Savannah and the Dis-eruption, Part 2

Thank you for visiting our blog! We are excited to know what you think about this story written by Kimberly P. Johnson for My School Rocks! If you have read the first part of this story, please click HERE. ENJOY!

“Watch out Mr. Newsome!” Savannah screamed.

Mr. Newsome ducked just in time to miss the messy slush that had accidentally erupted from Savannah’s volcano experiment. Robbie jumped up from his desk and grabbed the wild container.

“Settle down, class!” Mr. Newsome commanded.

Once everything was under control, Savannah heard her classmates giggling under their breath. Perhaps her brother had been right: maybe she was a science disaster.

“Savannah, did your instructions tell you to put that much powder into the container?” Mr. Newsome inquired.

Savannah held her head down. She was tempted to lie, but she knew lying would only make things worse.

“I didn’t have my instructions, Mr. Newsome. I accidentally left them at home. I thought I could remember what was on the instructions,” Savannah admitted.

Savannah felt her cheeks flush. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Next time I’ll tell you if I don’t have the instructions.”

“That’s probably a good idea, but did you know that there were lots of scientists in our history who made mistakes while doing experiments?” Mr. Newsome said.

“Really?” asked Savannah. “Like who?”

Mr. Newsome smiled, “Well, Thomas Edison failed thousands of times while trying to invent the light bulb, Marie Curie had problems as she worked with radium, Ben Franklin had his share of problems too, and, of course, me! I’ve failed at lots of experiments! The key is to form a hypothesis, to tell what you think may happen in the experiment and learn as much as you can while you experiment.”

When Savannah got home, she told her family what had happened.

They reminded her that science is all about trial and error. She still had time to impress Mr. Newsome and make it into the upcoming science fair.

**Did she make it to the science fair? Found out HERE!**

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Baxter Scores Big!

Thank you for visiting our blog! We are looking forward to knowing what you think about this story written by Kimberly P. Johnson for My School Rocks! 

Jeremy lifted the heavy boxes of basketball cards. He couldn’t believe how many he had collected over the years.

Dr. J, Michael Jordan, Larry Byrd, LeBron James, all of them were heroes. Some were cards his dad had when he was a kid, and some were found at garage sales. Jeremy’s mom suggested that he grab the ones he wanted to keep and then give the others away.

“We need extra space in our garage and getting rid of some of the cards will make room,” she said.

“Okay Mom, but it’s going to take a while to go through all of these boxes. May I get some of my friends to help me?”

“Sure Jeremy,” said Mom. “I’ll even make snacks when they come over.”

Jeremy called up his friends, Charlie and Macy. Once they arrived, they were shocked at how few cards Jeremy had. 

“Wow, we thought you had a ton of cards,” said Macy. “You only have a few!”

“A few?” exclaimed Jeremy, “Are you kidding? There are ten boxes here!” Jeremy couldn’t believe it when he heard that Charlie and Macy had more cards than him. 

“Together, we probably have the biggest basketball card collection in the town of Baxter. With all of these cards we should be in the Guinness Book of Records,” Charlie giggled.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Jeremy gasped. “That is a great idea!”

They all looked at each other and grinned. “Could we really get into the Guinness Book?” asked Macy.

They asked Jeremy’s mom and searched the internet. Jeremy reported, “According to the Guinness World Records, if you can measure it, weigh it or count it - then it can be considered a record! On top of that we can turn our Guinness attempt into a fundraiser!”

**How did the fundraiser turn out? Find out HERE!**

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Kimberly Honored by Earl Scruggs Center

Thank you for visiting our blog!  We invite you to visit the Earl Scruggs Center's website to see hear Kimberly speak on the Center's podcast. 

Kimberly has had the honor of being featured on the Earl Scruggs Center, Music & Stories from the American South website! 


The Shelby native who has written 11 children’s books, Kimberly Pearson Johnson was a product of the Head Start program where she learned that reading is a key to life. 

She graduated from Shelby High School and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

She has dedicated herself to helping children learn to read and to have the power to enrich their lives.

She was invited to read at the 2002 White House Easter Egg Roll by President and Mrs. George W. Bush, and has been featured in Southern Living magazine. She leads interactive programs in schools throughout the United States. 

Empty Cup: A Poem by Kimberly Johnson

Children like an empty cup, look to us to fill them up

With purpose and with praise 

And if we do our job just right, it lasts throughout their days

With lessons about life and learning from a book

Planning what is best for them and knowing where to look 

Taking time to stir with patience and with grace.

Showing that you’re interested by looking in their face

And saying no is okay too, it’s just a part of growing

Sometimes things don’t go our way – a lesson much worth knowing 

But if you teach them hope by reaching for their dreams

They gain the faith to not give up, despite how tough it seems

So listen with your heart and encourage with a smile

A perfect blend of all of this can last them for a while

At least until they’re confident and you find them all grown up

And just to think, your work began with first an empty cup.

Listen to Kimberly's podcast HERE! 

Savannah and the Dis-eruption

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Savannah threw back her covers and jumped out of bed. This year, her fourth grade class finally would be part of the Carter Elementary Science Fair! The science fair was not only cool, but it also gave students the chance to do an experiment by themselves. Savannah knew exactly what she would do! She was going to create an unbelievable volcano. Her dad had helped her practice at home and she was ready to show the whole class what she had learned.

“You are going to do a fantastic job with your experiment and Mr. Newsome is going to pick you to represent the class in the science fair!” Mom assured at breakfast.

Savannah grinned and nodded her head, but her older brother Jonathan just giggled as he grabbed his backpack.

“What’s so funny, Jon?” Savannah asked with a smirk. 

“Oh nothing,” he said, “I just hope Carter Elementary survives your experiment. Everyone knows that girls are pretty crummy at science!” 

“That’s not true Jonathan,” Mom replied. “There are a lot of famous women who are excellent scientists, and you need to support your sister.” 

Savannah just rolled her eyes at her brother. “You’ll see!” she exclaimed.

Once she was done with breakfast, Savannah raced out to the bus stop. She saw her friend Robbie. 

“Have you picked something to do for the science fair?” he asked. 

**Click HERE to find out what was chosen!**

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Meet My Cousin...the Popstar!

Thank you for visiting our blog! Please let us know what you think about this story written by Kimberly P. Johnson for My School Rocks.

“Nobody believes you, Drew Graham! You always make up things that aren’t true.”

Drew sat on the monkey bars and propped his head onto his fist. He wanted to share all of the cool things his family had done, but, to most people, his stories seemed, well...bizarre.

He had gone on an African safari, visited a German prison camp and even walked on the Great Wall of China. Drew had the opportunity to do these things because his dad had spent 10 years in the military, traveling the world. By the time Drew was 8 years old, he had lived in three countries and had tried unusual foods such as raw fish, snails and crickets. Drew was proud of the things he knew.

But, his classmates would tease him, “If you want us to believe you, show us a picture.”

The problem was Drew didn’t have a lot of pictures to share. His dad’s job was so top-secret,

a lot of the places where he had worked didn’t allow him to have pictures. The only thing Drew had to share were his memories and his stories. So, everyone at school thought he was lying about everything.

The next morning, when Drew arrived at school, everyone was talking about auditions for the school musical. The musical was about a girl who had spent most of her childhood in a rural town and was now going to have the opportunity to follow her dreams in Hollywood. The musical was based on the life and songs of Razzy G. Razzy G was the hottest pop star in the world, and she was also...Drew’s cousin! Rachelle Graham, aka Razzy G, and Drew grew up together, and their dads were brothers. Drew knew the kids at school would never believe this, even though Drew and Rachelle had the same last name....

**Ready to find out what happens next? Click HERE!**

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Can Nettie's Spaghetti Win the Frenzy?

Thank you for visiting our blog!! Please let us know what you think of this story written by Kimberly P. Johnson for My School Rocks!

Lizzie’s friends were sitting around the lunchroom table trying to figure out what they were going to do for the Annual Food Fight Frenzy at their school. Food Fight Frenzy was a tradition at Eagle Rock Elementary. The whole week was spent learning about healthy foods and how to take care of the body. However, the highlight of the week was the Friday wrap-up – a food fight in the cafeteria! It wasn’t a real food fight of course, but food created from recycled paper and any other soft material that could be thrown without hurting someone. 

The school was buzzing about which team would create the best food fight items. The kids would have to divide themselves into teams and come up with an original way to display their creations. They also had to make the creation right there in the lunchroom. They would have about 45 minutes to think about and create their very own food masterpieces. 

“How in the world do we create something in that short amount of time?” asked Brian.  

**Find out the answer to this question by clicking HERE!**

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The Best Routine

Thank you for visiting our blog! Please let us know what you think about the beginning of this story written by Kimberly P. Johnson for My School Rocks!

Teryn loved helping her big sister, Callie, organize her closet. Callie had so many beautiful clothes. Most of the time there was something in the closet that could fit Teryn, too, and she loved grabbing an armful of colorful T-shirts and jeans.

“Well, Teryn,” Callie sighed. “I think that does it for now. We can fold all of these clothes and take them to the homeless shelter. There are lots of kids there who would really appreciate getting them.”

“The shelter?” Teryn gasped. “Are you kidding? You’re going to give away all of these cool clothes?”

Callie was a bit surprised at Teryn’s response.

“Of course I am! Why keep them piled up when someone else could use them? Remember when Mom talked to us about how important it is to help others? There are lots of people, right here in our community, who need our help. I want to give them something they can feel good about. Nice clothes always make me feel better.”

Teryn was glad she had grabbed some of the clothes. She thought, Why would anyone give away this good stuff? The sisters neatly folded the pretty blouses, T-shirts and shorts. Then, they placed them in a blue and white container.

“I think Dad is going to help me take them over to the shelter,” Callie said. “Wanna come?”

Teryn just shook her head and slipped into her bright orange and green gymnastics outfit. She had to get to gymnastics class and didn’t want to be late. Teryn loved practicing the difficult arch positions and twists. She had been a gymnast since she was 3, and she loved it. Seven years of practice had paid off. She even wanted to own a studio one day.

But first, she had to make it to the Olympics, which would be the biggest event in her life.

“Thanks for the offer,” Teryn said. “But I’ve got to go practice. We have an event next Saturday, and I want to be ready.” The girls hugged each other and went their separate ways.

** To read the rest, click HERE!**

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Learning to LOVE School

Thank you for reading this post from Simply Creative Works! We are delighted to share this story written by Kimberly Johnson for, My School Rocks, an educational magazine.  ENJOY!

"I flipped through last year’s notebook and looked at the “C” circled at the top of my paper. I slammed the notebook shut as I felt my stomach start to churn. It was almost that time again – SCHOOL. I dreaded the idea of starting another school year. A “D” in math, a “C” in science and a “D” in reading; I felt like such a failure. My mom tried to keep me encouraged, but I didn’t feel like this year was going to be any different. I had a learning disability and I hated it. My mom told me it was dyslexia. Dys-lex-ia, Dys-lex-ia, I repeated the word over and over in my head. This dyslexia made me HATE school!  Reading was the worst!  I could say the words in my head and everything was great, I could talk to other people and everything was great but when I opened my mouth to read words aloud, the class started giggling. Somehow the letters would get scrambled in my head."

To read the full story, click HERE!  The AMAZING pictures were created by digital illustrator, Zoe Ranucci. 

Teach the History

Simply Creatives Works is delighted that you chose to read our blog! 

Kimberly released her 16th book earlier this year entitled "No Fear for Freedom: The Story of The Friendship Nine".  Her first non-fiction book  is  one for all ages! It's a great read for smaller children because of the easy-to-follow poem that depicts the story of the courageous civil rights activists. It is also wonderful for older children , young adults and adults because of the detailed, research-based accounts of history written in the margins of each page. 

There isn't much that's more inspiring during the summer than to read about some of the great icons who helped our country gain equality. Though we have a ways to go, we can take pride in knowing that we are moving toward teaching ourselves and our children how to appreciate what others have done! Reading their stories, learning about the history and reflecting on the present, reminds us to never be judgmental. Despite race, age, income level or background, let us always remember that people are people - and all should be treated equally. More importantly, let us pass on this lesson to our children. 

The unwillingness to listen can make discrimination last, 

but learning about history can open up the past. 

Though the Friendship 9 wanted success, 

they were not afraid to fail; 

even when those struggles landed them in jail!

Read More about No Fear for Freedom HERE!

Order your copy of No Fear for Freedom TODAY! 

Wow! Talk About Cloud 9!

Okay, what an amazing week I had!! I spent all of this week at the Bernice King N.O.W. camp. This amazing camp was all about Kingian Philosophy and nonviolence training. We had classes all day and took a road trip to Birmingham and Montgomery. We visited the 16^th street church, where the four little girls lost their lives in the Civil Rights Movement bombing of the church. Kelly Ingram Park, the site of the civil rights rallies and the notorious park where blacks were sprayed with fire hoses. We saw the Birmingham Civil Rights Museum, The Southern Poverty Law Center –  “The Southern Poverty Law Center monitors hate groups and extremists throughout the United States and exposes their activities to law enforcement agencies, the media and the public.” They have shut down some of the country’s most notorious hate groups by suing them for murders and other violent acts committed by their members.

We even got a chance to meet and talk with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s barber and he was amazing.  We visited the room where MLK, Jr. strategized about the Montgomery bus boycott (Rosa Parks). This camp was about what we can do in our lives and in the world to keep the wonderful legacy of Dr. King alive and continue to break the cycle of violence. Dr. Bernice was a wonderful hostess and made the event even more powerful with her narrations. I think I have truly been changed. She gives so much of herself and she is committed to helping others reach their own levels of success – NOW that is a servant leader.

               WELL, if that wasn’t enough, I got back home and on Friday night, Jeff and I went to see the husband and wife team of Debbie Allen/Norman Nixon and their production of, “Brothers of the Knight”  A-MAZING!! The music and the choreography were some of the best I have seen. After the show, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Nixon and signing a copy of my children’s book, “No Fear For Freedom: The Story of the Friendship 9” for his family. His wife, Debbie Allen has relatives from Chester, S.C.     SO, it has been a busy and crazy and long and FANTASTIC week-end so- far. God is doing amazing things in my life and I am so grateful!!!

Have a great Sunday and a fantastic week!

-Kim

Escape the DRAMA!!

Thank you for checking our this week's Weekly Wind-Down brought to you by Simply Creative Works!

In this short post, you'll read from the Founder of Simply Creative Works, Kimberly P. Johnson.

Johnson reminds us how we can Escape the DRAMA!

"Drama is one of those things we have some control over. We can absolutely decide how much of it we will accept. The actions we make can help determine the direction of our day. 

We say we hate drama, that we’re tired of drama that we NEED less drama – yet, we sit back and watch it creep into our lives and literally ruin our day. From a negative comment to a bad attitude, we often hand over the power of our day to someone else!! 

Would you hand your car keys to someone who was blindfolded? Of course not, so why are we going to hand our day over to someone who doesn’t even know or understand our lives? This weekend, decide to get back into the driver’s seat! Remind yourself that though you may not be able to control everything around you, you can control how you react to those things. You need to REALLY strive to let each day be Drama Free."

How do you take steps to reduce stress and live drama-free? Comment below or share your tips on our Facebook page!

That's all for this week's Weekly Wind-Down. Join us again next time!

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