As Independence quickly approaches, the Morgan Hill Times
presents the first and second place essay winners for the annual
Patriotic Sing. The theme for this year
’s Fourth of July festivities is “My Home, Sweet Home.”
As Independence quickly approaches, the Morgan Hill Times presents the first and second place essay winners for the annual Patriotic Sing. The theme for this year’s Fourth of July festivities is “My Home, Sweet Home.”
By Kristi Martinez-Kisso Second-grader Nordstrom School First Place Primary Grade Winner
Morgan Hill is a beautiful place to live because of all of the mountains, trees, fresh air, and sun. The people in Morgan Hill are very friendly and helpful. You can always depend on them, especially in your neighborhood. We wanted to move here because my mom grew up here and my family wanted to live in a small, peaceful town. I go to Nordstrom School and the children, teachers, and parents, are very friendly.
My family and I go to Henry Coe Park to go bike riding and walk our dog, Daphne. It is a beautiful place to go. It has mountains, ponds, trees, flowers and my favorite flower, the California Poppy. I wake up in the morning, I sit at my kitchen table and have breakfast and see the beautiful El Toro Mountain. When it is rainy, all I see is fog. When it is sunny, it is so beautiful. That’s why Morgan Hill is so special to me.
By Abigail Corine Heiser Third-grader Carden Academy Second Place Primary Grades
America is like a rainbow of colors and freedom. It is represented by the purple hearts they award the soldiers who have risked their lives fighting for our freedom and not letting us down. From California to Florida, we see the blue night sky with its sparkly stars like our American flag, and the beautiful green grass that covers our mountains. The yellow sun guides the people of America through darkness and hard times, and in California, the orange poppy, the flower of our state, reminds us of our own home, sweet home. We’re all different colors, but on the inside we are all the same. We all are free, and the red of our hearts stands for freedom like the stripes on the flag.
I am thankful for the soldiers who fought for freedom. They gave up their lives for the people in America today. Yes, we are all Americans standing here today, but we also have our own home, sweet, home in different places across the country. From Minnesota to Louisiana, and from Virginia to California, we all stand free.
By Krishna Kandula
Fourth-grader Oakwood Country School
First Place Intermediate Grades
“America:” such a beautiful word, but what does it mean? Well, to me, it means the salty beaches of California, the snow-filled Rockies of Colorado, the breath-taking views of the beauty of Hawaii. It also means opportunities. America is very unique.
America is a land of opportunities. Think about it, you can come here and live your life’s dream. Whether you are Chinese, Korean, Indian, or Spanish; anyone can make their dreams come true!
America is very unique. It is unique because we have freedoms. We can do whatever we want and say whatever we want. We can play with whomever we want. We can even become whatever we want. I think that’s very unique.
America is not only beautiful because of its places, but also because of the beautiful people who live here. We are all like ingredients in a huge pot and there are all different types of ingredients with different colors, different languages, different countries of birth and different sizes. If you were to taste it, it would taste so good; sweet, sour, spicy, and much more because of all our different people and personalities.
I’m glad that America is my home. I think I’m very lucky because I get to experience its beauty, opportunities, and people. I feel so proud when I see the bright colors of the American flag flowing the in the breeze!
By Maithili Jalihal Sixth-grader Crossroads Christian School
Second place intermediate grades
What do I love about America? I get this question from many people. You see, I’m from India. Whenever my cousins from India call, they always ask, “Why don’t you come back to India, what makes your America so great, why do you continue to live there?” I’ve always laughed the question away, because the reason I’m staying so far away from family and friends is hard to explain. I miss all of my loved ones but I know that if those underprivileged children on the streets of Bombay had this chance, they would not waste a single moment to come to America.
America, with its scenic views, varying climate, and many landforms is really the best place to live. That is the reason so many would give up their lives to stay here. America is beautiful but it has so much more. In India, when you walk down an alley you see many people who live in poverty but down our Main Street, you don’t see any families lying in distress. Don’t get me wrong, India is great, but there are very few options there.
When I go to school, most of my friends, if not all, are from different backgrounds. I love that! I love the fact that people from many nations can come to this wonderful country and live together. Another thing that makes America the best is choosing who your leaders can be and being a democracy. I am very proud that my homeland gets to choose who will run it. One more thing to adore is our history. So many people from so many backgrounds have overcome obstacles and made America what it is, and made advances in so many different fields.
Now when my relatives call from India, I can say why I stay in America. I can say what makes this country so great – the values, the equality, and the people.
