Veterans Day Poem

       
"The Rows"

Cars lined up in three rows
This road has felt our car's weight for hours
Beeping and yelling arise from the sea of vehicles
I sit bored, staring out into the squabble

A old man of 60 walks along the rows
His long beard black and white
The baggy clothes fit loosely around his thin body
The baseball hat he wears shows the words "Vietnam"

A creased piece of cardboard is held up with his frail arms
It reads "Homeless Veteran. Please help"
The eyes of this man show pain and sorrow
His body shows guns and missiles

Loose change fills the mcDonalds up
The pennies and dimes that people don't care about
Are his only source of income.
He relies on the few cents that you get back at the store

Soon
He approaches our car

I can feel the plead he shows with his eyes
I can feel the pity that I myself encounter
I can feel pain in which many like himself have felt
I can feel the homesickness that haunted his mind

Thousands just like him
Roamed around the city

First Quarter Reflection Blog

        This quarter I have learned how to work well with others. Unlike previous years, I do not know a lot of people in this class. Many of these people I have never talked to in my life, opposed to people I have known since kindergarten. Conversations weren't easy, until a few weeks ago. I have learned to find things in common with students who I normally wouldn't talk to. This has helped me because I have become more social with my classmates, which helps me get my work done faster.

       There are a few things that I would like to improve on with working with others. One of these things is being able to have small talk. This would help me because I could get closer with my classmates and then be able to work more effectively. Another thing that I would like to improve on is engaging in conversation with my peers more. Sometimes I don't talk to my partner about our work as much as I should. If I talk more then my work could have more than one opinion in it.

       During this past quarter I have learned many things about the world. I did this by listening to other peoples AOW's during the last few weeks. One thing that surprised me in an AOW, was that almost half of teachers in a study were racist. This showed me that just because a law was passed, doesn't mean that peoples minds are changed. It is very hard to persuade someone to think another way. Another thing that I learned was that more people are getting pregnant when they are older. This surprised me because some of these women are 50 years old. It makes me wonder if the mother or the  baby have a higher risk of injuries than younger women.

      These next few quarters I would like to learn more things about the world. To do this I hope to get more involved with the news. That means that I would be watching the news more and looking at articles that involve the entire world. Doing this could help me understand the direction the world is heading in and how I could help make it better. It would have all started by doing my AOW.

     

Montresor's Confession

Montresor Task

        Hello everyone. My name is Montresor. I am here to tell you all my story. You all in the court and the stands have made up a situation that might be close or different from mine. This is what really happened, this the truth.

        It all started 16 years ago. I was merely an adult, as was he. Words cannot describe the type of bond we had when we first met. It was Carnival and we stumbled upon each other in a drunken haze. Laughing, singing and shouting echoed throughout the streets and I had never been so happy. He was my other half and I was his. We went everywhere together and shared many secrets.

        We had the same secret. Both of us, now this is very hard to admit, we were...what do you call it? Um, we both were attracted to the same gender. I hear the gasps in your voices and see the astonishment in your eyes. My dear friends, this is what I wanted to keep a secret. This is why I killed my old friend Fortunato. You see we were together for quite some time, and I thought we would be together forever. He, on the other hand, didn't see it that way. His family had been suspicious for a very long time and caught on to our secret deed. They threatened to expose us and laugh in the punishment of our lives if we didn't stop.

         Fortunato had always been the type of person to want other peoples praise. The deal with his family was soon made right after they announced it. The day he told me of his plans to marry his future wife was a horrible one. He came to my house early in the morning with a determined look in his eyes. When I asked him if he wanted tea he agreed and we sat at the table. There was a long pause until he finally spoke. I must tell you, my audience, that I felt the worst anxiety and adrenaline I had every felt in those few minutes. I wanted him to tell me that he loved me and how nothing was going to stand in the way of us. I yearned for the simple words of  "I love you". Those words never came.

         Instead of those three syllables he said, "I am marrying Camilla."
     
         My heart sank with those words. I saw my future become black and with it, my heart. Even though my soul felt like it was breaking, my face showed understanding. He continued on saying how we would have never worked and that we were better off. I could not hold it in any longer. My lips released the words, "But I love you". Fortunato's  face became red and distorted. He slammed on the table with his mighty fist, spilling the tea.

        "How dare you say that! You mean nothing to me! Go and live your filthy ways!"
       
         Instead of just a black heart, it became cold and angry. I wanted nothing more than to kill him right there. In moments he had broken my heart and turned it resentful. I no longer felt sad. I felt like killing the man who had made me want to hurt myself. If I saw him with his future wife I would definitely kill myself. In that moment I realized that it was either my life or his.

        You people in the court probably have a lot of mixed emotions right now. But I am here to tell you that you shouldn't imprison a man for his personality. I am the type of person who wants to survive. I am a survivor. I simply couldn't survive if I ever saw Fortunato and Camilla together. So, everyone in the court, let me ask you this. Will you imprison a man for his lack of good character, or will you take pity on a man who got his heart broken by societies flaws?

        And with that statement I rest my case.



I commented on:
Sophie M blog
Melanie A's Blog
Kezia's Blog

   

Life Line Poem "Together"

"Together”


Muslims and Christians unite
Ethiopians and Eritreans hug
In this night
We are one

This should be daily
So we will not wear scars

He disliked me because I treated everyone like an
Angel
Not a monstrous black beetle
I focused on what we can give
Not what we can take

It means a measuring stick
Measuring beauty
In
Each other, to
Give
Beauty to each other

It is that
She
Is our sister
Either throw us away with her
Or hug her with us

“She” is the million of refugees
“She” is the beetles
“She” is the angels

AoW 9-23-16

          An idea that is similar in the book Of Beetles and Angels and the article "The unique programme that brings refugees to Canada" is that it is hard to adjust to life in another country. In the article it says," A report on the use of Toronto food banks released this week notes a surge in the first three months of 2016, linked in part to an influx of newcomers, including Syrian refugees." This quote explains that many Syrian refugees need food banks to eat. It is difficult for them to provide for themselves or for their family because they are in a new country. In the book it states, "Even with their constant suport, though, we still felt the deepest homesickness... We yearned for... A neighbor who spoke our language. For our people." This quote shows that Mawi's family missed their home very much as they try to adjust to life in America. Both quotes show the struggles of being a refugee.

           Another idea that is similar is that there is kind people in the world. In the book it says,"My brother had found him housing and a job, encouraged him, and even given him money when he could-even though my bro had so little himself." This excerpt shows that Mawi's brother, Tewolde, is very giving and generous. He gives even when he doesn't have anything himself. Tewolde was probably a role model for Mawi. In the article when it talks about all the refugees that Canada let in it states,"That generosity won "the people of Canada" the 1986 UN's Nansen refugee award, which recognises outstanding service to the causes of refugees..." This shows that many people in Canada sponsored and took in refugees. They did this out of the kindness of their own hearts and helped the less fortunate.

          War affects individuals and societies in many ways. For example some people may have to move because of the violence or discrimination that is occurring there. These people are called refugees. This could cause great harm or distress to the people who are being uprooted from their homes. Another way that war affects societies is that in the places that the refugees are relocating to will be affected. In my article it states, "... the programme 'changes people individually, it shapes societies'". This is explaining that the program that Canada is using to move Syrian refugees is giving society a different outlook on life. With the more refugees going into these communities the more people are going to be exposed to how hard it is for refugees.

All About Me

      Hello welcome to my blog! My name is Sofia and I am in the 8th grade. I live in Illinois with my mom, dad, and two brothers. Their names are Gabriel and Adrian. Gabriel is a sophomore and Adrian is in 6th grade. 

      I have many hobbies. Some of my hobbies are playing basketball, watching Netflix, watching sports,and hanging out with friends.When I am not playing basketball I am usually watching Netflix. I like to watch all kinds of genres, my favorite are TV shows from a few years ago and dramas. I finished the shows called One Tree Hill, Friends, and Glee. In school I am in National Junior Honor's Society, Girls Varsity Basketball, Our American Voice, Varsity Volleyball, Soccer, and Battle of the Books. All of these things keep me occupied throughout the year and helps me expand my horizons.

Thank you for reading and I hope you like the further posts!

Final Reflection Blog

       One thing that was very important that I learned this year was time management. I learned how to balance everything out and to make sure everything was done. I learned this because sometimes during the year we would have some things due in a certain amount of time and I would have to learn how to get everything done. Sometimes I would spend too much time on one thing and not have enough time to do a good job on the other. This took me some time to learn, but in the end I understood how to do it.


         

          Another thing that I learned this year was how to be focused. Before this year I would be thinking or doing something else instead of what I would need to get done. Now I have gained how to stay focused and concentrated. I needed to learn this because sometimes we would be doing some things that I wasn't interested in. I would get off topic and push the activity off to the side. By doing this I made myself get a lot more work and it was a lot harder. After this year, even if I am not interested in the topic, I try to stay focused and get my work done. 


         

         The third thing that I learned this year was how to gain perseverance. I learned this by working hard and by keep pushing forward. During this year there was a lot of work to be done and one of the only reasons why I got it done was that I persevered and persisted into doing it. This helped me because it made everything else after that a lot easier. I will use this tool in my life because in high school, college, and life I will need to persevere through most things.

         Something that we did this year that I will remember for the rest of my life is when we did our first socratic seminar for the book Bronx Masquerade. This was very memorable because I remember how deep the conversations were. We were all talking about things that spoke to us and made us feel a certain way. By talking about everything, we expressed our own opinions and thoughts. This will always be remembered because it helped me and some other people find how we really feel. It showed me that you aren't always going to agree with some people and that it is ok. 

         The nicest thing that someone did was that they helped me learn and grow this year. This person was my teacher, Mrs. Larson. She helped me improve the way I think and how I show it. My grades would not be the same if I had a different teacher. By guiding me and showing me how to improve I might have changed my life. I am very grateful that she was my teacher this year.

         One thing that I taught my classmates and teacher this year was how to think a different way. During the year I would express my thoughts and give my own opinions. By doing this I taught my classmates and teacher how to see some things a certain way. An example of this is when we did our first Socratic seminar for Of Mice and Men. During this seminar I said that I felt sorry for Curley's wife. This comment might have showed some people the other side of something. I taught then how to realize something that they might not have been able to realize without me. 

         The area that I feel I made my biggest improvement was writing essays. Before this year I was unsure of what to do for the essays. I didn't know how to format them or how long they should be. Now I know when you write paragraphs you use the TIQA format. This helped me a lot because I use it all the time and it makes my paragraphs and essays a lot smoother. Now I can take this skill and use it in the future. It doesn't just have to be ELA; it could be Math, Social Studies, or Science. The progress I made from a year ago to now is phenomenal. 

         Something that I accomplished this year is that I learned how to think outside the box. During the year we did a lot of activities that included us thinking about different ideas and topics. Everyone discussed what he or she thought and how he or she feel towards it. When people gave their own ideas it made me think about it and then made me go to another conclusion. I would think of things that other people haven't thought of. It might have been weird, but it showed that I have the ability to be creative. I am very proud of this because I now know that I can think of things that are original. 

         The most challenging part of the year for me was getting all of my work done on time. Most of the time after school I would have an extra curricular activity and doing homework would be delayed. Some nights I would be rushing to get it done and I would be stressed out. When I rushed to get it done the quality wouldn't be very good, then I would have to redo it the next day. During some part of the year I stopped this cycle and put my work before everything else. I would stay home instead of doing other things and got it done without rushing. I was straightening out my priorities. Before I straightened everything out, it very challenging and hard for me to handle, but I battled through it. 

         I think that my best piece of writing this year was my "Where I'm From" poem. I believe that it is my best because I really had to think about it and it describes who I am and what I came from. Whenever I read it I think of when I was little and my family history. The poem itself can't be related by anyone because it is my own feeling towards my past and it shows me. It is one of a kind and people who don't know me don't understand the meaning of the poem. Every line has a story behind it and a memory that means something to me. I feel like this poem is my best because I expressed myself in a different way instead of just talking about it. 

         My favorite book that I read this year was The Help by Kathryn Stockett. This was my favorite because the book was so interesting. It was through the perspectives of multiple people, which appeals to me. Everyone in it has different races and backgrounds. It takes place in the 60s in the south, which by itself is an engaging topic. Most of the perspectives are of black maids who write a book of their own personal encounters being "the help". Throughout the book you see racism and people dealing with it. Sometimes it makes you laugh, cry, and feel anger. It was so intriguing that I would read for hours and couldn't put the book down. I will always remember it and how it gave me a different perspective on the life I have now.  

         For kids next year I would like to advise them on a one particular thing. I would say that they have to be prepared to work very hard everyday. They can't get through the year with slacking off and expecting everything to be easy. If they don't focus and persevere then everything would be a lot harder and more difficult. They have to put forth the effort because in the end it will pay off.