Dear Younger Me

Dear Younger Me,

You don't know it yet but things are about to change. BIG TIME. Don't get too comfortable where you are. Be prepared for change and try and accept it. No matter what life throws at you keep to your school work and don't let it fall behind.

Writing Center

This semester I went to the writing center once. It was towards the end of the year for my literary analysis revision. I really wish that I had gone sooner though. Gabrielle was helping me with my revision; she helped me develop a better understanding of how to make strong transitions. I also revised my conclusion paragraph.

Reading and Working:
LOTF- 2 1/2 hours

Reading Log

LOTF: 1 hour 45 minutes (Journal and reading and annotating)

Free post

New Phone:

For the past couple of weeks I have been saving my allowance so I could get the I phone 5s. I had been dropping and cracking my old phone a lot lately. I used to think that it was unbreakable; that thing had been through think and thin. Until one day I dropped it maybe 4 inches and it completely shattered the back of the phone. Stubborn me still refused to put a case on it, the next day i cracked the front of the phone. That next weekend I finally had enough money to get a new phone! I was so excited! I love it! I have a life proof on it this time tho. Hopefully I don't break it. Fingers crossed!

Create your own prompt!

Prompt- Write about the most important lesson or hardship that you have gone through. Try to think of something more than "don't lie", "don't cheat", or "don't steal". Take a few minutes to think about it, then start writing. 

Recently I have learned a that you can't let people manipulate you; weather they are family or friends. Being manipulated is a form of abuse, its called verbal abuse. People try and make you feel badly about yourself and make you think that whatever is going on in their lives is your fault.

An important thing to know is that whatever it is that they are going through is not your fault at all. Sometimes people try to manipulate you to say "yes" or "no". My step mom has been e mailing me like crazy with websites that teach you how to say "no". At first I was annoyed because I thought that I did know how to say "no". Saying "no" and sticking with your answer are two different things entirely. I personally need to work on both aspects of this.

Reading Log

Reading and annotating: 45 minutes
Studying for WW:15 minutes
Editing Short Story: 45 minutes
Literary Analysis: 20 minutes

Free Post

Today was my last cross country meet for the season. I wish that it wasn't over. I like running and I like being a part of a team; I mean who doesn't? I think that everyone should be apart of a team because it allows you to make friends in other grades.

Another perk of playing a sport and being on a team is that you get physical excersize. In health class we learned that you should get at least 60 minutes of excursive on most days. I don't think that anybody at Episcopal should find this too difficult because we have so many opportunities to participate in extra curricular activities.

Reading Log and Response

The activity that we did in class was actually really fun! I didn't catch on until at least half of the class had passed that we were doing exactly what the boys in Lord of the Flies did. At first we had quite a bit of trouble trying to figure put what we would do. We finally decided to put David in charge. It was quite chaotic and hectic.

We ended up using the white board to write down our plan of action. We didn’t really take into account that first graders were going to be with us. We made an entire plan and then had to change it because of them. If this excursive was a reality I don't know what we would do.

In class:
- LOTF: 1 hour and 20 minutes
- Literary Analysis: 2 hours

Reading Log

In class:
literary Analysis- 1 1/2hour
Peer Mark- 30 minutes

FREE POST!

During the past couple of weeks I have been especially stressed. My grades are not where I want them to be. I have so many C's and D's. Hopefully I can bring them up before the quarter is over or before my parents see the grade. Homecoming has also been stressful. I have had to order all of the costume stuff and I had to next day deliver it.

After-school activities are also a big factor. I have something to do every day after school. I am up until 10 every night just doing homework. I don't even get to relax on the weekends because I have a Cross Country meet every Saturday and I have to wake up early to go to that. Hopefully second semester won't be so stressful.

Reading Log

Class work-
3 short stories: 1 hour

Reading-
1 hour

Reading Response:
I am so glad that we get to choose three short stories on our own instead of Dr. D giving us one that we have to do. I think that I am going to do my literary analysis on "A Dead Woman's Secret". I really liked the plot twist in that one.

I also read The Sniper and Sucker. I know that a lot of people have done their analysis on those two short stories. I only read them because people said that they were good and that I should read them. I thought that they were good as well. I liked Sucker a lot; I thought that the way the story showed character was especially well done.

Reading Log/personal questions

Annotating The Return- 30 minutes
Studying for short story test- 1 hour 30 minutes
Reading- 35 minutes

Personal Question- What made me want to read about this book?

Reading Log

Class work:
Short Stories- 1 hour 20 minutes


Reading:
1 hour 30 minutes

Plot for Short Story

Short Stories

It's amazing at how much we can cover in our class in just those few short weeks. I actually love the short story unit. I think that once we get through the not so fun part it will be even more exciting. Writing our own short story is going to be so cool. I have noticed that we do a lot of writing in this class and I like that.

My favorite short story that we have read so far is Harrison Bergeron. It is so creepy to read about a society that lives like the way they did in the story. I don't know what I would do if I had to live that way. It's so intriguing the way they describe Harrison's parents and how they just forget that their own son was KILLED! It's crazy!

Reading Log-
In Class
A&P- 25 Minutes
A very Old Man with Enormous Wings- 15 minutes
Dry September- 45 Minutes
Reading:
Right Of Way- 30 Minutes

Right before I fall Asleep

It's about midnight right now and I know I should be asleep by now but I just can't fall asleep. I know I shouldn't still be thinking about it, I know i did the right thing, right? I'm just not even sure anymore. I know my dad told me that doing this is the right thing to do; I know that somewhere deep down inside, but I just can't bring that feeling to the surface.

I couldn't stay in that environment anymore; nobody talks about it nor do they want to talk about it. Everybody just walks on eggshells around her. It's not fair. I want to be free and I want to be able to express what I am feeling about the situation, but I can't seem to find the right words. It's hard knowing that she has this problem and knowing that I can't do anything to help her through it.

I guess I could have handled it better but it was like I was in a game of tug of war except instead of a rope they used me. I finally just had to give up and go where I felt the safest. My whole world is about to go to hell because of what I did. I just have to keep thinking about what my dad told me "When you make some of the most important decisions in your life half of the people are going to agree with you and half of them aren't". I just hope I don't loose the people closest to me, because of what I did.

Reading Response- Short Stories

For this past week inside and outside of class we have been reading and working on our short stories. Mrs. deGraville has assigned specific short stories for us to read and annotate. She asked that annotate looking for character descriptions. By annotating these short stories it shows us how we are going to have to describe and sneak in hints about our character in the short story that we are going to write.

I am excited about writing my short story. I have a great idea for a plot and my character is going to have many exciting qualities. My short story is going to be set in high school. I am going to use some of the struggles that I have been through in my short story. I think that this assignment is going to be fun and exciting.

I spent a total of 130 minutes reading and annotating short stories.

E-Book Concerns

I think that it's really exciting that we are making our own class e book. I don't think that i've heard any other school doing this. It's also a little nerve wrecking because you don't want your Literacy Narrative to be bad. I think that I could use another round of proof reading done by my class mates or by Dr.D.

I think it will be exciting to be able to read other people's Literacy Narratives. I was reading some of my class mates papers and they seemed really good, one of them even made my eyes tear up. I know that I'm not the best writer out there but I feel that I did the best that I could.

Reading Response- 5 Natural Solutions To Ease Cold Symptoms

Kaylin's blog is so amazing. She has the best blogs that help people with their everyday needs. I have head the worst cold for the past three weeks. I have taken any and every allergy medicine you could imagine and none have worked. It's really difficult when I have to got o school and blow my nose in the middle of class. It's so embarrassing because everybody stares at me like I have three heads.

Kaylin's blog post about how to ease the common cold has really helped. I sleep with my head propped up and it helps tremendously. I also take hot steamy showers which helps the congestion problems. Putting a hot rag over my nose also helps with congestion. I haven't gargled salt yet though. I bet that doesn't taste good. I think I might have to try it tonight because every other solution has helped so far. Thanks Kaylin!

Reading Log:
-Class Time-
Studying for quiz 15 min
Literacy Narrative- 1 hour 45 min
Literacy Reflection- 20 min

Dialogue- Cane's

Cashier "Chicken, Chicken what combo you pickin'"

Dad "I'll take a 3 finger with a root beer and an extra lemonade please"

Cahier "all right i got ya down for a 3 finger with a root beer and an extra lemonade. Will that be all for you sir?

Dad "Yes thank you very much."

Cashier " Allright that will be 14.20. please drive up to the second window"



Cashier "your total is 14.20"

Dad (gives her the money)

Cashier "Here's your order! please come again! (with much enthusiasm)

Dad "Thank you! and will do!" (as he drives off)

Literacy Narrative

I am super excited about my literacy narrative! I am writing about persuasive letters. I have had to write persuasive letters for just about anything that I have wanted that I wasn't going to pay for by myself. I always thought that my parents were just being unfair in making me write all those letters, but now i ma kind of developing an understanding as to why they make me write all of them.

I am having a lot of trouble with the vivid detail portion of this assignment. I keep doubting my self about the detail i put in so I delete it. I think that it would be helpful to go to the writing center and ask them for some help.

Reading Log- Week 4

Class Work:
Literacy Narrative- 90 minutes

Reading:
Divergent- 35 minutes
TOTAL: 125 minutes

Divergent- Don't judge a book by it's cover

I don't know how many of my classmates like science fiction, but I can tell you I don't particularly like it. When I saw the cover for Divergent my first thought was "Oh no, another science fiction book. Great it's gonna take me forever to finish it because it's going to be awful." I was completely wrong! I finished that book in less than a week! It was so detailed and intriguing. I had no idea that Sci-Fi could be so interesting.

Every body judges; it's no secret that the world doesn't know, you know it, I know it, every one knows it. My story with Divergent is just another example of how we can be wrong about something. Now, I'm not saying that we shouldn't judge some things. Like if you see a piece of bread and it has green spots on it, I would not eat it. Make the good kind of judgements, not the wrong kind of judgements about people, places, and things.

Reading Log- Week 3

Class Work:
Vocab Cards- 30 min
Norton- 45 min
Commenting- 20 min
Total- 95 min

Insurgent:
8/26 − 10 min 8/28- 20 min 9/1-30 min 9/2- 20 min
Total- 70 min Pg. 201-283


TOTAL- 165 min

Reading Response- Insurgent

As of this week I am still Insurgent. I plan to be finished with this book fairly soon. I have just gotten to the part in the book where Tris finds out what "Insurgent" actually means. Insurgent means a person who acts in opposition to the established authority, who is not necessarily regarded belligerent. I think that this nick name for tris is perfect! She does go against the authority. She is even betraying the trust of Four.

Where I am in the book is right when they are about to storm into Erudite headquarters and they stop because they see all of Candor lined up in army form, ready to shoot. I didn't expect that at all! This book is so intense. I think that anyone who read Divergent should read the sequel. It's almost as good as the first one. In my post last week I talked about my personal question "Why do people disagree?" I still haven't gotten the answer from this book, but I think I am close. Hopefully next post I will find the answer! Fingers cross!

A Scene From My Life

A couple of weeks ago my step sister,Mary Lynn(ML) and her third and final child. My step mom and I had been on edge on the days leading up to the "big day". Every time ML would call we would answer the phone immediately asking "Are you having the baby?!" She would always say "No". She kept telling us not to worry, but of course we worried because the last baby she had she just barely made it to the hospital! She had to have a natural birth.

When she finally did have the baby, of course we weren't expecting it; I was getting dressed just as usual and so was my step mom. My step mom was out the door as soon as she got the call! My dad and I stayed home and waited to go visit a little later, after all the screaming and waiting for the baby was over. They baby's name is Wesley and he weighed 9.2 pounds.

Reading Response- Insurgent

Over the course of this past week I have been reading Insurgent, the sequel to Divergent. I am hooked on this book! I have read nearly the whole thing in just 2 short weeks. I can't put the book down, it's so interesting. I don't even pay attention to the chapters anymore, they all just end up melding together and by the time I'm finished reading I go "whoa I read all of that?!" I can't wait until the third book of the trilogy comes out.

Why do people disagree? That is my personal question I am trying to answer with this series. Divergent and Insurgent are based on this huge conflict between the factions. I don't know exactly what for, yet. I am excited to find out; and let you know what happens.

Reading Log- Week 2

Insurgent:
8/19- 15 min. 8/21- 30 min 8/22-20 min 8/25- 30 min
Total-95 Minutes Pg. 121-200

Class Work:
Book Chat- 20 Minutes
WordlyWise- 30 minutes
Total: 50 Minutes

TOTAL: 145 Minutes

Reading Log- Week 1

Insurgent, Veronica Roth
8/15- 30 min., 8/16- 45min., 8/17- 30min., 8/18- 20 min.
Total- 125 min., Pg. 1-120

English 2013-2014

Throughout middle school I wasn't the best at English; I barely got by. I'm not a very good writer as you can probably tell, but over the curse of this year i hope that I can get better. I'm very excited to be able to use The Writing Center. Last year in Mrs. DaQuanno's class we went there so they could help us with a  paper we were writing. I hadn't even started my paper and they were so helpful.

So far in Mrs. DeGravilles's class I have done surprisingly well. I think that she is very helpful and that I am gong to excel in her class. I have heard that her class is hard and that she assigns a lot of homework. I don't really have a problem with that as long as the work that she assigns has a purpose and she isn't just giving us homework to give it to us.

Reading Response- Divergent

            I really enjoyed Divergent. What I liked most about Divergent was that it is like the hunger games, but it had more detail and more drama. A lot of people are saying that Divergent is going to be the next Hunger Games. I don't disagree with that, but i think that Divergent has a lot more details and a better plot. I enjoyed reading Divergent because it's one of those books that you can't put down. In Divergent it was easy to read the book and play a movie in your head of what you think that the movie would look like. Divergent, the movie, is coming out in March 2014. I can't way to go see it. I think that we are going to take a class trip to go see it. That will be exciting.

             I wonder if the writer of Divergent got her ideas from the Hunger Games. Divergent and The Hunger Games are very similar in concepts. In Divergent there are "factions" and in The Hunger Games there are "districts". In Divergent there is a war that is started at the end of book one. In The Hunger Games there isn't necessarily a war but there is "The Hunger Games", where kids fight to the death in an arena. In Divergent the Erudite remind me of 'the capital" in The Hunger Games. The Erudite are kind of like the head faction, they develop conflict and they invent most of the things that people use in their lives. The capital is at the head of the districts. They run all of the districts and they have manpower. They can get and do anything they want. In my opinion I think that Divergent is going to be a better movie.