National Winning Essays

Kindergarten through Second Grades
Theme: What Makes Me Feel Peaceful

I feel peaceful when I get away from everybody and sit in a chair outside. I feel the wind. The apple trees make me feel peaceful because they give me some food to eat. When I sit outside I feel peaceful.

Jessica Ruger, 2^nd Grade (Age 7)
Vance Elementary School, Vance, AL
Teacher:  Lydia Wheelus

When I’m outside watching the leaves turn colors; and, when I wake up in the morning and there’s snow on the ground, I feel peaceful. I feel peaceful when it’s warm in Spring and I don’t have to wear a coat. I feel peaceful floating in the pool, doing nothing.

Kyle K. Morosko, 2^nd Grade (Age 7)
Our Lady of Hope/St. Luke, Baltimore, MD
Teacher:  Mrs. Mary Zorbach

La, La, La! Crunch! Crunch! I find peace in myself by going to hospitals, singing, and giving sick people cookies. It’s peaceful because it gives me a time to be happy. When I give them things and sing to them, their faces look happier. Which makes me happier and peaceful.

Serena Scott, 2^nd Grade (Age 7½)
Academie Da Vinci, Dunedin, FL
Teacher:  Mrs. Denise Closterman

National Winning Essays

Third through Fifth Grades
Theme: Finding Peace in Myself

I feel peaceful when my grandpa kisses me. I also feel peaceful when it is raining and you can not hear a word, but you can hear the rain coming down. I feel peaceful when I lay on my trampoline and the sun shines on me. It feels so good. I feel peaceful when i am in church. When the choir sings in church. I feel peaceful when my cousin gets in my lap and falls asleep when I read a book to her.

Amber Leigh Powell, 3^rd Grade (Age 9)
Barrineau Elementary School, Molino, FL
Teacher:  Mrs. Hall

According to the dictionary, peace means "a state of calm and quiet." I find peace in myself when I wake up each morning and start a brand new day. It brings me peace to know that what happened the day before is in the past. I know that I will start off the day nice and fresh and my brain is ready for a new day of learning.

Walking out side on a blustery morning to do my daily chore of getting the newspaper, I feel peace when the wind blows my hair and I see the leaves falling to the ground. While I walk back inside, I feel the cold and rough concrete on my bare feet. As I step inside the house, I hear the dripping of the coffee maker and the buzzing of the hair dryer. My mom’s sweet voice says, "Good morning, sweetie!" My calm and quiet morning routine makes me feel peaceful inside because I know that I can focus on today and not the past.

Julie Spiker, 4^th Grade (Age 10)
Brooker Elementary School, Brandon, FL
Teachers:  Mrs. A. Kirk

When I need to find peace, I go into a quiet place and rest. In that place, I gather my thoughts and think about something different that the problem that I may be having.

I make up a place in my mind and I put peaceful thoughts there. I give the place a name and drift off in my special place. I think of all the peaceful things in the world. I think of flowers, hills, animals, rainbows, sunny skies and country-like scenes. I think of nice people with nice faces and being in a land where nothing bad can happen.

When I am through with my dream, I go back out into the "real world" and mkae my dream world as real as possible. I think that if all is well and everyone is peaceful, then the world will be a better place for both me and you.

Kendra Nicole Key, 5^th Grade (Age 10)
Woodland Forrest Elementary, Tuscaloosa, AL
Teacher:  Mrs. Dristi Bailey

I find peace in myself when I’m with animals. Animals bring me comfort and I feel I bring comfort and happiness to them too.

The animals who make me particularly happy are my cat Diamond and my Grandma’s dog Jake.

Diamond makes me feel peaceful often. When I’m doing my homework, he’ll come and sit on my desk and when I’m sad he knows it and comforts me with cuddles and purrs.

Jake makes me feel peaceful because he’s always so happy to see me when I visit my Grandma. Early in the morning he’ll be sitting on the top of the staircase and he and I will just sit there together until everyone is awake.

I guess it’s their unconditional love and tail wagging welcomes that make me find peace in myself. They love me for who I am.

Alicia Canessa, 5^th Grade (Age 11)
Brooker Elementary School, Brandon, FL
Teacher:  Kay Pradera

National Winning Essays

Sixth through Eighth Grades
Theme: Finding Peace in Myself

I will share with you where I go to discover Peace in Myself and how I discover it within me. I will share with you where I go first to find it in me.

I first go to the outside world and find a soft, comfy place in the grass. I hear the birds, watch the bees, and listen. I watch the lizards and look at flowers. I think of Peace and see a blue jay land in my oak tree. And then I close my eyes and think of Peace.

I listen to the lizards, the children, the birds, and feel the heat of the sun on me. I hear the birds, then open my eyes. I take a deep breath and go inside . . . . . . a brand new person. That is how I "Find Peace in Myself."

Shaelyn Hayes, 6^th Grade (Age 12)
Cape View Elementary School, Cape Canaveral, FL
Teacher:  A. Soderstrom

How do I find Peace in myself? Well, it’s not easy. I find it by changing my attitude towards things and releasing all my negativity. I can do this by apologizing and forgiving people. If I do this I can probably avoid problems in the future.

Another way is to relax myself before I get out of control. I can do this by working things out. I would rather do that than have someone get hurt. If we compromise, then we both get what we want. I can also share, and not be greedy because that’s what starts fights.

I can find peace in myself by accomplishing my goals. Then, all the frustration goes away and I am content with myself. Another way is to reflect, and think about how lucky I am.

Christina Puig, 6^th Grade (Age 12)
St. Timothy Parish School, Miami, FL
Teacher:  Mrs. Sirven

Peace to me is listening to the ocean waves move and hearing them crash against the shore. Waves come and go and this helps me understand. These waves are like life’s problems. Tehy come and they go. They help me be peaceful within myself. Waves are like big and small problems. They come to shore and they help me clear my thoughts.

Inner peace is as deep and wide as the ocean. This all helps me understand and clear my mind and thoughts of all the problems. The ocean calms me and allows me to have inner peace.

Natalie Alvarez, 8^th Grade (Age 13)
Gettysburg Academy of Miami, Miami, FL
Teacher:  Lourdes Arbucias

Special Recognition Essays

Kindergarten through Second Grades
Theme:  What Makes Me Feel Peaceful

Special Recognition for Humor

I feel peaceful when I’m fishing with my Dad. I think about the fish living under the water and wonder what they are doing. I also tell my Dad jokes. I smile a lot on fishing days and I tell the fish we caught, "See you at dinner!"

Justin Michael Dailey, 2^nd Grade (Age 7)
Our Lady of Hope, St. Luke, Baltimore, MD
Teacher:  Mrs. Mary Zorbach

Special Recognition for Creativity

I feel peaceful when I paint. I like to use different colors. I like to paint in a quiet peaceful place.