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Letters from Students with a Dream
Below here Added 4/3/2009 If we didn’t
have our class hayride for Halloween and if Christin Garcia had not
of brought some of the Indian pictures then this project would have
never started. Because of this project, I now know how important it
is to many people in Ballinger as well as me and my classmates. It
makes me want to bring him back very much. I will do anything that I
am asked to do to see our dream really happen. I want this to happen
more than anything. I sure hope we get that Indian. I would be the happiest person in the world. To think that someone would take the first one down. Lots of people loved that Indian. They told him secrets and they played around him. EVERYBODY loved him. Children loved him. Ballinger loved him. I wasn’t around when he was, but from the stories I have heard, I know everybody loved that Indian. I sure hope we get another friend. Sincerely, Andy Roberts I like the Indian statue really Bad and want to put
it in the park with our names on the plaques. Mrs. Carter is the
best teacher ever because she knows about the Indian statue because
people told her about it. She asked us if we knew and some did and
some didn’t. I’m helping to bring a friend back to our lives and
the experience we have had is great. Several thoughtful people have
given us money and we will have fundraisers to get the Indian. We
want to have fundraisers because then people can get the idea that
we do care what we’re doing for the Indian.. We started thinking about the idea of getting the
Indian when we were reading a book called The Island of the Blue
Dolphins. At first we had no idea what Mrs. Carter was talking about
then eventually we caught on. The first few weeks the basic idea was
to try to get some basic information on the Indian. Our teacher
started thinking that if we found the Indian that we can put it back
on top of the hill. That idea was going really well until we found
out that the Indian we had was destroyed. Then our teacher and my
classmates talked about the idea of getting a new Indian statue. So
then we got information on how big the Indian statue was and stuff
like that. Below Here Added 4/2/2009
I think it’s AWESOME that we’re doing this project and hope that
everybody in Ballinger stays with us all the way till we get to the
top of the HILL!!!! When our teacher announced that we finally got
our approval for the Indian project everybody was so excited and was
ready to start working for donations. It was a great experience to
watch people’s faces and reactions when they heard we were going to
get an Indian.
I feel lucky to be a part of this project. I know we are the heart
and soul of this project and Mrs. Carter is the Brain of the
project. I wish I could thank her enough for this chance and hope of
a better town. If there is any one thing that I could take from this
I could not choose one thing. It would have to be all of it. I know
not every person who will look over this will care, but for those
who do care, thank you. I’m sorry you had to read that some people
might not care, but it might be true.
My thoughts on our project are at first, I didn’t think that we
would ever get this far! I still cannot believe how far we have
gotten. I hope that everyone in Ballinger respects and cares for the
Indian. I feel so lucky to be apart of this project. I just feel so
honored to be able to say that I was apart of this. It is
unbelievable how much we have accomplished.
I am Jared Heitman and almost 2 years ago, I moved to this little,
puny town all the way from Midland. Sometimes, I think that Midland
has been a good place to live 10 years of my life, but most of the
time, I think it’s been a load of garbage! In Midland, we never had
something like this. The Indian statue is something nobody in
Midland would have cared about. You would just throw the flyer away
if you got one. Yet, here, people care and for some reason I seem to
care too.
We students have been working on a project that some of you might
know of. It is the Indian project. At first, I didn’t think that we
would get this far but now, I know anything is possible. If everyone
helps by giving a donation, we can bring back our friend. It could
bring back a lot of old memories to many people in our town.
The Indian project is one of the coolest ideas Mrs. Carter has asked
us to think about. I didn’t even know there was an Indian in the
park. I wonder what it was like standing next to a friend. I can’t
wait until I get to see our new Indian. I know we are going to get
him because we’ve raised a ton of money in just a month. Just think
how much we could raise in a year. Below Here Added 3/31/2009
I am loving this Indian project. It gives me something to do not
only in school, but also, a project outside of school. This is a
project that not only teaches us responsibility for belongings, but
it also allows the teaching of responsibility to the younger
students who, when this project is completed, will feel like this
Indian is a part of their life as well. Also, they will learn to
show respect for the Indian, unlike those from long ago who
destroyed the first one.
I have a question for you. What separates our town from some any
other? Sure our town had some famous people, but other towns do too.
I think that with the Indian standing in the OUR park it makes OUR
town unique. It puts friendship and kindness in our little town, and
no other town has something that special. I think that the Indian
makes you see the good things in life even though there are tough
times all around you.
I think that this project is good. We could get the Indian back and
make everyone happy. We could also learn more about the indians that
lived here in Ballinger. We could also get a grant from an agency to
help us pay some of the cost. I think it is a good idea for the
community.
I think our project to put the Indian chief back in the park is a
good idea because it has brought much excitement to Ballinger .
Everybody loved the old statue as we have learned from the stories
we have been told. Most everyone has been very supportive of our
dream and not told us that we couldn't do it and that means a lot to
us as kids . I guess it’s because everybody trusts us and knows that
we can get it done .
The Indian is a very special thing to me and my classmates. I think
that it will be a great ending of having a Indian back in the park.
The Indian may not be something to maybe some of you reading this,
but it’s something to me. I think that it will be great to come back
twenty years from now, and it still be there. I don’t think someone
will steal it, I think it will mean so much to children and also
adults that it will be safe. The Indian will be an inspiration to
others that will be coming up to the sixth grade. The Indian is
probably one of the best projects that I have done. ------Rachel
Gibbs
I think that the Indian ( Friend) would be a very good contribution
to our community. I also think that this piece of history being
brought back to the Ballinger City park would create a sense of
pride and importance coming from the students of Ballinger Jr. High.
The Indian has been there before, and I know that many remember it.
I don’t see any reason to question why it should not stand tall and
proud once again. I hope that that everyone will come to the
conclusion that the Indian should most definitely come back to rest
upon the hill. -----Ben Holden
My name is Chelsea Toliver and I think this is the most important
and exciting project I have ever done. My favorite part of this so
far has been making a model out of clay of the Indian, but it fell
to pieces. I just hope we will be getting the real Indian. My
classmates and I have been doing everything we can to get the Indian
back at the park. Some things have not worked out, but we still have
a lot of hope and keep trying. Mrs. Carter has helped us so much. We
would never had gotten this far without her. I think it would be
great to bring it back because it would bring back memories for some
people.
I never knew that I would have so much fun in junior high doing all
the projects. The biggest one we have done is the Indian. I never
knew there was an Indian at Ballinger Park until we first learned
about the project and how we are going to try to restore it. The
first thing I heard was everybody going crazy talking about what
they were going to do to restore it or how cool it would to find who
stole the old Indian and maybe bring it back from where it was
hidden.
Hi, I am Shelby Fournier and I am glad to be a part in this project.
It has been very fun and I hope we get the statue put back in the
park. I would like to go to the park and see the Indian one day
standing up on Indian Hill. I hope that with everyone that donates
money we will have enough money to get a new one. I hope that we can
get the Indian soon because he is so cool.
I really think that this is the best project I have ever done. I
love this project so much, that my heart will break if we don’t get
to have a new “Friend”. I will be willing to do anything for this
Indian... well not anything, but I will do certain things.
I never seen or touched the Indian, nor has my family. I think the
Indian gives people someone outside of their family to talk to about
things and because of the Class of 2015, we will be returning the
Indian. I am honored to be a part of the Class of 2015 .
I think that the Indian is a nice project to do. It is an
educational project. We have had a person say it’s not, but I would
like to disagree with their statement. I personally think that we
can pull this together. We do need some help. We are asking the
community for support, but are not relying totally on them for all
of our money. This project is, however, something for our entire
community to participate in and enjoy!
My name is Logan Tounget, and this project has been the most
exciting project I have ever done. Even though some things in this
project haven’t worked very well, everyone has still had fun. I am
so excited about getting a new Indian that I am doing every thing
that I can to get it going faster. My classmates and I have all been
working really hard to accomplish every thing that we wanted to, so
that we can bring back a little piece of Ballinger that was lost.
When we first got started, to tell you the truth, I thought I was
going to be uninterested, but I was wrong. I am very pleased with
what has taken place in the past few months. We have gone very far
and are still going and we won’t stop until we succeed. If you think
we are crazy, then you are entitled to your opinion.
When I first heard about the Indian, I was shocked. I never knew
that there was an Indian on Indian hill. I was wondering whose feet
those were on Indian hill, though! I saw pictures and thought they
were from somewhere else, but never knew they were from here until I
saw the pictures and Mrs. Carter told us there was an Indian at the
park. The Indian brought happiness to everyone in Ballinger, but why
would they tear it down? It’s just not right. The new Indian we’re
getting is not going to get torn down. We have a plan to make sure
he stays where he stands.
I am Julie Fischer and these are my thoughts about the Indian
project. I think that this is best project anyone has ever thought
of. I’m glad to be a part of this project. I think we can get really
far from this project. I hope we get to get another Indian so we can
experience it.
I have been excited about our Indian project from the beginning. It
has been a fun learning experience from the day we started until
this very day. I love working on school projects, but I would have
to say this one is my favorite because it is actually having to do
with our home town. I always knew there was the Indian Hill in the
Ballinger City Park, but I never knew that there was an 11 ft.
Indian statue that used to stand up there. So, that was the first
thing that got me really interested. In the beginning we were just
going to research it, but eventually we found more and more. We were
so excited at that point that we wanted to take the project to
another step. So, we decided to try and get a new one. We knew how
much this meant to the community and we certainly knew how much it
had already sparked our hearts. We are now in the process of getting
a new one!!! We are now accepting ALL donations. We are NOT going to
stop until we complete our mission. Sarah Wright Class of 2015
My name is Abby Ocker and this has been the best project I have ever
done. Everybody has had a wonderful time working on this project.
Mrs. Carter has done so much to help us, and she has been doing a
great job. This has been the best experience I have ever had. Once
we get our Indian up, I think everyone will appreciate it because it
used to be up a few years ago, and now everybody knows how much it
meant to our grandparents.
I am very excited about getting a new Indian. I am also very happy
that we can restore the Indian back at the park. I have learned a
lot about Ballinger’s history from this project, and I am glad that
the Indian Project has influenced other towns to learn about their
community as well.
Even though I have only lived in Ballinger for four years, my whole
family lives here. When I would come and visit when I was younger,
my grandpa told me stories about the old Indian that used to be on
the hill in the park. So, when my Reading teacher asked our class if
we would like to start a project about the Indian, I was pretty
excited. I really think it would be cool to bring a Friend back to
Indian hill because people made memories there, and other people
should be able to in the future. When people say the whole idea is
dumb and it’s just going to get stolen again, I think that their
lack of trust in us and our dream is the reason that people don’t
get their dreams. They ask no one to help them and are simply afraid
to try and reach their dream. Unlike us, we are not going to be
afraid of things and are going to get our dream.----Sydney Brevard Below Here Added 3/27/2009
I think that the project we are doing is very cool, but probably not
only for the reasons you think. One of my main reasons is how many
people sent pictures emails and letters saying how they used to go
to birthday parties down there and get their picture taken. One
couple even had one taken on their wedding day by the statue.
I think that the Indian project will be FANTASTIC to complete! I
really want this project to be completed successfully. I know we
WILL reach our dream! When we get the Indian statue back in the
park, it will be an honor to be able to see the Indian with our own
eyes and stand in front of him. I will do anything in my power to
get this Indian in the park for my children and grandchildren to
see. I know how hard my classmates and myself have worked and don’t
want to see it all for nothing.
I really feel that this project is a great thing to do and I hope
that Mrs. Carter does something like this for the kids next year.
When we first started, I never thought we would get this far! The
doors keep opening and we keep taking the roads to success. I am
very proud of us all because we have, as of today, reached $2,619.00
towards our goal! We all have our times of not knowing what to do
next, but we pull through and I hope that we can, at last, get the
Indian in the park.
I think that this project is going good so far. All we need to do
now is raise the money. Mrs. Carter and many of my classmates went
to the Rotary Pancake Supper Thursday night and were able to raise
$741 for our Indian.
My name is Jessica Good and I have to say that this is the most
exciting project I have ever had. I think it is so cool because a
halloween hayride started all of this. Then, the very next day, one
of my best friends brings in a little pile of papers with pictures,
articles, and stories and we learned so much of our own town’s
history. I have been so excited I just want to know more and more
each day when I come to first period. When we go asking for
donations and the people ask, “what for?”, we say for the class of
2015’s Indian. The person I am asking is just so happy to give us
donations. If you were to go back and see where we started to where
we are now, you would be so surprised. I don’t think we would’ve
made it this far if we didn’t have the help of our teacher, Mrs.
Carter.
I think the Indian project is something that we should be proud of
and so should the town. We have a plan that will insure that
everyone in Ballinger will respect the Indian when we put him in the
park and not want to destroy it again. This is probably the biggest
project ever attempted in Ballinger with this many kids and we are
so close to completing it. This is the most amazing project that I
have ever been included in. I know that we will keep going and one
day soon have the Indian back in the park. |