1. December 24,2014(Christmas Eve!!!)
I unwrappedthepresentandfoundexactlywhatIwaslookingfor–adiary.
Thesoft,sequinedSsparkledthroughthegiftwrapasIrevealedanamazing
pattern.Iflippedit overtofeelthefluffypurplebackside.Iliftedupthebeautiful
bookmark,admiringthefactthatithadanicelock.(Myparentslovetosnoop…)
Hi,mynameisSavannah,andthisismydiary.
Tostartoff,Iam10yearsold,almost11.Iaminfifthgrade,whichisstill
(technically)elementaryschool.IliveinGermany,andwasbornhere,too.Iused
toliveinMinnesota.Now,IliveinGermany–withhalfmyfamilybeingborn
there,andtheotherhalfbeingbornhere.Thisismyfirstyearlivingherein
GermanysinceIwasonlyoneyearold!
Anyways,hereisa bitaboutmyself:
1. I doodle,mainlyinmathclass.
2. I worrya lot,buttrymybesttoseementhusiasticaroundfriendsandother
people!(Myfamily,unfortunately,stillhastodealwithme…)
3. I’mprettysmart,andI did nottakemyIQtestonline.
4. ClassesI hate/don’treallycarefor:
(A) Math(booorrringgg!!!)
(B) Science(IhaveaC!!!)
5. I’mspoiled,butalsoreallynice.
6. Myhairisnotblack,it’sbrown.
7. I liketostayuplateatnight…andI’m soexcitedfortomorrow!
8. ClassesI absolutelyLOVE:

2. (a) Reading/Language-Arts(I’llexplainthatonelater…)
(b) Health/Writing(Welearntechnology,andit’sveryfun!)
(c) Social-Studies(Wecraftalot,andit’seasy!)
PeopleIlike:
(drawingsoffamilygohere)
SchoolpeopleIlike:Allmyfriends!
(drawinggoeshere)
December 25th
,2014(Christmas Day!!!)
ChristmasEveNight,2014
Ilayinmybed,tryingmybesttofallasleep,butit’shard.I findmyselfstaying
awakealmostthewholenight.Withnothingbutmyteddy-bear,noclock,no
lights,I guessI couldjustclosemyeyes,asI amdoingso;whensuddenlyIheara
sound.Ilistentothefaintsoundtothefaintsoundofthegaragedooropen,and
thenthecreakingofthedoortoourhome.AsIlistened,Ialsoheardthesoundof
footsteps,andaglassclinkingthetable.Plus,I wassureIheardthesoundofthe
layingofgiftssetunderthetree,too.WasitthelegendarySantaClaus??
TodayisChristmasDay.IgotwhatI’ve always wanted–acamera!Ialsogota
light-upphotoofVenus,Italy,andanewatlas(myoldonewasout-dated).Some
morethingsIgot:

3. - Abracelet-maker
- AnewCD
- Newclothes
- Anice artcanvastopaint
- Andevenmore!!
Rightnow,Iamsittingonthecouch,watchingacartoon.Wewenthiking
today,agreatwaytousemybrand-newcamera!IcalledmyGrandma,whilemy
parentscalledmyGrandpa.
(InsertDrawingHere)
December 26th
,2014
OMG!!DoesmydiaryseemBORING??Well,notanymore,becauseI’vejust
thoughtofsomethingreallybig–PANDAKIDZ!!It’saclubthatmakesfriends,
discoversnewthings,andevenmorefunstuff!!Imightworkonposterssoon,but
theideaisprobablynotgoinganywhere.Thereason,though,thatIthoughtof
thisprojectwasonereason…KIDZBOP!!Itwasmybiggestdreamtoaudition,but
thenwemoved,soIcouldn’t.So,nowthatI’vegotmyOWNclub,whatcouldgo
wrong??
Anyways,wearenowdrivingtoMama’swork.Wewilleatlunchwithher,
whichisalwayssuperfun,sincewegettoseeherinthemiddleoftheday.So…
whydon’tIsharewithyousomeSECRETS??Afterall,I’dwanttoremember
themwhenIgrowupandbecomeanexplorer.

4. (Insert“MeInTheForestsOfBorneo”)
OKAY,rememberwhenIsaidI’lltellwhyI lovelanguage-artssomuch
LATER??Well,thatwasjustbecauseIdidn’thaveenoughspaceonthepage!And
thereasonisNOTbecauseofTONY,theboyIsitnextto.EveryonethinksI’m
crushingonhim,whileI’mreallynot.Hehasnothingtodowithmysecret–he
doesn’tevenknow.I’mjustalwaysgiddyinthatclass,andIthinkIknowwhy.It’s
becauseIlove,notTony,butMrs. Write.
I’vefeltthatwayeversinceOctober,whenshehurtherback;Inevertell
anyone,eventhoughsometimesIfeellikeIwantto.
Once,inNovember,IevengotintoaHUGE fightwithherbecauseIwantedto
getherattention. WhenSarah,oneofmyfriends,backedupherchair,itran into
Mrs.Write’sleg.Shestartedfreakingoutinfrontofeveryoneintheclass,yelling
atSarah.TogetMrs.Write’sattention,Igasped.ShegottheideathatIwas
laughingather,whenIreallywasn’t.Thensheresponded,harshandfirm,“Shut
up!!!I’mnotinthemoodforthat.”She neversaysshutup–Ijustcouldn’tbelieve
it.Itwasamazinginaterribleway.
Afewminuteswentby,andthenMrs.Writewalkedovertome.Whenshe
noticedIwasn’tpayingattentionon purpose,shesaidtome,“Thisisworktime,
notplaytime.”Iwasn’tgoingtojustletthatgo.“I’mnotplaying,”Irespondedina
strongtone.“Iknowyou’renot,”Mrs.Writeresponded.Oh,sonowshe’strying
tomesswithme??Ithought.Well,twocanplayatthatgame.SoIlookedupand
herandreplied,“Well,thenwhydidyousayIwas??”Shemust’velosthermindin
confusionwhensheresponded:“Mrs.Write doesn’tsaythat.”That’sit,Ithought.
I’mdonewiththis.Igotupangrilyandshouted,“MRS.WRITEDOESN’TSAY

5. SHUTUP!!!” Ithrewmyjournalandstormedouttheroom.Mrs.Writejustsat
there,frozenasanicicle.
Isatagainstthehallwaywallsandstartedtocry.ThinkingMrs.Writewould
apologize,Ilookedupasshecameovertome.Still,Iworkeduptheurgetosay,
“I’mmadatyou,GOAWAY!!!”indeeptears.“Good.BecauseyouwereMEANto
me!!”I screamed,evenlouderthanever.Ijustcouldn’tbelieveMrs.Writewould
saythat;especiallytome.Iranovertomyhomeroomclass,absolutely
devastated.IplannedtotellMrs.Alfred,myteacher.Ijustknewshewould
understand.
IsatdowninthecornerofMrs.Alfred’sclassroom,sobbing,whilenothingbut
mythoughtsseemedtosurroundme.“Mrs.WritesaidSHUTUP!!”I criedtoMrs.
Alfred.Sherepliednicely,“Oh,butMrs.Writedoesn’t usetheshut-upword.”She
didn’treallygettheidea.I toldheragainandshebelievedme.Theclassthatwasin
thereleftafewminuteslater,andincamemyclasstogettheirlunches–butI
chosenottoeat.Instead,IgavemostofmyfoodtomyfriendsandatewhatIhad
leftatrecess.Myfriendstotallyunderstood,andinthebackofmymind,Ijust
knewthatthiswholethingwouldturnoutokay.
Atrecess,agirl cameovernamedSophia.Sheaskedmewhatwaswrongandwe
atelunchtogether,blanketssetinthegrasseventhoughwewereeatingona
woodenbench.Afterrecess,IdecidedtowriteanotetogivetoMrs.Write.
Sophiasaidshe’dbringit toher,sinceshehadlanguage-artsfor5th
period.I
smiled;thatwasreallysweetofher.Atleastsomethinggoodwasgoingto
happen.

6. Thenextmorning,IrefusedtogotoMorningMeeting.Instead,Iwentintomy
classroomearly,todrawMrs.Writeapicture.I wantedtoshowhermyempathy,
sinceshe’dbeensufferingfromalotofpain.IwantedtoshowherhowIreallyfelt.
[Insertheart-drawinghere]
A fewminuteslater,IwassittingbehindabookshelfwhenIsawsomeone
familiar–Mrs.Write.“Um…whyisMrs.Writehere??”Iaskedthestudent
teacher,nervously.“Comeon,”shesaidnicely.“Mrs.Writeishere.”Istoodup
frombehindthebookshelfandrevealedmyself.LookingupatMrs.Write,Igave
herthepicture.“Ibelieveeverydayisanewday,”saidMrs.Write.“Ididn’t mean
tolaughatyou,”Isaidback.Mrs.Writethensaidtome,withtearsinhereyes,“I
knowyoudidn’t.”
Sonowthatwe’veapologized,wejustpretenditneverhappened.ButstillI
wonder;doessherememberthatday,andwassheaffectedbyit?Isshestillinpain
today,andmoreimportantly,isshestillmadatme??
December 27th
,2014
Last nightIrecordedmy8-year-oldsister,Vivienne,dancingto“BreakFree”,
byArianaGrande.Viviennelovesthatsong–she’slisteningtoitagaintoday,
evenorganizingadanceroutineforit.
Wejustfinishedplayingwithclay,andnowI’mwritinginmydiary.It’sgetting
reallyhardtokeepmysecret–I lovetotalk.IevenletViviennereadsomeofmy

7. diary,andshesawthesecretword--thewordthatlinksthiswholestory
together;Mrs.Write.
WhenIwasinthirdgrade,I knewaperson likeMrs.Write.HernamewasMiss
Everest,anditwasano-brainerthatshewasmyfavoriteteacher.Shehadlong,
silkyblondehair,andIdon’tknownowexactlywhatmademelikehersomuch
backthen;Ijustdid.Iguessshewasjustnice;alwaystellingmeaboutherfamily
andherlife.ShewasoneofthemostopenpeopleI’veevermet;butonedaythings
changed,andfast.“We’reeatinglunchintheclassroomtoday,”MissEverestsaid.
Thatwasstrange–weneveratelunchinthe classroom;buttherewasareason.
Thereasonwasthatshehadsomethingtotellus;thatshewasleaving.“I’m
gettinganewjob,”MissEverestsaid.Iwascompletelydevastated.Meow