Newt Night
1Every spring, on warm and rainy nights, newts in the town of Birchwood leave the forest. They crawl across Mill Road to reach the pond where they lay their eggs. This year, Kai and his dad joined other neighbors to help. Wearing bright vests, they gently carried the newts across the road in buckets.
2That same night, Kai wrote a quick journal entry before bed. It took only ten minutes. "I held a newt tonight! Its skin was cool and damp, and its tiny feet tickled my hand."
3The next day, Kai made a sign for Mill Road. It said, "Slow down! Newts are crossing on rainy nights." He used big letters so drivers could read it quickly.
4On Monday, Kai wrote a thank-you note to Ms. Petrova, who leads the newt helpers. "Thank you for showing us how to hold the newts safely," he wrote.
5Then Kai started his biggest piece. For two weeks, he worked on an article for the Birchwood school newsletter. He took notes, wrote a draft, and fixed his mistakes. His article explained why newts cross the road and how families can help them.