October Class of KidsPost: Belmont Station fifth-graders
Ryan Aksamitowski’s class share their favorites, including pizza, dogs and gymnastics.
By Christina Barron,
Belmont Station Elementary School
Ryan Aksamitowski’s fifth-graders at Belmont Station Elementary School in Ashburn, Virginia, are the October Class of KidsPost. These 19 students like pizza, dogs and Hawaii, and would cure covid-19 if they could.
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Favorite author and favorite book: These avid readers shared a long list of favorite books and authors. Dav Pilkey of Dog Man fame was the top author with three votes. Jeff Kinney, Rick Riordan and Tui T. Sutherland tied for second place with two votes each. As for books, Sutherland’s Wings of Fire series and Riordan’s Percy Jackson books each received two votes.
Favorite singer or musician: The most votes went to . . . nobody! Six students said they didn’t have a favorite singer. Three students named Olivia Rodrigo, whose album, “Sour,” has produced several hit singles this year. Other singers included Dua Lipa, Saweetie and Demi Lovato.
Favorite sport (to play) or hobby: Soccer and gymnastics were the most popular, with four votes apiece. Basketball, dancing, cooking and reading tied for second, with two votes each.
Place you would you love to visit but haven’t: They would head to Hawaii! Four students picked the Aloha State as their dream destination. Two students would like to visit Paris, France — also known as the “City of Lights.” (Can you guess how these nicknames came to be?)
Food you could eat every day of your life: Pizza is the clear winner in this category. Five kids said they would never tire of it. Other mentions included pho (a Vietnamese soup), noodles, apples and broccoli.
Favorite animal: “Man’s best friend” is also these students’ favorite animal. Five voted for dogs, saying how fun and cute they are. “My dog always makes me laugh and smile,” one student said. (Truth.) Second place was unusual: a dragon. The mythical creature earned three votes because “they just look gorgeous” and “they breathe fire and they fly.” Good points.
Job or profession when you grow up: Nearly half of Mr. Aksamitowski’s students are considering careers in the creative arts. Actor, architect, artist and writer each received two votes. Other careers mentioned included engineer, interior designer, teacher and president.
World problem you would solve: It’s easy to understand why covid-19 was the top problem mentioned. Eight students would focus their efforts on finding a cure for the disease caused by the coronavirus. Ending hunger was a distant second, with two votes.
Person, living or dead, you admire most: Most of the kids picked relatives, and parents got the win. Five students chose Mom and Dad mostly “because they love me and take care of me,” as one student wrote. Gymnast Simone Biles earned second place with two votes because of her hard work and determination. One admirer said, “She had a dream to go to the Olympics and she did many times.”
More in KidsPost
Simone Biles is latest athlete to share mental health struggles
National Dog Day means extra love for human’s best friend
KidsPost mascot, CHIP, gets his own comic
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