Mayor for a Moment
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EmailEach month the City of Ventura invites a student from a local fifth grade class to be Mayor for a Moment. An essay is chosen about a particular character trait and the student is invited to read his or her essay at the City Council meeting.
"COOPERATION"
February 13, 2012
Sienna Long, 5th Grade
Sunset Elementary School
Cooperation is best described by a Japanese proverb, “A single arrow is easily broken, but not ten in a bundle.” On your own, you are weak, and will break under stress, but if you come together to accomplish a task, it is much easier and you will get it done. Cooperation is getting along with each other to accomplish a project or task.
An example of cooperation is when you do something somebody asked you to do without arguing or talking back. For instance, my sister asked me to help her out with her homework. Because I cooperated with my sister and helped her, she finished her homework and we were abler to play with each other. In addition, she was able to go to Fun Friday with me.
Cooperation is displayed when you have a project that you have to complete with a partner and each of you participate instead of leaving all the work to one person. For example, when I’m working with my friend Delaney on a math page, we take turns working out the problems instead of leaving all of it up to one of us. As a result, we get it done on time and get to go to recess. If neither of us had cooperation, we wouldn’t finish on time and it wouldn’t go as well.
Cooperation is the act of agreeing and helping on another with a positive attitude. In addition, cooperation is shown when somebody asks you for help, and you respond with a yes instead of talking back, or when you and your partner work together, not leaving it up to one person. You soon will find, cooperation will make you more friends and make your life less stressful.
"PUNCTUALITY"
January 9, 2012
Wyatt Meckelborg, 5th Grade
Juanamaria Elementary School
Punctuality is a very important character trait for you to achieve. Punctuality means you are always on time. Punctuality can affect your school, job, friends, and other people that trust in you.
A student should be punctual to school every day. I am at least five minutes early to school daily, and I haven’t missed a day of school. Punctuality helped me achieve all A’s in school. If you're punctual to school it shows you care about your education. If you have punctuality, you are also awake and ready to go by the time your teacher is lecturing.
At work, punctuality is extremely important. When you are a little early to work, you can prepare for your daily tasks. If you are late to work, you can get fired or miss a promotion. A punctual worker is thought to be prepared, reliable, and organized. I want to be a punctual worker.
A punctual person shows responsibility. People depend on you to be there at a certain time, and you must be responsible enough to plan your day accordingly. If my teacher is not punctual often, I would think he is not a responsible person and does not take pride in his work. Fortunate for me, my responsible teacher, Mr. Anderson, is always punctual!
In the thesaurus other words for punctual are precise, dependable, steady, constant, and on schedule. You can see how punctuality reflects positively on you in school, at work, with friends, and people you trust. Life is what you make of it, and I want to be punctual to enjoy the ride!
"COURTESY"
December 5, 2011
Madeline Ozbourn, 5th Grade
Citrus Glen Elementary School
Being courteous is a way to show kindness. Courtesy is important to remember in life because showing courtesy is being a good person.
An example is if you see somebody drop their wallet, you shouldn’t keep it, but try to return it to its owner. That would be the right and helpful thing to do.
Also, to be courteous, you would be polite. It’s rude to say things that might hurt somebody. Think before you say things, and if you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all. You could also give someone a compliment. It’s important to make sure you really mean it, and don’t say it sarcastically.
Always be courteous when you can, because being somebody with courtesy is something to feel proud of.
"SPORTSMANSHIP"
November 14, 2011
Nick Coronado, 5th Grade
Will Rogers Elementary School
Sportsmanship to me is about not getting upset when you lose the game or quit, and you never give up. My method is to keep going, keep trying, until I get it right. That’s going to help you IF you're successful not WHEN you're successful. When you win the game you don’t rub it in the other teams face, you say “good job”. That’s the true meaning of sportsmanship to me, be a good honest player.
I’ve used sportsmanship when I was playing basketball with a friend. I won a game and he got made and threw the basketball far. I asked him why he did that and he said he had lost the game and that’s why he threw the ball. I explained to him that the game wasn’t about winning it’s about having fun. We played one more time and that time he won the game. We shook hands and we both used sportsmanship.
"SELF-CONTROL"
October 17, 2011
Mason King, 5th Grade
Poinsettia Elementary School
To me, self-control means a lot of things, like controlling my temper, my spending habits, my laziness, and my habit of easily getting distracted.
If I were to rate myself from 1 to 10, I would most likely be a 7. Sometimes I don’t like to work as hard as I should. I have been easily distracted while doing homework or listening in the classroom. I think it has a lot to do with self-control. Now I understand self-control can start from small things, like paying more attention to my everyday homework, my piano playing, and being more diligent in my water polo games.
Right now I have a problem of not spending my allowance wisely. I have been working on this problem. I think I have better self-control now. It is important to have self-control so you don’t get into trouble in the future.
Another example is at school. If you’re mean to your classmates, it can result in a fight. A fight can ruin a school day. Later in life you could go to jail if you don’t have self-control.
So you see? Self-control can help you get rid of bad habits. If everyone can have better self-control, we may have less graffiti and less trash on the road and a cleaner environment; Self-control can help get rid of bullying at school. Maybe there will be less crime in our society if everyone has more self-control. I believe self-control can make our world a better place to live.
"RESPONSIBILITY"
September 19, 2011
Sydni Hankinson, 5th Grade
Portola Elementary School
To me, responsibility means lots of different things.
First, it means to be in control. When I’m at home I’m responsible for keeping my room clean, and to feed my fish morning and night.
Second, to be a responsible student at school means to be organized, to stay on task and to complete all of my assignments.
In addition, to being a responsible student it’s also important to be responsible towards your friends. For instance, if I were to borrow something from a friend I would make sure and give it back.
One of the most important things is to be responsible towards my family. I do this by treating my brother and sister with respect. For example, in the mornings my brother makes me breakfast then I say nicely back, “thank you.”
One of my favorite ways of being responsible is through sports. When I’m on the softball field I am responsible for making sure I have all my equipment. I’m also responsible for communicating to my teammates when I’m pitching. In soccer I’m responsible for talking to my teammates because soccer is about communication also.
In conclusion, being a responsible person is important because it shows what kind of person you really are.
"HONESTY"
April 19, 2011
Carissa Dykes, 5th Grade
Mound Elementary School
Thank you all for attending this evening. My name is Carissa Dykes and it is a great honor to have been chosen to speak for a few minutes on what it means to be honest.
Honesty can have many definitions. I am here to tell you what honesty truly means to me. Not only is honesty about being truthful, it’s also about being fair, loyal, trustworthy, and not being deceitful.
A German novelist named Thomas Mann once said, “A harmful truth is better than a useful lie.” I completely agree with this quote. Although sometimes it may be easier to tell a lie, in the end being honest always has the best result.
A well-known leader, Martin Luther King Jr., was a man who was very honest. For example, Dr. King stated what he felt was right. In his famous “I Have A Dream” speech, he shared his opinion about segregation. Dr. King felt being truthful and loyal to his followers was far more important than the negative feedback he received.
In conclusion, being honest makes the world a better place to live. Also it makes me a happier person, which makes me feel good about myself and makes my parents extremely proud.
Once again, I thank you for coming this evening.
"KINDNESS"
March 7, 2011
Courtney Caldwell, 5th Grade
Junipero Serra Elementary School
The definitions of kindness to me are endless, just doing something nice for someone, or saying thank you to someone. But kindness to me is treating someone the way you would want to be treated. For example if a lady in the grocery store has her hands full and keeps on dropping stuff you should ask her if she wants help to her car or something. If the world didn’t have even a smidge of kindness than the world would be a place of mean words and sad people.
Even animals’ show kindness, like when a cute, soft, big-hearted cat climbs up on your tummy and starts purring, then you know the cat loves and appreciates that your there. Every time you say something kind to someone, like “thank you” or “you’re a nice person”, then there bound to say or do something nice back. Sometimes people don’t say kind words and people feel sad but during those times is when you find out who the people with real kind hearts are. If everyone showed just a little bit of kindness then the world would improve so much. Another act of kindness is when you turn in homework to your teacher. The teachers appreciate when you actually do it. Although there aren’t always kind words we should all do what we can to make sure kind words are exchanged and kind actions as well.
You can even show kindness to your self by sticking to a well balanced diet and exercise plan. By doing that you can keep healthy and by being healthy you can do great things for the world. Even if your just a kid you can show kindness in your home by doing your chores when you’re not asked, following directions, and being nice to the people around you. Even if someone isn’t nice to you, never should you stoop to their level or they will never learn to. A lot of the time when people exchange mean words, it’s because they have never learned that it is unkind. Being kind is much easier to learn, instead of being rude. These are just the few ways you can define kindness.
"COOPERATION"
February 7, 2011
Caylee Dolan, 5th Grade
Elmhurst Elementary School
Cooperation is defined as, the process of working or acting together. Through cooperation, you can do several things such as helping others, solving problems, and accomplishing almost anything.
For example, when you cooperate, you can help others in need. My friend, Jonathan, had cancer. So many people came together to help him and his family raise money. So with the money they earned, they were able to pay hospital bills, and other expenses. So the people who cooperated helped Jonathan and his family through the hard times.
My next example is how people cooperated to solve problems. An ex-student named Hannah was bullied when she attended my school. She believed that bullying was still a problem. So she started a program called Stop The Bully. Many students, teachers, and staff worked together to stop bullying. During the cooperation, we made Stop The Bully program a success.
My final example is, when you cooperate, you can accomplish almost anything. I found in an article that NASA built a robot named Robonaut 2 or R2. But it took many people to make plans, ideas, designs, and building R2. Since they cooperated, they built a robot that will be sent to outer space.
This is what I believe about cooperation, many things can happen if we cooperate. With these ideas, we can stop conflicts, help people who can’t help themselves, and make something that can change our world. Hopefully, we can use these ideas and make a better place, for everyone!!!
"COURTESY"
January 10, 2011
Kolby Reynolds, 5th Grade
Blanche Reynolds Elementary School
Being courteous is very important. To me courtesy means being kind, polite, having manners, and being helpful. If you want to be courteous try to be caring and nice. Another way to be courteous is follow the golden rule.
To show courtesy you should act polite. To be polite show manners. Show this act of courtesy at restaurants, libraries, at the dinner table, or anywhere formal. Don’t burp, reach over someone, talk loud or with your mouth full, yell, run around or chew your food with your mouth open. That would be very, very rude.
"RESPONSIBILITY"
December 6, 2010
Aline Velez Gallegos, 5th Grade
E. P. Foster Elementary School
The word responsibility means “to do a favor for, to help, or assist.” When I hear the word responsibility, I think of taking care of or helping people.
An example of being responsible is when you help a student or friend with their homework. Most parents often tell kids to babysit. That is a great way to show responsibility because it means that you can be trusted watching a little kid without an adult. Also, cleaning your room or doing your chores is another way to show that you are responsible. Taking care of a pet (dog, cat, or fish) is a very big responsibility because if you don’t take care of your pet, your parents might not let you have another pet.
Some ways I show that I am responsible is when I do all of my homework. Another way I show responsibility is when I take care of my little brother and sister when my parents are out. Also, I show responsibility when I listen to my parents and take out the trash.
In conclusion, responsibility is important in life because without it we wouldn’t help or care for each other. If there wasn’t any responsibility in the world everything would be chaotic.
"SPORTSMANSHIP"
November 2010
Mallory Truman, 5th Grade
Saticoy Elementary School
I think the meaning of sportsmanship is playing fair in a game. If you’re playing against another team and your team wins the point that should have been the other teams point, ask the coach to give the point to the other team. Also, you can demonstrate positive sportsmanship by not bragging if your team wins because it doesn’t matter if you win or lose; it matters if you are having fun! You should not have a bad attitude if your team loses because that will ruin your whole day!
I exemplify good sportsmanship by not complaining if I don’t want to do something, I just do it! Once I do it, I end up enjoying it! For example, kickball, I don’t like to play kickball but when I do play I get into the game and I end up liking it and having a good time and I don’t complain about it anymore. I know when it is my turn to kick I have to, so I do! I may not be very good at it, but when my friends cheer for me I do a lot better! So I cheer for them when their turn comes!
Some other examples of good sportsmanship are helping someone and sharing your skills. If they need help hitting a ball with a baseball bat you can demonstrate your technique to help them. Another example is you should not accuse someone of something they did not do, like knock down a stack of books. It might have been an accident, just tell them what they did and help them pick up the books. Don’t push people in line if you are mad at them because they might bump into someone else and hurt them. Play fair and take turns on the playground equipment like the swings, slide and monkey bars.
My role model is my mom, Jackie. If something is wrong she fixes it. She doesn’t get mad over every little thing! She helps me with my homework and she does it in a way I can understand. That way I can be come independent!
A way I can become a better sport is by playing more games then I will become better and if I know how to do something and someone else doesn’t I will be able to help them out by sharing my skills! I should try to be a better student and a more giving person.
"PUNCTUALITY"
September 2010
Paul Dickinson, 5th Grade
Lincoln Elementary School
Punctuality means being on time, as opposed to being late. Punctuality is very important, and being late is clearly a bad idea. Being late causes problems for others, which isn’t fair to them. It can also cause you trouble; people will trust you less, it might mean you lose a job, get in trouble, etc.
Being punctual prevents all those things. Being punctual shows that you care about other people’s time, and that you are responsible. Therefore, being punctual makes you a better person. I’m not saying that if you’re punctual it makes you a superhero, but it does show people that you can be responsible. That is why I always try to be punctual in every aspect of my life.
"HONESTY"
March 2010
Sarah Yavil, 5th Grade
Montalvo Elementary School
Have you ever thought about the word honesty? Is it important to be honest at school? At home? In society?
Well, I think it is very important to be honest everywhere. Honesty is a very important trait to have because it makes you feel good about yourself and it allows people to trust you.
First of all, honesty is very important at school, at home, and in society. At school honesty is important because you will earn your teachers trust. For example, if a student makes a bad decision and the teacher confronts him or her about it, it is always better to be honest with the teacher than lie to her. If you lie to the teacher, it will be very hard for the teacher to trust you again. Honesty is also important at home because if you are honest with your parents they feel respected. In society, honesty is important in order to be able to trust one another.
Secondly, honesty makes you feel good about yourself. When you are honest, you feel wonderful because you know inside your heart that you have not lied. Every time that I’m honest with my friends, parents, and teachers I feel wonderful because I know that I will not lose their trust. In addition, my teacher and my parents feel proud of me for choosing to tell the truth.
Finally, if you are honest people can trust you. When people can trust you, they feel safe telling you their problems. I always try to be honest with all my peers and adults in order to gain their trust. For example, my friends Gabriela and Alma are honest with me, so I can trust them with any issue.
In conclusion, honesty is important at school, at home, and in society. Honesty is an important trait to have because it makes you feel good about yourself and people can trust you.
“COOPERATION”
February 2010
Zachary Godeck, 5th Grade
Juanamaria Elementary School
Cooperation is very important because if we didn’t have it people wouldn’t work together. Everyone would be doing their own thing every single day of their life.
You need to cooperate to play sports because you would not be working together as a team. When you have a soccer game and somebody won’t pass the ball to you that is an example of not cooperating. You would need to talk to your coach.
When your friend and you have a common goal, but disagree you should try to work it out with someone you trust.
For adults when you’re not working together with your children you should go to dinner and work it out.
It would be nice if everyone would cooperate. There is a quote that sums up cooperation: “United we stand, divided we fall.” That is what I think cooperation is all about.
"COURTESY"
January 2010
D’Juan Morgan
5th Grade, Citrus Glen Elementary School
The definition of courtesy is the showing of politeness in one’s attitude and behavior toward others. Being the youngest in my family and with two older sisters, I have been taught courtesy at a very young age. Believe me the two of them have demanded much more than courtesy! For instance there is respect, like keeping my hands off my sister’s cell phone when she isn’t around, or acts of kindness as I remember to show kindness to their boyfriends even when I don’t really care much for them.
I have learned a lot about courtesy from working with seniors in the assisted living communities where my mother and father have worked. Courtesy is free and the reward is priceless. Imagine a world where courtesy is mandatory. There would be happiness, joy, peace, and one and on. Now think of a world where no one shows courtesy. I don’t even want to describe a world like that. Because of courtesy, I am blessed with lots of friends and a family that loves me. I plan on showing courtesy whenever possible and hope you will join me!
"RESPONSIBILITY"
December 2009
Nick Randazzo, 5th Grade
Will Rogers Elementary School
According to the Children’s Scholastic Dictionary, it defines responsibility as a job or duty. I think responsibility is something or someone that shows some kind of leadership skills. Someone that knows what to do when something goes wrong and they know how to resolve it. You have to know what’s right or wrong and always know to tell the truth. It doesn’t always mean that you’re the smartest but you know how to be a good role model and know that the choices that you make in life are how you can become a better person.
There are many ways I have shown responsibility both in the classroom and the community. When people are fighting or tackling each other on the playground I tried to make an effort to stop the commotion. This problem might get out of hand and someone could get injured badly. Another example of responsibility is doing my homework. Even though I want to watch television first thing when I get home, I have to do what’s right and complete my homework first. Lastly, I have shown responsibility by having a weekly job. I mow my neighbor’s law. I get paid ten dollars every time I mow it. I can’t back out. I have a big responsibility to be there every week and mow her lawn.
All in all, I think being responsible is someone that shows leadership skills in many ways. Being responsible at an early age can help someone go far in life.
"SELF-CONTROL"
November 2009
Michael Brown
5th Grade Portola Elementary School
Self-control is the control of one’s words and actions. It is important to have self-control because it can help you now and later in your life. For example, someone who has self-control can avoid playing too many video games or watching too much t.v. Also, when someone has self-control they can control their eating habits, their anger, honesty, and what they say to and about others. Bad eating habits can lead to obesity, and other health problems. Uncontrolled anger can get you in a fight. If you are not an honest person, others won’t trust you and later you could even end up in jail. Saying the wrong thing to others can hurt their feelings.
I love to eat food, especially junk food. Fortunately, I have someone to keep me away from eating too much because I have little self-control in this area of my life. Eating too much makes me sick and is unhealthy so I am trying to learn better habits and better self-control. I am working on this a little at a time.
Self-control is having control over your self. The self-control you learn as a child can help you have the control to say no to drugs when you are older. Drugs can ruin your life and the lives of those you love. It is clearly better to have self-control. It will change how you are now and later in your life.
"SPORTSMANSHIP"
Austin R. Shaw
5th Grade Pierpont Elementary School
Sportsmanship, to me, is a way to have an enjoyable, competitive experience without conflict. This trait assists everyone now, and in their growing lives and should be used not just at school, but everywhere.
Some examples of how I exhibit good sportsmanship are when I try to settle disagreements between teams at school. I have noticed that many people while playing a game focus on revenge for things the other team has done. I try to explain to them that it’s just a game and we are here to have fun. I like when everyone gets along because I, personally, think arguing is a waste of time. When it comes to picking teams I believe it is better to have players on different levels because it gives kids a chance to compete with others and improve their game. And, when everyone gets along, more people want to play so the game is more fun.
But sportsmanship is not just for on the field. When you show good sportsmanship other people see that as a good example and treat you fairly in and outside the classroom. Being a good sport lets you be more easy going and not get upset by little things that are not as important. Also this trait regards the respect others give you if they believe you are a good sport. To me, being a good sport is important because it allows me to make more friends, have more fun, and know that I will be seen as a positive person.
"COURTESY"
Angel Cruz,
5th Grade E.P. Foster Elementary School
Courtesy is being kind, like having respect for all people. Listening goes well with courtesy. Doing your best is an example of what courtesy is about.
When you are courteous that is when you have respect for different people, which means not calling them names. You should respect family, friends and everybody around you. Some people think they don’t have to respect each other since they are different, but having different skin color, blond hair, or speaking Spanish are not important differences. Respect is a good way of having courtesy for all people.
When you are courteous, you should always listen to what the teacher has to say and wait your turn to speak. The teacher might be saying something important and you may not be listening. Be courteous and don’t do something else when you should be listening. Also, you should wait your turn to speak, not only because it’s the polite thing to do, but because the other person might be saying something very important. Listening is having courtesy for everyone around you. For me, being courteous is always trying your best. Doing your best means putting all the effort you have in things you do, including tests. Trying your best is important to teachers since they know you are paying attention and being polite. You are courteous and respectful to your parents when you can show them a good report card that shows you are paying attention in school.
Those are three examples of what courtesy means to me. No matter if you are big or small, you are the same as everybody, and everybody deserves respect and courtesy.
"RESPONSIBILITY"
Fidelity Ballmer
5th Grade Saticoy Elementary School
The world is a giant puzzle, each piece being a person. In each puzzle piece, there are hundreds, even thousands of smaller pieces, each one being a trait of that certain person. Now as the world is growing and people are passing lines that have never been passed, (such as flying to the moon) some of these pieces are falling away into space. One of these is responsibility. To me, responsibility is doing the right thing.
Without responsibility, our world would stop spinning. Responsibility is what saves hundreds of lives each year, when people donate their time and money to starving children. Without these people, too many children would die, each and everyday.
Without responsibility, every single polar bear will die out, because of the green house gases, melting the ice away. Without responsibility, we will lose thousands of army men in the war.
Without responsibility all these things would just get worse, as we are on that path. But not everybody is irresponsible. With responsibility, firefighters will save people from the flames as they swallow a house, whole. With responsibility, people will donate their money to help people recover from natural disaster.
With responsibility, people will be responsible for their actions, and tell the truth. With responsibility, we will throw a dollar or two into a poor man’s hat.
We must find these pieces inside of ourselves, and put the world back together, piece-by-piece. And as the world grows and prospers, we will show that we have found all of our pieces, by being a better person, and by being responsible.
"SELF-CONTROL"
Lina Ajao
5th Grade Loma Vista Elementary School
Self-control is extremely important because it is required for so many things in life. If you don't have self-control, people can get hurt.
For example, school requires self-control. If you don't use self-control at school, you may get sent to the principal's office. Driving a car requires self-control. Those without self-control might get in a car accident. Also, when you are around other people, you should use self-control. If you don't use self-control around others, someone could get hurt.
You should always use self-control. It's the smartest, safest way.
"SPORTSMANSHIP"
Kassandra Contreras
5th Grade Sheridan Way Elementary School
Sportsmanship is trying your best, not caring if you win or lose, having fun and not cheating. One example of sportsmanship is to be the best you can be.
Sportsmanship is trying your best. Why? It shows you did all you could. One example is when I was playing with my friends. I was trying to make a basket but I missed! My friends came up to me and said that was awesome. That moment they showed me sportsmanship because they were proud of me and they knew I was trying my best.
Also, good sportsmanship is not caring if you win or lose, it's just about having fun. For example, one day my team and I were going to play basketball with our PE teacher, Mr. Harris. Before we started to practice I gathered my team around and told them to just have fun and try our best. When the game was over we had won but we didn't care because we were just playing for fun.
Not cheating is an important part of sportsmanship. We were playing "Swatball" in PE. During the whole class, no one cheated and that shows sportsmanship because everyone was playing honestly.
As you can see sportsmanship is important to me and I know it's important to some people out their too.
