PROMPT: An experience that changed you the most.
I have had a lot of experiences throughout my life that have shaped me in some way. However, only one has changed me the most. In eighth grade, I thought that my life was perfect. School was easy, there were no problems in or out of school, and I had an amazing group of friends. There were eight of us in our group, and with them, I did not feel like I needed to worry about having any other friends. But then, toward the end of eighth grade, I learned about what they had been keeping from me. All of them except one were going to Sturgis Charter School for high school rather than Sandwich High School.
This news upset me, because I was not sure how well we could maintain our friendship when we would not be together all the time, but mostly it scared me. I was terrified to have to go into highschool with one friend. At the time, I was extremely shy around anyone else and I was not good at making friends. I knew that I would know people who went to my elementary school, but I did not know if they would be in my classes. The freshman class of Sandwich High School includes the eighth grade classes from three different elementary schools, and from the other two I knew few people.
Entering freshman year, I was still terrified. But I knew that I could not go through high school scared of not knowing anyone - I had to go out and meet people. I ended freshman year with way more friends than I started it with. Even today, during junior year, I am still making new friends here. I rarely speak with any of my old friends who went to Sturgis, but I am ok with that. Their leaving Sandwich caused me to become a much more open person who is not as shy and is way more friendly. My personality has changed because of this experience, and it changed for the better.
APRIL BLOG #2
Monday, May 4, 2009
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9:40 AM
PROMPT: Your best quality is ____ Your worst quality is ______Explain how these qualities impact your life.
My best quality is that I am trustworthy. Parents have trusted me with the care of their children since I was eleven years old. My mom has trusted me enough to not hire a babysitter to watch me since I was in the second grade. My friends trust me enough to tell me anything and know that, if need be, I will keep it a secret. My trustworthiness has impacted my life because all of the trust bestowed upon me has led me to grow up to be responsible and respectful in every aspect of my life. I hope that people will always view me as trustworthy throughout my life.
My worst quality is my laziness. If I could, I would sleep until atleast noon every day. I have a tendency to do my homework in other classes at school so I do not have to bring it home. I would rather read a non-school related book or go on the computer than study. My laziness has impacted my life because my sleeping late leads to missing out on things that occur before noon. Mostly it affects my school work- I sometimes do not to my homework at all because I do not want to bring it home. I often perform to a lesser ability on tests than I am capable of, and it brings my grades down. Laziness is something that I wish to change about myself and I am working on it.
My best quality is that I am trustworthy. Parents have trusted me with the care of their children since I was eleven years old. My mom has trusted me enough to not hire a babysitter to watch me since I was in the second grade. My friends trust me enough to tell me anything and know that, if need be, I will keep it a secret. My trustworthiness has impacted my life because all of the trust bestowed upon me has led me to grow up to be responsible and respectful in every aspect of my life. I hope that people will always view me as trustworthy throughout my life.
My worst quality is my laziness. If I could, I would sleep until atleast noon every day. I have a tendency to do my homework in other classes at school so I do not have to bring it home. I would rather read a non-school related book or go on the computer than study. My laziness has impacted my life because my sleeping late leads to missing out on things that occur before noon. Mostly it affects my school work- I sometimes do not to my homework at all because I do not want to bring it home. I often perform to a lesser ability on tests than I am capable of, and it brings my grades down. Laziness is something that I wish to change about myself and I am working on it.
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APRIL BLOG #1
Thursday, April 30, 2009
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11:02 AM
PROMPT: Write a history of your hairstyles.
I have had a few different hairstyles throughout my life. My hair has always been really thick, and I had a bowl cut for a while when I was little. After that, it was boy-cut short from as early as I can remember until the fourth grade. My mother claims my father was the one who took me and had it cut like that, but she kept havi
ng it cut that way. To this day I am not happy about looking like a boy for most of my childhood. I do not have any plans to cut it short in the future at all. When I grew it out after fourth grade, I kept it shoulder length and I had bangs. In the seventh grade, I decided to grow out my bangs. They took a while to grow and they had a tendency to flare out toward the sides of my face, like wings, which did not look so good. In the eighth grade, after they had grown out, I cut my hair to chin length, which is the shortest it has been since the boy-cut. I let my hair keep growing after that, and since then, my hair has been long, straight, and simple.
I have had a few different hairstyles throughout my life. My hair has always been really thick, and I had a bowl cut for a while when I was little. After that, it was boy-cut short from as early as I can remember until the fourth grade. My mother claims my father was the one who took me and had it cut like that, but she kept havi
ng it cut that way. To this day I am not happy about looking like a boy for most of my childhood. I do not have any plans to cut it short in the future at all. When I grew it out after fourth grade, I kept it shoulder length and I had bangs. In the seventh grade, I decided to grow out my bangs. They took a while to grow and they had a tendency to flare out toward the sides of my face, like wings, which did not look so good. In the eighth grade, after they had grown out, I cut my hair to chin length, which is the shortest it has been since the boy-cut. I let my hair keep growing after that, and since then, my hair has been long, straight, and simple.
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MARCH BLOG #3
Friday, April 3, 2009
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9:46 AM
PROMPT: How do you think your parents’ views would change if they lived your life for one day?
My mom already has a decent understanding of my life, but I think that if she were to live it for a day she would get a much better perspective of it. She would finally know why it is that I am able to do all my work for other classes during Spanish. She would know how hard AP history is and why I’m not getting the A she expects from me. After spending a day in my life, she would meet all my different groups of friends and see how high school has changed since she went. She would know why I some days I like my job at Stop & Shop, and other days I can’t stand it. All in all, I think it would make it would give her a fresh perspective of my life and make it easier for her to relate to me.
My mom already has a decent understanding of my life, but I think that if she were to live it for a day she would get a much better perspective of it. She would finally know why it is that I am able to do all my work for other classes during Spanish. She would know how hard AP history is and why I’m not getting the A she expects from me. After spending a day in my life, she would meet all my different groups of friends and see how high school has changed since she went. She would know why I some days I like my job at Stop & Shop, and other days I can’t stand it. All in all, I think it would make it would give her a fresh perspective of my life and make it easier for her to relate to me.
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MARCH BLOG #2
Friday, March 27, 2009
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11:15 AM
PROMPT: Describe a time your hard work paid off.
This year I am taking AP US History. I had not expected when I signed up for the class how much work it was actually going to be, and I was not prepared for it. As the first semester progressed, I saw myself getting much lower grades than I am used to getting in any class. I finally realized that I needed to put much more effort into the class when I saw the grade I got on my first semester final. It was not good. Since then, I have been trying much harder. I am already seeing an improvement, as my test grades have been significantly higher and I understand the class more and more. Already, my hard work has been paying off, and I hope that it shows when I take the AP exam in May. Before this semester, I was worried about the exam and was afraid that I was not going to do well on it. But since then, my outlook has improved and I am not worried anymore- I know that my effort is going to be paid off.
This year I am taking AP US History. I had not expected when I signed up for the class how much work it was actually going to be, and I was not prepared for it. As the first semester progressed, I saw myself getting much lower grades than I am used to getting in any class. I finally realized that I needed to put much more effort into the class when I saw the grade I got on my first semester final. It was not good. Since then, I have been trying much harder. I am already seeing an improvement, as my test grades have been significantly higher and I understand the class more and more. Already, my hard work has been paying off, and I hope that it shows when I take the AP exam in May. Before this semester, I was worried about the exam and was afraid that I was not going to do well on it. But since then, my outlook has improved and I am not worried anymore- I know that my effort is going to be paid off.
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MARCH BLOG #1
Thursday, March 12, 2009
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8:03 AM
PROMPT: Think of a teacher, relative, or adult whom you respect and want to impress. What is it about that person that makes you want to do well for them?
Someone I respect and want to impress is my Algebra 2 teacher, Mr. Tilton. I had him sophomore year and he ended up being my favorite math teacher so far. I feel the need to impress him for the basic fact that it was hard to do so. He always gave praise when we did well, but there were only a few times when we could tell that he was truly impressed. I don’t have him for a teacher anymore, but I still feel the same way. My friend Kellie is in his class now, and one day I had been talking to her about imaginary numbers, something they hadn’t learned yet. When Mr. Tilton asked her class if anybody knew what an imaginary number was, Kellie was the only one who knew, and she told him she learned it from me. She told me that he said that he was impressed, and that if she ever needed help in his class she should come to me because I had done really well. When Kellie told me this, it made me feel really good and proud. Even though I don’t have a class with him anymore, I still respect Mr. Tilton and I still want to impress him.
Someone I respect and want to impress is my Algebra 2 teacher, Mr. Tilton. I had him sophomore year and he ended up being my favorite math teacher so far. I feel the need to impress him for the basic fact that it was hard to do so. He always gave praise when we did well, but there were only a few times when we could tell that he was truly impressed. I don’t have him for a teacher anymore, but I still feel the same way. My friend Kellie is in his class now, and one day I had been talking to her about imaginary numbers, something they hadn’t learned yet. When Mr. Tilton asked her class if anybody knew what an imaginary number was, Kellie was the only one who knew, and she told him she learned it from me. She told me that he said that he was impressed, and that if she ever needed help in his class she should come to me because I had done really well. When Kellie told me this, it made me feel really good and proud. Even though I don’t have a class with him anymore, I still respect Mr. Tilton and I still want to impress him.
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FEBRUARY BLOG #2
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
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9:24 AM
PROMPT: Write a paragraph description of you as various people see you: your best friend, one of your parents, your grandmother/grandfather/uncle/aunt, etc. (a favorite relative).
My two best friends would definitely see me as the most timid out of the three of us. They know that when they get louder and crazier, I’m going to be the one telling them to calm down a little bit. They know I won’t do some of the more outgoing things that they like to do sometimes. They also see me as the nicest one, the smartest one, and the most respectful. It’s not that they aren’t any of these things, just that out of the three of us, I’m the least likely to be mean, I get better grades, and I’m more respectful towards parents and other adults. They also know that they can always trust me and rely on me, and that we’ll always have fun when we’re together.
My two best friends would definitely see me as the most timid out of the three of us. They know that when they get louder and crazier, I’m going to be the one telling them to calm down a little bit. They know I won’t do some of the more outgoing things that they like to do sometimes. They also see me as the nicest one, the smartest one, and the most respectful. It’s not that they aren’t any of these things, just that out of the three of us, I’m the least likely to be mean, I get better grades, and I’m more respectful towards parents and other adults. They also know that they can always trust me and rely on me, and that we’ll always have fun when we’re together.
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FEBRUARY BLOG #1
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
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11:01 AM
PROMPT: What 3 words would you choose to describe yourself? Explain.
The first word I would use to describe myself is eager. I’m constantly eager to learn, to meet new people, to go to new places. I can’t wait for college so that I can do all of those things. I tend to go ahead of everyone else in my classes because I want to learn more, and I want to learn it at a faster pace than the teacher is going. I love going to museums, touring new cities, meeting new people and learning about their lives because I’m eager to fill myself up with as much knowledge as I can.
The second word I would use to describe myself is imaginative. Not many people know it, but I love looking at art, writing poems and stories, and I constantly imagine different scenarios in my head. When I read books, I imagine them in my head, and when I think back to scenes, I can rarely remember whether I read it in a book or I watched it in a movie. I day dream regularly, and my dreams are always vivid and easy to remember. My mind is always running at high speeds, stimulated by movies, books, music, and basic every day observations.
The third word I would use to describe myself is procrastinator. I rarely ever do something earlier than the day before it’s due. I live by the belief that homework assigned over a weekend is meant for Sundays; if a paper is due Friday, it gets written Thursday night; if a permission slip must be in by Monday, it gets signed Monday morning. I’d rather read, watch TV, or go out instead of doing work. I know I could do it early and not worry about it anymore, but I don’t. I know it’s a terrible habit to have, but it’s too hard to stop. It’s a habit that I need to try to break soon, but for now its part of who I am.
The first word I would use to describe myself is eager. I’m constantly eager to learn, to meet new people, to go to new places. I can’t wait for college so that I can do all of those things. I tend to go ahead of everyone else in my classes because I want to learn more, and I want to learn it at a faster pace than the teacher is going. I love going to museums, touring new cities, meeting new people and learning about their lives because I’m eager to fill myself up with as much knowledge as I can.
The second word I would use to describe myself is imaginative. Not many people know it, but I love looking at art, writing poems and stories, and I constantly imagine different scenarios in my head. When I read books, I imagine them in my head, and when I think back to scenes, I can rarely remember whether I read it in a book or I watched it in a movie. I day dream regularly, and my dreams are always vivid and easy to remember. My mind is always running at high speeds, stimulated by movies, books, music, and basic every day observations.
The third word I would use to describe myself is procrastinator. I rarely ever do something earlier than the day before it’s due. I live by the belief that homework assigned over a weekend is meant for Sundays; if a paper is due Friday, it gets written Thursday night; if a permission slip must be in by Monday, it gets signed Monday morning. I’d rather read, watch TV, or go out instead of doing work. I know I could do it early and not worry about it anymore, but I don’t. I know it’s a terrible habit to have, but it’s too hard to stop. It’s a habit that I need to try to break soon, but for now its part of who I am.
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JANUARY BLOG #1
Friday, January 23, 2009
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10:56 AM
PROMPT: Bring in a photograph of you, your family, your friends and write about that day. What happened before the photo was taken, while it was being taken, and after it was taken? Describe the people, place, emotions of the moment/day.
The photograph I brought in is from Christmas 1998. Most everybody who was there that Christmas is in the picture. We were in my grandparents Gardner house, which they had for many years, where we celebrated every Christmas. I’m sitting on the couch, around six years old, on Uncle Donny’s lap. My brother Paul, who was nine at the time, is next to us. Then there’s Aunt Jen, next to Uncle Tom, upon whose lap is Aunt Janet. Sitting on chairs behind the couch is my sister Caitlin on Grandma’s lap, and next to them is Uncle Buzz. Lastly, there’s Uncle Bill and Papa. The only person not in the picture is my mom, who I believe was taking the picture.
The Gardner house was always one of my favorite places in the world. For me it represented family, warmth, and fun. There was always something to do and there was always someone to do it with. When my grandparents sold it a couple of years ago, I was devastated. My plan is to grow up and buy that house.
This Christmas was one of the last few before all my cousins started popping out. The only kids were Paul, Caitlin, and me. We always got to stay up late with everyone, playing games and having fun. No one had to go to bed early or put their kids to bed, and we could play games without any interruption, which is usually what happens now that I have nine cousins all under the age of eight. That Christmas was one of the best that I can remember.
That day had been a really fun day. We had the picture-perfect White Christmas, and since the house was situated right next to a huge hill, the majority of us had been out sledding all day. That year, as everyone’s gift, my mom had made fleece hats for each person. In the picture we’re all in sweatpants and sweatshirts, wearing those hats. We were having fun, and the only people actually looking at the camera are me, Donny, Jen, Tom, and Bill. We’re all smiling. Not looking is Janet, whose head is turned to look at Paul, who has his hat flopped over the front of his face. Grandma is talking to Buzz in the back, and Caitlin is looking at both of them. I’m not really sure what Papa is looking at, but it’s definitely not the camera.
I’m pretty sure that after this picture was taken, most of us went out sledding again. I’m pretty sure this was the night that my uncles convinced my mom to go sledding, which she never did, calling “Higher! Higher! We’ll catch you!” That was the night that they didn’t catch her, and she and the tube flew right over the mound of snow at the edge of the road created by the plow. She hit her head, nothing too major, but she became adamant about never sledding again. That was the night we mention nearly every Christmas now, longing for snow, the Gardner house, the fun we had. Not that it isn’t fun now, but it was so much better then.
The photograph I brought in is from Christmas 1998. Most everybody who was there that Christmas is in the picture. We were in my grandparents Gardner house, which they had for many years, where we celebrated every Christmas. I’m sitting on the couch, around six years old, on Uncle Donny’s lap. My brother Paul, who was nine at the time, is next to us. Then there’s Aunt Jen, next to Uncle Tom, upon whose lap is Aunt Janet. Sitting on chairs behind the couch is my sister Caitlin on Grandma’s lap, and next to them is Uncle Buzz. Lastly, there’s Uncle Bill and Papa. The only person not in the picture is my mom, who I believe was taking the picture.
The Gardner house was always one of my favorite places in the world. For me it represented family, warmth, and fun. There was always something to do and there was always someone to do it with. When my grandparents sold it a couple of years ago, I was devastated. My plan is to grow up and buy that house.
This Christmas was one of the last few before all my cousins started popping out. The only kids were Paul, Caitlin, and me. We always got to stay up late with everyone, playing games and having fun. No one had to go to bed early or put their kids to bed, and we could play games without any interruption, which is usually what happens now that I have nine cousins all under the age of eight. That Christmas was one of the best that I can remember.
That day had been a really fun day. We had the picture-perfect White Christmas, and since the house was situated right next to a huge hill, the majority of us had been out sledding all day. That year, as everyone’s gift, my mom had made fleece hats for each person. In the picture we’re all in sweatpants and sweatshirts, wearing those hats. We were having fun, and the only people actually looking at the camera are me, Donny, Jen, Tom, and Bill. We’re all smiling. Not looking is Janet, whose head is turned to look at Paul, who has his hat flopped over the front of his face. Grandma is talking to Buzz in the back, and Caitlin is looking at both of them. I’m not really sure what Papa is looking at, but it’s definitely not the camera.
I’m pretty sure that after this picture was taken, most of us went out sledding again. I’m pretty sure this was the night that my uncles convinced my mom to go sledding, which she never did, calling “Higher! Higher! We’ll catch you!” That was the night that they didn’t catch her, and she and the tube flew right over the mound of snow at the edge of the road created by the plow. She hit her head, nothing too major, but she became adamant about never sledding again. That was the night we mention nearly every Christmas now, longing for snow, the Gardner house, the fun we had. Not that it isn’t fun now, but it was so much better then.
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