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

【红霞译文】

        初中一年级绝对超乎你们的想象，学习辛苦课业繁重，老师的节奏也在加快，如果你开小差，砰！老师以迅雷不及掩耳之势把难题摆到面前，绝对置你于死地。倘若你期望在离开蒙哥马利小学之前有一张漂亮的成绩单，那么最好听一听我以下忠告。

        首先，初中一年级不是不可能或者如你想象的那样难于过关，但与小学五年级确实有很大差异，让我们先从理查特先生说起。你们大概早有所闻，理查特先生也许是蒙哥马利小学最风趣的老师，搞笑糗事一箩筐，说单口相声绝对是他拿手好戏，正因如此，由他教授的写作和社会常识课妙趣横生，百听不厌。其实，如若以喜剧脱口秀的标准来衡量老师的幽默程度，身为学生的我尤感精神愉悦，有时我禁不住纳闷理查特先生小的时候是否曾想入行娱乐圈，如果真是这样，那他准保叫我们笑破肚皮，反正笑死人不偿命。理查特先生随身携带一只又大又圆的躲避球，课间休息时，同学们用作静音球打打闹闹。理查特先生喜欢跟我们一起玩，而且表现得咄咄逼人，你且不可掉以轻心。同学们毫不客气，瞄准任何靠近的对象，显然这么玩并不来劲，而理查特先生却冷不丁给你下马威，我觉得没啥不好，只能自己多加保重。与此同时，理查特先生热衷跟学生们陶心窝子，把曾经九死一生的个人经历兜露出来，但你必须好好表现赢取资格才成，尽管那些故事听起来天花乱坠，但谁都信以为真。

        千万不要以为理查特先生是初中一年级唯一超乎寻常的老师，考恩斯坦女士简称K女士也非同一般。只要你踏入她的教室，色彩和壁报绝对令你眼花缭乱。如同其教室布景装饰，K女士一向爽朗开心，偶尔地，她音容笑貌会有所变化，一旦微笑消失，你最好躲得远远的，在她离开教室之前先逃之夭夭。除此而外，她一般总是阳光明媚，与理查特先生有笑有说。

        系好安全带，因为寇沃兰斯女士马上开讲。无论什么时候来到她的教室听课，你从中获益匪浅。她像一对蓄电池忘不了给学生们充电，正因为她精神饱满大大地感染了我们每一位听众，同时她善于插科打诨，使本来枯燥乏味的语文课变得生动有趣。寇沃兰斯女士喜欢号召大家保持教室干净清爽，可我天生不好整齐，假如你见过我的房间，那么我敢保证你明白我指的是什么意思。她对作文和作业打分非常苛刻，一见到脏兮兮的纸头，肯定把你骂得体无完肤，恨不能让你找个地缝钻进去。

        最后值得一提的就是大度、明智、极富魅力的科学课老师凯赛克太太！她热衷逐一想办法，逐一解决问题。与寇沃兰斯女士相似，凯赛克太太喜欢整洁干净有条不紊，但科学课上，混乱在所难免，这让她起急上火，可只要同学们安静下来悉心听讲，啪！她变得极其温和冷静。凯赛克太太做事有板有眼，喜欢把要做的事情和时间排成顺序一一罗列起来，一项一项地来做，每完成一项，她都站起来跳一下韵律舞蹈操，然后从表格上把它划掉。看得出，她十分钟情笔头在纸张上直线游走的感觉。

        你明白了吧，初中一年级并不是那么糟糕，但你必须努力向上。你不再是一位五年级小学生，考出“优秀”成绩像得到一块糖那么容易，“优秀”是汗水、眼泪、努力和决心浇灌出来的。不管怎样，初中一年级宛如白驹过隙稍纵即逝，祝你们好运快乐！

                                        初中一年级师兄儿歌