people’s true struggles, that other students 

found meaningful and important. 

Park Day School is a community in which everyone has a place. Here 

at Park we are a diverse group of students, staff, and families. Because 

of my time at Park, I’ve gained insight into social justice, a multitude of 

cultures, and environmental awareness. Students at Park are taught 

to be academically strong, and politically correct. Park is a school that 

does more than just tell us what we should know. Along with everything 

we are taught, we are given an experience. Whether it’s a trip 

to the ropes course, or a week in Costa Rica. 


interviews

Toby Darci-Maher Interviews 

Ibrahim Awad 

Toby 

Ibrahim 

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

name is Toby. I am a boy. 

My name is Ibrahim and I am a boy. 

How old are you? When is your birthday? I am 

11; my birthday is January 14. 

I am 10 years old and my birthday is June 6. 

Do you have siblings? If so, what are their 

name(s)? I have two siblings (both boys) and 

their names are Niko (older) and Theo (younger). 

Niko is always mean to me. Theo on the other 

hand is always nice! 

I have two brothers and two sisters. The boys 

are Faris and Ameer. The girls are Zeina and 

Diana. 

Do you have a pet? If so, what is its name? I 

have one cat, and three chickens. Their names 

are Tara (cat), Redhead, MR. Hoppy, and Checkers. 

(Those are all the chickens). 

I don’t have a pet, but maybe someday I will. 

What is your favorite animal? Do you have one 

as a pet? My favorite animal is a moose (me and 

my friends call the plural of moose meese, so if 

you see meese you know what I mean) and of 

course it’s not my pet, it’s a little BIG! 

My favorite is the dog, but I don’t have one. 

What do you want to do when you grow up? 

What do you want to be? When I grow up I want 

to help meese by giving them an area where no 

one can hurt them at all. Or maybe I will become 

a computer programmer like my dad. 

I want to be a doctor. 

What is your favorite thing to do in the snow? 

My favorite thing to do in the snow is build snow 

forts and sled runs. But I have to say that sled 

runs are more fun. Also you can make it go off of 

huge jumps! 

I like to play with my friends and make a 

snowman. 

Can you describe a typical day in your life? What 

is it like? A typical day in my life goes like this: I 

wake up and go to school around 8:30. School 

starts at 8:45 but we want to be a little early. 

Then I do many things in school that always 

change. The only thing that does not change is 

that we have recess around 10 and lunch around 

11:50. Then I go home and do homework and 

what not. Then I have dinner around 7:00. Then I 

go to bed around 10:00. 

I like Sundays and Fridays because I go to the 

soccer club. 

What is your favorite topic in school? Do you 

sometimes do it out of school? My favorite topic 

is math. I think it is fun to figure out formulas so 

I do that out of school a lot! It is so fun! 

Math and English are my favorite subjects in 

school. I study with my father and I talk with my 

family in English sometimes. 

What do you like to do at your house? What 

does it look like? I like to play lots of different 

things like “Ascension” which is a game with lots 

of cards and coins and such. My house is painted 

red and yellow and it has a big yard. It has 1 floor 

and 9 rooms and a water tower, which has one of 

our bathrooms in it. 

I like to play PS3. My house looks like a maze 

and it is medium size. 

Do you play any sports? If so what are/is they/it? 

Do you like it/them? I play soccer and I like it a 

lot and I play it in the spring and in the fall. I also 

do Parcour, which is an acrobatic sort of sport 

that is used for running away from other people! 

I am doing the basics but the most advanced 

people at Parcour jump from building to building! 

Me too, I play soccer. I am so good. I play 

matches with many teams, and I play with my 

friends. 


Tallulah Coldiron Interviews 

Hala Abu Al Tayeb 

Tallulah 

Hala 

What is your name, and are you a boy or a girl? 

My name is Tallulah Jamaica Coldiron. I am a girl. 

My name is Hala and I’m a girl. 

How old are you? When do you celebrate your 

birthday? How do you celebrate your birthday? 

What gifts would you like to receive? I am 10. My 

birthday is May 21, 2001. I usually have a party 

with my friends and family, and have dessert. 

The dessert I’d like is a jelly filled donut, or a 

piece of cake or cookie. For my birthday I would 

like to receive a calendar for my room to record 

the date and events coming up. 

I am 10. My birthday is December 16, 2001. I 

usually have a party with my friends and family. 

I have my favorite dessert-candy or donuts and 

my mother’s yummy cake. For my birthday I 

would like to get a camera just for me. 

Do you play any sports? If you do, what sports 

do you play? I play soccer, tennis, and basketball. 

I play all positions in soccer and basketball. 

I love sports. I play them a lot in my backyard. 

I play soccer on one of the highest teams in 

Oakland. 

I play basketball, soccer and swimming. I 

love sports and I play sports with my friends. I’m 

good at basketball. I play basketball on one of 

the best teams in Ramallah. 

What do you do in your spare time? I practice 

playing sports in my backyard. I love drawing, so 

I often draw in my room, and sometimes even 

paint. I have three brothers, so a lot of the time 

in the afternoon I play with them. Sometimes I 

turn on the music and dance in my room. 

I play with my friends and sometimes with 

my brother Hareem. I love reading, so I keep 

reading books. 

What pets do you have? What kinds are they? 

What are their names? I don’t have a pet yet, but 

I’m getting a male Maltese dog in a few months, 

so I’m super excited. 

I don’t have a pet either, but I’m getting a 

female cat in one month, so I’m super excited. 

What is your favorite color, and why? My favorite 

color is purple, because it looks like a happy 

color. It’s perfect for me, because I’m a happy 

person. I also think it’s a pretty color. 

My favorite colors are red and blue. I think 

they are cool and perfect for me. 

Who is your favorite singer or band, and why? My 

favorite group is an alternative, light rock group 

called Coldplay because they have really good 

lyrics to their songs, which are also very catchy 

and easy to understand. I have never been to 

one of their concerts, but they’re still my favorite 

band. 

My favorite singer is Michael Jackson. He 

died two years ago. His songs make me feel so 

happy and powerful. I sing his songs every day. 

He is my favorite singer. 

What do you like to wear? I like to wear sports 

clothes, like shorts, shirts, comfortable sweatshirts, 

and running shoes. I don’t like wearing 

dresses, because they are too poufy and big for 

me. I like wearing more active clothes. 

I like to wear sports clothes and jeans. I like 

running shoes too, because they are so puffy. 

What’s your favorite book? My favorite book is 

Grim, which is written by Adam Gidwitz. It’s a 

mixed-up story about Hansel and Gretel. It is one 

of those books I am able to read over and over 

and not get bored with. 

My favorite book is Cam Janson. I love it 

because it talks about looking for things. 


Where were you born? I was born in London 

England. I am both a citizen of the UK and the 

United States. Since I was born in London, I can’t 

be a U.S. president, which kind of stinks. 

I was born in America in California and I am so 

sorry for you that you can’t be a U.S. president. 

Sylvia Barmack Interviews 

Leen Qudsi 

Sylvia 

Leen 

Do you play any 

sports, if so which one? I play soccer for Bay 

Oaks Soccer Club. This spring I am going to start 

playing lacrosse. 

I like to play soccer for fun. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters? How old 

are your brothers and sisters and what are their 

names and how old are they? I have one brother 

whose name is Max and is eleven years old. My 

brother and I get into a lot of fights. 

I have one brother whose name is Omar. He 

is eight years old. We always play soccer. I have 

one sister whose name is Rand. She’s five years 

old. We get in many fights. 

What is your name? Are you a boy or a girl, and 

how old are you? My name is Sylvia and I am a 

9-year-old girl. 

My name is Leen and I am a 10-year-old girl. 

Who is your teacher and what is his/her name? 

My teacher is a funny guy named Bob. He is a 

really good teacher for me. 

My teacher is a good teacher and her name is 

Sabira. 

When is your birthday and what do you want for 

your birthday? My birthday is on September 10th 

and I want a laptop computer. I really love my 

birthday. Sometimes I have a sleepover and I 

always have a dinner at a restaurant. 

My birthday is on May 15th and I want PSP. I 

love my birthday. We always go to the beach and 

eat fish. 

Do you have pets, if so what kind? My brother 

and I have a snake and ten fish. The snake is 

kind of gross to me, because my brother feeds 

it rats. 

I don’t have any kind of pet. 

What grade are you in and how many people are 

in your class? I am in 4th grade and there are 

18 people in my class. There are 10 girls and 

8 boys. 

I am in 4th grade and there are 30 people in 

my class. There are 18 girls and 12 boys. 

What is your favorite type of food? I like rice, 

cheese, and bean burritos and pepperoni pizza. 

My brother likes the same kinds of food as I do. 

My dad does most of the cooking at our house. 

I like chicken and pizza. My mother and my 

dad always cook chicken and pizza. 

Do you play any video game systems, if so what 

kind? I play video games a lot. My brother, Max 

and I share an X-Box, a Wii, a Gamecube, 2 

iPods, 2 DS’, 1 computer, and 1 iPad. My favorite 

game is Fifa 10 on the X-Box. 

I play video games a lot. Me and my brother 

and my sister share 1DS, 1 Play Station, 1 Laptop, 

1 computer hard desk, and 1 iPhone. My 

favorite game is Temple Run on iPhone. 

What are your parents/guardians names? What 

are they like? My mom’s name is Catherine and 

my Dad’s name is Matt. I love my parents so 

much. I live with them and my brother on Forest 

Avenue in Berkeley California. 

My mom’s name is Bashaer and my dad’s 

name is Nahid. I love them a lot. I live with them 

in Al-Maysoun in Ramallah, Palestine. 


Stella Richards Interviews 

Violette Banda 

Stella 

Violette 

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

name is Stella, and I am a girl. 

My name is Violette, and I am a girl. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters? What are 

their names and ages? I have one sister. Her 

name is Sylvie and she is 7. I sometimes play 

horsey with her. (She likes it when I try to buck 

her off.) She can be annoying also. 

I have 2 brothers and I don’t have any sisters. 

I am the smallest. My biggest brother is name 

Rafael. His age is 20. He is special. He always 

plays with me. My second brother is 18. This 

year is the last year for him in school. He plays 

football very well. I always play with him. 

How old are you, and when is your birthday? 

How do you celebrate your birthday? What gifts 

would you like to receive? I am 10. My birthday 

is November 14, 2001. I usually celebrate my 

birthday by having a party and cake. I would 

REALLY like to receive a dog, but it probably 

won’t happen. 

I am 10. My birthday is December 6, 2001. I 

always celebrate my birthday with a party. I have 

surprises on that day, plus gifts and a party. My 

dream is that someone will give me something 

for sports. My mom gave me a ball for the Barcelona 

team. 

Do you play any sports? I do. I play soccer. I 

play defense most of the time. I play on a team 

called the Cheetahs. I practice with my team on 

Wednesday or Thursday; otherwise I don’t practice 

a lot. (I don’t have a big backyard.) 

Yes, I do. I play football. I am on my school 

team. I always practice at my Grandma’s house 

because it has a very big backyard. 

What do you do in your spare time? I bike, play 

soccer, draw, and do my hair. I put my hair in 

ponytails and buns, and sometimes I color it. 

I read a story, play football, go to friends’ 

houses and I also sing. I love to sing. 

What is your favorite animal? My favorite animal 

is an owl. I have lots of owl things like owl stuffed 

animals and owl hats. I love the color of owls’ 

feathers and they fascinate me in general. 

My favorite animals are puppies. I always tell 

my mom to buy me one, but she doesn’t like 

puppies. 

Do you have any pets? What kinds? What are 

their names? I don’t have any pets. I have always 

wanted a pet. If I did have a pet I would get a dog 

and name it Coco. 

I had a dog. I named it Lucky. One day he got 

sick and died. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

When I grow up I want to be a fashion designer. 

My Aunt is a Fashion Designer and she really 

inspires me. I like lots of different kinds of fashion. 

Do you? 

I want to be a businesswoman. Like my big 

brother, I like this job because I will have my own 

laptop and my bag. 

What is your favorite color? My favorite color is 

purple because it is pretty and awesome! 

My favorite color is also purple because my 

name is Violette. It’s the meaning of the purple 

flower. 

What is your favorite food and why? My favorite 

food is ice cream, it is delicious and the best 

food ever! I love mint chocolate chip ice cream in 

a waffle cone. I usually buy it at Dreyers, an ice 

cream place here. 

My favorite food is hamburgers. My mom 

always makes it for us. When we go to any 

restaurant, I will eat a hamburger. 

Who is your favorite singer, and why? My favorite 

singer is Adele or Justin Bieber. They have great 

voices and are great singers. 


My favorite singer is Miley Cyrus. I like her 

voice. It’s so awesome! 

What are your favorite books? What are they 

about? My favorite two books are The Hunger 

Games and Out of My Mind. The Hunger Games 

is about 12 districts and every year the head of 

the city comes and picks a boy and a girl from 

each district to fight to the death. It is violent 

but an awesome book. Out of My Mind is about 

a paralyzed 11 year-old-girl who has a hard life. It 

is pretty sad, but amazing. 

My favorite book is Cam Jansen. I feel happy 

when I read it. It’s so amazing! 

Sonia McCollum Interviews 

Nuha Zraiq 

Sonia 

Nuha 


name is Sonia, and I am a girl? 

My name is Nuha Zraiq. I am a girl. 


their names and ages? I have 1 brother and 1 

sister their names are Raquel and Gabriel, and 

they both can be annoying. 

I have one brother and one sister. Their 

names are Tamer and Natal. They can be very 

annoying because my sister is 6 months old and 

my brother Tamer is 7 years old. 

What grade are you in? What’s your teacher’s 

name? How many kids do you have in your 

class? I’m in fourth grade. I have 18 kids in my 

class and my teacher’s name is Bob, and he’s 

really funny. 

I am in fourth grade. There are 30 kids in my 

class. My teacher is Miss Sabira. She is so nice. 

Describe your school to me. My school has a big 

playground and it goes from BK to 8th grade. We 

have an art room where we do projects; we have 

a field where we do sports, which you may call 

P.E., and we have the Spanish room where we 

learn Spanish, and the music room where we do 

music. Is your school big like ours is? 

My school has 2 big playgrounds. It goes 

from lower kindergarten to 6th Grade. The other 

school is Friends Boys School and it goes from 

Grade 7 to Grade 12 and IB. We have a music 

room where we learn about music. We have a 

library where we read. 

What are your favorite sports? Mine are soccer, 

football, baseball, volleyball, basketball, swimming, 

tennis, ice- skating, tetherball, etc, 

because they’re very fun to watch. 

Mine is soccer. It is fun and good. 

Do you have a favorite type of music, and why? I 

like pop music because I like the way it sounds, 

and I like jazz because I like jazzy music. 

My favorite is “Shake It Up” by Selena Gomez 

What do you like to read? I love to read adventure 

stories! Whenever I can I read. 

I love to read Junnie B. Jones Stores. They 

are fun. Whenever I am alone, I read. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? I 

want to be a designer like my dad. He builds a 

lot of houses, too. 

I want to be a doctor. I also want to be a ballerina 

because it is fun. 

Do you play any sports? Do you play any musical 

instruments? Yes I play piano and a little drums. 

My downstairs neighbor taught me how to play 

the piano and the drums. 

Yes. I play piano and I also play a little oud. My 

teacher is named Ilona and my ballet teacher’s 

name is Katya. 

Do you have any pets, if so which kind? What is 

your favorite animal? I have four fish and they’re 

very active. My favorite animal is a sea horse, 

be cause they look really cool with their curved 

tail. 


I don’t have any pets, but I have a favorite 

animal, a deer because it is colored brown. It has 

spots on his back and a long tail. 

Sofia Sani Interviews Dara Sabi 

Sofia 

Dara 


name is Sofia and I’m a girl. My dad is Iranian and 

my mom’s dad is Palestinian and so I am interested 

in this magazine project. 

My name is Dara, and I am a girl. My dad is 

Palestinian and so is mom. 

How old are you and when is your birthday? How 

do you celebrate your birthday? What gifts would 

you like to receive? I am 10 years old and my 

birthday is February 11. I usually have a small 

party with some of my family friends and then a 

bigger party with friends from school. One year, 

when I turned 10, I celebrated in San Francisco 

by going out to lunch and then having a sleep 

over with friends. I really want a dog for my next 

birthday. I used to have a dog, but she died last 

year. 

I’m 11 and my birthday is January 18. I usually 

have big parties with my friends. I like to 

receive nail polish. 


their names and ages? I have an older sister and 

her name is Sahar. She is 14 years old and goes 

to high school. She is really nice and we get along 

very well. I like reading with her and whenever 

we go on vacation, she is especially nice to me. 

I have a little brother. His name is Walid. He’s 

5 years old. 

Do you have any pets? If so what kind? What 

is your favorite? I have a cat and his name is 

Picasso. My favorite animals are cats, dogs and 

horses! I ride horses at a horse barn in Oakland. I 

have been riding horses since the summer and I 

like a horse named Calico. 

I have a blue fish. My favorite animals are 

horses, and I go horseback riding in Turmus Aya. 

My favorite horse is Tal. 

What grade are you in? How many students are 

in your class? I am in 5th grade. There are 17 

kids in our class. There is another 5th grade at 

my school and there are 17 kids in that class as 

well. We do sports together. 

I am in 5th grade and there are 29 kids in our 

class. 

What holidays do you celebrate, and why? My 

favorite holiday is Christmas and my second 

favorite holiday is my birthday! I like Christmas 

because I get lots of presents and usually we go 

skiing the week before. We put up a Christmas 

tree each Christmas and decorate it with my 

family. 

We celebrate Eid Al Adha and Eid Al Fitre. It’s 

a traditional celebration. 


I get to play in the snow at a place called Bear 

Valley in Northern California. We drive there 

usually before Christmas time. I like throwing 

snowballs at my sister! I also ski down hills. 

Sometimes I make snow angels by lying in the 

snow and flapping my arms up and down. 

I like to build a snowman and play snow fights 

with my neighbors. I also like to make snow 

angels. 

What kinds of food do you like? I like Mac “n” 

cheese. I like it because it is cheesy. I like to 

make my Mac “n” Cheese by cooking the macaroni 

first and then adding cheese. 

My favorite sweet is Um Ali, it’s originally a 

Syrian sweet and it’s delicious. 

What is your favorite color? Mine is sky blue. 

A lot of my shirts are sky blue and I have just 

always liked that color. 

Green 


Do you play any sports? If you do what is it? I 

play soccer on a team called Bay Oaks. I play 

mid-field. I have been playing soccer ever since I 

could kick a ball. 

I play soccer, I swim, and I’m also part of a 

Debka group, which is a traditional dance in 

Palestine. 

Samia Nelson Interviews 

Joelle Dahdah 

Samia 

What is your name? My name is Samia Elena 

Nelson. 

My name is Joelle Dahdah. 

How old are you? I am 9. 

I am 9 years old. 

Joelle 


any shade of purple. 

My favorite is red. 

Do you have any siblings? If so, what is/are their 

names? I have a little sister named Meilin, and 

she is 7 years old. I like to skateboard with her. 

Yes. I have one sister and two brothers. Their 

names are Emily, Gabi, and Khalil. 

Do you have any pets? If so, what animal(s) are 

they and what are their names? I have a dog, 

named Tucker. He is a little more than a year old. 

We got him from a breeder named Nacina. 

Now I don’t, but we will move to a new 

house and we will have a dog. We will call her 

Chocolate. 

What would a typical Friday at school be like 

for you? I arrive at school at 8:45, and we do 

monitor jobs. My monitor job is at lunchtime. 

Then we have a spelling test. Then we have a 

math quiz. Recess is next. Then we work on our 

most recent project. Then lunchtime. (That’s 

when I do my job.) After lunch, we have an event 

where the whole school comes together and 

sings some songs. After that, we go back to our 

classroom, and have Current Events in which the 

Class Leaders report to us about the most recent 

happenings. Then it’s room time. Room time, is 

when we get to do whatever we like inside our 

classroom. 

I don’t have school on Friday, so I will tell you 

about Thursday. Thursday I don’t study because 

after that day comes Friday. I play with my sister 

and sometimes I play with my uncle. 

Who is/are your best friend(s) and what do you 

like to do with them? My best friends are Ellie 

and Cecily. We like to jump rope together. We’re 

getting pretty good! 

My best friend is Zein. I like to play with her. 

What’s your favorite subject in school and why? 

My favorite subject is spelling because I like to 

challenge myself with different words. I also like 

Social Studies, because now we’re studying 

Japan. 

My favorite subject in school is P.E. because I 

play football. 

What is your favorite dessert? My favorite 

dessert is peanut butter cookies, because I like 

the taste of peanut butter. I like to help my mom 

bake sometimes. 

My favorite dessert is chickenburger because 

it’s delicious. 

What’s your teacher’s name, and what is he or 

she like? My teacher’s name is Kris Lee. She is 

from Korea, and she is very fun. 

My teacher’s name is Maha. She likes to do 

fun things. 


Sam Lopez Interviews Omar Khatib 

Sam 

Omar 


name is Sam. I am a boy. 

My name is Omar Khatib and I am a boy. 

How old are you? When is your birthday? What 

gifts do you want? I am 11. My birthday is 

December 23. I would like a new bike and a 

microscope. 

I am also 11. My birthday is on the 14th of 

November. I actually would like a new bike and a 

new wii. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters? How old 

are they? How annoying are they? I have a sister 

named Mimi. She is 9 years old. She is very, 

very, very annoying. She always makes me play 

the bad guys or the villains in games. 

I have one older sister. She is 13 years old. 

And she is also like a robot that never stops talking. 

She is always bugging me. 

What would you like to be when you grow up and 

why? I want to be a marine biologist, because I 

love the ocean, and I want to help all marine animals 

and learn about them. 

I have no idea, but maybe just maybe I will be 

an engineer. 

Describe a typical day in your life. I get up, get 

dressed, and eat breakfast. I brush my teeth, put 

on my shoes and get driven to school. At school, 

we have Morning Meeting, do work, have recess, 

do more work, have lunch, do even more work, 

do our jobs, have Closing Circle, and go home. 

At home I do homework, eat dinner, take a 

shower, brush my teeth, read, and go to bed. 

Well, a lot happens in one typical day but first 

I go to school at 7:00 am and comeback home 

and do my homework. On the weekends I go out 

with my friends and chill. 

What do you like to do in your free time? I like to 

read, ride my bike, play Minecraft (a video game) 

and watch TV. Minecraft is a game where you 

fight monsters, go exploring in caves and build 

houses. 

I love to play video games and play outside in 

the backyard. 

What is your environment like? I live in the city, 

but we are less than 20 miles from the ocean. 

Oakland is a big city and it is hilly. 

I also live in the city and it is very far from the 

ocean. Palestine is very cool it is never cold and 

never hot. 

What is your favorite game, and why? My favorite 

game is “Manhunt,” which is a lot like tag, except 

when you’re tagged you become “It” along with 

the person who tagged you. You play until there 

is only one person left. I like it because you can 

never let your guard down. 

My favorite game is kickboxing because it 

makes me strong and I feel alive while I am 

fighting. 

What holidays do you celebrate? Which is your 

favorite? I celebrate all the Jewish holidays, but 

Hanukah is my favorite because I get presents. I 

like it because it is the only holiday that we celebrate 

as a family. 

I love all Muslim holidays, but my favorite is 

Eid Al-Adha because my family gives me money. 

What is your favorite animal? Have you ever seen 

one? My favorite animal is the green sea turtle. 

I saw one in an aquarium. It has a big shell, flippers, 

big eyes and I like it. 

I love all of the animals, but my favorite is a 

shark and I did see one. 


Ida-Rose Chabon Interviews 

Jenan Marwan Afaneh 

Ida-Rose 

Jenan 

What is your name? My name is Ida-Rose 

Waldman Chabon. 

My name is Jenan Marwan Afaneh. 

How old are you, when is your birthday, how do 

you celebrate your birthday and what gifts do 

you want? My birthday is June first I was born 

in 2001 I am 10 years old. I have a party. My 

friends and I talk and eat pizza. We usually do a 

craft and watch a movie. I love to get art supplies, 

craft sets and clothes. 

My birthday is on January 22nd and I was 

born in 2001, so I am 11 years old. For my last 

birthday I celebrated with my family and they 

bought me an iPod Touch. 

Do you have any sisters or brothers, if so, what 

are their names and how old are they? I have 2 

brothers and 1 sister. My sister’s name is Sophie. 

She is 17 and the oldest. I am one of the middle 

children; it’s me and my older brother Zeke. Zeke 

is 14, and Abe, my younger brother, is 8. 

I have 1 brother and 1 sister. My brother’s 

name is Sanad and he is the oldest. My sister’s 

name is Marwah. She is the middle child and I 

am the youngest. Sanad is 14 and Marwah is 13. 

What is your favorite subject at school and why? 

My favorite subject is history, but French and 

English history mostly. California does not have 

such a cool history, but there are some good 

parts. Is there any cool part of history from 

where you live? We have “The Great Alcatraz 

Escape!” Alcatraz is a jail in the middle of the San 

Francisco bay. People take a tour of Alcatraz, 

which is said to be haunted. I don’t believe that. 

My favorite subject is science, but I also like 

English and Arabic. I live in the city of Ramallah, 

near Jerusalem and Bethlehem, and there is 

some cool history. In Jerusalem there is the 

“Haram Al-Sharif”, which is crowded with many 

buildings of Islamic style. The most important 

place is the golden Dome of the Rock where the 

Prophet Mohammad is believed to have as cended 

to heaven. Also, there is the Church of the Holy 

Sepulcher, which we call “Kanist Al-Qiyama.” In 

Bethlehem there is a church called “Kaniset Al- 

Mahed”, and it’s where Christ was born. 

Do you like to draw, if so, why? I love to draw. I 

think it’s really fun and it can occupy you for a 

really long time. My dad taught me to draw well 

and so did my art teacher, Jenny. My favorite 

pencil is a Mirado Black Warrior pencil, because 

it slides across the paper and is easy to make 

small details. 

No, I don’t like drawing, but I like other sorts 

of hobbies such as reading and playing musical 

instruments. 

Parker Reinheimer Interviews 

Hiyam Ghneim 

Parker 

Hiyam 


name is Parker, and I’m a girl. 

My name is Hiyam and I’m a girl. 

How old are you and when is your birthday? How 

do you celebrate your birthday? What would you 

like to receive as a gift? I am eleven. My birthday 

is on Nov. 3rd. I get to choose how I celebrate. 

This year I had a sleepover with my friends. I 

have everything I want so I don’t want any gifts. 

I am eleven too. My birthday is on July 26th. 

Every year I celebrate my birthday in a different 

way. Last year I celebrated it on Tenerife Island, 

Spain, with my aunts and cousins who threw a 

surprise party for me. 


Do you have any brothers or sisters? If so, how 

old are they and what are their names? I am an 

only child. It’s fun sometimes, but sometimes 

when I’m home alone, it’s kind of boring and I 

wish I had a sibling to play with. 

I have one brother, his name is Fadi and he is 

nine years old in the fourth grade. Sometimes 

it’s fun, but sometimes he teases me and we 

fight, then I wish I was the only child. 

What is your favorite thing to do in your free 

time? I like to draw and type on my typewriter. I 

have an electric typewriter and I practice typing 

every day. 

Sometimes I read, sometimes I write in my 

diary, and sometimes I play on my laptop. I also 

enjoy cooking with my mom. 

What grade are you in? I am in fifth grade. There 

are 17 kids in my class, and I really like my 

teacher, Alex. He’s really nice and he doesn’t get 

mad easily. He’s really good at teaching. 

I am in the sixth grade. There are 30 students 

in my class, too many compared to your class. 

My teacher is Mr. Brian. I like him very much. 

He has a sense of humor and he teaches us by 

playing games. 

What is your favorite animal? My favorite is an 

owl, because I think they are cute. My favorite 

kinds of owls are snowy owls and elf owls. 

I love puppies, they are loyal! Unfortunately 

I still don’t have one because my mother is not 

ready to have one at home with us. She is a 

career woman. She thinks it will need a lot of 

care, and in the end it will fall to her and be her 

responsibility. 

What are your hobbies? I like playing soccer and 

reading. Some of my favorite books are The Hunger 

Games, and Out of My Mind. 

My hobbies are playing soccer too, and I also 

like playing the piano. 

What would you like to be when you grow up? I 

don’t know what I want to be, but I love animals 

and kids. 

I want to be a teacher because I like to 

correct papers, write on the board, and work 

with kids. 

Who is your idol? Do you look up to anyone? 

I don’t have an idol, but I’m working on it. In 

soccer, I admire Mia Hamm. 

I don’t have one yet either. 

What is your favorite food? I like fruits, especially 

Hawaiian fruits like lilikoi and rambooton. I also 

like lychee, mango, strawberries, pineapple, 

blueberries and raspberries, and lots of others. 

My favorite food is spaghetti with white sauce 

and chicken, yummy! 

Paola Giron-Carson Interviews 

Daleen Khalili 

Paola 

Daleen 

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

and how old are you? My name is Paola. I am 

a girl and I am 10. My dad is from El Salvador. 

He came to California, because there was a war 

going on in El Salvador. My mom was born in 

Berkeley, California. 

My name is Daleen. I am a girl. I am 11. My 

dad is from Palestine (Al Lod). My mom was 

born in Kuwait. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters, and if so, 

what are their names and ages? I have a sister 

named Ruby, and she is 7 years old. We like to 

play together in the hammock in our back yard. 

I have 4 sisters and 3 brothers. They are: 

Lena (25 years old), Linda (24 years old), Lana 

(23 years old), Dania (15 years old), and the 

boys: Mohannad (21 years old), Mohammad (18 

years old), Abdallah (11 years old). Abdallah and 

I are twins. 


Do you have any pets, and if so, what kind? I 

have a pet dog and her name is Alma. She is 

an Australian shepherd. She is 14 in human 

years (very old). We have a number of fish in our 

outside fountain, but we don’t know how many, 

because we can’t see them. They might have 

been eaten by a raccoon. My sister has a gray 

and brown dwarf hamster. 

Now I don’t have any pet except my fish, but I 

will buy a cat soon. 

What is your favorite animal? My favorite animal 

is a snow fox because they are very cute and 

mysterious. 

My favorite animal is a cat because they are 

very beautiful. 

What grade are you in and how many students 

are in your class? I’m in 5th grade and 17 kids 

are in my class. 

I’m in 5th grade and there are 29 kids in my 

class. 

Describe your school to me. Our campus is very 

big. Most of it is either garden or a place to run 

around. We have three main buildings—one is 

for Kindergarten through third grade. On the first 

floor are Kindergarten, first grade and the 

Spanish room for the younger kids. On the 

second floor is second and third grade, as well 

as Spanish for the upper grades and some 

of fices. The fourth, fifth and sixth grades are in 

two different buildings right next to each other. 

There is also another building for all of the middle 

school classes. 

Our school is big. We have 4 main buildings, 

the first one is for kindergarten, the second one 

is for fifth, sixth, and fourth grades. The third 

one is for first, second, and third grades. There 

is also a building for the teachers’ room and for 

the office. 

Do you play any sports, or do you play any musical 

instruments, and if so which ones? I play 

soccer and go rock climbing once a week, but 

I don’t play any musical instrument. I practice 

soccer once a week and play games on the 

weekend. I usually play defense. The name of 

my team is the Cheetahs. 

I play soccer sometimes at school. I don’t 

play any musical instrument either. 

What is you favorite thing to do in your free 

time? I like to read, because it is relaxing and I 

like stories. My favorite books are by Eva Ibbotson. 

She writes fiction and most of her books 

are fantasy, like, The Secret of Platform 13. But 

some of her books are realistic like, Journey to 

River Sea. 

I like to play on the computer or on the iPad 

and sometimes I play with my toys. 

Can you describe your home to me? I live in a 

purple and blue two-story house. Downstairs in 

the front is the living room and the dining room. 

Then there is the kitchen and the art room. My 

parents have a study, and there is a bathroom 

and the hallway. Next to the kitchen are the 

stairs to the upstairs. First there is my sister 

and my bedroom, then the bathroom and then 

my parents’ bedroom. (Our dog sleeps in my 

parents’ bedroom.) My garden has a fountain, a 

tetherball (which is a game) and a hammock. 

I live in a building. My house is not too big. It 

has 3 bedrooms and a living room. I sleep in the 

same room with my sisters. The boys sleep in 

the same room and my parents have their room. 

Describe a regular day in your life. First I wake 

up in the morning around 7:30. I get ready for 

school, and we leave the house around 8:15. We 

go to school until 3:00. Then I go back home, do 

my homework. After that I do something fun, like 

go for a walk, or play jump rope. We have dinner 

sometime between 6:45 and 7:00. I go to bed 

at 8:30 and read until 9:00. 

First I wake up in the morning at 6:30. I get 

ready for school. Then I go to school until 2:50. 

Then when I come home, I finish my homework. 

After that I watch TV, then I play and I go to 

sleep at 8:00 or 8:30. 


What do you like to do in the snow? I like making 

snow forts and sled runs. I hate snowball fights, 

because I hate snow in my clothes. We go to the 

snow at lake Tahoe in California. 

I like making snowmen, one big and a small 

one. Then I play “snow fight” too with my neighbors 

and my brother. 

Olivia Talley Interviews Loor Amin 

Olivia 

Loor 


name is Olivia. I’m a girl. 

My name is Loor. I’m a girl. 

How old are you? When’s your birthday and how 

do you celebrate it? I’m 10 years old and my 

birthday is March sixth. I celebrate it by having a 

party. I usually have cake and my friends come 

over. One year we went to the tactile dome—this 

place where it’s completely dark and you have to 

find your way around by touch. 

I’m 10 years old and my birthday is on 

August 15. I celebrate it by having a party. I 

always have a cake and I don’t invite my friends 

because I am usually in Jordan because I am 

traveling. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters? What their 

names and ages? I have a brother named Kevin. 

He’s nine. We get along most of the time, but 

sometimes we get in fights. 

I have two brothers. One is named Faris, he is 

13 years old. The second one is Amer, he is 22 

years old. 

Do you have any pets? If so, which kind? What 

is your favorite animal? I have a cat named Harry 

and a fish named Chuck. My favorite animal is 

the bald eagle. Sometimes Harry gets a hold 

of catnip, and gets really crazy and skittish. We 

have a long hallway with wood floors, and he’ll 

run back and forth, and when he tries to stop, 

he’ll slide another couple of feet. It’s really funny 

to watch. 

I don’t have any pets, but I like dogs and 

guinea pigs. 

What grade are you in? How many students 

are in your class? I’m in 5th grade. There are 

seventeen kids in my class. Our class name is 

The Epic Motor Monkeys. My teacher’s name is 

Lesley. We call our teachers by their first names. 

I am in the fifth grade. My classmates are 29 

students. 

What are your favorite things to do in your free 

time? My favorite things to do in my free time 

are reading, drawing, checking my email, hanging 

out with friends, and playing soccer. When I 

hang out with my friends, we play a chase game 

called “Manhunt,” 4-Square (a ball game), chat 

or play on the swings. When we play soccer, we 

play it on the field at school. 

I usually play on the computer, or talk to my 

pen pal. I play on the wii and I watch TV. I l may 

help my mom. 

Do you play any sports or musical instruments? 

Which ones? I’m on swim team. My favorite 

strokes are Freestyle and breaststroke and I’m 

really bad at butterfly. I also play football. My 

favorite positions are goalie and left midfield. I 

got a guitar and I’m hoping to take lessons soon. 

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

play piano. I dance ballet, too. 

What would you like to be when you grow up and 

why? I’d like to be a rocket scientist because 

my grandfather was a rocket scientist and I love 

math and science. If I can’t do that, I’d like to be 

a writer because I love to read and write. 

I’d like to be a doctor because my mom and 

dad inspired me to do that and I like to help 

people. 

What holidays do you celebrate and which are 

your favorite? I celebrate Easter, Independence 

Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and 

New Year’s. My favorite holidays are Christmas 


and Thanksgiving. I like Christmas because I love 

decorating the Christmas tree and the house. I 

love being with family and seeing other people. 

I love Thanksgiving because I get to see family 

and there is a lot of good food! 

I celebrate Easter, Christmas, Fitr, New 

Year’s , Adha and Valentine. I like Easter holiday 

because it’s the most fun and we have a lot of 

decorations. 

What’s the coldest weather you’ve ever been 

in? The coldest weather I’ve ever been in is at 

school. We have a big commercial kitchen and 

there is a walk-in freezer. When I went in there, it 

was –8°. 

The coldest weather I’ve ever been in was in 

my house. It was –1˚C. 

What are your favorite activities in the snow? My 

favorite thing to do in the snow is sledding. We 

usually make a track with jumps and sharp turns 

for the sleds. I like to saucer, too. This is a circular 

sled that starts you spinning like crazy and 

you get a ton of air! 

I like to make an angel, snowman and to have 

a fight with snowballs. 

Nicola van Moon Interviews 

Fadi Abu Hummos 

Nicola 

Fadi 

What is your name? Are you a boy or a girl, and 

how old are you? My name is Nicola. I am a girl 

and I am 10. 

My name is Fadi. I am a boy and I am 11 

years old. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters, and if so, 

what are their names and ages? I have one older 

brother and his name is Oliver. He is 12 years 

old. We like to do a parkour class together and 

do it around the house sometimes. 

I have two sisters named Razan and Raneen. 

Razan is 8 years and Raneen is 6 years. I have 

one brother. His name is Firas and he is 15 years 

old. 

Do you have any pets, and if so, what kind? I 

have a rabbit named Bella. She is very cute and 

is 2 years old. We also have a cat named Francis. 

She is not quite as friendly. 

I don’t have any now but I had a rabbit. 

What is your favorite animal? My favorite animals 

are a moose, a platypus and a rabbit. I like 

moose because their antlers look funny. I like 

platypuses, because they are so awkward and 

look so weird and I like rabbits because they are 

cute and fluffy. 

My favorite animals are the horse and the dog 

because they are beautiful. 

What grade are you in and how many students 

are in your class? I’m in 5th grade and 17 kids 

are in my class. 

I’m in 5th grade and there are 29 kids in my 

class. 

Describe your school to me. Our campus is 

very big. Most of it is either garden or a place 

to run around. We have three main buildings— 

one is for Kindergarten through third grade. 

On the first floor are Kindergarten, first grade 

and the Spanish room for the younger kids. On 

the second floor is second and third grade, as 

well as Spanish for the upper grades and some 

offices. The fourth, fifth and sixth grades are in 

two different buildings right next to each other. 

There is also another building for all of the middle 

school classes. 

My school is named Friends from the Quakers. 

It’s so big and there are 6 buildings, one for 

kindergarten and one of the sixth and fifth grade 

and one for offices. There is one for the 1, 2 and 

3 grade. We have a big area and we, the boys, 

like to play a game called Yornesh. 

Do you play any sports, or do you play any 

musical instruments, and if so which ones? I do 

parkour, which is an urban ninja sport. We do it 


in a gym with foam blocks. I go once or twice a 

week depending on the week, but I broke my toe 

doing it recently, so I won’t be going for a while. I 

don’t play any musical instruments. 

I play football and basketball and I play on the 

piano. 

What is you favorite thing to do in your free 

time? I like to find ways to incorporate parkour 

into the playground, my house and any thing 

else I can find. But now that I am on crutches, I 

can’t really do it anymore. 

I like to play on the iPad and the Galazy Tab. 

Can you describe your home to me? My house 

has two-stories. It is on a steep hill. The two 

notable things about it are, one, we have a 

climbing wall, and two a trapdoor with a ladder to 

get downstairs. 

My house is so big. I live in a building and we 

have 5 rooms and a kitchen and many things. 

Describe a regular day in your life. I wake up, get 

dressed, go downstairs, eat breakfast fast, get 

ready for school, brush my teeth, go to school, 

come back home, do homework, eat dinner, 

read and go to sleep. 

I’ll tell you about the first day of summer 

va ca tion. There’s no school, homework or tests. 

What do you like to do in the snow? I like sledding 

and skiing, because you can go fast. 

I like to make snowmen. 

Miya Kutchins Interviews 

Nour Habbash 

Miya 

Nour 

What is your name and how old are you? My 

name is Miya, and I am a girl. 

My name is Nour, and I’m 10 years old. 

When is your birthday? I am 10. I will be 11 on 

May 16. 

I am 10. I will be 11 on December 12. 

Do you have any siblings, if so how many? I 

have one older brother. His name is Jake and he 

is 13. He will be 14 on April 11. We like to play 

soccer together. 

I have one sister. Her name is Sara. She is 14 

and on July 8 she will be 15. We like to play with 

our dog together. 


in your grade? I am in 5th grade, and there are 

34 kids in my grade. 

I am in 5th grade, and there are 29 kids in my 

class. 


time? My favorite thing to do in my free time is 

to jump on our trampoline. I like playing with my 

friends. 

My favorite thing to do in my free time is to 

dance ballet. I like playing with my dog a lot. 


favorite? I celebrate most major holidays. My 

favorites are Christmas and New Year’s. Usually 

we have a large party at our house and invite my 

parents’ friends and some of my friends. 

I celebrate all holidays. My favorite holidays 

are Easter and Christmas. We usually celebrate 

them with our family and cousins in Jordan. 

What kinds of food do you like and why? My 

favorite food is sushi because there is a variety. 

Sushi is made with fish or vegetables wrapped in 

rice and seaweed. 

My favorite food is also sushi because I love 

the way it’s wrapped and its taste. 

What is your favorite subject at school, and 

why? My favorite subject is art because I can 

express my creativity. I mostly like painting, and 

sketching. 

My favorite subject is computer lab because 

we try really interesting stuff. 



blue, because it reminds me of the ocean. I also 

like green. 

My favorite color is green because I remember 

the green shiny grass. 

What would you like to do when you grow up, 

and why? I would like to be a professional artist 

who sketches and paints, because I love art. 

I would like to be a professional ballet dancer 

because I love dancing. 

Mattie Hollenbach Interviews 

Joud Touqan 

Mattie 

Joud 

Are you a boy or a girl? What is your name? I am 

a girl. My name is Mattie, which is not short for 

anything. 

I am a girl. My name is Joud Touqan. 

How old are you, and when is your birthday? 

Do you like to celebrate on your birthday? I am 

10½, and I like to celebrate with my family and 

friends. My birthday is in June, and I like to hang 

out with my friends and maybe go to the movies 

on my birthday. 

I am 10¾, and my birthday is in May and I like 

going with my friends and family to bowling and 

restaurant. 

What grade are you in? How many kids are in 

your class? I am in 5th grade. There are two 

classes in my grade and the classes have 17 

students each. 

I am in 5th grade. There are 3 classes in my 

grade and each class has 30 or 29 students. 

Do you have any siblings? What are their names, 

and how old are they? I have one older brother, 

and his name is Sam and he is 14. We like to 

play our instruments together, because he plays 

the guitar and I play bass guitar, so we can jam. 

I have two younger brothers, Zahi is 8 years 

old and Abdallah is 3 years old. Zahi and I like to 

play our instruments together just like you, but 

he plays qanuon (Arabic instrument) and I play 

guitar. 

What do you like to do in your spare time? I like 

to play soccer, draw, and horseback ride. Once 

our team played a whole season without losing a 

single game. 

I like to play soccer, draw, and read stories. 

What would you like to do when you grow up and 

why? I do not exactly know, but I love animals 

and it would be great to work with them. 

I like to draw so I would like to be a fashion 

designer. 

What places or countries have you traveled to, 

and what were they like? My family travels a lot, 

but I really love the Caribbean because of the 

warm water and the sandy beaches. I like to sail 

and swim and the sand is so nice and soft. It is 

fun to play in the sand and run across the beach. 

Also, my family travels a lot, but I liked 

Vienna because we went there in winter and it 

was snowing and it is very beautiful. 

Do you have any pets? If so, what are they? I 

have two dogs, Maybelle and Jojo, and two cats, 

Boris and Slate. My dog, Maybelle is a foxhound, 

white with black and brown spots. Jojo is a Rottweiler 

mix, he is black and brown with a white 

spotted chest. 

I wish, but when I was a little kid I had a fish. 

What is the coldest weather you have ever been 

in? Where was it? The coldest weather I have 

ever been in is 29 degrees Fahrenheit. It was 

when I was camping at a lake. We had to wear 

pounds of clothing, and at night we had to be 

buried in a ton of blankets in our frost-covered 

tent. 

The coldest weather was below 0˚C. It was in 

Palestine when I was 2 or 3 years old. 


Lucy Swinson Interviews Tala Malouf 

Lucy 

Tala 

What is your favorite animal? Mine is a zebra, 

because I like their stripes and I think they’re 

cute. 

I don’t like animals. I’m afraid of all animals, 

especially birds, cats, and dogs. 

What are your hobbies? Mine are singing, acting, 

soccer, and drawing. I am in chorus and I have 

been in a lot of plays. I’m going to be in one 

in February. I play soccer on a team called the 

Cheetahs. 

Mine are singing, dancing, soccer, and playing 

the violin. I love them because I am good at 

them and they are fun and nice. We don’t have 

a girl’s soccer team yet but I hope we will have 

one soon. 

Do you like to travel? If so, where have you 

been? I love to travel. I’ve been to France, Kauai, 

Tahoe, Colorado, Canada and many more. I love 

all the food in France, skiing in Tahoe, swimming 

in Kauai. I liked running through the sprinklers in 

Colorado, and I liked seeing my grandparents in 

Canada. 

I love to travel. I have been to Egypt, Turkey, 

Jordan, and Germany. I love traveling by airplane 

a lot. 

Do you play any musical instruments? I play the 

piano and I sing. I just had a recital and it was 

really fun. 

I play the violin. I went to a string instruments 

camp in Germany last year and the year before, 

and I also sing. 


in your class? I am in 5th grade. There are 17 

students in my class. My teacher’s name is Alex. 

He is really nice and a good teacher. 

I am in 6th grade. There are 30 students in 

my class. My teacher’s name is Nuha. She is 

very nice and teaches us well. 

Who is your idol? Who do you look up to? 

My idols are Madonna and Betsey Johnson— 

Madonna, because I want to be a singer and I 

love her music; and Betsey Johnson, because I 

admire her sense of fashion and I like fashion. 

My idol is Selena Gomez. I like her songs very 

much and my dream is to meet her. 

What are your favorite books? Mine are The 

Hunger Games, which is a trilogy, and Drizzle. I 

like the The Hunger Games because it’s really 

suspenseful and Drizzle because it’s really 

descriptive. 

I like reading mystery and adventure stories. 

What is your favorite holiday and why? Mine is 

Halloween, because I love dressing up in a costume 

and getting candy, and because it’s my 

birthday, too. 

My favorite holiday is Christmas because I get 

a lot of gifts from Santa and it is a time when my 

whole family gets together. 

What’s your favorite color, and why do you like 

it? Mine are black, purple and yellow—black, 

because it’s dark and goes with everything; 

purple, because there are so many shapes, and 

yellow, because it’s bright and happy. 

Mine are purple and green. Purple because 

it’s a lovely color, and green because it’s a happy 

color. 

What’s your favorite place in the world and why? 

Mine is on stage, because I love performing in 

front of other people. 

I love performing in front of other people 

too. Mine is on stage too. It makes me feel that 

I am a very important person when everybody 

watches at me. 


Liam Cunningham Interviews 

Hilmi Samarah 

Liam 

Hilmi 

What is your name? Are you a boy or a girl? I am 

a boy; my name is Liam. 

My name is Hilmi and I’m a boy. 

How old are you? When is your birthday? I am 

10 years old. I am going to be 11 on June 17. I 

usually celebrate by having a slumber party with 

my friends. 

I am 10 years old. I’m going to be 11 on May 

25. I celebrate it by making a big party. 

Do you have any siblings, and if so, what are 

their names? I have one younger brother; his 

name is Rory, and he is seven years old. We get 

along well most of the time. Rory and I like to 

play Wii together. Do you know what Wii is? 

I’m like you. I have 1 little brother. His name 

is Amro. He is 5 years old. And yes, we have 

Wii. We love it! 

Do you have any pets, and if so what are they 

and what are their names? I have 4 pets: one is 

a leopard gecko; his name is Spots. Another pet 

is a tabby cat and his name is Tiger. The other 

two are society finches. They are hard to tell 

apart, so they don’t have names. 

No. I wish we had a tabby cat, but my mom 

won’t let me have one. 

How many grades do you have at your school, 

and how many people in your class? Our school 

goes from Bridge Kindergarten to 8th grade. My 

class has 17 people in it, but there are two fifth 

grade classes. There are two classes per grade 

level at my school. 

Our school goes from kindergarten to 6th 

grade. I have 29 people in my class. The class 

is very big. We have three sections for every 

grade. 

What are your favorite subjects in school? My 

favorite subjects are science and recess. That’s 

a joke. Recess isn’t a subject, but I like it nonethe-less. 

Seriously, I like doing scientific experiments. 

This year I got to make crystals, using 

Borax. We also got to go to science camp and 

study stream ecology. We tested water, studied 

insects, and got to visit the ocean. 

My favorite subject is science lab. We do tons 

of experiments. One time we dissected a goat’s 

heart. 

Do you play any sports? I play soccer, futsal and 

parkour. Futsal is indoor soccer but you can’t use 

the walls. My team is called the Hawks and we 

are undefeated. I also play on an outdoor soccer 

team called Sting. I have to tryout for this team 

because it is a competitive league. I mostly play 

defense. We practice twice a week and have 

games on the weekends. Parkour is a class that 

I take where I do obstacle courses indoors at 

a gym. We run, jump, vault, swing, climb, etc. 

from one obstacle to another. The whole idea of 

parkour is that instead of going around things, 

you can go over them. This saves time, but you 

have to be agile. My teacher Zach is super good 

and he expects us to work hard. I go once a 

week. 

You are sooooo lucky! We don’t have that 

here! But my friends and I go to the gym. We 

swim, play basketball, and play tennis. 


time? In my free time at school I like to look at 

things on the computer, play with my friends, 

and sometimes go outside and play soccer. At 

home I like to play Wii, Minecraft, and build with 

Legos. I play a lot with my brother or I have play 

dates. 

Sometimes at school I like to go to the library. 

Our school’s library is different. It has bean bags, 

sofas, and fun books. I go with my friends. At 


home, I play Wii and on the iPad. Or I visit my 

friends. 

Can you describe your house to me? My house 

is four stories high. I have a very small basement, 

a bottom floor, an upstairs and an attic. 

My house is 103 years old and we are fixing it 

up. I sleep in a bunk bed with my brother- I’m on 

top. I have a front yard with a huge oak tree on 

it. The tree is taller than our house. Our backyard 

has a garage with a basketball hoop attached to 

it. We have a small vegetable and fruit garden 

at the back of the garage. My house is up on a 

hill. Oakland is a city, but it’s not as busy as San 

Francisco, which is across the bay from here. 

From my house I can walk to the movie theater, 

ice cream shop and a lake where I can go sailing. 

From our house, it takes us about 5 minutes 

to drive to school. If I bicycle, it takes about 15 

minutes. 

I wish we had a house like yours! We live in 

an apartment. Well, it’s spacious. I have my own 

room. We have a market close to our home. It 

takes about 25 minutes to get to school by car. 

But we live in a peaceful, beautiful area that is 

not crowded. 

What do you want to be when you grow up, and 

why? I would probably like to be a video game 

rater or a Falconer. This is a person who raises 

falcons as a hobby. Some falconers actually have 

their falcons hunt for them. I would mostly like to 

just raise the birds but, if I had to, I could have 

them hunt for me too. Even though it’s very different, 

I would also like being a video game rater 

because I would get to play a lot of video games. 

I feel I’m pretty good at video game playing and 

I feel that I would know if a video game is enjoyable 

or not. 

I would like to be a space scientist or a video 

game creator. Since I was little, I was interested 

in space and I want to discover planets and stars 

or aliens! I would like to create supercool video 

games like Wii. I hope you will like my games! 

Jake Greenberg Bell Interviews 

Saif Naseriddin 

Jake 

Saif 

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

but my friends call me Jake. I am a boy. 

My name is Saif. I am a boy. 

What is your favorite thing to do in free time? I 

love driving my remote controlled cars around 

my back yard and playing video games. This 

hobby started when my afterschool teacher 

introduced it to me. 

I love to play soccer and video games. I like 

playing violin because of its nice sound. 


instruments? Which one? I play soccer, 

basketball, and baseball. I play these sports 

on three different teams in different seasons, 

although sometimes they overlap. I know how to 

play guitar, because I take lesson. I play acoustic 

guitar. 

I love to play soccer and video games. I like 

playing violin because of its nice sound. 


favorite? I celebrate all Jewish holidays and my 

favorite is Passover, because there’s really good 

food. 

I celebrate Eid Fitre and Eid Adha. 

What would you like to do when you grow up 

and why? I would either like to play soccer or 

baseball, or be an architect. I would like to play 

baseball or soccer because they’re really fun and 

I would like to be an architect because you have 

a lot of freedom to design what you want. 

I would like to be a soccer player because I 

like running. 


Can you describe your house to me? I live on a 

beautiful tree lined street. My house has grey 

shingles and stairs up to the door. On the right 

of the stairs is a lawn. The house is two-stories 

high with 3 bedrooms and 3 backrooms. We 

have a big backyard and a trampoline. 

I live in a nice house with my family. 

What are your favorite subjects, and why? I like 

writing because it passes time and you can be 

creative unlike math and history. I also like PE/ 

Sports, because I like to exercise. 

I love sports (soccer) so much. 


in and where? It was about 3 degrees Fahrenheit 

with wind chill and it was in New York. I felt like 

my fingers were going to fall off. 

In 2008, it was snowing, and I loved it so 

much. 

Do you have any pets? No, but I hope to get a 

frog, because they’re my favorite animals. I like 

them because they are cute, especially the tree 

frogs. 

I don’t have any pets. 

What grade are you in? How many kids are in 

your class? I am in the 5th grade, and I have 

17 kids and 1 teacher in my class. My teacher’s 

name is Alex. He is very nice. 

I am in 5th grade, and I have 29 kids in my 

class. 


Probably sled, but all snow activities are very fun 

to me. I have never been downhill skiing and I 

hope to go some day. 

I like making a snowman. 

Henry Smith Interviews 

Zaid Anabtawi 

Henry 

Zaid 

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

What grade are you in? My name is Henry. I am 

11 years old. I am in 5th grade. 

My name is Zaid. I am 11 years old. I am in 

5th grade. I am a boy. 

Do you have any brothers, sisters? If so, what 

are their names and how old are they? I have 

one brother. His name is Oliver, and he is 18. We 

don’t get along very well. He’s mean and rarely 

nice. 

I have two brothers. Their names are Mohammad 

and Omar. Mohammad is 16 and Omar is 

14. 


favorite? I celebrate Christmas, 4th of July, 

Hanukah and a few others. My favorite holiday is 

Christmas because I get a lot of gifts. For Christmas 

we celebrate by buying a tree and giving 

each other presents. 

I celebrate Easter, Christmas, and others, but 

my favorite holiday is Easter because I make 

colorful eggs. 

What would you like to be when you grow up, 

and why? I would like to be an entrepreneur. I 

would like to invent a lot of stuff. 

When I grow up I want to be an artist because 

I love it so much. 


instruments? If so, which ones? I play soccer 

(futbol) and baseball. I play two instruments, the 

guitar and the violin. 

I play soccer, table tennis, and I like to swim 

but I will play the guitar. 



time? I enjoy reading, writing, and playing sports 

in my free time. I try to do most of these activities 

every day. 

I like reading, playing sports every time in my 

free time. 

Do you have any pets? If so which kind? What is 

your favorite kind? I have no pets. If I could get a 

pet, it would be a chinchilla. 

I don’t have pets but if I want to buy a pet, I 

will buy a dog. 

What are your favorite subjects in school? Why? 

My favorite subject is science, because I love 

experimenting and learning new things. I mostly 

like chemistry. 

My favorite subject is math because I love to 

make things with the ruler. 

What kinds of food do you like? Why? I love 

candy, pizza, soda, and cake, because they are 

awesome. 

I love candy, cookies, pizza and cake because 

they are delicious. 

What is your favorite thing to do in the snow? I 

love skiing and snowball fights. They are so fun! I 

ski in Tahoe, California. 

I love to make a snowman and snowball 

fights. They are so fun! 

Hayley Ross Interviews 

Sabine Saadeh 

Hayley 

Sabine 


name is Hayley I am a girl. I am ten and a half 

years old. 

My name is Sabine Saadeh. I am ten and a 

half years old. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters? Do you 

have any pets, if so which kind? I have a twentyfive 

year old brother named Robert. I had a fish 

in the summer, but he died. 

I have a sixteen-year old brother and a 

twenty-one year old sister. I had a rabbit but it 

died. 

What is your favorite animal? I have a few favorite 

animals. I like hedgehogs, pigs and penguins, 

because I think they’re all really adorable. 

I have a lot of favorite animals. I like rabbits, 

penguins, pandas, parrots, and puppies because 

they are cute. 

What grade are you in? What are your favorite 

subjects and why? I am in fifth grade. My favorite 

subject is history, because I like learning about 

the past, and math because it helps you in life. 

I am in fifth grade. My favorite subject is math 

because it helps me in life, and I am good at it, 

too. 

Do you play any sports and which ones? Do you 

play any musical instruments and which ones? I 

play soccer; I’ve been playing since pre-school. 

I know how to play the piano and I am going to 

start taking guitar lessons because it looks like 

fun and I already have two guitars. 

I play gymnastics, soccer, and Debka. I like 

these sports very much. I play piano and I will 

start playing qanoun. 


want to be a teacher because I would get to be 

with kids all day and it looks like fun to teach all 

the subjects that we learn here in school. Or, I 

think about being an actress because it is fun. 

I was in Midsummer’s Night Dream, The Three 

Little Bears (I was a hedgehog in that play), Peter 

Pan, and Aladdin. 

I want to be a doctor because I don’t get 

scared from this thing, and it sounds like fun. 

What holidays do you celebrate? And which one 

is your favorite? I celebrate Christmas, Halloween, 

Valentine’s Day, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, 


the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and Hanukkah. 

My favorite is Christmas because you get presents 

and you get to give presents. 

I celebrate Eid Al-Adha, Eid Al Fitre, Valentine’s 

Day, Halloween, and Christmas. My favorite 

is Halloween because I like wearing costumes. 

Describe a typical day in your life? A typical day 

for me is I go to school, come home, do homework, 

watch TV, read, and then go to sleep. On 

the weekends I sleep in on the morning, watch 

TV, have a play date or a sleepover with a friend, 

and then I go to sleep. 

A typical day for me is I go to school, come 

back home, I go practice Debka, come back 

home, watch TV and go to sleep. 


like sledding because that’s the only thing I’ve 

done in the snow. I can’t think of anything else 

cause I’ve only been in the snow once and that 

was 5 years ago. That was when I was in Iowa 

visiting my grandmother. 

I like making a snowman and sledding be - 

cause these are the things that I have fun doing. 

Emmet Burk Interviews Basil Meri 

Emmet 

Basil 


name is Emmet. I am a boy. 

My name is Basil. I am a boy. 

How old are you, and when is your birthday? How 

do you celebrate your birthday? I am 11 years 

old and my birthday is December 27. I usually 

have my friends over on my birthday and go 

bowling or something like that. 

I am 10 years old and my birthday is December 

6. I usually make a birthday party. We make 

cake and invite friends and family. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters? If you do, 

how old are they? I have an older brother named 

Ezra; he is 12 years old. He is very annoying 

most of the time, but when he’s in a good mood 

he can be nice. 

I have a brother and a sister. My brother is 

21 years old. My sister is 18 years old. I like my 

brother. I hate my sister. 

Do you have any pets? If so what kind? What’s 

your favorite animal? I don’t have any pets, 

but my favorite animal is a turtle. I like turtles 

because they are cute and they have an awesome 

shell. 

I used to have a turtle, eight cats, and two 

birds. 

Do you play any musical instruments? If so, 

what kind? I play the guitar. I enjoy playing the 

guitar, because I can put my emotions into it. 

For example, if I’m sad, I’ll play an A minor which 

sounds like dark and a low note. But if I’m happy, 

I’ll play a G, which is a happy high note. 

I play our traditional drum and French horn. 


play sports especially soccer (fútbol), because it 

gives me exercise and I like to play it. I am on a 

soccer team. I play on the weekends. 

I like to play soccer and basketball. I play with 

my friends. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? I 

want to be an advertising businessman, because 

I like advertising with other companies. 

I have no idea! 

What holiday is your favorite holiday? My favorite 

is Passover because of the food. I especially love 

the matzah ball soup, and my grandma makes 

chicken. 

My favorite holiday is Christmas because of 

the presents. 

What is the coldest weather you’ve ever been 

in? The coldest weather I’ve ever been in was 

–4 degrees on top of a mountain snowboarding 


in Canada. My hands were like frozen, but I took 

a warm shower and it felt really good. 

The coldest weather was -1˚C. We don’t get 

many snow storms, 1 every 3 years maybe. 


like to sled or snowboard, because they are both 

super fun and snowboarding gives me exercise. 

I do these activities with my family in Tahoe, or 

Canada (all snowy places). 

I like to play snow fights. I can’t ride sleds or 

snowboard because when it snows it doesn’t 

snow a lot. 

Ciel McKay Interviews Rula Saffarini 

Ciel 

Rula 

What is your name? My name is Ciel McKay. 

My name is Rula Saffarini. 

Do you have any pets, if so, what kind? What is 

your favorite animal? I don’t have any pets, and 

my favorite animals are gorillas. I like gorillas 

because they are smart and cute. I have seen 

them at the San Francisco Zoo. 

No, I don’t have any pets, but my favorite animals 

are puppies. I hope to own a puppy some 

day. 


instruments? Which ones? I play soccer on a 

team. The team name is the Cheetahs. We have 

a lot of fun. I play goalie. I play the piano. I used 

to play the violin, but I like the piano better. 

Yes, I play soccer and I play the piano. I go for 

piano lessons once a week and I do a lot of practicing 

at home. 

What kinds of food do you like and why? Can you 

share your favorite recipe? I like Mac’n’Cheese, 

which is very easy. You make pasta, then you 

put cheese in it! 

I like deep fried chicken because it’s crunchy 

and delicious. My mom uses a deep fryer to fry 

the chicken and uses a mix of her special spices 

to make it come out crunchy and delicious. 


I like to make snowmen versions of people. I 

make a snowperson and then put clothes on it. I 

use sticks and stones to make the face. 

I like to make snowmen when we have snow, 

but it rarely snows where I live. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters? What is/ 

are their name(s) and age(s)? I’m an only child. I 

am 11 years old. The disadvantage is that I don’t 

have somebody to play with, but the advantage 

is I get more attention. 

I have an older sister. Her name is Lama and 

she will turn 14 this coming June. I am 11 years 

old. 


draw, play sports, write stories, and sing with my 

buddies. I am in a choir and at Christmas I sang 

a song with a friend in front of the whole school. 

I like to play games on the Internet, sing 

songs, practice the piano, and watch TV. I use 

my iPad to make videos of myself singing and 

playing the piano. 


in your class? I’m in 5th grade, and there are 34 

kids in our grade! But there are 17 kids in my 

class. My teacher’s name is Alex; he has a new 

baby who came on a camping trip with us. 

I’m in 6th grade and there are 30 students in 

my class. 

What would you like to do when you grow up and 

why? I want to be a zoo worker, so I can work 

with gorillas in a zoo. 

My dream is to be a pop star like Selena 

Gomez because she is my idol and I love her 

songs very much. 


favorite? I celebrate Christmas and Halloween. 

My birthday is on Halloween so my birthday party 


is usually with costumes and candy. For my 

birthday celebration, I invite family and friends, 

and for Christmas just family. 

I celebrate my birthday in January with my 

family and friends. I also celebrate Muslim feasts 

twice a year with my family. 

Cecily Bartsch Interviews Aya Ghoozi 

Cecily 

Aya 

What is your name? My name is Cecily Jean 

Bartsch. 

My name is Aya Walied Ghoozi. 

Do you like sports? If so, which ones? I like dancing 

and jump roping because you can do them 

all the time. 

I like dancing, too. I like dabkah and English 

dancing. 

Do you have any siblings? If so, what is/are their 

names? I have a little sister named Margaret but 

everyone calls her Maggie. Her name means 

pearl and she is 7. I like playing games with her. 

I have little sister named Alma and a brother 

named Omar and one other brother named 

Laith. 

Do you have any pets? If so, what animal(s) are 

they and what are their names? I have four cats. 

The kittens’ names are Chutney and Delubo. The 

cats’ names are Caitlin and Elizabeth. I also have 

three chickens whose names are Lightball, Blossom, 

and Babette. I have a frog, too and I named 

her Lucy. 

I have one dog named Tornado. 

What would a typical Friday at school be like for 

you? I arrive at school at 8:45, and we do monitor 

jobs. Then we have a spelling test. Then we 

have a math quiz. Recess is next. Then we work 

on our most recent project. Then lunchtime. 

After lunch we have an event where the whole 

school comes together and sings lots of songs. 

After that, we go back to our classroom, and 

have Current Events in which the Class Leaders 

report to us about the most recent happenings. 

Then it’s room time, where we get to do whatever 

we want!! 

I don’t have school on Friday, but I want to 

tell you about what I do on Friday. On Friday I go 

to dabkah. I play with my friend and my sister. I 

practice my lessons and I do my homework. 


why? I would like to be either an actress or an 

entertainment person because I love changing 

personalities when I act. 

I want to be a singer because my talent is 

singing. 

What’s your favorite subject in school and why? 

My favorite subject is spelling because I love 

seeing how different letters combine to make 

different words. I also like reading and writing 

because I get to travel to whole new worlds of 

my own creation. 

My favorite subject in school is English. My 

father is an English teacher and I learn many 

things in English. 

What is your favorite dessert and why? My favorite 

dessert is home-made cream on a summer 

day because it is so refreshing. I also like the 

chocolate cardamom cookies that my mom 

bakes because the spiciness tastes good with 

the chocolate chips. 

My favorite dessert is Al-Nkab. I like it 

because it is hot in summer and I like summer. 

What’s your teacher’s name and what is he or 

she like? My teacher’s name is Kris Lee. She has 

black hair. Kris loves to teach math. 

I have many teachers, but I want to tell you 

about my English teacher. Her name is Miss 

Stephanie. She has brown hair. 


If you could pick any nickname to have what 

would it be and why? I would pick Ocelot 

because ocelots remind me of myself. They 

have spotted fur and wide eyes. They are a type 

of big cat. 

I would pick Selena because I love the name 

Selena. If you know Selena Gomez you will love 

her. 

Cass 

Dua’a 

Cass Dellis Interviews Dua’a Shbat 

What is your name? My name is Cass. It’s a family 

last name. 

My name is Dua’a Shbat. 

Do you have any siblings? I have one brother 

whose name is Ben. He is five and he takes 

Capoera, a Brazilian martial art. We usually get 

along well. 

I have one brother whose name is Mohammad. 

He is 13 years old. I have 3 sisters: Sujood 

(she is 10 years old), Tasneem (she is 15 years 

old), and Aden (she is 15 years old). 

What are you favorite subjects and activities, and 

why? I love art because it does not have rules. I 

like math because math comes pretty easily to 

me; I like ice-skating because I feel like flying, 

Indian dance because it’s fun, and dancing I just 

like. 

I love art because we do a lot of nice pictures. 

I love debka because it is a way for me to 

express myself. 

How old are you? When is your birthday? How 

do you celebrate your birthday? I am 9 and my 

birthday is August 4th. We celebrate it differently 

every year. I always have an angel cake. 

I am 9 years old. My birthday is May 5th. I celebrate 

my birthday with my friends and family. 


are in your class? Who is your teacher? I am in 

fourth grade. I have 17 students in my class. 

Bob is my teacher. He is extremely awesome 

and you can read more about him in an interview 

in this magazine. 

I am in fourth grade. There are 30 students 

in my classroom. I have many teachers, but my 

English teacher is Miss Stephanie. 

What would you like to be when you grow up? 

And why? I would like to be a play director, 

because it combines art and theater. I enjoy art 

and theater tremendously. I have been in one 

play, and I starred as Cinderella. 

When I grow up I want to be a teacher 

because I like to give people more information. 

What countries or places have you traveled to? 

I’ve traveled to Tahoe, Hawaii, Virginia, Yosemite, 

Disneyland, the Dominican Republic, Maryland, 

Florida, and North Carolina. 

I have traveled to Sharm Al-Shiekh in Egypt, 

Jordan and other places. 


favorite, and why? We celebrate Christmas, 

Easter, New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, and Winter 

Solstice. One of my favorites is Groundhog Day, 

because it is silly. 

We celebrate the Eid holiday and Eid Al-Fatar. 

I like both of them because we get new clothes 

and we get money. 

What kinds of food do you like and why? Can 

you share a favorite recipe? I love Thai Food and 

sushi. I also enjoy making Cass cakes, which are 

pancakes with tangerine squeezed in the middle. 

I love Chinese food. I also love chocolate chip 

cookies which are chocolate chips and cookies. 

What do your parents do? My parents owned a 

Thai food restaurant, but they sold it. Now my 

dad is in the stock market, and my mom is successfully 

unemployed. She volunteers for our 

school’s gardening program and farm boxes. 

My mom doesn’t work. She takes care of us. 

My dad works in a travel business. 


Becky Isaac Interviews Faris Treish 

Becky 

Faris 


My name is Becky and I am a girl. My real name 

is Rebecca. I sometimes wish I were a boy and I 

dress like a boy. I love being a girl though. 

My name is Faris. I’m a boy and it’s great. I 

love sports. 

What is your teacher’s name? My teacher’s name 

is Bob. He is very funny. 

I have many teachers. All our classes are in 

Arabic except for English. My English teacher’s 

name is Miss Tala. 

What is the name of your school, and do you like 

it and why? The name of my school is Park Day 

School. I love it. I love it because all the teachers 

are nice and the lessons are great. 

My school is called Friends Girls School 

because of history, but it’s for boys and girls. I 

like it but it’s different from other schools. 

Do you have any siblings, and what are their 

names and ages? I have a brother and his name 

is Jonah. He is 11 and fun. We like to kick and 

punch each other for fun and make jokes. 

I have a brother names Layth and he’s 3 and 

sister named Mira. She’s 8. We quiz each other 

on our favorite shows and movies. 

Do you like sports? If so, what sport? I like basketball, 

softball, dance, volleyball, and soccer 

etc. 

I like basketball, soccer, and swimming. 

What is your birthday? How do you celebrate 

your birthdays? My birthday is June 9, 2002. We 

get to pick what we want for breakfast, usually a 

junky cereal, then get to pick out dinner, either 

where we go out to eat, or what is made for me 

at home. 

My birthday is November 30th, 2001. I 

choose where my party is. The night of my birthday 

we go out for dinner or dessert. 

Do you live in a house, apartment, mansion, 

or farm? I live in Piedmont, which is a tiny, and 

small town in Oakland; it is very close to San 

Francisco. My house is two stories tall. We got 

a new foundation, which is what holds up your 

house. We’re also getting a hangout, playroom 

basement with someday a bathroom. 

I live in an apartment that’s for my family. It 

has a basement, my uncles’ house, my grandparents’ 

house, our house and a laundry house. 

Do you have any pets? If so what kind? How old 

and what is their name and age and gender and 

if so what breed? I have a black lab named Lola. 

She is soooooooooooooo cute !!!!!!! I love to go 

on walks and throw the ball, lay down with her, 

give her belly rubs, and hugs and kisses. 

I have zero. 


want to be a professional dancer, actor, teacher, 

astronomer (someone who studies space), and 

artist because I enjoy it a lot. And I’m super good 

at acting and dancing. 

I’d want to be an actor so I could have a 

pretty wife. And be known to everyone and rich. 

What’s your favorite kind of weather, and why? I 

like rainy, or snowy weather, cause it makes me 

want to be inside a house, all warm and cozy 

drinking that kind of “Hot Coco” that you get from 

a mini mart, that very stereotypical “Hot Coco.” 

I also like the cold weather. I like to be inside 

where I can play board games and have a reason 

to stay in bed all day and watch movies for 

quizzes. 


André Wackernagel Interviews 

Yazan Abu Hijleh 

André 

Yazan 

What is you name, are you a boy or a girl? My 

name is Andre and I am a boy. 

My name is Yazan and I am a boy. 

How old are you and when is your birthday? 

How do you celebrate your birthday? What gifts 

do you receive? I’m ten and I will turn eleven in 

March. I usually have a huge water balloon fight 

on my birthday, and we have a party with cake. 

What I would most like to receive are Wii games. 

I’m ten years old and I will turn eleven on 

March 30th. I bring about six friends and go 

play on the Xbox. I would like to have a mobile 

phone. 

Do you have any brothers and sisters? What 

are their names and ages? I have no siblings. I 

like being an only child, because I don’t have to 

share stuff, and some of my friends have two 

siblings and they are really annoying. 

I have one sister. Her name is Zein. She is 

annoying. She is nine years old. 

Do you have any pets, and if so, what kind? What 

is your favorite animal? I have two rats named 

Jerry and Brownie. They are both girls, and they 

are two and a half months old. Once when I was 

holding Brownie, she bit a hole in my shirt, to 

use the fabric for bedding. 

I have no pets, but I would like to have a dog. 

What grade are you in, and how many students 

are in your class? What is the name of your 

teacher? I am in fifth grade. There are 17 kids 

in my class. My teacher’s name is Lesley. She’s 

from New York and she used to live in the same 

county as my godfather. 

I am in fifth grade. There are 29 kids in my 

class. My teacher’s name is Linda. She is from 

Colorado, but now she lives here in Ramallah. 

What are your favorite subjects and why? What 

are your favorite school activities? What are 

your favorite after school activities? My favorite 

subject is reading. I am reading a lot of good 

books. I like to read action adventure, and fantasy 

books. Right now I am reading Levithian, 

which takes place in the past, but seems like the 

future. Scientists figure out how to change DNA. 

It’s a fascinating book. After school, I enjoy going 

to a friend’s house. 

My favorite subject is Math. I like to solve hard 

questions. 

What countries or places have you traveled to, 

and how did you feel? I’ve been to ten different 

countries not including my home country. 

I’ve been to Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, 

South Africa, Australia, and England. Every summer 

we travel to Switzerland and stay for two 

months with my dad’s family. 

My favorite subject is Math. I like to solve hard 

questions. 


in? The coldest weather I’ve ever been in is 

either in the Alps or in Chicago. One winter I was 

in Switzerland and we went to the top of a mountain 

where there was a glacier. In Chicago, my 

toes almost froze off because it was so cold. My 

toes were numb. 

In 2007, I felt that I am in a refrigerator. 


why? I want to be a video game designer, even 

though you don’t get paid for years until your 

game comes out. I love computers, and I am 

really into programming. 

I want to be a finance manager like my father. 


Lucy Pierce Interviews 

Nadia Mogannam 

Lucy P 

Nadia 


name is Lucy, and I am a girl. 

My name is Nadia, and I am a girl. 


there names and ages? I have an older brother 

named Maxwell; he is twelve. I also have a 

younger sister who is 5 and her name is Elsie. 

I have three older sister. The oldest sister 

is 20 years old. Her name is Manal. She has a 

business selling clothes from America. My other 

older sisters are twins. Their names are Eman 

and Amal. They are 19 years old. Amal likes to 

work on her laptop and Eman likes to go to the 

gym. Both Amal and Eman are studying at Bir 

Zeit University. I have one little brother. His name 

is Ameer. He is 5 years old and he is in kindergarten. 

He loves dogs! 

How old are you, and when is your birthday? I am 

10, and my birthday is May 16. 

My birthday is November 12. I am 10 years 

old. 

Do you have any pets, if so which kind? What is 

your favorite animal? I have a fish. My favorite 

animal is a giraffe. I don’t know why I like giraffes 

so much but they are cute. I like their spots and 

they are very interesting animals. 

I have a pet. It is a puppy. Her name is Tiffany. 

She is very tiny. She is very friendly. She is 

white as snow. She loves to lay on her back with 

just one paw up. It is very funny. My favorite 

animal is the dog. I like dogs because they are 

playful. They are sweet and they will also protect 

your house. 


in your class? I’m in fifth grade, and there are 17 

students in my class. But there is another fifth 

grade with 17 students and we do field trips and 

sometimes sports together. 

I’m in fourth grade. There are 30 kids in my 

class. They are very silly. They like to play and 

they have a lot of energy. 


instruments? Which ones? I play soccer 

(your football) and I also love to swim. I play on 

a soccer team with a lot of my classmates. The 

name of my team is Cheetahs. I play the guitar. I 

have been playing since I was six years old. I like 

to play and I like to sing, too. 

I don’t play any sports or musical instruments. 

I am a dancer. I am a ballerina. I love 

ballet. It is my favorite kind of dance. It is a calm 

activity. 

What countries or places have you traveled to? 

I have been to Chicago, Michigan, Wisconsin, 

Iowa, Hawaii, and Florida. I used to live in Chicago 

and we would take vacations to Michigan 

where my grandparents have a second house. 

We have friends that own an island in Wisconsin 

and it is really fun to go there. Once we swam 

on floaties around the whole island! Another set 

of grandparents used to live in Florida so we visited 

them and then they moved to Iowa where I 

visited them once. On my cousin’s first birthday, 

my aunt and uncle scheduled all of us to go to 

Hawaii for a celebration. That was my first time in 

Hawaii. 

I have traveled to America. In America I have 

traveled to California. My aunt lives in San Francisco, 

so I’ve been there. I went to Disneyland 

one year. I have traveled to Jordan and also to 

Jerusalem. This summer I will go to America to 

a wedding. I will be the flower girl and my 

brother will be the ring boy. 


favorite? I celebrate Christmas, Halloween, 


Valentines Day, Easter, St. Patrick’s Day, Thanksgiving, 

New Year’s, and the 4th of July. My favorite 

is Christmas. I like Christmas because I like 

going to the snow. I like spending time with my 

family and relaxing. 

I celebrate Easter, Christmas, Halloween, Valentine’s 

Day, and Fourth of July sometimes. My 

favorite holiday is Halloween because we dress 

up in costumes. I also like Easter because we 

do a lot of egg hunts and on the Saturday night 

before Easter we color eggs. My brother gets too 

excited because the Easter Bunny is coming. On 

Christmas Eve, my mom always makes cookies. 

We decorate them. We also listen to Christmas 

carols at this time. 

What’s the coldest weather you’ve ever been in, 

and where? The coldest weather I’ve ever been 

in is –45. That was in Chicago when I lived there. 

That day it was really windy. That day I got my 

tongue stuck to an icicle. I had to put pouring 

hot water on to it to unloosen it. 

This year was the coldest year ever in my life 

in Ramallah. I kept hoping that it would snow. 

Will you describe a typical day in your life? First, 

I go to school and when I get home I usually do 

homework. After I do some homework I might go 

outside and play soccer. After that, I read until 

it’s time for dinner. I usually go to bed around 10 

to 10:30 PM. 

I wake up and go to school. I learn several 

things and I have fun with my friends at break 

time. Sometimes I just chat with them. After 

school I come home. I wash my hands. I eat my 

lunch. I study on my balcony. It is warm there. 

Usually I study math. Sometimes when I have 

English, I do that. Then I play when I’m done. 

When my mom gives me a 20 minute break, I 

read for ten minutes and I play Wii for ten minutes. 

When I go to bed I read a story. I go to 

sleep around 9 p.m. 


I like to make snowmen and dress them up in 

clothing that I find around the house. I also like 

to make snow forts and have a snowball fight 

with my friends or my brother. 

My favorite thing to do in the snow is to make 

a snowman. I dress it up with a scarf and a hat. I 

also use some sticks for the arms. I also have a 

snowball fight with my brother. It hasn’t snowed 

a lot for a really long time. I like to relax and play 

checkers inside and drink hot chocolate. 

Clara Hollowgrass Interviews 

Layth Bhaisi 

Clara 

Layth 

Are you a girl or a boy? How old are you and 

what is your name? I am a girl. My name is Clara 

and I am eleven. 

I’m a boy and I am twelve years old. My name 

is Layth Bhaisi. 

Describe a typical day in your life. I wake up 

and take the dog for a walk, get myself ready 

and go to school. I stay at school for six hours 

then come home. We often take our dog to run 

and play at the dog park. Sometimes I go to a 

friend’s house to do homework and play. I help 

my mom make dinner, eat, then read, and then 

go to bed. 

A normal day in my life begins when I wake 

up, eat breakfast, and go to school. I’m at school 

for 8 hours! I come back home and have supper 

with my family. I go outside to play soccer. I then 

go back to my house. I work on my homework 

after this. When I’m finished, I play on my iPad 

and then I sleep. 

Do you play a sport, if so what kind? I play 

soccer and I love it. I usually play defense on a 

team called the Cheetahs. This team is made up 

mostly from girls in my grade. 

I play soccer, too. I play on a team called 

PS4L. I play as a striker. We practice and play 


our games at the upper school because it has a 

grass field. We play against teams from towns 

all over Palestine. Our team is made up of boys 

from our school. 


My favorite thing to do in the snow is snowball 

fights. One time when I was 5 years old, my 

friend Sammy threw a snowball and it hit me in 

the face. Because I was mad at him for this, I 

filled a sled with snowballs and threw them all at 

him. We laughed and played a lot. 

My favorite thing to do is to throw snow at 

other people and on cars. I’ve also made snowmen 

when it has snowed here. It does not snow 

here very much. 

Do you have any pets, if so what are they and 

what are their names? I have four pets, Blanca 

the dog, Lucky the parakeet, and Peace and Dart 

the rats. I love them all!. My dog is fluffy and 

white and really cute. When you blow on her face 

she tries to eat the air. I’ve had Lucky the bird 

since kindergarten. A parakeet is a good choice 

of pet because they sing to you and they play 

with a bell. 

I have no pets. My parents don’t want to have 

pets. We don’t have a yard for animals. My family 

lives in an apartment. My mom doesn’t like birds 

or fish. 

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

I want to be teacher or maybe a designer of 

flowers, hair or clothes. I love playing and working 

with kids. I like to introduce new topics to 

people and watch them learn. There is a feeling 

of wanting to create something that I really like 

the look of, for instance a jean pocket with a 

special design. 

I hope to be a professional soccer player. I 

would like to play for Barcelona in Spain. I love 

soccer so much and Barcelona is the best team, 

in my opinion. I practice a lot so that I can play 

like Messi. 

Do you have a hobby? If so, what is your favorite? 

My favorite hobby is whittling designs into 

long, smooth sticks. I use a pocket knife. I like to 

sit on a blanket on the grass, in the warm sun, 

my dog by my side while I whittle. 

I like to play on my iPad. My favorite game is 

Asphalt. I like it because it is a game with cars. It 

is 3-D. It shows beautiful cars and you can pretend 

you’re driving them. 

Do you have a favorite word? If so, can you share 

it? My favorite word is hyperbole. It means an 

exaggeration as a figure of speech. One example 

might be, “My dog Blanca’s eyes are as black as 

deep caverns.” Another example would be, “The 

hole in the jeans was as wide as a ocean.” 

”Fufu.” It’s the short name for my friend Faris. 

It’s just another way of saying someone’s name. 

Who would you like to have lunch with, alive or 

dead, and why? I would like to meet Adele, the 

singer. She does community service by donating 

belongings, money and food to people in 

homeless shelters. Even though she is very 

successful in the music industry, she still thinks 

of people in need. I also really like her music. 

I would like to have lunch with my grand father 

Fayez. He is not alive anymore. I never met him, 

but my family remembers him and tells me 

about him. He owned a restaurant nearby. He 

was a good person and everybody loved him. 

What is your most special belonging? My most 

special belonging is my journal from when I was 

7. I wrote funny things about what I did each day. 

It is funny because it is from a 7 year old perspective. 

One example is “Today our teacher was 

tap dancing. Then we played with playdough and 

had lunch. Then I went home and we had mushrooms 

for dinner. Yucky.” This writing is special 

to me because some of the things I said were 

sweet. It’s like I’m visiting the past through my 

7-year-old-self. 

Besides my iPad, I have a small bear that is a 

toy. I have had it since I was a baby. I named it 

Lulu. It sits on my bed in my room at home. 

If you could have any animal(s) as a pet, what 

would it be? I would get an elephant and a 


leather back sea turtle. I feel like elephants are 

very graceful even though they are so huge and 

loud. They actually seem like humans because 

their emotions show through their sounds and 

movements. Leather back sea turtles can survive 

for more than a hundred years! I would be 

able to have one for my entire life. When I think 

about a sea turtle I imagine a very intelligent 

animal. It’s amazing how the baby turtles are 

hatched in the sand and know exactly where to 

go next. 

If I could have a pet, it would be dog. I’d like a 

dog because I could play with it. I’d like to have 

a puppy because it is cute and I can teach it. I 

would teach it to be good with people and to 

play games. 

Yuki Koch Interviews 

Zein Suhail Musarsa 

Yuki 

Zein 


name is Yuki Else Koch. I am a girl. 

My name is Zein Suhail Musarsa. I am a girl. 



you like to receive? I am nine, my birthday is 

Feb. 18, 2002. Usually my parents and I choose 

what I want to do for my birthday. For example, 

one year I had a treasure hunt party. My dad 

hid things all over the neighborhood and left 

clues for me and my friends to find everything. 

It was fun. For my birthday I would want to get a 

Nintendo DS, it is sort of like an iPod touch but 

different. 

I am ten years old. My birthday is December 

13, 2001. I usually do my birthday at a bowling 

alley. I would like to get a Nintendo DSi, an 

iPhone and an iPad. 

Do you have any brothers or sisters? If so how 

many, and what are their names? I do not have 

any brothers or sisters. But I have three cousins. 

Two of my cousins live in Japan and one lives in 

Germany. 

I have 1 brother named Walid and 1 sister 

named Jeannine. 


are in your class? I am in 4th grade. Right now 

there are 16 kids in our class, but there is a boy 

named Jesse coming in February. 

I am in 4th grade. There are 14 boys in the 

class and 16 girls. 


I like having snowball fights with my dad. We 

usually go to Germany to be in the snow but this 

year, there is no snow in Germany and we are 

thinking about going to Tahoe in California during 

our week off of school in February. 

I like to have snow ball fights with my family 

and drinking hot chocolate. 

What’s your favorite planet? My favorite planet is 

earth because it has life. I do like looking at the 

other planets though. They are really colorful. 

I like Mars because it’s red. 

Who is your teacher? Do you think she/he is a 

good teacher? My teacher is Kris Lee. I think she 

is awesome. She can be strict, but she is strict 

for a good reason. 

My teacher is Maha Atallah. She is nice and 

funny. 

How many teeth have you lost? I have lost 8 

teeth. I have gotten 6 teeth pulled out and I am 

going to get 4 more teeth pulled out. That is 

because I need to get braces for my teeth. 

I have lost 13 teeth. 

What’s your favorite design? Polka dots, stars, 

hearts, stripes etc. I like Polka dots because they 

make me feel happy. 

I like hearts and polka dots. 

What is your favorite holiday, and why? My 

favorite holiday is Christmas, because I get to 


spend time with my grandparents, and since my 

birthday is so close to Christmas, I get double 

presents. 

My grandparents usually come here from 

Germany for Christmas, but last year we went 

there. My favorite holiday is Christmas because 

I am Christian and I get presents. 

Sadie Ellis-Caleo Interviews 

Rahaf Abu-Homos 

Sadie 

Rahaf 


My name is Sadie and I am a girl and my nickname 

is Suds. 

My name is Rahaf and I am a girl. My nickname 

is RoRo. 

What is your teacher’s name? My teacher’s name 

is Kris Lee. She is a good math helper. 

My homeroom teacher’s name is Miss Maha. 

She is a good teacher because she gives us 

important information in a fun way. 

What is the name of your school, and do you like 

it and why? The name of my school is Park Day 

School. I like it because it gives everyone equal 

rights and has a great gardening, sports and 

Spanish program that I really enjoy. The teachers 

are nice and supportive. 

The name of my school is Friends Girls School. 

I like it because my friends are here. It is very 

good for learning English. I like to learn English. 

Do you have any siblings, and what are their 

names and ages? I have an older brother named 

Tim who is 18. Tim is super cool and one of 

my favorite things to do with him is play math 

games. I also have an older sister named Tessa 

who is 29. She is super nice and really fun to do 

artwork with and I really enjoy doing it with her. 

I have one brother and one sister. My sister’s 

name is Maram. She is 14 and in Grade 9. She 

tells me funny things and we dance. My brother’s 

name is Ala. He is Grade 7 and he is twelve 

years old. He usually helps my parents with 

cleaning our home, but sometimes he doesn’t. 

He studies a lot and he is a good student. 

Do you like sports? If so, what sport? The sports 

I like are soccer, swimming, dancing, basketball 

and jump rope. 

I like sports. I like soccer and ballet. I also like 

swimming. 

What is your birthday? How do you celebrate 

your birthdays? My birthday is June 22, 2002. 

These are a few of the things that I like to do on 

my birthday. I like to spend lots of time with my 

family, go swimming, watch movies, read lots, 

and play soccer with my dog. For dinner, I like to 

get “take out” sushi, or go to one of my favorite 

restaurants. My favorite cake is German 

Chocolate cake. 

My birthday is on January 12, 2002. On my 

birthday my family brings me a cake. I get 

some presents. We have a small party with my 

friends. We cannot have a big party because 

one of my uncles died and our family is still sad 

about this. 

Do you live in a house, apartment, mansion, or 

farm? I live in Montclair, which is a tiny neighborhood 

of Oakland. My house is two stories tall 

with all our bedrooms on the second floor. My 

backyard is pretty big with a play structure, 

hammock, tetherball, ping pong table and grass 

on one side and a basketball court on the other 

where I do my jump roping. There are lots of 

trees, and a creek with a little bridge. 

I live in a house in Ramallah. My house has 

my whole family and we share it with my four 

uncles and their children. Our space has just our 

family of five people. Next to our house are the 

other relatives. We don’t have a yard or a garden. 

On the top of our house there is a place for use 

to play. We eat dinner there sometimes. We’re 


always working on our house. Right now we’re 

making a new door for my bedroom. 

Do you have any pets? If so what kind? How old 

and what is their name and age and gender, and 

if so what breed? I have a dog named Josie. Her 

breed is a corgi German Shepherd. I got her a 

little bit more than a year ago at an animal shelter 

called Milo. She is super cute and sweet. I 

used to have two cats—one was named Smoky, 

the other one Pirate. Smoky died of old age. She 

was 22 in people years and Pirate died of cancer 

last year. I also have a fish named Sarah who is 

still alive and cute. 

I have no pets. I wish I had a dog. I’d like a 

Chihuahua because it is small and cute. I like to 

play with animals. 


would like to be a professional dancer or actress. 

I would also like to make my own cat and dog 

foundation or be a marine animal trainer at 

Marine World or Seaworld. 

I would like to be a doctor. I would be the 

doctor that gets the babies. I want to be this 

because I like babies. Maybe I will go to London 

to study to be a doctor. 

What’s your favorite kind of weather, and why? I 

like a rainy day, because it makes me feel cozy 

and warm. I just want to be in my pajamas and 

sip hot cocoa by the fireplace. 

Rain is my favorite weather. I like it because 

it comes in the winter and my birthday is in 

winter. 

Leila Mottley’s Interviews 

Leila Habayeb 

Leila M. 

Leila H. 


name is Leila. I am a girl. 

My name is Leila, too. I am a girl. 



you like to receive? I’m 9 and a half. My birthday 

is June 15, and I am going to go swimming for 

my party. I hope I get a gift certificate to a bookstore. 

A gift certificate is money on a card to a 

certain store. 

I’m nine and a half. My birthday is June 18. 

For the last two years I celebrated at a swimming 

pool. I invited my friends and we had 

chocolate cake. For my birthday this year I’d like 

to receive English books to read. I like reading 

books like the Boxcar Children series. I like these 

books because the kids solve mysteries. I like 

mysteries. 

Do you have any siblings? What are their names 

and ages? I have a brother who is 12 and his 

name is Logan. My brother is kind and fun to play 

with when he’s not grumpy. We like to play with 

our swords. 

I have a brother. He is 12 years old and his 

name is Yazan. Yazan likes to wrestle with me. 

I also have a sister. Her name is Razan and she 

is 7 years old. Razan likes to help my mother 

make food. 

Do you have any pets, and if so, which kind? 

What is your favorite animal? I have three cats 

and my favorite animal is a cat. The oldest, who 

is 6, is a blue tailed tabby, and her name is Kiwi. 

Another is Luna and she is calico, and 1 year-old. 

Jaco is an orange tabby and the same age as 

Luna. 


I have no pets. I’d like to have a dog because 

they are funny. I like Chihuahua dogs because 

they are tiny and cute. My favorite animal is the 

dog because they are cute. 


in your class? I’m in fourth grade and there are 

17 kids in my class. 

I’m in fourth grade and there are 30 kids in 

my class. 

Describe your school to me. There are three 

buildings in our school, one is called The Palm 

Building and it is for K–3rd. Another building 

is the BK building and another is called the 

Magnolia building, which has the 7th and 8th 

graders. We also have a huge playground with 

swings, slides and basketball courts. My favorite 

is the basketball courts. 

My school has five buildings for different 

grades and offices. There is a big playground 

with slides and a place to play soccer. Our 

school is very old. My aunts were students at 

this school. 

What is your favorite subject and why? What are 

your favorite afterschool activities? I love reading 

and writing, I love Indian dance, which is on 

Wednesdays at 3:00 and right after that I have 

Modern dance class. 

My favorite subject is English. I like it because 

we have many activities and my teacher Miss 

Stephanie tries to make us be good in reading 

and writing English. I learn guitar afterschool. It 

is on Thursdays. I like it because guitar is my 

favorite instrument. My parents don’t like me to 

play, though. They want me to play the piano. I 

learned for two years and then I quit because I 

did not like it. 

Do you play an instrument, and if so which one? 

A.I play the piano. My lessons are every Fridays 

at 5:00. I love playing the piano and for Christmas 

I got a keyboard. 

I play the guitar. Sometimes I play the piano. 

We have a piano in our house. 


favorite? I celebrate Christmas and it is my favorite 

holiday. Every year my grandma, aunt and 

uncle and soon cousin (they just had a baby 

named Andrew) come down to our house and 

we eat and open presents and then they leave. 

I celebrate Christmas and Easter. My favorite 

is Christmas because we get presents. Sometimes 

we go to Amman, Jordan for Christmas 

to celebrate with our cousins. We play UNO and 

other games. We go to church. 

What countries or places have you been to, or 

are planning to go to? I’ve been to Michigan and 

Ohio when I was a lot younger because that’s 

where my parents grew up, but in July my whole 

family and uncle, aunt, and grandma are going to 

my great-uncle and aunts in Canada and it will be 

fun. 

I’ve been to Jordan and Egypt. In Egypt I went 

to Sharm Al-Sheik where we went swimming in 

the Red Sea. I also went to America, but I was 

just 2 months old, so I don’t remember what I 

did. My two aunts live in Jacksonville, Florida and 

I have many cousins in America. 

What’s your favorite kind of weather and season? 

I love rain, so I can sit down and read with hot 

chocolate and then take a nap. I also like to go 

out and try to catch rainwater on my tongue and 

that’s why winter and the beginning of summer 

are my favorites. 

I like the summer. I like it because we go to 

swim at a swimming pool called Snobar. I love 

swimming. I love winter, too. I love it because 

it sometimes snows, but in Palestine it doesn’t 

snow much. 


PDS Articles

Art-icle 

by Lucy Pierce and Lucy Swinson and Parker Reinheimer 

We’re writing an article about our school art program taught by our teacher 

Jenny. We do art in a big room with lots of tables and big shelves filled 

with art materials. In art we do all kinds of different art, like abstract dot 

build up, realism, sculpting, painting, and collages etc. We also use all 

sorts of materials, like records, corks, pepper, 

clay, paper, paint, glitter, and wire etc. 

We have art on Thursdays. Parker and Lucy S. 

have it after lunch, Lucy P. has it before lunch. 

We do art because it helps you express yourself. Here are some pictures 

of us painting on records and free sketching. We hope you like them! 


Palestine and Israel Stamps 

by Sam Lopez 

these stamps are from Israel and Palestine. My sister’s friend’s dad went 

to Israel and bought these stamps for me because I asked if he would 

bring back pictures. But he forgot 

his camera, so he figured this was 

the next best thing. The stamps 

from Palestine are from 1942 and 

from when Palestine was part of 

the British Mandate, so they are 

very rare. v 

Here is a scan of all the stamps. 


Sports 

by Hayley and Sofia 

sports at Park Day School is taught by two people -- Will is the sports teacher for 

1st grade to 6th grade, and Josie teaches 7th and 8th graders. Sports is played on 

the field and also on most of the campus, if you’re playing a big game. 

Some games that we play in sports are capture the flag, bravery, mouse trap, 

evolution, circle of doom, hockey, corner soccer, baseball, 

Danish rounders, volleyball, the west wind blows, 

jump rope, etc. We think all the kids are all wrapped up 

in sports. It’s fun because Will always makes up new 

games, and Josie, too. The 7th and 8th graders have a 

team and their name is the Mighty Apples. Overall, we 

think that all the kids enjoy sports and the games the 

teachers make up! 

Kids play soccer everyday 

Jumproping 

Our sports teacher invents new ballgames 


Graffiti Art 

By Lula, Mattie and Stella 

graffiti is a type of street art that is usually thought of as bad or unnecessary. We disagree. We 

think that graffiti is a great art form that encourages artists to speak their words in the form of 

street art. 

Graffiti can be anything the artist wants: abstract, cuteness, words, signatures, etc. Graffiti can 

be made from anything you want, but the most common material used is spray paint. You can also 

use pen or pencil and paint to practice on a piece of 

paper. 

Even though graffiti is illegal in some places, it is 

not illegal everywhere. Graffiti is legal in lots of areas, 

like for example, in a lot of places in the mission district 

in San Francisco. 

There are graffiti tunnels where are encouraged to 

do graffiti on the walls of the tunnels. Graffiti is almost 

always on walls or sides of buildings, but sometimes it 

is also on trains or trucks and cars. 

Finally, we think that graffiti is a really cool and 

amazing form of art and we think artists should be 

able to express their feelings in most places. 

We have been through Berkeley and Oakland 

observing all the graffiti we see. Here are some 

of photographs we took of graffiti art. 


New Hot Lunch Program at Park Day School 

By Cass, Olivia and Sonia 

park Day has a new hot lunch program! Kids can get hot lunch Tuesdays and Thursdays, or 5 days 

a week. We get little green cards that say our name and our teacher’s name. If you buy lunch 

Tuesdays and Thursdays, your card is light green, and if you get lunch everyday, your card is dark 

green. 

Some of our favorite meals are teriyaki chicken, Sloppy Joes, Mac ’n Cheese, garlic bread, minestrone 

soup, and spaghetti and meatballs. There’s always a long line on Tuesdays and Thursdays 

because that’s when a lot of people buy lunch. A common 

issue with the lunch line is that it moves pretty slowly. That’s 

because there are only two stations for food. 

Before the Hot Lunch program started, we had pizza on 

Wednesday, pasta on Tuesday, and burritos on Thursday. 

The pizza was cheese and wasn’t very good. The beans in 

the burritos were starchy, but the pasta was great. 

The Park Day lunch program is near the 6th, 7th and 

8th grades area. The chefs cook the food. They cook it in 

trays and there’s a window that they pass it out to the lunch 

ladies, so they can serve it to the kids who are in the program. 

When we get to the front of the line the lunch ladies take a plate and ask us what we want. After 

they serve us, we can go to the vegetable table and get side dishes, like vegetables and pasta, and 

there’s always salad, tomatoes, egg salad and sandwiches and sometimes beats. There also is a soup 

table, which not a lot of people get. Then once we have all our food we go out to another table, which 

contains fruit, water and 2% milk. Finally we can go and eat 

our lunch after that long process. 

Park Day does not use paper plates and plastic utensils 

because it’s not good for the earth. Instead of using those 

things, we use hard plastic plates and regular silverware that 

can be washed and reused. We have plastic cups. This is a 

big improvement because last year we used paper plates 

which created a lot of waste and got blown all over the campus. 

This year, when we’re finished eating, we put our plates 

and utensils into buckets that the cooks come out and get 

when they’re full. 

We think that the food is good most of the time. Avi, a vegetarian fifth-grader comments, “I think 

that options for vegetarians are limited. Other than that, the food is so-so.” But there are many other 

kids that love the food and like to eat it five times a week. Becky, a fifth-grader, said that the garlic 

bread is good and Stella, also in fifth grade, loves the pizza. 

The chefs are doing a great job. Nutrition-wise they are providing healthy choices. Taste-wise most 

people love it. Choice-wise, we recommend adding more vegetarian choices. 


Our Playground 

By Sam Lopez 

our playground has a play structure with 

monkey bars, ladders, a corkscrew and 

a slide. It is on top of a woodchip area. We 

have a big Astroturf field next to it where 

we play soccer and other games. We 

have a small purple stage, another 

slide, a basketball court, a climbing 

structure, a swing set, and a 

sunken area we use as a garden 

to plant vegetables and 

flowers. 


Justin Beiber 

By Emmet, Henry and Jake 

justin Bieber was just an ordinary boy in Canada. 

His parents were divorced. So he grew up with 

his little sister and his mom. He loved playing guitar 

and had a great voice. Ever since the day he was 

born he had talent. His mom saw that he had great 

rhythm drumming on seats and tables and singing 

all around the house! Justin’s career bloomed when 

a man named Scooter saw some of his Youtube videos 

online and took him to Atlanta and talked about 

making records. As soon as they got off the plane in 

Atlanta, they saw Usher and Justin said he was Usher’s 

biggest fan and he wanted to sing for him. Usher 

agreed and let him sing. Usher loved Justin’s voice 

so he made time in the recording studio to record 

his songs and he made records! His first hit album 

was entitled My World. 

As Justin became known around the country, radio shows requested meetings and 

Justin bloomed into a teenage sensation. He created a monster posse of young and old 

women worldwide. They followed wherever he went, and screamed whenever they got 

the slightest glimpse of him at a concert almost instantly! WOAH!!! 

As Justin grew up he bloomed into a handsome man and ladies bowed down 

worldwide. Soon Ellen Degeneres, a talk show hostess saw his videos and asked if 

he would like to have an interview. Immediately Justin agreed. Interviews like this 

played a big role in his career. Justin came out with lots more Youtube videos. 

Justin came out with his second album entitled My World 2.0. The album had hit 

songs, for example “Baby,” “One Less Lonely Girl,” “U Smile,” and “One Time.” The 

album got a good rating on iTunes. Justin then made music about love and hardship 

like “Baby,” one of his hit songs. Then Justin made music videos for his 

songs and they also were number 1 hits on iTunes. 

Justin was and still is a star thanks to Youtube. 


Interview with Bob 

By Becky, Leila and Sylvia 

How did you become a teacher, and why? 

Bob: I think I always liked doing it and I like 

being with kids. My wife also suggested that I 

would be happier being a teacher. 

What year did you start teaching? 

1991. 

What was the first grade you taught? 

I taught in this order 5th, 7th, 6th, and 4th. 

Did you have a job before you were a teacher? If 

so, what? 

Yes, I was a lawyer. 

What was the first school you taught at? 

Skyline Elementary in Daly City. 

What was your favorite thing 

to do when you were a kid? 

It was probably to play 

with my friends. 

Bob 

Do you have any pets? 

Yes I have two dogs -- one named Buzzby 

and one named Annie. 

Do you have any kids, and what grade are 

they in? 

Yes, Alex is in the 12th grade and Lucy is 

in 10th. 

What is your favorite sport? 

To watch, it would have to be football, 

and to play it would be biking. 

What is your favorite animal? 

My favorite animals are dogs and 

birds. 

Interview with Kris 

By Cecily, Sadie and Samia 

Question:What’s your favorite color? 

Kris: It changes all the time, but right now it’s purple. 

What is your favorite subject to teach? 

Math and social studies. 

Why did you become a teacher? 

It’s a very important job to help children get an education. 

Do you have a pet? 

No. 

What is your favorite TV show? 

City Hunter, and Korean series. 

What is your favorite book? 

Arabian Nights 

Kris 


RFS Articles

Twenty Years From Now… 

by Natalie Jubeh 

it’s 9:00 am and I’m late to work. I am an English teacher and a hair dresser. I am living now 

in Turkey because when I visited it as a child I liked it so much. It’s a very nice place. 

My best friend is called Nazan. She is Turkish and I love her. She is a math teacher at the 

same school where I work. By the way, my mum’s grandmother is from Turkey so my grandfather 

speaks Turkish and Arabic. When I was a little girl, he taught me how to speak Turkish. 

The Gift of Family 

by Sara Khatib, Grade 6 

the best gift I have ever received is my family, because they help me when I need them. 

They are always on my side supporting me. If I do something wrong they tell me so I will 

not do it again. They care about me very much and I care about them. For a best gift, some 

say an iPod, others say a pet and things like that, but I say that having a mom, dad, and a 

small brother is the best gift. 

Snow in Ramallah 

by Taleen Abdullah, Grade 4 

i 

was only five years old when I saw snow for the first time. I was so happy and excited. I 

couldn’t wait to go outside and play with it and build a snowman. It’s something I’d wanted 

to do for a long time. I remember we went to the roof of our building to play. I was so happy. 

I wanted to feel snow between my hands. I didn’t wear any gloves and after a while my hands 

were so cold that I started to cry. 


My Day Off 

by Nour Habbash, Grade 5 

what day do you love the most? I like the day, Sunday, because everyone is just home 

and asleep. I always go feed and play with my dog Kanfush, and then I try and try to 

wake my sister up. After that, I go with my mom to a restaurant, and its name is Zamn! When 

we finish eating, we go do our daily chores. Thank God for this day, because this is always the 

best day ever!! 

My Atlas is My Favorite Book 

by Tarek Abu-Amr 4B 

my favorite book is my National Geographic Atlas. My dad brought it to me from America 

because he knows that I like geography. It gives me nice information about countries. 

I learn about the continents. It helps the other students in our Geography Club. I like 

my atlas very much! 

I Love Swimming 

By Marc Husary, Grade 6 

i 

liked swimming since I was a little kid and I still like it. Now I’m good at swimming. Every 

summer I go swimming. I swam in many places. I swam in Syria and I swam in Jaffa many 

times. Swimming is my hobby. Every time I go swimming I practice moves and jumping into 

water. I hope I’ll enjoy swimming in the next summer. 


I Love My Family 

By Shukri Kuttab, Grade 6 

living within a loving family is the best thing that has ever happened to me. Loving, caring, 

and sharing are the most important words in our family. Sharing means sharing 

everything, like good or bad things, ideas, moments and duties. Since our parents give us 

the best things they can, we as children should give them something in return, like loving, 

helping, and appreciation, and I think this is just a little bit compared to what they gave us. 

A Migration Story 

By Amanda Azar, Grade 5 

america has a lot of very good colleges, so that’s why my dad left Ramallah, Palestine. 

He was awarded a scholarship to go to one in Utah. When he first got there he stayed 

at the university. He felt very scared and lonely to be far from home in a foreign country. 

Utah was like Ramallah in one way in both places most of the people are very nice. 

Although he faced the challenges of feeling homesick, getting to know his way around, and 

meeting new people, he started to like Utah very much. Many years later he moved back 

to Ramallah so his kids could learn the language. Now with his education, he is back home 

where he wants to be. 


Activities

food is an important part of everyone’s culture and we thought it would be fun to make a food that 

the children at the Friends’ School enjoyed: hummus. 

Making Hummus 

Palestinian cuisine shares many dishes in common 

with other countries in the region, hummus 

is one of them. In Palestine, hummus is a popular 

appetizer, or meze and is served with grilled 

or toasted pita bread cut into wedges. 4 to 6 

servings 

Ingredients 

Chickpeas, cooked and drained — 2 cups 

Tahini (sesame paste) — ¼ to ½ cup 

Lemon juice — ¼ cup 

Garlic, crushed — 2-4 cloves 

Salt — ½ teaspoon 

Water — as needed 

Olive oil — ¼ cup 

Parsley minced — 1-2 tablespoons 

Method 

Place the chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, 

garlic and salt into a food processor or 

blender and process until very smooth. Add 

water as needed to achieve a soft, spreadable 

consistency. Adjust seasoning with 

lemon juice and salt to taste. 

Mound the hummus in a serving bowl 

and drizzle the olive oil over the top. 

Sprinkle with parsley and serve. 


Palestinian embroidery — Tatriz 

the Middle East has been a leader in textile production 

since vancient times. Arabs introduced many forms 

of silk weaving and production to the West. Witness, 

for example, the frequent use of such Arabic names as 

“damask” (from Damascus) and “gauze” (from Gaza) for 

certain fabric weaves 

Palestinian hand-embroidery is rich in color, texture, 

and history. Historically Palestinian girls have learned to 

embroider, or “tatriz,” as soon as they could hold a needle 

– at the age of six or seven. A girl was normally taught 

cross-stitching and the simple motifs of her village. Palestinian 

women have expressed their sense of regional 

identity and pride in the designs and colors of embroidery 

in their dress. 

One day CWB reporters tried on some examples of 

this clothing.

June 2012 - Ramallah Friends Schools

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