8th Grade

Welcome to Saint Joseph Parish School

Facts on Pope John Paul II

Saint Pope John Paul II’s real name is Karol Josef Wojtyla. 
He was born on May 18, 1920. 
Saint Pope John Paul II was actually Polish. 
He was the first non-Italian pope in 455 years.
He was born in Wadowice, Poland where he lived for 19 years. 
He went to school at Krakow’s Jagiellonian University. 
He wrote amazing poems and he also performed 
as an actor who wrote plays. 

He lived in many places and visited more than 129 countries. 
He traveled more distances than any other pope.
Some of the countries he visited include his homeland Poland, France, Mexico,
the Dominican Republic, Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda,
South Africa, Germany, Australia, and many more.
During his travels around the world, 
he met presidents, kings and queens, and various political leaders 
as well as common everyday folks. 
Pope John Paul II was the first pope to visit 
the White House in Washington, D.C.

Pope Francis declared Pope John Paul II a saint.
As a matter of fact, Pope John Paul II canonized 482 saints
which was more saints than any other pope canonized
and he created 232 positions for Cardinals. 
When he was not yet declared a saint, Pope John Paul II 
was adopted as the patron of Catholic sports. 
He had a passion for skiing and after becoming a pope, 
he continued to visit the ski slopes for many years.
He was later canonized on April 27, 2014.

During his papacy, there was an assassination attempt on his life 
which resulted in designing a highly protective vehicle for transporting popes
throughout the major cities of the countries they visited. 
People gave the vehicle the nickname, “the Popemobile.”
Pope John Paul II demonstrated strong spiritual compassion
when he forgave the man who shot him.
For the twenty-seven years he served in his papacy,
Pope John Paul II fought for the freedom of all people.
He died on April 2, 2005 at the age of 84 years
from a disease called Parkinson’s that “tried” to slow him down. 
He was also called Pope John Paul the Great.

Avneet B.
Rohanjeet M.
Giorgia O.
Darek P.
Yandel R. 
James Michael S. 
Andrew David T.
Emma Aniya Grace W.

Grade 7 Students
January 2023

Remember, Everything Happens for a Reason

I have a dream that everyone 
can graduate eighth grade together.
I have a dream that one day I will 
get my dream house, my dream car, 
and my dream job of becoming a lawyer.
I have a dream that one day 
the world has semi-peace in it.

The world doesn't need full peace 
because people would act crazy 
that there isn't any drama 
at school or on the Internet.
If there was full peace, 
me and a whole bunch of people 
wouldn’t have anything to talk about. 

We thrive on gossip and drama daily.
I don’t think gossip and drama 
are good all the time, but it keeps us 
entertained, so it’s a win-win situation.
I have a dream that one day classes 
are taught by waterproof robots.

I’m not saying human teachers are terrible.
I’m just saying with robots you can 
program them the way you want to 
because they can dance and sing 
and they can do every subject 
because they are very smart.

Emma Aniya Grace
January 12, 2023



I Try My Best

An ordinary thing that I do 
everyday is pray.
I try my best to pray everyday.
By praying everyday
I feel as if I’m becoming 
more close to God.
Praying makes me 
feel more safe.
Praying also makes me 
feel loved and cared for by God.
So praying is one thing 
I try to do everyday.

Avneet
January 12, 2023



Everyone is Shouting

Christmas is almost here
and everyone is shouting,
“Happy New Year!” but

they’re too early,
so everyone’s yelling,
“Happy Easter!” but

Christmas is the one time
of the year people
celebrate Jesus’ birth, so

Stop thinking about
every other holiday
for once

and remember everything
that happened 
this year.

Emma Aniya Grace
December 6, 2022

Familia

Family is not
family
until family,

Fish is not fish,
but with
a plot twist,

Big Mac,
Big fish,
McDonald’s, but with 
one fish,

Chicken tenders
are just mindbenders,

There is no
‘I’ in team, but
two in familia.

Yandel R
December 6, 2022



Be Thankful and Be Kind

I try to be a good person, but maybe, 
sometimes I make mistakes like everyone else.
We are not perfect. Nobody is perfect,
but you always need to be kind and not rude because
Jesus is always watching you and caring about you.
When you are rude or you get mad with your parents, 
you break Jesus’ heart and that is not good.
You need to be thankful for the life that you have 
and try to be a better person. Always remember, 
“Character is doing the right even when no one 
is watching,” because Jesus is always watching.

Darek P.
December 14, 2022

The Most Beautiful Gift

Christmas is about love, peace, and sharing time 
with your family because the gift doesn’t matter. 
Maybe you can have the most beautiful gift 
and maybe if you lost it, you may cry, but I am sure 
if someone in your family died, you are going to cry more.

So don’t scream at your mom or your dad because
 they didn’t give you some toy or shoes or phone. 
It is better to have all of your family than a simple gift 
that over time you’re going to forget about. 
Always remember that your family 
is the most beautiful gift that God can give you.

Giorgia O.
December 2, 2022
 

Jesus Means Light

Whenever I think of Jesus
I think about 
a giant beam of light
hitting the Earth as stairs
to Heaven appear 
as a symbol of new life.

Jesus is that light
and the stairs are his hands
to bring us into Heaven.
It’s all a metaphor 
of what will happen
when we all die.

Dante Xavier
October 6, 2022

GOSPEL

God’s
Only
Son
Preaches
Everlasting 
Love

People will forget what you said, 
people will forget what you did, 
but people will never forget 
how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou



Avneet is
Very kind
Nice
Energetic
Enthusiastic
Talented

Bold
Adventurous
Dedicated
Wholesome
Aspiring 
Loyal



Avneet

I’m glad you’re in the seventh grade
since I have another year with you,
You’re nice, you’re kind, you’re polite,
and you do very great things, too.

Avneet, you’re very special to us,
You’re growing smarter each new day,
You make people smile with your smile
so just promise never to ever go away,

(until you get admitted to high school.)

November 16, 2022


I Still Think About It

When I look up at night
and look at the stars, I think about
how many stars there are.

I think about how
there are so many different planets
and how there is a large possibility
that there is other life 
out in the universe.

When I was a little kid
I thought the stars were heaven.
I thought that every star 
was a person in heaven.
Now I don’t really believe that 
anymore, but I still think about it.

Andrew David
October 27, 2022

Dear Mary,

  Help me to fix the things that are fixable and ignore the days that aren’t. Help the world to become safer. Help the confused souls. May you and God help them all. Help young people live in the moment. You only live once,
 

Skye
January 17, 2023
 

Dear Mary,

  Please give me the strength that I need to get through this midterm exam week. I ask that you also lend me your kindness when I present my projects. Thank you for all that you do in Jesus’ name. Amen.
 

Edwin W.
January 10, 2023

Dear Mary,

You accepted God’s plan
with open hand,
We love you
and have you 
as a mentor.

Benjamini B.
January 17, 2023

“It is Only With the Heart That One May See Rightly,

What is Essential is Invisible to the Eye”

I do agree with the statement that Fox makes in The Little Prince, “It is only with the heart that one may see rightly. What is essential is invisible to the eye.” Sometimes your heart knows something and the pupil of the eye and the frontal lobe just doesn't want to accept it. Your heart knows everything first. Although your supposed “knowledge” is in your head, your brain knows nothing. The heart is the key to every question.

The heart is the key to unlock any door or barrier that your eye and mind make. Your heart knows who and what is best for you. Your mind doesn’t. Essentials are invisible to the eye, overlooked, and uncared for. For example, most people pursue riches instead of happiness (essential)!

People could chase the wrong person instead of happiness. The heart knows happiness and true love. The mind and eye knows what it thinks is best. Every option in life should be picked carefully with your heart such as who to love, how to love, what to do, and how to do it. Essential is the heart. The essentials are invisible to the eye. 

Heart to Heart!

Skye
January 10, 2023

Never fight all the time for the approval 
of friends, family, 
or other people. 
You have and will always have the approval 
and love of God.

Words Shared from Daniel
Grade 8

All Day Long

Dungeons & Dragons
is fun to play all day long,
Slaying a dragon,
Killing a knight,
Stab an orc
with a fork
whenever you like.

Have fun with your friends,
the story never ends,
Fall in love,
Share a kiss
for the fun you shall miss
from your land of
imagination.

Benjamin B.
September 29, 2022

I would like to write about sleep, 
a very deep state of unconsciousness
that frankly, I’d much rather be doing
right now. Here we go.

Sleep

Dreams are going,
the brain’s silent,
Creativity is flowing
all while I lay still.

Sleep is a magic thing,
If only I could make it never end,
It’s a cycle that happens
again and again,
Sleep.

I love that my bed
is my capsule,
I enjoy coming home each day,
Putting my stress away,
and taking out my nighttime 
imagination to play.

Skye
September 29, 2022

Health, Happiness, & a Good Year

I wish …
I wish for health.
I wish to be successful. 
I wish for it to be summer.
I wish to have a good year.
I wish I could have a brownie.
I wish for happiness and health.
I wish for the health of my family.
I wish to have a good school year.
I wish my Grandpa was still alive.
I wish that one day I can become a teacher.
I wish to do well on my quizzes for this week.
I wish that everyone I know is happy and healthy.
I wish for only good things to happen in this world.
I wish I could take a nap right now. (I’m tired from school.)
I wish for good health and good vibes for my family and friends.
I wish I could go home, watch a Halloween movie, and eat dinner.
I wish for God to protect my family and for them to go to Heaven, including me.
I wish that everyone realizes that wishes can only come true once we first own them and work hard toward them.

St. Joseph PREP Students
Eighth Grade
October 4, 2022



The Good News of Jesus

To share the Good News 
can be a very simple task.
Help old ladies cross the street.
Say “hi” to everyone you meet.
Preach to others everyday.
Help each other in every way.
  Share food.
  Don’t be rude.
  Give to the poor.
  Hold the door.
  Make others feel big
  when they feel small,
  but most important 
  of them all is to
  love thy neighbor.

Benjamin B.
October 12, 2022


GOSPEL

God’s
Only
Son
Preaches
Everlasting 
Love

People will forget what you said, 
people will forget what you did, 
but people will never forget 
how you made them feel.

Maya Angelou

Dedicated to Principal McKnight

Oh, thank you,
Oh, thank you
for everything you do. 
You hold this place together
just like Super Glue.
I love how you show
your love for everyone.

You teach us everyday
to be nice in every way.
So, I’m writing this letter
to say thanks in my way.

Sincerely,
Benjamin Z.
October 14, 2022

Ben is
Enjoyable
Nice
Just Ben
An actor
More than he is seen by others
Interesting
Never not performing

Second grade was the first year I made real friends and fit right in.
Second grade for me was one of the best years yet for me
and if you have trouble fitting in, then read this poem.

Second Grade

Second Grade, a boosting aid
to help me fit right in.
I was weird. I shed a tear, 
but boy, who was I kidding.
I walked right in to find a group
gulping down edible 
science material like soup!

So if you think you’re odd,
Well, we all are.
So recite this saying,
“Kids my age are still trying,
trying to eat plastic cars!”

Johan Munoz
Grade 7
April 2022
(A poem remembered and resurfaced.)



I Before E

except
when you’re
foreign,
neighbor,
Keith, 
eight,
neither,
counterfeit,
beige, 
sleigh
from
feisty
caffeinated
weightlifters.

Weird!

Johan Munoz 
Grade 7
October 20, 2021
(A poem remembered and resurfaced.)