A Christmas Story - Hopkins Park

When I Think of Christmas - Video

Toys and Joy - Video

Story by iWAD Reporter Lauren Johnson

Toy drive brings joy to scores of children

By Lauren Johnson

The faces of the two little boys lit up with excitement as they received their gifts. The little boys had not seen their mother in years. But for a few hours, that sadness could not compare to the joy of receiving gifts and the fun and food that filled the room.

New coats, hats, scarves and gloves were some of the many gifts that children received at a toy drive on December 13 at the Kohl Center in Kankakee. Besides handing out gifts, children and their families played games such as Christmas trivia.

The toy and coat drive was sponsored by the Garden of Prayer Youth Center in Momence. The group presented gifts to about 600 children. Last year, Garden of Prayer distributed 30 coats and 300 toys to nearly 280 children, according to published reports.

The smell of fresh baked cookies and hot cocoa filled the air and mixed with the laughter of children and the chatter of adults. In the background, Christmas music played. The sounds of “Silver Bells”, “This Christmas” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” made it feel like it was already Christmas Day.

Every child left with a gift in hand, but more importantly with a smile on their face.

I Have a Dream - Shani Maxwell

Like their classmates, Lorenzo R. Smith students Shani Maxwell, Clarence Wells, Anthony Love and Lauren Johnson, have dreams--dreams of college, dreams of success, dreams for tomorrow. Participants in the fall iWriteADream workshop, they write briefly about some of their dreams and their hopes for the future, captured here on the eve of Christmas break.

I have a dream of graduating valedictorian of my eighth grade class. I have a dream of being one of the people in my family to graduate and succeed in high school. I have dreams of going to Florida A & M University, a historically black college, where I can work with individuals that are at the same stature and level of achievement as I am. When I go to college I dream of studying to become a pediatrician, surgeon or an anesthesiologist.


I dream big to have a big future. I have dreams of getting out of Hopkins Park to discover the world and to see what else it has to offer. I plan to accomplish my goals that I set for myself by finishing what I start and not giving up because dedication and perseverance are the keys in life.


I sometimes hear people say "I can't" and "I quit," but when education comes to my mind, those words are out of my vocabulary. I will not be stereotyped by becoming another black child who has to live off of welfare because I'm better than that and I know it. I will not keep the generational welfare going on in my family.


Now I've told you my dreams, so why don't you tell me about yours.

Clarence's Dream

My dream is to make it in life and to become a lawyer. If I don't become a lawyer I will work with animals because I love animals. Animals are sweet. As a lawyer, you have to make up good excuses to get your client out of trouble.

This is My Dream - Anthony Love

People always ask me what is my dream. What do I want to be in life? Sometimes I just really don't know.

Now that I'm older, I want to have my own business. Be my own boss and pick who I want to work for me, so I can take care of my mother. My dream was always in sports, but I see that I have a better chnce with my own business then trying to be a basketball or a football player.

I want to have my own business so I can use my ideas and so I can tell people what to do because I hate getting told what to do.

My dream is to become a successful black man. But to become a successful black man I have to stay in school, study really hard and stop clowning. That's how I will become a successful black man.

Dream Crashers

By Lauren Johnson

Dream crashers will crush your dreams and take away your dreams.

Dream crashers make your dreams crash and burn, burn 'til you listen and you learn dreams can come true. Stay away from dream crashers, 'cause your dreams will never come true.If you want your dreams to be given up, then go see your nearby dream crasher.

But if you want them built up, Go see your local dream builder.

See how you can make them come true.

So be a great person and think about all of your dreams.

And make them come true.
Make your dreams come true.

When I Think of Christmas...

By Denisha Cearo

When I think of Christmas, I think of Jesus’ birthday. I think about when he made me who I am. I think about the breath he gave me to get up and come to school every day. I think about will he bless me to see 2009 or not. But most importantly, I thank him for giving me a family to have Christmas dinner with.

I’m very thankful for this holiday because you can give and receive gifts. I think about when he died on the cross to give us life. I thank God that I have a church home to go to on Sunday. I thank him for the first church he made that is called the Church of Christ.


If God gave us life, we can at least thank him for giving us life.




By Lauren Johnson
I think of snow, ice and lot of gifts with family and food. I think of all of the presents there is to have and all of my family there is to see and hug. I think of all of the pies, cakes, turkey, ham, dressing, cranberry sauce, greens, chitterlings, sweet potatoes, sweet potato pieces, chocolate pies, lemon pies, chocolate pudding pie and lemon pudding pies. I think of all the people going to see their families and people gathering around the table to eat and the Christmas tree to see what everyone got. I also think of all of the gifts under the tree.



By Kody Sallee
When I think of Christmas I think of presents and all of the family that I will be with and all the love and joy that will be on my face when I get the one thing that I have been wishing for. When I think of Christmas, I think of all the lights that will be on our tree and house. When I think of Christmas, I think of God and how he died on the cross for me and my family and that’s what I think when I think about Christmas.

By Armond Magee

When I think of Christmas I know joy is arriving. Carolers will be caroling and people will be striving. To see that special day when all kids will be happy. Adults will be talking while others are laughing. Some put up ornaments and some put up stockings. Maybe snow will fall and wrapping paper will be dropping. On Christmas Day, it’s impossible to be mad. This is a time where everyone should be glad. Some people will have cake and dairy. It’s Christmas. Everyone should be merry.

Christmas play held at Bible Witness Camp

By Jacquil Rivers

The play at Bible Witness Camp was called “The Christmas County Spelling Bee.” The play was about Jesus. The actors had to spell the many names of Jesus. For example, some of the names were Immanuel, Messiah and Lamb of God.

The choir sang songs. Some of the songs were “Prince of Peace” and “Mighty God.” The people who did not get a part in the play sang in the choir. Other people had to say a scripture verse. The play was directed by Ms. Goosby.

Some of the actors did not know their parts, but the play was still good.

Teachers at Lorenzo R. Smith looking forward to holiday break

By Tyraze Turner

The students aren’t the only ones looking forward to the holiday break. Teachers are also looking forward to some time off to spend with family and friends or just relax. Here are some of the plans of Lorenzo R. Smith teachers this break.

Ms. Troupe will be spending time with her family.

Ms. Pickens plans on resting and can’t wait to get her hands on her 4,000 piece puzzle.

Ms. Magee will be spending time with her family, eating dessert first and then dinner.

Ms. Livingston will be spending time with her family.

Ms. Wicker said she will be cooking and her parents will be coming to her house. She opens presents from her family on Christmas Eve and Santa comes on Christmas Day.

Ms. Pitchlyn will be visiting with her family. Her daughter is coming from Ohio with her two children and they are having dinner.

At the top left is Ms. Pickens; below her is Ms. Pitchlyn; appearing next is Ms. Livingston; and above caption is Ms. Wicker.

Photojournal: Our Lives in Pictures

Students during the first two weeks in the iWriteADream program focused on writing their stories. Over the next two weeks, their task was to capture, using disposable cameras, the story of their lives in pictures. A selection of those photos from more than a dozen student photo-journalists appear here in three multimedia presentations.

     -Photos by iWriteADream (Pembroke) staff

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Photos by iWriteADream (Pembroke) Staff

 

Family and Friends...

Photos by Darrin Lee Thomas

 

Remember My Face

Photos by Damarckus Lee Thomas and iWriteADream (Pembroke) staff

"Our Time, Our Stories, Our Voices" iWriteADream

No lions, tigers or bears; But plenty of animals roam

Story by Quinton Moore                       

Photo by Jackie Collins

Hopkins Park is filled with the sights and sounds of wildlife that dance across roads and green fields, with the songs of birds that chirp in the morning air. 

Some animals even creep up to your door or play in your yard in the early-morning summer air. The majority of wildlife in Hopkins Park is mostly deer, squirrels and rabbits. There are even wild dogs, snakes and possums.

Hopkins Park doesn’t really have dangerous wild animals. And, in fact, the animals that most people consider dangerous aren’t really dangerous. Often, when animals attack, it is because most are just protecting themselves or protecting their young.

Also, some animals, especially wild dogs, might have previously been house pets with some training. Other animals who end up in the wild here might at one time have been pets, but in some cases were abused or mistreated by their owners. Now they are just trying to survive in the wild, which also means finding an area to rest without intruding on another animal’s territory.

And this isn’t the most exciting thing to hear, but you also are likely to see dead possums, snakes, and sometimes deer lying in the road or just on the side due to an accident, most of the time because of drivers not paying attention.
Wildlife here in Hopkins Park can be very interesting. Birds chirp in the morning. Squirrels dig for their breakfast.

You might even see a deer run across the road while sitting in your car. Or you might see a wild mother dog nurturing her puppies. Or every now and then, you can catch a woodpecker hammering a tree in search for insects, or humming birds sipping nectar from flowers, or rabbits hopping through the woods or across someone’s front yard. Or you just might see a cowboy on a horse, galloping down the road, underneath a blue sky.

Pembroke Live Podcast: On one student's love for writing

Reporter Precious Lamb interviews colleague Dontez Moore on his love for writing. (Click below to hear the interview.)

Settling in for summer in a land beyond the deadly city

By Devonte Dixon

The first day here at Lorenzo R. Smith school was kind of exciting, but also kind of boring. Then I met some real nice people, though I thought some of them were kind of uptight.

We did a lot of things like switch classes and eat lunch. We even went to the school’s library. That’s when I met more new faces, some of them familiar. We had to do reports on anything we wanted. I chose to write about the summer here in this small town about an hour’s drive south of Chicago.

Summer here is way different from Chicago because there are a lot of things you could do in the big city that you couldn’t do here, like pop firecrackers. Out here, that popping sound of firecrackers might actually be gunshots. But out here, guns are used mostly for killing animals, not people.

In Chicago, people use guns to kill people.

(Editor's note: In Chicago this year, 27 Chicago Public School students reportedly have been murdered, mostly by gun violence—a continuing story with rippling effects for some students here. Posters like that shown in the photo are the work of an anti-violence campaign and have been posted in neighborhoods across Chicago.)

Dribbling all the way to State; A Winning Season

Reporter Tommie Thomas interviews players and Coach Peter Perkins on the Lorenzo R. Smith boys basktball team's journey to the state tournament this spring. (Photos and Story by Tommie Thomas; For slide show, click below)

It's a Rap: Life in Pembroke

Kwame Robinson raps about life in his hometown. "Best believe that I will represent Hopkins," he says during an impromptu performance. (To hear Kwame, click below.)

Where I'm coming from; Can you hear me?

By Keyuana Coiley

This is Pembroke where I’m from.
You can SEE this town,
But can you tell me what’s behind closed doors?

You say that money goes to waste
On some shoelaces
When your child is trying
To keep his or her clothes clean,
Knowing you have no washing machine.

You all were so happy to see Oprah,
Most of y’all showed her how you live.
And did you get help?
No!

All she did was show how poor you were on her television show.
Did she even go and knock on a pretty house’s door?
No!

Don’t get me wrong, I love my town
Just tell me why sometimes it makes me want to cry?

But I am thankful that the sky is blue
And the grass is green
And hip is clean.

Know what I mean?

Think about it: Reflections on teen pregnancy

Poetic essay by Cha’Kevia Lewis and Precious Lamb

Everyone gettin’ pregnant, like it’s all a joke
15, 16, thinkin’ they all grown up
Yea, I’m talking to you,
‘Cause your man think he slick, telling you he loves you
And that life ain’t spit.

So then you fell in.
Not understanding the consequences of your actions.

And then,
You got pregnant.

So you gotta go through the stress of telling your mom
And you gotta hear her mouth
And now, having to make the decision of living with it,
Or killing it.

And people can’t keep secrets.
So word is going out that you sexually active,
No job,
Pregnant.
Section 8 to survive.

I'm a beast

By Quinton Moore

I’m a beast!  I’m a beast!
That’s what I always say.

I’m a beast! I’m a beast!
I say it every day.

I know it sounds kind of cocky.
But out on the field

No one can stop me.

Out here, I can be myself.
And on the field,

I can do things like no one else.

I’m a beast.

(Photo shows a smiling Quinton Moore, who plays for the Momence Redskins Football team in Kankakee County)

All eyes on Me

Essay by Jacquil Rivers

My name is Jacquil Rivers and I am 13 years old. My favorite food is ravioli. When I was in the first grade, my teacher once asked me, "Who was the very first president of the United States?"

At the time I was unsure. So I simply replied, "Chef Boyardee."

My teacher simply smiled and laughed.

My hobbies are drawing and writing. I learned how to draw from my older brother Dontrell. I really like drawing. It is hard yet rewarding.

My Mom can be very strict, if she wants to be. In the mornings, when I wouldn't get up on time for school sometimes, she threw cold water on me. Lately, my Mom has been encouraging me to get a paper route.

My Dad has many talents. One of them specifically is his talent as a comedian.

When I'm not drawing, I like to play my video games. My favorite is Pokemon Diamond. My favorite television show is Haunted. The Goosebumps series are my favorite books because they come up with real problems that students my age face and accomplish every day. One of my least favorite moments was when I first started to learn to ride my bike. I fell into a ditch and had to be pulled out.

(Photo above shows a jovial Jacquil Rivers with thumbs up. In photo 1 below, Jacquil's home in Pembroke stands on a serene green plot. In second photo, Jacquil's his dog Princess noses around. Both photos by Jacquil Rivers.)

This and That

Poetic Essay by Denisha Cearo

I live in Chicago
But I’m welcome in Pembroke,
Where I see this and that.

But where I live
It’s not like that.

I want to visit more
And see more things around
I should be nosey.

That’s what I’ve been taught

I’ll come back when I have the time

‘Cause I really don’t mind

While I’m on the (Interstate) 394,

I see this and that.

And when I return,

I’ll gladly stop by to visit Pembroke again.

(Above: The sign outside village hall greets visitors. Below: Martin Luther King Park in Hopkins Park.)

Dear Community; Hear my cry

Poetic essay by Dontez Moore

This is what is happening in our community,
Drug dealing
People stealing
Some just losing their sanity.

I’m frustrated
Lost
Don’t have concentration, man
I’m not playin’
People hatin’

Yes! I’m from Hopkins Park
No lights
It’s all dark,
It’s quiet.
So quiet.
You can hear your hearts.
Life is too short
I listen to God
‘Cause he has the answer.

But what is wrong?
I’m tryin’ to figure out where I belong
What I’m feeling is strong

People fixin’ to a build a prison
What I’m sayin’ is true
So I hope your listening
Please pay attention in school.

All we have is a lot of competition in our community,
People using profanity

What is this?
All of this makin’ me sick
I can’t believe all of this.
People growing up in jail.
All the things they wanted to be just failed.

People lied on me
What the hell!
Why not go to college and get a degree so you can be what you wanna be
Instead of going to jail.

Please listen to me.
Life is not a joke
I don’t wanna see you under a bridge with a bag and a coat.

The Principal’s Office

Story by Denisha Cearo
Photo by Demarckus Lee Thomas

I walk down the hall
I glance to the right
A big fancy office
But no one in sight.

I shouldn’t be nosey
(That’s what I’ve been taught)
But I’m very curious
Do you think I’ll get caught?

I walk through the doorway and poke my head in.
I see picture and papers, pencils and pens

Even a bathroom
A microwave, too
So many things
Some familiar, some new.

“So this is it,” I say with a grin
When all of a sudden the principal walks in.

“Welcome, come in, what can I do for you?”
And in a panicked voice, I blurt:
“Oh, I’m just passing through.”

“Welcome back when you have the time
My door is always open
I really don’t mind.”

Well what do you know?
It’s not scary at all
I will visit again.
But I’ll wait ‘til the fall.

And when I return,
Whether mister or miss,
I’ll gladly stop by
The principal’s office.

Rap-sody

Expressions
In the following vignettes, students muse poetically about life in Pembroke

By Kwame Robinson

In Pembroke where the sky is blue.
Sitting at home with nothing to do.
But watching Quinton look at Scooby Doo

By Jacquil Rivers

I live in Pembroke where the rainbows glow
Outside, the wind blows.
In the sky,
The birds fly.
The stars look beautiful
in the night sky
Pembroke is the place to stay
Come and visit today.

By Kwame Robinson

I live in Hopkins Park
Land of the trees.
I hate when the fall comes
‘Cause I’m the one raking all the leaves.
Pembroke is where I live
I guess you can call it my home.
But everything’s not good
People still doing wrong.


By Jackie Collins

I live in Pembroke where the skies are blue
Where kids play outside
Where it’s hot as glue.

Yes, they say Pembroke is poor
But we sit outside and enjoy.
And this is where I’m going to end it:
My life is the best.
This poem is ended.

By Deandre M. Hampton

Life in Pembroke where the skies are blue
Here in Pembroke where the land is green
The people out here aren’t so mean
I look at moms
Like she’s the queen.
Out in Pembroke,
I don’t have much green
Take a look at Pembroke
You will see what I mean.

Pembroke is Beautiful
By Sylvester Houston

I come outside look at the blue skies.
I say to myself Pembroke is beautiful and alive.
I look at my mom and say, “look at the blue skies.”
Pembroke is so beautiful and alive.

On Assignment: Student photojournalists capture scenes from summer school