Balmoral Hall School - Optima Anni Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

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22 Caribbean Holiday Have you ever wanted to visit Haiti, Dominican Republic, and jamaica? Last year I went to all three of these islands. The ship left Miami, Florida, on December seventeenth while the band played and people threw streamers. Sailing down the channel to the South Atlantic was like fairyland with all the city lights shining in the distance under a full moon. Port au Prince in Haiti was our first stop. Here we visited a museum that looked like a little church. The most interesting item in the collection was the anchor from the ship Santa Maria , sailed by Christopher Columbus. Late that day our ship sailed for Guidad Trijello, Dominican Republic. It is a beautiful city and this is where you see the Columbus Tomb . The iron casket is in a white marble tomb. We were in Guidad Trijello for New Year's Eve. At midnight the people always celebrate with firef crackers. The senoritas looked so lovely in their Spanish dresses and mantillas. We docked in Kingston, jamaica, two days later. Kingston is a busy, noisy sea port. Here we rented a car and drove over a big mountain to the north shore where it is very tropical. We also visited Montego Bay and Ocho Rios. On the way to Montego Bay we travelled along the sea, passing the well known Rose Hall sugar plantation. Many years ago, the mistress was known as the White Witch because she was cruel to her slaves. After two weeks we returned to Kingston, then to Port Antonia for a day. The passengers went River Rafting in the Rio Grande and visited the Blue Lagoon . The Blue Lagoon is so deep nobody knows its actual depth. Very late that night when the ship's anchor was lifted, we knew it would not go down until we were back in Florida. BRENDA Ln BEAU, Grade VI In Mars One night, jack was lying in bed thinking about the birthday party he was to have the next day. - Suddenly he found himself in a very strange land full of queer little people who were only two feet tall. They were all very busy planting plants that looked like cabbages. Then, out of a cave came a strange man dressed in a silver robe. He wore a striped hat of gold and silver, and in his hand he had a thing that looked like a metal plate. This, Jack was told, was a flying saucer on which one travelled when in Mars. Behind this queer man came hundreds of little people dancing. The man called out to jack. Who are you, and where do you come from? I am Jack, I come from earth. Who are you, and where am I? asked jack. You are in Mars, and I am the ruler of this country. My name is King Fit, answered the stranger. Would you like to come with me and see my home? Yes, please, answered Jack politely, so they both entered the cave. It seemed a long time before they reached a large room with walls covered with gold plates and a great big light shining through the ceiling. The seats were made of toadstools and the table was a big trunk of a tree painted silver. In the centre of the room was a huge gold throne. Jack and the King sat down and enjoyed a meal of raindrops and star pancakes. After they had finished eating, King Fit took Jack out to see his garden which had the largest and the most beautiful flowers that Jack had ever seen. They were all nine feet tall and all the colours of the rainbow. That night Jack slept in a bed which was so low it almost touched the floor. Next morning, Jack and the King went on a journey over the kingdom and saw where the hundreds of little men made the flying saucers. As they reached the end of their journey, Jack suddenly found himself falling through space, and awoke with a scream to find his trip to Mars had only been a dream. JENNIFER ALEXANDER, Grade VI Wu In China there lived a small boy, Wu, Whose pride and joy was his long black queue. He liked to sit with his bamboo pole, And catch silver fish for his small round bowl. Sometimes their junk he would have to bail, And this he would do with a large, deep pail. Now little Wu is tied to the mast, Though he wiggles and squirms he remains tied fast. While he is there he dreams of Shanghai, The fabulous city where big ships lie. Then he goes to the little hut on their junk, And falls asleep in his cosy bunk. NoRA BAKER, Grade VI

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Jenkins, don't you think he is a little young for a suitor? He knocked at the door, so I thought . . But he did not say what he wanted? No . . I reject your suit, young friend, she said, turning to john, but I hope you will stay and visit our beautiful land. Those few days were the most exciting ones john had ever spent. He walked through unusual gardens beneath his room, and beside clear running streams and small water falls. At that moment mixed with the sound of the water, he heard his mother calling, john, john, wake upg the doctor is here to see you. After the doctor had gone, his mother explained. He had come in last night from his walk in a daze and climbed into bed. This morning he had awakened with measles. His mother asked him later where he got the shiny new quarter and the huge holly berries she had found in his trouser pocket. MARGED THOMAS, Grade VI Supposing Supposing you get the chickenfpox, Be a geologist studying rocks. If you just don't go for that. Make yourself a funny hat. Or if your dear heart yearns for reading, Choose a book of certain breeding. If it'S dolls and toys you like, For heaven's sake, don't ride a bike. Supposing that you get the mumps, And your bed is full of lumps, When your throat is swollen up, Suppose you are a poodle pup. If you're loving nature study, Suppose you're a tree, all green and buddy. If your mood is dull and flat. Try to be a persian cat. Perhaps the day is drear and cold, Shine your armour, Knight so bold! When towards the lake you go, And the train is oh 4 so - slow, You could perhaps a blue jay be, Sitting on a passing tree. So now, when on your back you're dozing, Try to spend your life Supposing. bIoAN SELLERS, Grade V 21 What the Owl Saw An owl was Sleeping on a branch of a big oak tree. It was sleeping because owls usually sleep all day. One day, the owl woke up because he heard a loud noise. He rubbed his eyes to get the Sand out, then he looked down from the branch to See what was there. Then he rubbed his eyes again because he Saw a strange animal. Her babies had their tails wrapped around their mother's tail. The babies were hanging upside down and were swinging back and forth. The owl thought he was imagining that, so he tried to get back to sleep. But he could not because he was still thinking about the strange animal that he had seen. If you go into the Same wood, and if you go down to the old oak tree, you might see the old owl. He is trying to think of the name of that strange animal he saw on the branch of the old oak tree three years ago. He still does not know. SUSAN BRACKEN, Grade III Betty's Birthday One morning Betty asked her mother, lVIumf my, when is my birthday? Mother answered, Next May the 25th. I want Daddy to get me a dancing doll as big as me, So that I can dance with it. On May the 25th, when Betty woke up, what do you think she saw beside her bed? A big dancing doll! GhF'I she said. just what I wanted. And there was a note on the doll. It said, To Betty, from Mummy and Daddy. NIEANIE RILEY, Grade II A Snow Bunting Have you ever seen a Snow Bunting? Ilve seen a whole lot singing in a maple tree. You see, I was playing outside when I saw the charming bird. It was a mother Snow Bunting keeping her baby birds warm. The babies were very sweet, and soon learned to sing like their mother. Then they learned how to fly. In March they went away. They came back again in December. And how they would sing! They had lovely voices. I would dance to their tune. Now they have gone away, so I'm waiting every day for them to come back. KAY WILSON, Grade III A Cat I met a cat as black as night, He loved to eat and he loved to fight. He went to see a circus gay, But couldn't get in for he wouldn't pay. NANCX' SYM, Grade III

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g - g gg gggg gg 23 fl' 6. fihh afi. ,.,A-2' -.fl W .IUNIORS ON THE VV,-XY HOME Skating A Limerick I love to S0 Skating There was an old lady in Rome, On our river rink, But if the ice cracks I surely would sink. Who wanted a new dome on her home, She did not know whether It should he in leather, DEBBIE D1c1csoN, But finally decided on chrome. Grade I LYNN FoLLioTT, Fluffy and Duffy Gmdew I have Fluffy and Duffy, They're two little kittens, They like to play With all my mittens. My Grandpa ELAINE WILEY' His hair was gray, his eyes were blue, Grade I They showed his kindness through and through. He had a heart, a heart of gold, My Teddy A heart that never would grow old. 1 have 3 little Teddyg And now though he is out of sight, Teddy is his name. I dream I see him every night, I Was glad when Teddy Came- But though dear Grandpa I can't see, And when 1,30 to bed ai mght' I know he's smiling down at me. I hug him with all my might. CATHY PBNNOCKQ LILY SWAFFIELD, Grade II Grade V