Hiba S., a sixth grader from Room 305, writes:

Sweaty palm, teary eyes, hot head, and funny dance.  That’s right.  I’ve got the symptoms of a water slide.

July 5m 2007.  Wisconsin Dells.  12:45 p.m.

I’m waiting in line for…THE SCREWDRIVER.  I keep running back and forth.  Should I go?

“Next!”

Oh, no!  I felt like I was walking on lava.  A sudden chill went down my back.  What if I drown?  I don’t even know how to swim yet!

I stepped into the ice cold chlorine water and held on to the metal bar as if it were my mom’s hand and never wanted to let go.  Unfortunately, the worker said I had to go since I was holding up the line.

I sat down and shut my eyes tight.  I took a deep breath and forced myself down.  Still with my eyes closed shut, I was sliding down what I wanted to call my sudden death.  It sounded like a thunder storm in my ears, or to be more descriptive, the sound of nails screeching against the chalk board.  By now the lighting changed.  I knew that if I opened my eyes the only thing I would see would be the total darkness.  I opened up my eyes and BOOM, a giant drop.  I felt like a baby bird falling down in a tree.

I just stood up and walked through what felt like wind pushing me back.  I got out of the pool and felt something weighing me down.  Then I looked at the lifeguard and thought, “why is he a lifeguard if he doesn’t know how to do his job?”