Table of Contents

Narrative Fiction....................................................3

Expository Essay...................................................14

Poetry....................................................................21

From the Diary of Marielle

Narrative Fiction

Dear Diary,

This morning, while I was home alone (as usual), there was a knock on the door. I opened the door timidly, and a woman in a perfectly tailored pantsuit stood before me. She told me her name was Ms. Brooks, and that she was a social worker. Ms. Brooks asked where my mom was - I told her I didn't know, that I hadn't seen her since yesterday afternoon. She then proceeded to ask me what I had eaten for breakfast; I didn't eat anything, our refrigerator has been empty for three days. Ms. Brooks scribbled a few words on a notepad. "Why aren't you at school?" she asked. "How am I supposed to get there?" I retorted. I have no idea where my mom is, I'm not old enough to drive, and my school is too far away to walk to. Ms. Brooks asked me for my mom's phone number. I gave it to her, and assured her it would go straight to voicemail. My mom never answers her phone. Twenty minutes later, Ms. Brooks gave up on trying to contact my mom. My memory of what happened in the

next few hours is pretty fuzzy. All I know is that I'm being given a new family - a foster family. I'm actually writing this as we're driving to my new home. Ms. Brooks keeps trying to make small talk, but I'm only giving her one-word answers. Honestly, I'm just trying to fight the burning sensation behind my eyes. Every now and then, I catch a tear with my index finger before it rolls too far down my cheek. We're pulling into a driveway now, so I have to go. I'm sure I'll be writing again soon.

-Marielle

Dear Diary,

My foster parents' names are Doug and Eydie. They seem pretty nice - they said I have my own bedroom! Doug and Eydie have a six-year-old daughter named Claire, whose bedroom is right next to mine. Claire's a little weird...she's obsessed with horses. Doug and Eydie gave me this new shampoo I'm supposed to use. They said it would help the itchiness on my head. My head is itchy because, apparently, I have lice. The doctor said it's easy to treat, as long as I use the shampoo until the lice are gone. I want to get rid of the lice, but I can't stand the shampoo. It smells funny, like a doctor's office. But it was nice to take a warm shower though. I haven't had one of those in forever! Now I'm sitting on my bed - it's so big! And the comforter is purple...my favorite! Eydie and Doug are coming to say goodnight soon. I have to get up early tomorrow because I have to be at school on time, so I should probably bow out now. Sweet dreams!

-Marielle

Dear Diary,

After school I met Miss Elizabeth. Miss Elizabeth tells me she is a CASA volunteer, or a Guardian Ad Litem. She says her job is to be my friend and make sure I'm doing okay. Miss Elizabeth also told me CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, and that it's a national organization with volunteers like her all over the country. She came to my foster home and shook Doug and Eydie's hands. Then Doug, Eydie, and I showed her around the house, and I showed her my room. After that, we sat down at the kitchen table, and Miss Elizabeth told me she met my fifth grade teacher and the school principal...apparently, Mrs. McDowell, my teacher, said I was doing better in school! Miss Elizabeth said that my teacher was proud that I've been raising my hand and talking during discussion. So that's cool. Miss Elizabeth asked me about my head itches and if I had been using my shampoo. I told her I was, but that I hated the smell. She laughed and said I only had to use it two more times! We talked with Doug

and Eydie for a little while longer, and then Miss Elizabeth took me to the park down the street from the house. We sat on the swings and she asked me about my real mom. She asked if I missed her, and she told me I would be able to see her very soon. I'm kind of nervous to see my mom - is that bad? I'm afraid she'll be mad at me...I have to go to sleep now. Eydie and Doug are taking me to the beach to see the sunrise tomorrow morning!

-Marielle

Dear Diary,

I saw my mom today. It was weird because I haven't seen her in a while. Not that I saw her that much when I lived with her, but I knew I'd see her eventually. Now I'm not sure when I'll see her next. When we met up, we were at this place called a visitation center, and we only got to see each other for an hour. Miss Elizabeth and Ms. Brooks were there the whole time, but they were sitting at a different table, glancing over at us occasionally. I didn't know what to say to my mom, so she did most of the talking. She said she's been going to her "meetings," but I don't really know what that means. She said she's going to get better, for me. I love my mom, but if I'm being honest, I don't really know her. We've never spent much time together; she was never home. When she was home, she was sleeping. I took care of myself. I think that's why I didn't know what to say to her...I don't know her. But I want to know her. Our hour went by way too fast. Before I knew it, I was back in Miss

Elizabeth's car, driving home. My mind was racing. So many thoughts were running through my head. What's really wrong with my mom? Will I ever live with her again? Or will Doug and Eydie officially become my new parents? It's exhausting to think about, so I'm going to go to bed.

-Marielle

Dear Diary,

Today, I tried ballet. Miss Elizabeth told me she used to do ballet, and that she thought I might like it. She sat outside the classroom and watched through the big window. I learned so many dance moves in one hour! Ballet steps have French names, like plie, tendu, and grande jete. I didn't think I would like ballet at all - the music doesn't have any words, and everything seemed so slow. But I like it. I really, really liked it. Standing at the barre with my head held high made me feel graceful, powerful even. Dancing made me forget about school, my mom, everything. I was just dancing to the music. After class, Miss Elizabeth talked to my ballet teacher. I'm not sure what she said, but my teacher said she couldn't wait to see me in class next week. I'm so happy I get to go back next week!

-Marielle

Dear Diary,

Miss Elizabeth is taking my mom and I out to lunch later today. We're going to Chick-Fil-A. I'm excited because I get to show my mom my report card! I got A's in three of my class...that's the most A's I've ever gotten on one report card! Miss Elizabeth said she was very proud of me. So proud she's going t buy me ice cream after lunch. I'm also going to invite my mom to my dance recital. It's next month, and I just got my costume - it's a white tutu and matching leotard! My class is doing a variation on the Swan Lake choreography. I think my mom will enjoy watching me. I talk to her on the phone sometimes, and she says she's doing a lot better because of her meetings. Miss Elizabeth says that after our visit today, my mom and I will be able to get together on our own whenever we want. I'm excited about that because I feel like I've gotten to know my mom better. Now we have a lot to talk about!

-Marielle

Dear Diary,

I just got home from my first dance recital, and I want to relive this day over and over again. Everyone I care about was there to watch me - Miss Elizabeth, Doug and Eydie, Claire, my mom, and even my friend Zoe from school! Doug and Eydie brought me flowers and they took lots of pictures of me in my tutu. My dance teacher told me I had a great first performance, and that she is looking forward to seeing me move into the level two class soon! I can't wait to start middle school AND ballet level two - although that is a little scary. But Miss Elizabeth told me not to worry...she'll always be looking out for me!

-Marielle

All About CASA

Expository Non-Fiction

CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. But what exactly does that mean? For starters, a CASA, also called a Guardian ad Litem, or GAL, is a trained volunteer who advocates for foster children while their court case is active. According to KALW Public Radio’s Truc Nguyen, “While a foster youth may have several adults working on their case – caregivers, social workers, lawyers – a CASA is there to thread together the details” (2016). A Guardian’s main job is to build a relationship with their child and make recommendations, in the form of a report to be given to the judge, with the child’s best interest in mind. This process continues until a decision is made about where the child is to continue to be raised. However, many GAL volunteers do not just “disappear” when a case is closed – it is not uncommon for these volunteers to maintain contact with and continue to mentor children they have worked with, as is the case with Nick Sullivan and his CASA, Chris Unruh.       

KALW Public Radio ran a podcast covering Nick and Chris’s story. Nick, who has been in the foster system since age six, has fairly recently “aged out” of the system, meaning he is now 18 years old and can legally take care of himself. He met Chris in 2010 while he was living at a Saint Vincent group home for boys in San Francisco. Chris, who had had multiple experiences as a trained GAL, found out from Nick’s therapist that he was a movie fanatic, and the two clicked instantly. Chris helped ensure that Nick graduated from high school, and Nick says, “She always listened.” Although Chris is no longer technically Nick’s CASA, they still remain in contact and get together once a month (Nguyen, 2016).      

The typical process of a child getting to the point where a CASA volunteer is necessary is long and complicated. Paige Todd, a Guardian ad Litem in the Eighth Judicial Circuit, says that usually, an anonymous tip is called in to a hotline. Then, law officials investigate and decide whether they need to remove the child. If        

removal is necessary, the child is placed in emergency foster care and, depending on the situation, medical check ups may be in order. When the caseworkers find a more permanent foster care placement, the first court hearing is scheduled and a case plan is established. Said case plan details what needs to happen in order for the child to return to his or her parents, and usually takes about a year to complete (Todd, 2016). In the meantime, the CASA volunteer is responsible for visiting the child at least once a month, collecting information about the circumstances through interviews, observations, and document reviews, making recommendations and providing reports to the court, ensuring court orders are followed, and monitoring the child’s well-being as well as the family progress (Florida Guardian ad Litem Program: Eighth Judicial Circuit, 2016). 

Upon each visit with the child, a GAL has to complete a Child Visitation Report Form; this form is used as a reference for the court report. The CASA