2015-06-01

【Aiden in English】

Dear my 5^th graders,

        The sixth grade is nothing like your expectations. Work is hard and grueling. The teachers are fast pace and, if you aren’t paying attention, bang! The teachers send a lighting fast and brutal question to you without any warning. So if you wish to leave Montgomery ES on a good note, you just might want to listen to my following advice. 

        First of all, the sixth grade isn’t impossible or as hard to pass as you think, but there is still an enormous change between the fifth and sixth grade. Let’s begin with Mr. Richhart. As you have probably all heard, Mr. Richhart is like the funniest teacher in Montgomery ES, and has a great way to make jokes out of nowhere. He is the teacher for writing and social studies, both of which he makes a lot more interesting with a spectacular humoristic quality. In fact, just by standing around it comedian/teacher gives me a jolly spirit. Sometimes I wonder if Mr. Richhart wanted to be an entertainer of some sort when he was young. If so, he can always entertain us, too. Mr. Richhart also has a large, red dodgeball that his students use for a silent ball at recess. Mr. Richhart plays with us, and he is dangerous and hostile. Kids can be mean and peg kids close to them, but obviously, that’s not cool. So Mr. Richhart pegs you back and I can bet that nobody will feel bad or sorry for you. Mr. Richhart also loves to tell his close-to-death stories, but you have to earn the privilege. Although the stories seem like yarns, or stretched tales, everyone always believes him.

        Don’t think Mr. Richhart is the only teacher that has the sixth grade magic, because here comes Ms. Kornstein or Ms. K, the math teacher. Once you step into her room, the colors and posters really make the place magical. Ms. K, like her room, is always bright and happy. That smile on her face rarely turns around, but occasionally, it does. When the smiley face turns upside down, you’d better make a getaway and escape before she lefts the class. Otherwise, she usually is in an amazing mood, laughing and talking with Mr. Richhart.

        Buckle your seat belts, because Ms. Covelens is taking the stage. Whenever you step into her room for a class, you’re in for a real treat. She has a set of energizers to keep kids awake. The energizers certainly keep us awake, and also entertain us from the evil boringness that the subject language arts always have on people. Ms. Covelens has this compulsion or urging feeling to keep her room neat. I never have this feeling to keep things neat, and if you’re seen my room, I’m pretty sure you’ll know what I mean. She is very picky at essays and papers she grades. If the paper is yucky, Mr. Covelens would give a horrible and disdainful comment. 

        Lastly, we have Mrs. Kesack, the spectacular, smart, sensational sixth grade science teacher! She loves solving problems one by one, troubleshooting them. Like Ms. Covelens, Mrs. Kesack likes neatness and peace, but in science, chaos is very common. She gets annoyed and exasperated when it gets chaotic, but s soon as kids start listening, bam! She becomes really nice and calm. Mrs. Kesack is also a list person and loves to spend some time on making a to-do-list. She does number one, and everytime she finishes something, she gets up, does the hokey pokey and crosses number one off the list. Apparently, she loves that feeling of the pencil drawing a straight line across the paper. 

        You see, the sixth grade isn’t all that bad, but you have to work hard. You’re no longer a fifth grader that gets handed “As” like a candy. “As” are earned by sweat and tears, hard work and determination. Nevertheless, it will be a fast year. Good luck and have fun!

                                    From Aiden, the Sixth Grade Student

【紅霞譯文】

        初中一年級絕對超乎你們的想象，學習辛苦課業繁重，老師的節奏也在加快，如果你開小差，砰！老師以迅雷不及掩耳之勢把難題擺到面前，絕對置你於死地。倘若你期望在離開蒙哥馬利小學之前有一張漂亮的成績單，那麼最好聽一聽我以下忠告。

        首先，初中一年級不是不可能或者如你想象的那樣難於過關，但與小學五年級確實有很大差異，讓我們先從理查特先生說起。你們大概早有所聞，理查特先生也許是蒙哥馬利小學最風趣的老師，搞笑糗事一籮筐，說單口相聲絕對是他拿手好戲，正因如此，由他教授的寫作和社會常識課妙趣橫生，百聽不厭。其實，如若以喜劇脫口秀的標準來衡量老師的幽默程度，身為學生的我尤感精神愉悅，有時我禁不住納悶理查特先生小的時候是否曾想入行娛樂圈，如果真是這樣，那他準保叫我們笑破肚皮，反正笑死人不償命。理查特先生隨身攜帶一隻又大又圓的躲避球，課間休息時，同學們用作靜音球打打鬧鬧。理查特先生喜歡跟我們一起玩，而且表現得咄咄逼人，你且不可掉以輕心。同學們毫不客氣，瞄準任何靠近的對象，顯然這麼玩並不來勁，而理查特先生卻冷不丁給你下馬威，我覺得沒啥不好，只能自己多加保重。與此同時，理查特先生熱衷跟學生們陶心窩子，把曾經九死一生的個人經歷兜露出來，但你必須好好表現贏取資格才成，儘管那些故事聽起來天花亂墜，但誰都信以為真。

        千萬不要以為理查特先生是初中一年級唯一超乎尋常的老師，考恩斯坦女士簡稱K女士也非同一般。只要你踏入她的教室，色彩和壁報絕對令你眼花繚亂。如同其教室布景裝飾，K女士一向爽朗開心，偶爾地，她音容笑貌會有所變化，一旦微笑消失，你最好躲得遠遠的，在她離開教室之前先逃之夭夭。除此而外，她一般總是陽光明媚，與理查特先生有笑有說。

        系好安全帶，因為寇沃蘭斯女士馬上開講。無論什麼時候來到她的教室聽課，你從中獲益匪淺。她像一對蓄電池忘不了給學生們充電，正因為她精神飽滿大大地感染了我們每一位聽眾，同時她善於插科打諢，使本來枯燥乏味的語文課變得生動有趣。寇沃蘭斯女士喜歡號召大家保持教室乾淨清爽，可我天生不好整齊，假如你見過我的房間，那麼我敢保證你明白我指的是什麼意思。她對作文和作業打分非常苛刻，一見到髒兮兮的紙頭，肯定把你罵得體無完膚，恨不能讓你找個地縫鑽進去。

        最後值得一提的就是大度、明智、極富魅力的科學課老師凱賽克太太！她熱衷逐一想辦法，逐一解決問題。與寇沃蘭斯女士相似，凱賽克太太喜歡整潔乾淨有條不紊，但科學課上，混亂在所難免，這讓她起急上火，可只要同學們安靜下來悉心聽講，啪！她變得極其溫和冷靜。凱賽克太太做事有板有眼，喜歡把要做的事情和時間排成順序一一羅列起來，一項一項地來做，每完成一項，她都站起來跳一下韻律舞蹈操，然後從表格上把它劃掉。看得出，她十分鐘情筆頭在紙張上直線遊走的感覺。

        你明白了吧，初中一年級並不是那麼糟糕，但你必須努力向上。你不再是一位五年級小學生，考出“優秀”成績像得到一塊糖那麼容易，“優秀”是汗水、眼淚、努力和決心澆灌出來的。不管怎樣，初中一年級宛如白駒過隙稍縱即逝，祝你們好運快樂！

                                        初中一年級師兄兒歌