I understand that many of you may not be as close to your family as I am to mine, so you may not think you relate to this essay, but I guarantee you have had an experience that relates to this. If you have ever felt heartache because you have to say good-bye to someone you love for a period of time, you have had an experience that relates to this essay. Good-byes are both bad and good even though they may sometimes seem very sad. Farewells are a bitter-sweet experience.
I went to Orlando, Florida with my family this past week. It was an amazing experience! My brother has been gone on a mission for two years, so my family has not been all together during that time. We had a great time with my whole entire family which includes: my two sisters, brother, two brothers-in-law, niece, nephew, mom, and dad. It was a great bonding time with a lot of time spent together especially since the majority of the days were spent in Walt Disney World, which is very family-friendly! The days flew by like minutes, and soon enough, it was our last day together. Those few hours of our last day, bolted past like seconds, we arrived at the airport, and too soon, it was time to say our good-byes. One of my sisters lives in New York City, so I do not know when I will see her next. Many tears were shed because we knew that we would not see her for a long time, and we did not want to say good-bye. This was the moment my whole family was dreading during our vacation. The farewell. I won’t go into detail about the farewell, but I am sure you have all felt the feeling I felt at that moment.
My head was pumping, my mind was clouded. My eyes were swollen because of the waterfalls that had poured out of them. My heart was pounding and felt like it was made of glass and was just dropped on concrete: Shattered. I felt the agonizing pain of not knowing when I would see one of my very best friends again: my sister. If you have ever felt any of these things or had to say good-bye to someone you love, you can empathize with me and feel my heartache.
At the same time, farewells are a sweet thing too. The reason you have to experience the heartache of good-byes, is because you got to spend time with someone you loved in the first place. If you didn’t say good-bye, you wouldn’t have even gotten to see your loved-one.
Farewells are a bitter-sweet experience, and I am grateful for them. They are sweet because you got to see someone you love in the first place, but they are bitter because it is so heartbreaking to have to say good-bye to someone you love. I am so glad that I have the opportunity to say good-bye to my sister, because it was so fun seeing her and being with her for a few days.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Restructuring the School day (Yes...this is different than the first...it is new and improved!)
Restructuring the School Day
Are you ever overwhelmed because you seem to have too much homework and not enough time to do it? Do you ever feel like you don’t have time to participate in all of you extra activities in addition to school? Do you feel as though you do not have enough energy to make it through the day? If these apply to you, I have come up with an ingenious plan to reconstruct the school day! My proposals are first, there should be a “Study Hall” class period, and second, we should have a longer lunch break. I believe that by making these small changes to the school day, it will add to our energy, and take away from our stress! To my doubting readers, you will no longer hesitate in agreeing with me. There would be many benefits that would come from reconstructing the school day. The first benefit that would come from making a longer lunch period is the students would have time to go out for lunch, so they could have a chance to get savory, mouth-watering, healthy food. Second, this longer lunch break would act as a temporary recess. Third, it has been proven that eating slower is much healthier for your body. The first benefit that would come from creating a “Study Hall” period is students would have more time to do their homework. Second, it could also free up another class period if a student chooses. Third, it would give the teachers time to get done what they need to. Obviously, one important benefit in this situation is time.
The first benefit that would come from making a longer lunch period is the students would have time to go out to lunch. Not only should we be allowed to go out for lunch because school lunches are fake plastic, rubber, and disgusting but also because they are very unhealthy. For example: school lunches consist of hamburgers, fries, macaroni and cheese, chicken and rice casserole saturated in fat, greasy broccoli and cheese with random hairs in it, cake chips, rubber hot dogs, expired milk, and unknown meat deep fried in grease and fat. If that sounds healthy or delicious to you, please feel free to eat school lunch. If not, you would agree with me that we should have more time to eat, so we could go home or to a restaurant and eat healthier, tastier food. This is not the only benefit that would come from having a longer lunch.
The second benefit that would come from extending the lunch period is that the break would act like a recess. Students could go home to eat and relax while preparing for the second half of school. At the same time, teachers could also be doing the same. They could take time to grade the students’ assignments, so they would not have to stay after school for that reason. While relaxing or getting things done is nice, we also should take advantage of this time to eat slower.
The third benefit is that we would have more time to eat our food. It has been proven that eating slower is much healthier for your body. Beside the fact that you have time to savor your flavorful food when you eat slower, statistics show people who eat slower get fewer stomach aches afterward, because everything that “didn’t agree” with you, has time to digest before actually causing sickness or illness. You also build a stronger body by eating slower, because your body has time to absorb the nutrients in your food. Not only are there benefits of eating slower, there are also consequences of eating too fast. Experts say, “If you eat too fast there is a major delay in feeling your fullness; therefore we tend to overeat, which contributes to weight gain.” Eating too fast can cause indigestion and heartburn. It can also weaken your digestive system, which leads to a weak immune system, which means getting ill more often. Most people do not realize how critical it is to take your time when eating meals, but it creates a healthier body, and less sickness. Creating a longer lunch is part of reconstructing the school, but not all of it.
The first benefit of creating a “study hall” period is that students could optimize this time to do homework, freeing after school hours to pursue other interests. Many students are involved in many after school activities, but do not have enough time for them, because of the demands of homework. Thus, the benefit of “Study Hall”: freeing up time after school, and significantly reducing the amount of time spent on homework at home, but not the overall time spent studying. During “Study Hall”, the computer labs would also be open so if students needed to use computers for homework, they could do so. Although this is an important benefit from creating “Study Hall”, it is not the only positive point.
The second benefit is it could free up another class period for those students who choose. Obviously, there are always some students who do not make good use of time that is given to get homework done, so they could choose to take another elective class during this time. This class would replace homeroom classes, and would not be required. The teachers would be available to answer any questions the students might have on their homework, and the students could also seek help from their peers during this time. This elective class would take place once a day at the end of the day at the same time for everyone, even though the students would be separated into many different classrooms. I believe that by creating “Study Hall” as an elective class, there would be a significant rise in grades, but this time would also help teachers, not just students.
The third benefit is the teachers could get the things done they need to. This would act as a “prep” period, for those teachers who choose to supervise “Study Hall”, instead of teaching a class. Teachers could take this time to grade assignments, so they would not have to stay after school for long hours.
In conclusion, restructuring the school day by creating a longer lunch period will be more convenient, and by taking time to eat, will create a stronger, healthier body, and will limit sicknesses. Also, reconstructing the school day by creating an optional “Study Hall” class period, will significantly raise the students’ grades, and will reduce the demand for spending countless hours doing homework at home.
Are you ever overwhelmed because you seem to have too much homework and not enough time to do it? Do you ever feel like you don’t have time to participate in all of you extra activities in addition to school? Do you feel as though you do not have enough energy to make it through the day? If these apply to you, I have come up with an ingenious plan to reconstruct the school day! My proposals are first, there should be a “Study Hall” class period, and second, we should have a longer lunch break. I believe that by making these small changes to the school day, it will add to our energy, and take away from our stress! To my doubting readers, you will no longer hesitate in agreeing with me. There would be many benefits that would come from reconstructing the school day. The first benefit that would come from making a longer lunch period is the students would have time to go out for lunch, so they could have a chance to get savory, mouth-watering, healthy food. Second, this longer lunch break would act as a temporary recess. Third, it has been proven that eating slower is much healthier for your body. The first benefit that would come from creating a “Study Hall” period is students would have more time to do their homework. Second, it could also free up another class period if a student chooses. Third, it would give the teachers time to get done what they need to. Obviously, one important benefit in this situation is time.
The first benefit that would come from making a longer lunch period is the students would have time to go out to lunch. Not only should we be allowed to go out for lunch because school lunches are fake plastic, rubber, and disgusting but also because they are very unhealthy. For example: school lunches consist of hamburgers, fries, macaroni and cheese, chicken and rice casserole saturated in fat, greasy broccoli and cheese with random hairs in it, cake chips, rubber hot dogs, expired milk, and unknown meat deep fried in grease and fat. If that sounds healthy or delicious to you, please feel free to eat school lunch. If not, you would agree with me that we should have more time to eat, so we could go home or to a restaurant and eat healthier, tastier food. This is not the only benefit that would come from having a longer lunch.
The second benefit that would come from extending the lunch period is that the break would act like a recess. Students could go home to eat and relax while preparing for the second half of school. At the same time, teachers could also be doing the same. They could take time to grade the students’ assignments, so they would not have to stay after school for that reason. While relaxing or getting things done is nice, we also should take advantage of this time to eat slower.
The third benefit is that we would have more time to eat our food. It has been proven that eating slower is much healthier for your body. Beside the fact that you have time to savor your flavorful food when you eat slower, statistics show people who eat slower get fewer stomach aches afterward, because everything that “didn’t agree” with you, has time to digest before actually causing sickness or illness. You also build a stronger body by eating slower, because your body has time to absorb the nutrients in your food. Not only are there benefits of eating slower, there are also consequences of eating too fast. Experts say, “If you eat too fast there is a major delay in feeling your fullness; therefore we tend to overeat, which contributes to weight gain.” Eating too fast can cause indigestion and heartburn. It can also weaken your digestive system, which leads to a weak immune system, which means getting ill more often. Most people do not realize how critical it is to take your time when eating meals, but it creates a healthier body, and less sickness. Creating a longer lunch is part of reconstructing the school, but not all of it.
The first benefit of creating a “study hall” period is that students could optimize this time to do homework, freeing after school hours to pursue other interests. Many students are involved in many after school activities, but do not have enough time for them, because of the demands of homework. Thus, the benefit of “Study Hall”: freeing up time after school, and significantly reducing the amount of time spent on homework at home, but not the overall time spent studying. During “Study Hall”, the computer labs would also be open so if students needed to use computers for homework, they could do so. Although this is an important benefit from creating “Study Hall”, it is not the only positive point.
The second benefit is it could free up another class period for those students who choose. Obviously, there are always some students who do not make good use of time that is given to get homework done, so they could choose to take another elective class during this time. This class would replace homeroom classes, and would not be required. The teachers would be available to answer any questions the students might have on their homework, and the students could also seek help from their peers during this time. This elective class would take place once a day at the end of the day at the same time for everyone, even though the students would be separated into many different classrooms. I believe that by creating “Study Hall” as an elective class, there would be a significant rise in grades, but this time would also help teachers, not just students.
The third benefit is the teachers could get the things done they need to. This would act as a “prep” period, for those teachers who choose to supervise “Study Hall”, instead of teaching a class. Teachers could take this time to grade assignments, so they would not have to stay after school for long hours.
In conclusion, restructuring the school day by creating a longer lunch period will be more convenient, and by taking time to eat, will create a stronger, healthier body, and will limit sicknesses. Also, reconstructing the school day by creating an optional “Study Hall” class period, will significantly raise the students’ grades, and will reduce the demand for spending countless hours doing homework at home.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Review on 'Streams of Hope' Read article at: http://www.glencoe.com/cgi-bin/pdfServer.pl/sec/science/ose/es_geology/full/docs/NatGeoExpedition.pdf
What makes the red stream red? Or blue? Or orange? Or purple? Or green? Ask the people in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, who live or work next to the Nashua River. The river changed colors everyday, and would surprise locals with its bright and brilliant colors.
In the 1960’s, the Nashua River would turn shocking, vibrant colors. In a National Geographic magazine of 2007 stated, “Locals used to take bets on what color the river would be the next day.” Does this sound cool to you? If so, think again! Pollution is what has caused this river to change colors. Marion Stoddart, a local, was not about to let the river “die”. She gathered many people to all work together, to recreate the river, and make it swimmer-friendly. Through hard work, lots of money, and helping hands, the river was revived and is now a protected watershed, and is swimmer friendly. Although this is a huge accomplishment, there are still thousands of polluted watersheds, rivers, and streams to be cleaned and protected.
Personally, I think it is absolutely ridiculous that the Nashua River even got to that point of pollution. I would think that people would have used their common sense, and just not pollute it! Do you see me throwing junk into rivers? Do you see me dumping harmful chemicals into streams!?!?! I don’t think so! It just seems like you would just KNOW not to do that, WITHOUT having to be told!!! You HAVE to know SOMETHING must be wrong when a river is orange. Not just clear with a hint of orange, but bright, vibrant, unmistakable orange. Although this river shouldn’t have even been polluted at all (especially to the point of pollution it was at), I think it is great that SOMEONE was brave enough to take a stand and put their foot down! I think that Marion Stoddart is a hero for stepping up and making people care about the environment, and the Nashua river! Even if few people realize it, that one woman has made a HUGE impact on that river. Had it not been for her, we would still be “placing color bets.”
In National Geographic, it mentions that Marion Stoddart observed the river, and was “appalled” by its appearance. She said, “The highest form of life in the North Nashua was sludge worms.” If it gets to the point of all life dying in a river, I’m pretty sure it’s time for someone to do something about it, don’t you? Marion Stoddart was the person brave enough to act on her words. She set out to do the “impossible”, but “was not a lonely person out in the wilderness. She did it by making key allies.”
The Nashua River was once polluted to the point of “no return”, it changed colors even! But yet, Marion Stoddart wouldn’t let the river “die”. She set out to do the impossible and saved the river, even when no one believed she could. I think we should all do the same as Marion, and do our part in saving and reviving our environment.
In the 1960’s, the Nashua River would turn shocking, vibrant colors. In a National Geographic magazine of 2007 stated, “Locals used to take bets on what color the river would be the next day.” Does this sound cool to you? If so, think again! Pollution is what has caused this river to change colors. Marion Stoddart, a local, was not about to let the river “die”. She gathered many people to all work together, to recreate the river, and make it swimmer-friendly. Through hard work, lots of money, and helping hands, the river was revived and is now a protected watershed, and is swimmer friendly. Although this is a huge accomplishment, there are still thousands of polluted watersheds, rivers, and streams to be cleaned and protected.
Personally, I think it is absolutely ridiculous that the Nashua River even got to that point of pollution. I would think that people would have used their common sense, and just not pollute it! Do you see me throwing junk into rivers? Do you see me dumping harmful chemicals into streams!?!?! I don’t think so! It just seems like you would just KNOW not to do that, WITHOUT having to be told!!! You HAVE to know SOMETHING must be wrong when a river is orange. Not just clear with a hint of orange, but bright, vibrant, unmistakable orange. Although this river shouldn’t have even been polluted at all (especially to the point of pollution it was at), I think it is great that SOMEONE was brave enough to take a stand and put their foot down! I think that Marion Stoddart is a hero for stepping up and making people care about the environment, and the Nashua river! Even if few people realize it, that one woman has made a HUGE impact on that river. Had it not been for her, we would still be “placing color bets.”
In National Geographic, it mentions that Marion Stoddart observed the river, and was “appalled” by its appearance. She said, “The highest form of life in the North Nashua was sludge worms.” If it gets to the point of all life dying in a river, I’m pretty sure it’s time for someone to do something about it, don’t you? Marion Stoddart was the person brave enough to act on her words. She set out to do the “impossible”, but “was not a lonely person out in the wilderness. She did it by making key allies.”
The Nashua River was once polluted to the point of “no return”, it changed colors even! But yet, Marion Stoddart wouldn’t let the river “die”. She set out to do the impossible and saved the river, even when no one believed she could. I think we should all do the same as Marion, and do our part in saving and reviving our environment.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Reconstructing the School Day
Are you ever overwhelmed because you seen to have too much homework and not enough time to do it? Do you ever feel like you don’t have time to participate in all of you extra activities in addition to school? Do you feel as though you do not have enough energy to make it though the day? If these apply to you, I have come up with an ingenious plan to reconstruct the school day! My proposals are first, that there should be a “Study Hall” class period, and second, that we should have a longer lunch break. I believe that by making these small changes to the school day, it will add to our energy, and take away from our stress! To my doubting readers, you will no longer hesitate in agreeing with me. There would be many benefits that would come from reconstructing the school day. The first benefit that would come from making a longer lunch period is that the students would have time to go out from lunch, so they could have a chance to get savory, mouth-watering, healthy food. Second, this longer lunch break would act as a temporary recess. Third, it has been proven that eating slower is much healthier for your body. The first benefit that would come from creating a “Study Hall” period is that students would have more time to do their homework. Second, it could also free up another class period if a student chooses. Third, it would give the teachers time to get done what they need to. Obviously, one important benefit in this situation is time.
The first benefit that would come from making a longer lunch period is that the students would have time to go out to lunch. Not only should we be allowed to go out for lunch because school lunches are fake plastic, rubber, and disgusting but also because they are very unhealthy. For example: school lunches consist of hamburgers, fries, macaroni and cheese, chicken and rice casserole saturated in fat, greasy broccoli and cheese with random hairs in it, cake chips, rubber hot dogs, expired milk, and unknown meet deep fried in grease and fat. If that sounds healthy or delicious to you, please feel free to eat school lunch. If not, you would agree with ma that we should have more time to eat, so that we could go home or to a restaurant and eat some healthier, tastier food. This is not the only benefit that would come from having a longer lunch.
The second benefit that would come from extending the lunch period is that the break would act like a recess. Students could go home to eat and relax while preparing for the second half of school. At the same time, teachers could also be doing the same. They could take time to grade the students’ assignments, so that they would not have to stay after school for that reason. While relaxing or getting things done is nice, we also should take advantage of this time to eat slower.
The third benefit is that we would have more time to eat our food. It has been proven that eating slower is much healthier for your body. Beside the fact that you have time to savor your flavorful food when you eat slower, statistics show that people who eat slower get fewer stomach aches afterward, because everything that “didn’t agree” with you, has time to digest before actually causing sickness or illness. You also build a stronger body by eating slower, because your body has time to absorb the nutrients in your food. Not only are there benefits of eating slower, there are also consequences of eating too fast. Experts say, “If you eat to fast there is a major delay in feeling your fullness; therefore we tend to overeat, which contributes to wait gain.” Eating too fast can cause indigestion and heartburn. It can also weaken your digesting system, which leads to a weak immune system, which means getting ill more often. Most people do not realize how critical it is to take your time when eating meals, but it creates a healthier body, and less sickness. Creating a longer lunch is part of reconstructing the school, but not all of it.
The first benefit of creating a “study hall” period is that students could optimize this time to do homework, freeing after school hours to pursue other interests. Many students are involved in many after school activities, but do not have enough time for them, because of the demands of homework. Thus, the benefit of “Study Hall”: freeing up that time after school, and significantly reducing the amount of time spent on homework at home, but not the overall time spent studying. During “Study Hall”, the computer labs would also be open so that if students needed to use computers for homework, they could do so. Although this is an important benefit from creating “Study Hall”, it is not the only positive point.
The second benefit is that it could free up another class period for those students who choose. Obviously, there are always some students that do not make good use of time that is given to get homework done, so they could choose to take another elective class during this time. This class would replace homeroom classes, and would not be required. The teachers would be available to answer any questions the students might have on their homework, and the students could also seek help from their peers during this time. This elective class would take place once a day at the end of the day at the same time for everyone, even though the students would be separated into many different classrooms. I believe that by creating “Study Hall” as an elective class, there would be a significant rise in grades, but this time would also help teachers, not just students.
The third benefit is that the teachers could get the things done that they need to. This would act as a “prep” period, for those teachers that choose to supervise “Study Hall”, instead of teaching a class. Teachers could take this time to grade assignments, so that they would not have to stay after school for long hours.
In conclusion, reconstructing the school day by creating a longer lunch period will be more convenient, and by taking time to eat, will create a stronger, healthier body, and will limit sicknesses. Also, reconstructing the school day by creating an optional “Study Hall” class period, will significantly raise the students’ grades, and will reduce the demand for spending countless hours doing homework at home.
The first benefit that would come from making a longer lunch period is that the students would have time to go out to lunch. Not only should we be allowed to go out for lunch because school lunches are fake plastic, rubber, and disgusting but also because they are very unhealthy. For example: school lunches consist of hamburgers, fries, macaroni and cheese, chicken and rice casserole saturated in fat, greasy broccoli and cheese with random hairs in it, cake chips, rubber hot dogs, expired milk, and unknown meet deep fried in grease and fat. If that sounds healthy or delicious to you, please feel free to eat school lunch. If not, you would agree with ma that we should have more time to eat, so that we could go home or to a restaurant and eat some healthier, tastier food. This is not the only benefit that would come from having a longer lunch.
The second benefit that would come from extending the lunch period is that the break would act like a recess. Students could go home to eat and relax while preparing for the second half of school. At the same time, teachers could also be doing the same. They could take time to grade the students’ assignments, so that they would not have to stay after school for that reason. While relaxing or getting things done is nice, we also should take advantage of this time to eat slower.
The third benefit is that we would have more time to eat our food. It has been proven that eating slower is much healthier for your body. Beside the fact that you have time to savor your flavorful food when you eat slower, statistics show that people who eat slower get fewer stomach aches afterward, because everything that “didn’t agree” with you, has time to digest before actually causing sickness or illness. You also build a stronger body by eating slower, because your body has time to absorb the nutrients in your food. Not only are there benefits of eating slower, there are also consequences of eating too fast. Experts say, “If you eat to fast there is a major delay in feeling your fullness; therefore we tend to overeat, which contributes to wait gain.” Eating too fast can cause indigestion and heartburn. It can also weaken your digesting system, which leads to a weak immune system, which means getting ill more often. Most people do not realize how critical it is to take your time when eating meals, but it creates a healthier body, and less sickness. Creating a longer lunch is part of reconstructing the school, but not all of it.
The first benefit of creating a “study hall” period is that students could optimize this time to do homework, freeing after school hours to pursue other interests. Many students are involved in many after school activities, but do not have enough time for them, because of the demands of homework. Thus, the benefit of “Study Hall”: freeing up that time after school, and significantly reducing the amount of time spent on homework at home, but not the overall time spent studying. During “Study Hall”, the computer labs would also be open so that if students needed to use computers for homework, they could do so. Although this is an important benefit from creating “Study Hall”, it is not the only positive point.
The second benefit is that it could free up another class period for those students who choose. Obviously, there are always some students that do not make good use of time that is given to get homework done, so they could choose to take another elective class during this time. This class would replace homeroom classes, and would not be required. The teachers would be available to answer any questions the students might have on their homework, and the students could also seek help from their peers during this time. This elective class would take place once a day at the end of the day at the same time for everyone, even though the students would be separated into many different classrooms. I believe that by creating “Study Hall” as an elective class, there would be a significant rise in grades, but this time would also help teachers, not just students.
The third benefit is that the teachers could get the things done that they need to. This would act as a “prep” period, for those teachers that choose to supervise “Study Hall”, instead of teaching a class. Teachers could take this time to grade assignments, so that they would not have to stay after school for long hours.
In conclusion, reconstructing the school day by creating a longer lunch period will be more convenient, and by taking time to eat, will create a stronger, healthier body, and will limit sicknesses. Also, reconstructing the school day by creating an optional “Study Hall” class period, will significantly raise the students’ grades, and will reduce the demand for spending countless hours doing homework at home.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Adding an Extra Three Minutes in Between Class Periods
Do you ever find yourself “booking” it to your next class? Do you have to go to your locker in between classes, but you just don’t have time? I always find myself in this position. I am always running in between my classes, and barely making it to my next class on time. I am sure I am not the only student in our school who feels that way. A good solution to this problem would be to add an extra three minutes in between our classes, so that we have time to go to our lockers, and make it to our next class on time. The first benefit that would come from this is that students would make it to there class on time. Second, the students would have time to go to their lockers, and third, the teachers could have more time to prepare the classrooms for the students, and for the following class period. Adding an extra three minutes in between classes would be a very positive thing!
The first benefit that would come from adding an extra three minutes in between classes would be that students could make it to their class on time. Teachers are sometimes “fed up” with students being late. By adding an extra three minutes for “hallway time”, the amount of tardies in the school would significantly decrease. Many of the students just have a long way to walk in between classes, but just have a difficult time getting to class on time and going to their lockers. This is not the only benefit from this solution.
The second benefit that would come from adding an extra three minutes in between classes would be that students would be more prepared for their next class period. Many teachers also complain about students not being prepared for class. Adding three extra minutes in between classes would also significantly reduce the amount of students that are unprepared for the next class period. By adding an extra three minutes to “hallway time” helps the students, but also the teachers.
The third benefit that would come from adding an extra three minutes in between classes would be that teachers would have more time to prepare for the next class period. Many times when I walk into the classrooms, I find that teachers aren’t ready to teach yet, and they make us sit and wait for them to get prepared. Does that seem fair to the students, when the teachers complain about us being unprepared for class when the bell rings? I don’t think so! Teachers could have the papers they needed to be passed out, already handed out on the students’ desks when they get in class, and they would have more time to finish grading their papers that aren’t done being graded!
In conclusion, adding an extra three minutes in between classes would be a great solution to tardies, and students and teachers being unprepared for their next class period. This would be a positive addition to the school’s schedule!
The first benefit that would come from adding an extra three minutes in between classes would be that students could make it to their class on time. Teachers are sometimes “fed up” with students being late. By adding an extra three minutes for “hallway time”, the amount of tardies in the school would significantly decrease. Many of the students just have a long way to walk in between classes, but just have a difficult time getting to class on time and going to their lockers. This is not the only benefit from this solution.
The second benefit that would come from adding an extra three minutes in between classes would be that students would be more prepared for their next class period. Many teachers also complain about students not being prepared for class. Adding three extra minutes in between classes would also significantly reduce the amount of students that are unprepared for the next class period. By adding an extra three minutes to “hallway time” helps the students, but also the teachers.
The third benefit that would come from adding an extra three minutes in between classes would be that teachers would have more time to prepare for the next class period. Many times when I walk into the classrooms, I find that teachers aren’t ready to teach yet, and they make us sit and wait for them to get prepared. Does that seem fair to the students, when the teachers complain about us being unprepared for class when the bell rings? I don’t think so! Teachers could have the papers they needed to be passed out, already handed out on the students’ desks when they get in class, and they would have more time to finish grading their papers that aren’t done being graded!
In conclusion, adding an extra three minutes in between classes would be a great solution to tardies, and students and teachers being unprepared for their next class period. This would be a positive addition to the school’s schedule!
Monday, January 11, 2010
“O Brother, Where Art Thou?” vs. The Odyssey
How often do you even hear about Mythology? Why do we even need it? Is there even a point to it? I often ask myself these questions, especially since we have been intensely studying this subject in Mr. Thompson’s class. I have come to realization that we do use Mythology in every day life, even if we do not realize it. Many children’s storybooks are based off of Mythology stories. I also did not realize that many movies are based off of certain Mythology stories. For example, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” is a “spoof” off of the Mythology story, The Odyssey. I personally, found that after watching this movie, it was difficult to compare it to The Odyssey, so I will begin with the contrasting points. First, the main character in The Odyssey is royalty, and not law-breaking criminals. Second, unlike The Odyssey, the story is not violent or gruesome, and nobody dies in this movie. The comparing points are first, they have quite a journey, wandering away from home, in an unfamiliar place. Second, several of the characters in this movie relate to those in The Odyssey. Both of the stories have similar events, but also opposite ones too!
The first contrasting point in The Odyssey is that the main character, Odysseus, is a king, and considered important to those around him. He is a well-liked ruler, and respected by those around him, other rulers and kings, and also those he is the ruler over. However, in the movie “O brother, Where Are Thou?” the main characters are law-breaking, unimportant and undesired criminals. They disobeyed the laws, and were put on a prison farm in Mississippi, to crush rocks so that they did not have to interfere with society. The farm was hard, but at the same time safe, and they were not put into any danger while they were there.
Second, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” does not have a violent or gruesome storyline. They are going through a long journey, but they are somewhat safe while traveling. In The Odyssey, Odysseus and his men are put in very dangerous situations, and there are many deadly experiences. For example: When they are trapped with the Cyclops, or with the flesh-eating monsters, or falling down waterfalls to their doom, or going to the underworld and slowly having the life sucked from their fragile mortal bodies. Although these storylines are opposite in many ways, they are also similar in many ways also.
The first comparing point is that in both stories, the characters experience quite a journey. They wander away far from home or any familiar place, and are both searching to find the path to take them home. There is a long journey that they must endure in both stories. Throughout the journey in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” they meet several characters that relate to those in Mythology.
Second, in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Delmar, Pete, and Ulysses meet some strange people who are much like those in The Odyssey. For example: The sirens (The singing women at the river), and a Cyclops (the one-eyed Bible salesman).
In conclusion, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and The Odyssey are both similar and opposite in many aspects, and are both related to Mythology stories.
The first contrasting point in The Odyssey is that the main character, Odysseus, is a king, and considered important to those around him. He is a well-liked ruler, and respected by those around him, other rulers and kings, and also those he is the ruler over. However, in the movie “O brother, Where Are Thou?” the main characters are law-breaking, unimportant and undesired criminals. They disobeyed the laws, and were put on a prison farm in Mississippi, to crush rocks so that they did not have to interfere with society. The farm was hard, but at the same time safe, and they were not put into any danger while they were there.
Second, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” does not have a violent or gruesome storyline. They are going through a long journey, but they are somewhat safe while traveling. In The Odyssey, Odysseus and his men are put in very dangerous situations, and there are many deadly experiences. For example: When they are trapped with the Cyclops, or with the flesh-eating monsters, or falling down waterfalls to their doom, or going to the underworld and slowly having the life sucked from their fragile mortal bodies. Although these storylines are opposite in many ways, they are also similar in many ways also.
The first comparing point is that in both stories, the characters experience quite a journey. They wander away far from home or any familiar place, and are both searching to find the path to take them home. There is a long journey that they must endure in both stories. Throughout the journey in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” they meet several characters that relate to those in Mythology.
Second, in “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” Delmar, Pete, and Ulysses meet some strange people who are much like those in The Odyssey. For example: The sirens (The singing women at the river), and a Cyclops (the one-eyed Bible salesman).
In conclusion, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” and The Odyssey are both similar and opposite in many aspects, and are both related to Mythology stories.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
New Years Resolutions
Are you already tired of hearing about New Years Resolutions? Are you tired of writing about them? Are you tired of telling them? Are you tired of reading about them? If the last applies to you, READ NO FURTHER!!!!!!!! This essay is all about New Years Resolutions, so if you absolutely positively hate this essay, don’t say I didn’t warn you! Anyway…Every Year at the beginning of January, pretty much all you ever hear about are goals. There are long term goals. There are short term goals. There are monthly goals, and yearly goals, and even seasonal goals! There are a few kind of goals I personally think are important to focus on when setting goals and New Years Resolutions. First, I think it is important to set physical goals. Second, I think mental and emotional goals are important as well. Third, I believe that social and spiritual goals are important.
First, I believe that physical goals are very important. If you do not set physical goals, either because you don’t want to, or you are too lazy, or you just forget, there ARE consequences. You could turn fat and lazy, and just unhealthy. Some consequences are a little more subtle and not quite as dramatic, but physical goals are still important to be made so that you can keep your body healthy and in shape. Although physical goals are very important to make there are other kinds of important goals to make also.
Second, I also believe that mental goals are also very important to make and maintain. For example: Getting a 4.0 GPA in school, reading a certain amount of pages a day, or a certain amount of books in a certain amount of time, or writing a page a day, or writing an essay every week. These kind of goals are very important too, because if you do not exercise these kind of skills, you will loose them forever, and will turn stupid, and all your knowledge will be gone forever never to return! Ok, once again I exaggerated for the dramatic effect, but you will still slowly loose every bit of knowledge you don’t practice over time. I know it is not always fun to make mental goals, but it is still very important. Mental goals also link with emotional goals.
Third, emotional goals are important to make also. Many people do not understand what emotional goals are, and I guess I am one of those people! Maybe just make a goal to be less selfish and be less emotional toward yourself, and more emotional and sympathetic toward others. Try to understand what others are going through and help them overcome their emotional challenges.
Next, social goals are important also. If you make social goals it will help you become a nicer, friendlier person. What are social goals you ask? They are goals like the ones that follow: Make a new friend every day. Go out of your way to sit by someone new at lunch. Ask 10 people you don’t know what their names are every day…etc.
Last, Spiritual goals are a good thing to make. Spiritual goals mostly have to do with your personal values and religion. For example: Participate in church activities, don’t watch Rated-R movies, don’t go to parties that don’t have any adults at them, become more involved in your religion, don’t swear…etc.
In conclusion, goals are very important to make. Although they are not fun to list over and over again, they are very important! They help your body’s health and will make you have a better experience in life!
First, I believe that physical goals are very important. If you do not set physical goals, either because you don’t want to, or you are too lazy, or you just forget, there ARE consequences. You could turn fat and lazy, and just unhealthy. Some consequences are a little more subtle and not quite as dramatic, but physical goals are still important to be made so that you can keep your body healthy and in shape. Although physical goals are very important to make there are other kinds of important goals to make also.
Second, I also believe that mental goals are also very important to make and maintain. For example: Getting a 4.0 GPA in school, reading a certain amount of pages a day, or a certain amount of books in a certain amount of time, or writing a page a day, or writing an essay every week. These kind of goals are very important too, because if you do not exercise these kind of skills, you will loose them forever, and will turn stupid, and all your knowledge will be gone forever never to return! Ok, once again I exaggerated for the dramatic effect, but you will still slowly loose every bit of knowledge you don’t practice over time. I know it is not always fun to make mental goals, but it is still very important. Mental goals also link with emotional goals.
Third, emotional goals are important to make also. Many people do not understand what emotional goals are, and I guess I am one of those people! Maybe just make a goal to be less selfish and be less emotional toward yourself, and more emotional and sympathetic toward others. Try to understand what others are going through and help them overcome their emotional challenges.
Next, social goals are important also. If you make social goals it will help you become a nicer, friendlier person. What are social goals you ask? They are goals like the ones that follow: Make a new friend every day. Go out of your way to sit by someone new at lunch. Ask 10 people you don’t know what their names are every day…etc.
Last, Spiritual goals are a good thing to make. Spiritual goals mostly have to do with your personal values and religion. For example: Participate in church activities, don’t watch Rated-R movies, don’t go to parties that don’t have any adults at them, become more involved in your religion, don’t swear…etc.
In conclusion, goals are very important to make. Although they are not fun to list over and over again, they are very important! They help your body’s health and will make you have a better experience in life!
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