Heavy Medal Day

Everyone knows about the CSTs. Most people just think of them as the insanely long tests you get at the end of the year to show how much you know. Others take them very seriously and want to score highly and be recognized by schools.

At Walter Reed, every year during September, students receive medals based on whether they scored profficient or advanced, perfect 600, or improved on their CSTs. It is a way of making people feel proud of what they have accomplished, and give motivation to do even better the next year.
- Lydia-Jane

To me, Heavy Medal Day is just a small little thank you for doing the best you could, and also improving yourself. I think the CST is a very important part of my education and might get me into a good college. For me it was exciting to get a medal. It made me feel proud of being a good student. Just work and one day it will all pay off.
- Ryu123

When I got my first medal on Heavy Medal Day, I didn't know what it was at first. I thought I was just getting a medal for like good behavior or something. My teacher told me that we got it for improving our scores on the CSTs, and I was really proud of myself. When I got home, I told my parents that I earned a medal for improving my scores on the CSTs! They were really proud of me and shocked! They didn't even know there were medals for that! For dinner we went out like a celebration dinner. We were all really proud of me.
- Violet

Getting a medal for doing good on your CST is a really big accomplishment because it is for something that you did on your own.
- Hyekeaper818

To me, CSTs are a big deal (they go on your record)! When I get a medal I feel good about myself and that's why every year I make sure I do my best!
- Natelie

Heavy Medal Day is a day where you can show pride in what you have accomplished during the CSTs, whether you get proficient or advanced, or you improve in your scores. There are even some people who get perfect scores and get to wear a medal that most people don't. I feel that Heavy Medal Day shows how far you have come.
- Borris

Well, when I get my heavy medal and my CST scores, I get so proud of myself. Because I know I have succeeeded in my goal and have made my family proud and have not failed them. Because no child of my parents will fail or unsucceed! I also know that I've pushed myself to the limit. This year is the year I will score higher than proficient. I have guaranteed that. And my little sister is right behind me, and she will also not fail cause we are all pushing her to the limit.

Last year when it was Heavy Medal Day I actually didn't know or care what it was. But I soon saw people standing or sitting, waiting for their names to be called. And, as soon as I heard my name, I was surprised and excited to go up there and get what I earned. And I still have my heavy medal hanging there, waiting to have a partner! I know I will also succeed higher than before!
-Michelson

The CSTs are a gateway to lots and lots of opportunities. For example, when applying to high school, they look at your CST scores and they judge your admission based on your CST score and many other things. This year I got a 540 in math and a 480 in English. I scored advanced in both subjects! I make sure that every year I try my best and I hope whoever reads this does too.
- Donna

I found Heavy Medal Day quite annoying. Not because I'm not a metal-head - by the way I LOVE heavy metal! Well, real heavy metal - but because the musci they played wasn't exactly heavy metal. But besides that, I did like the fact that they tried. They did have a few good songs though. When I received my CST scores I was so mad when I saw that I was one point away from advanced in English. In math I got advanced.
- Epic pancakes (with mustaches)

Heavy Medal Day and my CST scores mean a lot to me because it determines how well I have achieved and shows me I have done well.
- Elena.N

Last year I was lucky enough to receive both medals.
- KraKra

When you get 1 or 2 medals you feel smarter and happy. And that's the best part of getting medals. Also, when you get medals it makes your parents very proud of you.
- Starburst

It's kind of great because everyone knows we tried our best on the test and how hard we worked. For me the test was kind of tricky, but what I did was try, and read it over and over again, until I understood the answer.
- Sandra

Heavy Medal Day doesn't mean much to me, but my CST scores mean quite a lot to me because I know that schools that I hope to attend look at them. However, I can understand what Heavy Medal Day can mean to some people. I guess it is like a school-wide pat on the back.
- Mayandra

Heavy Medal Day motivates me to work and get good scores. If you do not get a medal, you feel bad.
- Narely

Even though I am extremely devoted to getting good grades on the CSTs, I seem to find that Heavy Medal Day is just simply, for lack of a better word, "cheesy". Many friends of mine agree that free dress or possibly a minimum day would be a better reward than music during lunch. Teachers, despite good intentions, just don't know what makes students feel rewarded and involved. My recommendation is to take votes and get students involved! Heavy Medal Day could be really cool and rewarding if we just changed a few small things! I think that student CST scores would improve by so much!
- pseudonym to come

Well, Heavy Medal Day means to me feeling very special and important. When I got that medal I was happy, my mom was happy,and it was the best day.
- Diana

Heavy Medal Day is important to me because it tells me if I've improved or not. Even though I didn't get anything last year, I know I will do better this year.
- Legoboy

I got medals, but I feel bad for those who didn't. Maybe they didn't study or try very hard, but they probably felt embarrassed, not having a medal.
- Ole

It's a day to be proud of your goals and scores.
- Skittles

I really want to improve my scores this year.
- Mr. Waffles

I think it is a privilege to be able to do good in school because you have the privilege to learn, and to have teachers who spend their time teaching you these things to better your life and education. It's also a privilege to see your score, and to see what you are good at, and what you need to improve on, to get a better score next year.
- new student

I was really excited that I was a part of something, and had noticed that if I really do good in school, I will have a good carreer.
- NickTrick122

School is a huge part of my life and CSTs and Heavy Medal show me that it is all worth it. I get a sense of accomplishment. I am proud to be a part of Heavy Medal Day and get great test scores.
- Kitty

This is our time to be proud. I am so happy to be part of this celebration.
- Button

fav food

My favorite food of all time is definitely sushi. It's really smooth and tasty. I hate it when it's cold. Most people say that sushi is gross, but I think it is so delicious. There's this great place in Burbank, but I forgot the name. My mom took me there for my 13th b-day. They brought me this weird lime-green ice cream and it tasted like green tea, but it was really good.
- Cupcake

20 years from now...

When I imagine my life 20 years from now, I imagine living in a big house with at least 10 rooms, of course a two story house. I have at least 2 grown up children and I am married, working as either a lawyer or, if it works out, as a famous singer! I am living a great life, happy and healthy. (:
- shortcakes

a bet

Well, there was this one time when I was at the poles and I bet my friend he couldn't reach the top pole and go over it. My friend is super short. Well, it took I think two tries for him to reach the pole, then he finally reached it, and I'm, like, he's not doing it. But, since he's short, he doesn't have that much body weight, and he jumped over and proved me wrong. I almost never doubt him now.
- ryu123

blue flute

In the world of the 21st Centurt not everything we do is in black and white. There is always an in-between grey area. I, for example, recently receieved the honor of being accepted into Wind Ensemble. I however didn't realize that until the first day of school. I also do not like playing the flute. Yes, it is a huge honor, but should I accept and not enjoy my 8th grade year? I believe that I should switch out and have the band not be weighed down by a blue flute.
- KraKra

Misunderstood!

When I was in sixth grade, I had a very close friend who was in a different academy. I was hurt and upset when she began to favor other girls in her academy. In a jealous rage, I embarked on a journey full of ignored texts, "I'm busy" answers. I refused to even talk to her. We drifted greatly apart.
After a while, I began to  make more and more friends in my academy. Looking back, I realize that she was just making friends in her class. It was me being jealous and mean that left her running.
- krakra

My friend misunderstood me when I told her a joke. I asked her what school she was going to, and she said a performing arts school. I said, "Why? You don't have any talent besides playing on your blackberry." I meant it as a joke, but I did realize that it hurt her feelings. We decided not to be friends anymore.
About 7 months later, we decided it was stupid that we weren't friends and we decided to be close again. NOW I know that she takes things very personal and that will be the last time I say a joke to her that might hurt her feelings. Hopefully since we are neighbors, we stay close friends forever!
- Borris

Different Galaxies

Well, one time in 7th grade I was playfighting with a guy I had just met. The bell for nutrition had just rung, and we were bumping into each other, and I guess I pushed him a little too hard because Ms. Alexander blew her whistle at the both of us. Little did he know that I was just a seventh grader. So, I was misunderstood by both my friend, who thought I was in eighth grade, and Ms. Alexander for thinking that I was trying to hurt my friend. Now, we call each other and are really close. He graduated and I miss him soooo much!- Cupcake

I tried to go to the library around lunchtime. Two things went wrong: the bell when I was almost there, and some guy came from like thin air. I'm like, where did he come from or whatever. I reached for the door when I heard his voice say "What are you doing? THe bell has rung. Get to your class." I tried to convince him that I was just returning a book but he didn't want to hear it. And I got it in late/ From then on, I return books right when I am finished with them.
- Ryu123

In sixth grade I was trying to find my class, and I mispronounced the teacher's name when I asked for help. They didn't know who I was talking about, so I was afraid that I didn't have that teacher. I went to the office and told them, and then they told me where to go. I thought the teacher should have known who I was talking about.
- Violet

A time when I have felt misunderstood is when I couldn't play a scale in my orchestra class. Everyone was laughing and I did so bad that the teacher had to come over to me and explain how it goes. I felt so misunderstood because I DID know how to play that scale, I was just so nervous. And, to top it off, all my peers made me feel worse. I'm not that great at cello but I try hard and that's all that matters.
- Button

One time, when I was yelling at my friend, my teacher thought I was yelling at her and she kicked me out and I started yelling at her.
- Stickers

One day, I got into trouble for something I did not do. I told the adult that I didn't do it, but she asked who it was. I pointed into a group and said "That one. The one with the black colored jacket." She thought I was pointing to a different group.
- Mr. Waffles

I feel that people, especially adults, overall misunderstand teenagers in general. Starting in about the 7th grade, you start to feel like teenagers and adults come from different galaxies. Emotionally, mentally, it is just hard to understand each other all the time. But I'm a teenager and I just have to deal with it.
- Kitty

The Library

The library for me is very peaceful. When I go to the library I do my homework, so I won't have to do it at home. I also go to the library to read. When I go to the library it changes me because the library is peace and quiet, so then I become quiet also.
- Hyekeaper818

Ms. Walker's old office

A special place for me on the Reed campus would be Ms. Walker's old office. This is important to me because it is where I switched into honors Humanities.
One day I was called into Ms. Walker's office with three other people, one of them being my friend. She offered us a chance to switch into Humanities Honors. I was unsure of my decision. Almost all of my friends were in regular Humanities, and they didn't want me to leave their classes.
I went home that night and talked to my parents about what I would choose. I ended up switching into honors. I made a bunch of new friends and my old friends switched into honors too! I am glad that I made the switch.
- Borris

The Rose Garden

I eat lunch and nutrition in the Rose Garden. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of the Rose Garden is laughter. I laugh so much in the Rose Garden. My friends seem to always have a joke up their sleeves or just something funny to say. A more specific story was on my birthday in March everyone sang happy birthday to me and my friends gave me homemade cookies and a card signed by everyone. They did this in the Rose Garden which made it even more special a place for me.
- Tonya


My favorite place on the Reed campus is the rose garden. That's where I hang out with all of my friends. Nothing super special happened to me there, but I do remember hugging my best friend for the first time. Me and this person were very close for the whole seventh grade, but I had never got a hug from her. During the last week of school she gave me a long hug and I began to cry. She doesn't go to Reed any more but I'll never forget that day.
- Button

I go to the rose garden all the time to have lunch. The rose garden has so many flowers and trees. I feel good in the rose garden because the wind blows through my hair. The leaves were blown away from the trees. That's what I like about Walter Reed.
- Sandra

Skittles

Memories of Schall Park....

There was a Medieval Fair going on at Schall Park. A lot of people were trying new foods but I didn't want to try any that I've never tasted before. I saw all my friends trying new foods, and I didn't want to try anything at all. After a few minutes I realized I should try something new! So, I tried something new, and I loved it. It tasted really good. I was happy that I tried something new and awesome tasting for once. Now I try tasting new foods.

Stickers

The benches near the cafeteria remind me of last year with all my friends. I remember when it was my friend's birthday and I brought her a cake and a present. At lunch all her friends were around her including me, and it was the 2nd best day in 6th grade. We were all happy and excited for her. She was always sweet with everyone. When it was cake time she got some frosting and put it on our cheeks and noses. After, when the bell rang, we went to P.E., and one of my friends was playing around and said "I'm going to keep the frosting on to run!" Then a teacher saw her, and said where did she get it, and took my friend's cake away. So, sometimes our memories can be good, then end up bad, and later on we can laugh.

Shortcakes

One day, when I came to school, my friend pulled me over next to the elevator by the C Arcade and this kid I really liked came near and asked me out. I smiled and said yes. That was the happiest day of my life.

lunch pavilion

A place that has meaning for me at Reed is the pavilion. It reminds me of 7th grade, when we always hung out there. It was different last year. I have learned alot from that spot. I have gotten smarter.
-Weird

 

Many places on the Reed campus have meaning for me, but the one with the most meaning is... ughh it's so hard to choose! Probably though it would be the pavilion. And everywhere too! That is my fav hangout ever. That is where I met this really cool guy. He was friends with my ex. Had it not been for my ex, I would never have met this really cool guy.

-Cupcake

the basketball courts

A place that I like at Reed is the basketball courts. I like it because I hangout with my friends there.
- Daliah

I've been playing on this spot since sixth grade. I mostly have all my friends there. I love playing basketball, it's my passion. I started in the beginning of second grade. My mom said that she was a basketball player, and maybe I was just born to play!
-Michelson

Mamasita Love

This place is where my last year 8th grade friends would hang out for lunch. I miss them, so that is why I took this picture.

NickTrick123

This place at school is important to me because two friends and I found what we believed to be a queen bee here. She had the same body as a regular bee except bigger, and with a see-through butt.

NickTrick122

I used to eat lunch by myself with my friends. I didn't know them yet, but they still sat at the same spot. One day they did something that made all of us laugh so much. I knew I was at the right place. We started hanging out more, laughing and messing around. That spot is the best memory of the time I've spent in Walter Reed Middle School.

Sandra

The day I got back from summer break was the day I became an 8th grader. My mom was excited that I am in the 8th grade because I get to do fun things and graduate from a middle school. When I graduate middle school I will go to high school, but I might not see my friends again. When I graduate I will have a yearbook for remembering my friends.

Ms. Mintz's YearBook Class Blog: Mission Statement for Reed Middle School Life 2011-2012

The purpose of this blog is to encourage students to express themselves, speak their minds however they want without judgment, and give an opportunity for people to respond to each other. Feelings, thoughts, and everyday experiences including our trials and tribulations can be communicated in a friendly, safe, environment. We hope this blog will be cool, entertaining, and unforgetable.

We hope it will bring students closer together, and help students meet new people that they didn't even know existed at our school. Reading each other's blogs will help us learn more about what is going on around our school, and maybe help guide new kids through middle school challenges. Informative and personal, our blog will be a way for people to connect. We as a school can feel closer to one another because we have shared experiences to which we can all relate, and we are asking each other what we think. This blog is about people working together to reach a common goal: communicating what Reed Middle School life is like today.

This blog will be run by students with a little help from teachers. It will be run by us because we know exactly what we feel, and we want to know and understand each other. We also think our writing skills will improve, and that we can show our artistic talents. We hope some teachers will also write on our blog, because  we want to know how teachers feel and how their days are. We can also inform younger students what to expect in the future. This blog is a new way to share events going on around school. We're the new generation. Our blog can show the world what a group of public school students in a school facing budget cuts and layoffs can do.

We hope this blog will document what happens this year at Walter Reed. When we graduate, we want to look back at our middle school blog and be proud that we did this. The comments that we get back will tell us how we are doing. Walter Reed Middle School is pulsing with creativity!

Thank you,

Yearbook Class 2011-2012

Dalila: High School

When I graduate high school I am going to get a job, buy a car, and then sign up for college. I might go to Pierce College because that’s where my brother attends now. I'm going for my bachelors degree, so that’s like three and a half years. I’m going to take my career education seriously. I have to make sure I pass all of my classes, so I won't have to retake them. If God gives me the opportunity, I will make it, and be the the detective I have always wished to be.

Dalila: My Grandpa

My grandfather died three months ago of cancer all over his body. It was shocking to hear that he had that, but stuff like that happens in life. He was in Mexico, hospitalized for weeks. Many of the doctors told us that they could not do anything about it, and that we should just wait till he died. Once my dad heard that, he told me to go online and buy a ticket, I'm going to Mexico to see your grandpa. So I did , and my dad went. When he arrived, grandpa could barely talk. I'm guessing because he was feeling pain. Three days passed, and he died. My dad had made everything ready, and they buried him. That was the saddest day of my life, I don’t like these kind of experiences in my life.

Dalila: The person I admire the most

My mom is one of the persons I admire the most. She gives me a roof to live under, and provides me everything else I need in life. She is also very proud to have me with her. Now that I am going to high school, she is getting sad, because she knows I am growing up, and she doesn’t like that. She wants me to stay little, but, that’s impossible. My mom, shes, cool, I love her to death, but she has to comprehend that I'm growing up, and life is life.

Dalila: Writing Exercises

Well, I'm almost done with my writing exercises, and I'm very excited. Because I'm almost getting my laptop. I have been writing anxiously for my laptop, finishing all 60 exercises. Hopefully I will get all of them done by next week, because I am almost graduating.

Dalila: Daisy

Daisy, is like a sister to me. She is always there for me when I have my up and downs, and no random person would do that. Daisy and my brother Jesse have been dating for three years now, going on to four. I’m so happy that they have been together. We moved one block away from her house, so now I will see her more often than usual. Which is great, because she is sweet, and I just love her

Dalila: Favorite Animal

My favorite animal always has been horses. They are the most sentimental and nicest animals out there. My dad has an Aztec horse. Our horse is gorgeous, very tall, with long arms. She dances beautifully to the beat of every song. When I'm big I want to own a horse on my own, even though having a horse is expensive and hard to take care of.

Dalila: Church

I got to church every Saturday. It is called “Church of God” conservative. My religion is one of the most important out there in the world. We worship Saturday because the bible says so, and that’s the only day we worship God. Many people attend 5 days a week especially Sundays. But we don’t, and there is a meaning for that. I love church, I love being with kids there. Every Saturday at church I learn and explore new things, such as Adam and Eve, Jose and Maria, and many other stories.

Dalila: Dad's Birthday

Today, May 18^th, my dad turned 39 years old. It is sad to see him get older each year, but I'm very thankful I have him with me everyday. My big brother Freddy and his family came over, and we went to eat at a Mexican restaurant called Vallarta! We always go there. I'm tired of eating there, but that’s my dad, he loves that place. We talked and we enjoyed his birthday with joy and happiness

Dalila: How I feel about getting my laptop

I am very excited about getting my laptop. Because it is going to be mine, just for me, and nobody else. This will be my first time with a laptop in my hands that’s mine, and I worked hard for it. I think it is really nice of Ms. Vodhanel for giving us these laptops, who would ever think of that nice a thing to do. I really appreciate all the time she had for us. And I'm going to miss her.

Dalila: My Best Friend Natalie

I met Natalie 4 years ago, in church. Her grandma has been going to this church for a long time, and once she decided to take Natalie with her. Natalie and I started talking about ourselves,  getting to know each other, and we found a lot of our stuff in common.  So, Natalie liked our church, and she stayed there. She loves learning about new things. Every Saturday we go, and  she is a teacher for the younger people. I'm so happy to have her in church. We already have a lot of memories together in church and outside of church.

Dalila: My Buddy Jonathan

My best guy friend is Jonathan. He’s been with me through good and bad. I am thankful I have him because he is  always putting a big smile on my face. He’s a really nice person. I met Johnny in 7^th grade, in my fifth period class, which was Ms. Webb’s science class. She sat me across from him. He was really kind, and funny, and I would make him laugh. We have many great memories together that I won’t erase from my heart. We are both going to the same high school, so that’s good. Hopefully I will  get some classes with him.

Dalila: Cars

When I get my car, I want it with a loud system and big chrome rims. I want a 2010 Range Rover. Meanwhile, while I am in high school, my mom is going to give me her car, a 2006 Nissan Altima. When I have a good career, then that’s when I’m going to buy my future car.

Dalila: Yard Sale

These past months my cousins and I have had a lot of yard sales. Every Sunday we wake up early in the morning, and put up tables and many signs for the people to come to our huge event. When I earned a hundred dollars, I was so happy! I didn’t know what to spend the money on. So, I went to the mall. I bought some white vans without shoe laces because I hate tying my shoes. After that, I went to my favorite store, Forever 21. I wasted 70 dollars on clothing there. Added to the 40 dollars I spent on my shoes, my money went bye, bye. But, next week, we put on another yard sale, and I made 50 dollars more, and I was happy again.

Dalila: Sarahi

My life, my pain, my feelings are all because of this special women I love with all my heart: My aunt, Sarahi.  She has been through a lot and she’s only twenty one years old. She has been alone all her life with no one to give her advice. I’m the one that has had to give her advice and  get her through to where she is today. Sarahi is very pretty and intelligent, and she loves kids and school. I love her because she is an achiever in life. I want to be like her when I am older. People really admire her and what she has done in her life, knowing that she has been by herself. She is the Best Aunt I could ever have.

Dalila: Mexico

I was born in California, in the North Hollywood Hospital. My parents were born in Mexico in a very brilliant city called Michoacan. It is a wonderful place where you can spend your vacation peacefully next to the light blue water and next to the warm, light brown sand, eating some delicious grilled salmon. I haven’t been there yet, but my aunt goes every year and come back with videos. The videos get me excited and make me want me to go even more. I want to feel myself the warm light brown sand on my toes. Hopefully I will get to go this year with my dad and my brother Jesse.

Dalila: Decoration

When we moved to our new house I asked my dad if he could paint my room pink. But, not any pink, especially not a dark pink. He did the painting that I asked for, but wouldn't let me see what he did until it dried. Finally it dried, and he let me go in. 

I checked it out, it looked great. Then I thanked him for the fantastic job he did. Now that days have past, I’ve gotten bored of the color that I chose. Now I want to change it to a couple brighter colors. I was thinking of changing the color to lime green, and yellow, and orange too. I love bright colors. I get excited by bright colors.When I see bright colors it brightens me up and I daydream about many things. When I see black or gray, I get bored, and nothing comes to my mind, which is bad because I like hate the fact that nothing pops into my head. Unfortunately, I also really like the way that my dad paint my room. Although, I want to have my room another color. Maybe I could paint one wall all stripes with all the bright colors I can think of? And the rest of the walls pink? But only my dad will get too choose. I have a great dad that likes to paint and I'm really lucky to have a great dad.

Spring Brake

Over spring brake I moved homes. It was boring, because all I really did is clean up and fix up my room with posters and decorate it. Nice sheets and everything.  I told my mom that it wasn’t fair for me to stay home and just fix up the stuff when my brothers got to go out to Six Flags, or got to hang out with friends. I got mad at her. After I told her that, she took me out shopping. But, the sad part was, even though she took me, I had to use my own money. 

I’ve been saving up for my new car because I’m going to start driving when I’m 16 and a half, that’s my goal. My mom wants me to get a Nissan, but I don’t like those cars. I’m either getting a buggy or an Acura. I feel very anxious about getting a new car on my own. My dad is thinking of getting me a Mercedes, but I don’t like them. If it messes up, its like 900 dollars to fix it. They are good cars for gas usage, and I also have to work to pay for my gas, and because I don’t really like asking for things from my parents, I care about gas usage. I’m still a dependent, I’m still a child, living under my parents’ roof. I’m still in school, so I have to do as they say. My parents support me, and they want me to do well in school and finish high school. So, after all of that, she took me to Macy’s and Urban Outfitters to get clothes because I love style.

Dalila: Vacation

My most memorable birthday was when I was 11 years old. My parents planned a surprise birthday and all my friends were invited. The best part of my surprise party was that we were picked up in a limousine in front of my school. The limo was incredible, we had a good time inside of it. My friends and I  drank, ate, even danced to the music, and stuck our heads out of the sun roof. It was a blast. We went straight up to Redondo Beach, and when we got there, we got of the limo, and we all played volley ball on the sand. It started to get dark, so we all sat down and saw the sunset. The sunset was beautiful. It had a very nice color, and it was so light, hitting our faces while we were laying down in the wet sand, cause we were very tired. We had played the whole day. Then, after that, we went home and another surprise was waiting for me. Everyone was hiding in my house, like in the dark. All my family yelled SURPRISE and turned on the lights. I almost started crying for the joy I had inside of me. It felt like they all cared because they were there with me, supporting me on my birthday, and I felt really special. I felt like the main one. After that, we all started eating, talking, chilling. And we even started dancing because of the joy we all had inside of us.

Dalila: New Classroom

Downstairs, lower B building, Ms. Moore’s class was remodeled. It looks like a Barney house. The colors in here are very bright, colorful for the kids. And that is great because it shows that this classroom is for kids our age, also because it makes the classroom very happy. The walls are purple and like, a lime green, and the cabinets are yellow. The cabinets are tall and many cooking pots fit inside. We got new tables and tall chairs, which are a cool thing, because they are better than the ones we had before.

Lisa

I can’t believe it! Not even me! My sister can finish one whole foot long subway and I can’t! 

Yesterday we went to subway, we were going to race with my brother on who could finish a whole foot long first, and my sister won!  My sister of all people. If you see my sister, you would be shocked, that lady is like a stick!  I don’t know how she did it, but she did. I need to win her, but me can't.

I don't know what happened to me. Before, I would have been able to beat her. Now I can hardly finish a whole sub!  I need to beat her. That was like the ONLY thing I could beat her at. Now I have nothing, NOTHING!

I can’t wait till something appears that I can actually beat her at again.  Before, I was able to beat her at swimming, because she didn't know how to swim. But she learned really fast, and she beats me at that too! Can u believe that, I sure cant! Hopefully she gets hurt doing something, and then I get to beat her.

Wish me luck people! Hopefully I beat her at something this year. And, THIS year, not in 2012, this year in 2011!

Lisa

What are my plans for the future? Well, right now, I have no clue! No clue at all. My mom wants me to become a lawyer, but I don’t want to be one, I think it's too much reading and stuff.  I don’t do reading (haha :) ) .  I have had so many goals in life that I have always failed. My mom doesn't like goals either, she doesn’t like the idea, or she just thinks I’m going to fail on it, so she doesn’t approve of it. The point is, I never finish it. I set my mind to something, and always, and I mean always, end up failing.          
Unlike my mother, my dad is always on my side! He always wants me to try something new, but at the same time he tells me what to do.  Before I go out and try something new he always asks me "Are u sure you’re going to be able to finish it?"  He always makes sure that u don’t put your self in things, that you know you are capable, don’t just go in because I think I’m too smart for the class.

Lisa

I hate Watches!  Especially when they are not digital!  Before, I didn't know how to tell time because I never payed any attention to what was going on in, I believe, second grade, or first grade, when they were teaching us how to tell time. I never learned until, like, 6th grade. 

 Before, I didn't want any watches because I didn't know how to read them. But then I saw the digital ones: those were cool, and they had lights and everything.  There were different colors, and that's when I was getting into watches.  There was this one that was very big, and it had a stopwatch and everything. It had light and stuff, it was amazing, but it was too fat!   

Then I saw the perfect watch, the best one! It was like a bracelet, and I liked how small it was.  I asked my dad if I could get one, and he said yes, because I had never asked him for one. And when I asked the lady to get me one out so could see, she handed me my favorite color and everything.  It was the perfect watch, and the great part about it was that it was my 1st one.
         
I liked the fact that it was my very 1st watch and i got it my favorite color too: YELLIOW!

Lisa

If I had a wand, all the things I could do! Whoa: I would cry, because I would have everything in the world! I would own the biggest candy factory ever, and I would ask for the factory to be like Willy Wonka's. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, is edible!  I would have the biggest house on the block, actually, I would make my whole block my house!
         
Yup. OH... and I would make my brother disappear, and I would make, like, 20 rooms just for me. I would have millions of dollars a week, and I wouldn't have to do home work: my wand would do it.  I would scare my mom and dad, and I would be old enough to drive.  I would make all the bad people go away, so that there would be no fear!
          
But then, out of no where, this weird beeping noise came.... I hear my mom yell some one was pushing me but I couldn't see them and -- BOOM! A big bucket  of cold water was thrown on me by my  brother, and that's when I woke up from the best dream ever.  In the dream I didn't understand why I wanted my brother to disappear. Now I remember why.

Lisa

I have this friend: omg she is so damn cheap!  She wouldn't even let u borrow her pencil because she doesn't want you to waste the lead.  She is the worst. Sometimes I feel bad for her, but don't even get me started with her family. Her brother only has one pair of shoes, and he does every single thing with them on! If he could go in the pool with his shoes on he would. And he pokes his nose all the time! he says that he’s going to buy new shoes when he wastes the one's he has right now.  I don't know what’s wrong with those people. Me and my friend sometime don't get her family, but she loves them, so she sticks with them.

So what I did one day, because I thought she need to learn how to spend her money, I took her to the Sherman Oaks mall. And she was, like, oh my gosh, I’ve never been here, its so dam big! But right away she went to the cheapest store she could find and bought the most bummest things ever.  So I decided to take her to Macy's, jaja. She was, like, oh my gosh, I can't get that, that's too much. And I was, like, omg its just 40 dollars. But she wouldn't spend it so I took her to AREO. But she didn't like anything in the store. And I think she was just making excuses not to buy a 20 dollar sweater.
         
In the end, I took her to a shoe store, the last store that I thought she was going to spend all the money in the world,  lady foot locker. She went nuts. The shoes were bright, and she wanted to buy every single shoe. Jaja, like me, and she found the perfect ones.  She spent 105 dollars for them, and after that, my lord, who could stop her? She bought a few things, they were really nice and expensive.

Lisa

   Hmmm, coward? I really don't use this word in my daily vocabulary, but here we go. Anyone who is a bully is a coward! Like really, why go ruin someone else's life?  If you have problems, go talk to someone. Don't go pushing people that are not even your age.  Like, man up or something is something you are not, but really messing someone else.
         
I was walking home from school one day. I saw this girl crying. she had a bloody black eye and her lip was popped.  I was so mad, I was more than mad. I asked her who had done that to her. she said she didn't want to say, because she will just get beat up more if she told.  I went to my school counselor, but she didn't help at all. Sometimes school sucks with that. So I just went to my English teacher, she always knows what to do.  She told me to be her friend, to try to be with her a little more, and to try to make her stronger. And I was like what???? How is that supposed to help her? I didn't tell her that directly, but I was, like, for the 1st time, she’s wrong!
          She showed me something that day, and it was that I should always do what’s right.  I did some stuff she told me to do. In fact, me and Emily are now best friends.  She ended up telling who the bully was, and she was sent to a charter school.  She has more confident about herself now, and she has a very strong personality.

Lisa

I have no control over sugar!  I eat candy like 5 seconds!  And I can’t control it!  I try and try, but candy and I are like two soul mates haha lol.  I'm just attracted to candy. I like all sorts of candies. I don't think I can make a whole day without sugar. I think that I couldn't go without touching it or seeing it. My parents don’t know this, but it's the sad truth, ha ha :D. I have a box of different kinds of candy under my bed, and one under all my teddy bears, somewhere, where my parents won’t look. I also have one hidden in my sisters room.  I think I might have a problem. Just a little one, OK maybe a huge one. 
         
I think that for me the biggest addiction is CHOCOLATE!   Once my school was selling that finest chocolate things, and I bought 41 chocolate bars from my friend!  And I finished them in less that 4 days. I have this friend, he knows that I have to have chocolate, or any kind of candy. So he decided to help me. If I want a candy  I have to ask him, and if I don’t, and he knows about it, he will get mad at me. And he's like my best friend. So that's working so far, kind of :)

Lisa

Bip! Bip! There it goes, the alarm at 4 in the morning. I have to get ready to go pray. It's kind of not an option for me, I have to do it!  Well, I get up, get ready, like i was going to a real service. But of course I don't do my hair, and I just comb it and stuff. Then i go out in the cold and into the car. We drive about 7 minutes and we go pray. 

When I first started going to pray at 4 I would fall asleep after 30 minutes. My sister and my brother would always laugh. There were other people there praying, but they understood because I was like 7 when i started.  but now I'm 14 and I don't fall asleep. We make fun of my brother who is 17. He starts off praying like crazy, and, like, 10 minutes later, he’s snoring like hell.

Lisa

She was the best teacher ever! She would always read to us and she was the best reader ever: the emotions she did, the different voices, I wanted to read just like her.  Sometimes I would pretend I was reading to my class. I would do different voices, just like her. I would ask questions before turning the page, just like she would.  The funny thing was, I would make predictions and pretend I was in class, and only I would get the answer right :D I was a crazy.

I remember a week before she left, she told me she wasn't coming back to my class. That she needed to go to another school and that she was going to miss me very much.  She said that she was going to miss my very interesting stories and that she was going to come visit. 

But she didn't come visit. She just left, and she like forgot about me. I got mad about that, but I got over it as I grew up. I never guessed that I was going to be just like her.
        
I became a very famous writer and it was because of her. She got me inspired when I was in the 3rd grade

Lisa

There so many sports to choose from: there was Baseball, Basketball, Football, Soccer, Cricket, Tennis, Racket Ball, Swimming. Unfortunately shopping is not a sport :P haha.  there are so many to write about, but I choose to write about hmmmm ???? Golf.  I’ve been playing golf in P.E. this week, and I really suck at the sport. You have to have a specific position for hitting the ball and everything.

Something about the left hand on top, and the right hand on the bottom, or something like that.  And  you have to have your legs in a certain position too, and you can't lift them up. You can't look up when you are hitting the ball, you look at the ball, and keep your eyes on it.  I got graded on how I hit the ball, and I got a "C". A "C"! But it really didn't count on my grade in class. But still I never get those kind of grades in P.E.

I'm going to get graded on it again. This time he told us what he’s looking for; hopefully I will do it right, and get a better grade then what I got the 1st time. Even thought it didn't affect my grade that much, for some reason I feel very bad for it.

Lisa

On the 4th of July my dad always has to get fireworks to do. He says it reminds him of when he was in Guatemala as a kid.  My dad has this thing for fireworks, he gets so, like?  Well, let's just say he turns into a little kid like that every single year.  I kind of like it, but at the same time, he gets too crazy with them.  Two years ago he spent over 500 dollars on fireworks and he didn't regret it.  I remember he bought this stick looking thing call "Estrellita's" in Spanish.

This year was way different than the other years, he actually didn't spend as much! I was, like, wow :0, i was shocked, and i just couldn't believe my dad.  He ONLY got 10 fireworks, and little tiny thing for little kids and stuff.  I was, like, really? He never gets baby fireworks, or whatever.  We were all just confused. We didn't know what was wrong with him, we thought it was because he didn't have money and stuff. But we were mistaken, he did have money to buy fireworks like he always did, just that last year he got the best ones ever.

But we didn't know what was in store for us!  He bought the biggest, most, like, I can't even explain them! They were called rockets.  When you lit one on fire, it made a big BOOM!  Then the sky was lit with the most beautiful colorful lights ever.  It was just beautiful. I cant wait till the next 4th of July!

Lisa

One day we were all in the car.  We were driving to Arizona and it took us about 2 days, non stop.  My dad drove, and when he was tired, my sister drove, and when she was tired, my brother drove.  But, like, my mother doesn't know how 2 drive. She didn't drive at all.  But, she gets bugged when we bother her saying jaja :) you can't drive, and you are getting too old to go take the test. She gets so mad she turns into a red tamale.

My mother really has some anger issues.  That’s why I don’t like messing with her, because once you mess with her, she makes your life HELL.

lISA

ME VISTES! ME VISTES!  That’s what my mother yells out every single time she is blamed for something she did do!  My mother has some anger issues sometimes.  My mother doesn't like getting blamed for things she does, like when she burned the tortillas, she was like, " No, it wasn't my fault, it was Susie, I had her doing them".  And the funny thing is that i was never in the kitchen. My mother detests getting blamed for stuff, especially from my dad.

Lisa

It was in 4th grade when I got my 1st diagram project.  And it was awesome!!  Because I got  an A+ :D.  My diagram was so colorful my class voted my diagram the most colorful.  For that cause I got a ribbon jajaja!  But in 5th grade, it was the worst of all projects. It was horrible!  ! I was suppose to do a volcano that exploded, and when I was presenting, like always, I got nervous.  I didn't put enough baking soda in the vinegar mixture, it didn't explode all the way.

I was so red after that presentation that I wished I was back in 4th grade, when I did so good in my diagram.  I ended up with a "C" because of that, and, yea, from that experience I learned a valuable lesson: don't get nervous in presentations.  Unfortunately, it didn't work again in 6th grade. I presented my book report, and i got a good grade, but only cause the teacher was cool with me.

Lisa

I have a new microphone.  It’s Gold!  I sing in my dad's church right now, and I’m about to start singing as one of the main people.  My sister started just like me, but she went straight into melodies and bass in the piano, and then in less than a week she became a leader and started singing.  I started singing, then I did some melodies in the flute. Right now one of the pianists left, and I have to fill in for him, so I’m starting on the piano on Saturday.  I’m kind of nervous, but I am used to everything, because I got through a lot in church jaja, like falling on the first day I sang!
My dad is trying to get me to enter playing the piano. Like, whatever, so I told him maybe, I will if he gets me a new microphone and a clear one.  I don’t know why, but I saw one, and I always wanted one after that.  For my birthday I asked for it, but my dad said no, its too much money. But, like, I asked him when he really needed me, and he said yes. 

Lisa

Every Friday at 4:00 am my parents wake up extra early and drive one hour to East L.A to the "best" flower place ever! I don't recall the name, but my parents love the flowers there.  I have been there like twice!  And my parents have been going there for almost 9 years.  I think that one of the reasons why my parents like this flower shop is because you can smell the sent of the roses, tulips, daisies, and carnations.  And once you go in, you can see all the beautiful bright colors! 

I can already just imagine!!! The thing they love the most is the green room. The green room is where all the best flowers are. There are carnations as big as 3 hands.  They are SO long they almost touch the floor.  All you feel as you walk into the green room is the breeze of the cold air conditioner with a big scent of roses, ivy, and my favorite flowers: tulips. All the flowers in the green room are humongous.

Even though my favorite flower is the tulip, inside the green room my favorite plant is the ivy.  The ivy almost touches the floor, and sometimes there are decorated vases filled with ivy all over the edges, almost touching the floor, so wonderfully decorated.

Lisa

I haven’t been hanging out with my best friend as much. I don’t know why, but I feel like I’m losing her.  When I want to hang out, she’s with another friend or something, and when she wants to hang out with me, I’m either busy or talking to a teacher. Over the weekends she’s busy, and so am I.  but on Monday we actually got together, and put everything aside, and it was shocking (haha), because she had a boyfriend I didn’t even know about, and I had one too, but I had told her, and she though that I had broken up with him. She thought that my dad didn’t know, and, well, it was a big giant ball of confusion. At the end of our little conversation we decided to put apart more days so that we could actually talk, and, well, yeah, just be closer like we were.

Lisa

Friday: Run test! I like running a lot. When I go to high school I want to join the track and field team. If I could, I would run 5 hours straight. I would run forever because I love waking up to the morning sun shine, and feeling the flowery, naturey smell in the morning. That's what wakes me up in the morning. I can't wait till high school so that I can wake up, and I know that I'm going to be running most of the time.

Lisa

 

In the beginning of middle school, in 6th grade, I knew that I wasn't going to be one of those people who come up to her teachers begging for a better grade.  I haven't done any begging and I'm still going to graduate.

I hope this year, when I do graduate, that I won't feel bad for all my friends who don't.  I struggle right now to keep some of my friends on track, but then I think it's not my fault, it's theirs.  One of my friends says that she doesn't want her kids to end up like her parents.  She wants them to finish middle school, take everything seriously and actually make a difference in life and in their family.  I want the same for my kids.

Lisa

Today I’ve been going around the school,  into my class rooms, and asking my teachers what are my grades in class.  The most important report card is about to come out, and I need to do my best on this one.  This is the one that counts for everything in my life.  Graduation!  If I get accepted to advanced studies in high school.  Oh, man, I have a lot of things to worry about.  So far its bad, I have like straight “C’s” . I need a way to start raising up my grades, and fast.

  My sister was the second person in my whole family to actually go some where after high school.  In fact, in my part of the family, it’s only us that actually want to go to a university.  My cousin Steven was there first, but he’s on and off.  My sister, she got accepted into a private university that is very close to our house too: Woodbury. She is learning architecture there.   

Matthew

The Simpsons is a really funny show. I like it because it is full of comedy. One time I got mad at the show because they talked about my religion. I wanted to send a letter to the producers and make them feel bad, the same way they made me feel bad. My mom heard it too, and she screamed "What is that rude show you are watching?!" And I said that it was The Simpsons, and I showed her that it was a cartoon. She said that she didn't want to hear anything inapropriate anymore, or, she would block the channel. Next time I will remember to lower the T.V. volume.

Matthew

I like to drive cars - in video games of course. The closest thing I have gotten to driving in real life is a bumper car. I would like to own a Chevy Camaro. By the time I am old enough to drive a car, 2009 Mustangs are going to be old. I hope that a 2012 Mustang is going to be my first car. When I was in sixth grade I was hit by a car, a Honda Civic, on my way to school. The person who hit me was not looking both ways, and I was severly cut on my leg , I was really scared. Since then my knees haven't been the same.  My dad took me to the hospital. They said I was alright, it was just a cut and a bump. I had fast instincts, because I managed to jump over the car. When I drive, I will remember to look for pedestrians, and look both ways before turning.

Matthew

Food is a great thing. It keeps living things alive. There are many different types of foods from all over the world. My favorite type is Chinese food. I like Salvadorian food too. My favorite Salvadorian food is pupusas. The best filling, to me, is cheese. Mmmm… pupusas. When I was in 7^th grade I had cooking class. I was cooking a type of Chinese soup and I touched the pan and burned myself. I have also cut my finger when I was cutting an orange and it was not bad, but it did bleed. Food is not that easy to make. I'm going to keep the cooking to my mom.

Matthew

The first game ever created was called Pong. Well actually it’s the first video game. My favorite game is called Call of Duty Black Ops. It is a First Person Shooter game. It is based on the Vietnam War. You play as Alex Mason. He is a double agent and a war hero… in the game. I like video games because you can be a person that you wouldn’t be in real life. Once when I was little I acted like Spiderman and tried to climb the wall and I fell and bumped my head. That's when I learned that many things that you see in video games and movies are not real.

Matthew

Running is a great sport. I am not a fast runner, nor a long distance runner, but I want to be. I think I am going to join the Run Club. I am… heavy, so I need to start running more.  I really like running because I like to move my legs and to feel the breeze going through my face. I have thought of running regularly in the mornings, but I am saving that for the summer.

Matthew

My Favorite sports are basketball and baseball. My favorite teams are the Dodgers and the Miami Heat. The coolest things about sports are the different types of situations you can be in. You could be down by one point with 5 seconds left on the clock. Situations like this are very, very, very, tense. I once played a team sport at North Hollywood Park, and I was the one with the ball (this was when I was not good at basketball), and it was the last 5 seconds in overtime, so I had the chance to shoot it, and sadly I missed. It was fun, but I was a little bit disappointed. Situations like this are very tense. I learned never take a chance when the odds are slim.

Matthew

Guitars

Guitars are really cool. I like to play them. They have 6 strings and are hollow. They can change their tone. Their strings can be tightened. I once cut my finger on the very small string of a guitar. I will never recklessly strum a guitar again. They are really cool instruments.

Matthew

Apple Inc.

Apple is a company that is revolutionizing the world, but I think that they are revolutionizing the world too fast. They will make it so that computers become more advanced than humans. I can’t afford an IPod Touch. I had once screamed at a kid for teasing me about not having one. I feel like I am being left out, because many people have IPod touches, and I don't.

Matthew

My Job

When I grow up I want to become a police officer. I like police officers because they enforce the law and stop criminals. I also like the many parts of being a police officer, like working in a forensics lab, or just in criminal investigation. Of course there are many more parts to this job, but I can’t name them all. I hope to be a police officer one day by going to school and studying hard.

Matthew

Xbox360

What I want is an Xbox 360. I have been asking my parents for 2 years. It seems that they don’t want to buy it for me. I think it is because they don’t want me playing video games. One way or another I am going to get it. I have annoyed my mom a lot asking her for it. The first time I played it I was so happy, but I forgot that it was not mine.

Matthew

Minecraft

MineCraft is a game based on your imagination. It is whatever you want it to be. The only thing is to watch out for the zombies and creepers. Zombies attack you and creepers explode. I love this game. It is a game where you can create anything. I have spent more than 14 hours playing this game. It is so addicting!!

Matthew

DNA

DNA is the initials which stand for one nucleic acid. Ribonucleic acid has the initials RNA. I like the model for DNA. It looks like a giant spun chain. The difference in living things depends on the DNA. For all I know I can have the greatest DNA ever. Once in science class we took out the DNA from peas.

Matthew

Public Bathrooms

They are dirty and yucky. I don’t like the smell of them. They smell like waste. It is just disgusting. I hate that people urinate all over it. It is so nasty. I despise public bathrooms. I once fell inside of the actual toilet. The worst part was that it had gotten waste onto my new shoes.

Matthew

Tagging

Tagging is just dumb. Why do people do it? Just to mark their territory? I think not! They are either related to gangs or they just want to be cool. One time I saw people tagging and I screamed at them and they ran away in fear. I just don’t get what is so good about destroying someone’s property!

Matthew

Smokers

I don’t like smokers. They are doing something that is bad for them. I had a close relative who died from smoking; I miss him. It is weird because they know that it is bad. It has been proven that it does not release stress. I hate the smell and I hate to breathe it in. They are ruining the environment!!

Matthew

Street Lights

Why are some street lights slow and others fast? The other day I was with my mom, and we stopped at a red light, and it took about 5 minutes, and it was frustrating. I think it should take 1 to 2 minutes, tops. I wondered how it’s programmed?

Matthew

Dancing

Dancing has been around since forever! It is a form of expressing yourself. I like to dance. My favorite dance is called the dougie. It is a simple dance. The most common dance is either the shuffle or the fist pump. One time I twisted my ankle while dancing and I was walking with a limp for about 3 days.

Matthew

Birds

If I were to pick a type of animal to be, it would be a bird. I like birds; they are awesome flyers and have good instincts. Some birds are kind of scary. I dislike vultures. They are gross types of birds. Favorite is the Bald Eagle. They are powerful and intimidating. I once was attacked by a pigeon when I was eating bread outside and it left me a mark on my face for a week.

Candy

You can really get a lot out of reading. For example, your grammar can get better. Your writing also gets better, your speaking too. You would be amazed how much you can get out of reading at least 15-20 minutes a day.

Candy

Having a journal, diary, whatever you want to call it, can be liberating. It can be a way for you to express your feelings. Once, when I got into a fight with my mom, I grabbed my journal and I started to write down what I was feeling. Afterwards I felt much better, and wasn't mad anymore. It helped me to calm down.

Candy

When I rode a horse for the first time I was in Mexico. I was only 4 years old. I rode the horse with my dad. I was sitting in front and he was sitting behind me, holding me tight so that I wouldn't fall. Still to this day I go horse back riding. It is something that I enjoy and that I like to do in my free time. When I ride a horse it reminds me of when I was a little girl, when I rode a horse for the first time.

Candy

My family is the best. They are there for me 24/7. They have helped me overcome all the bumps I have had in my life. My older sister is a good example to me; I know I can always count on her for support and comfort. I can always count on my younger sister to put a big smile on my face. And my parents always giving me the best advice. We are one happy family. Of course we have our good times and bad times, but who doesn't. At the end of the day, we are always there for one another

Candy

If you watch too much TV it can be really bad for you. When I was smaller my parents would always tell me to back away from the TV. And I would always say no, why? And they said if you continue watching TV this close, you are going to end up using glasses. And, I don’t want to wear glasses, so I stopped watching TV so close. TV is fun when you are bored but, be careful, because you may end up using glasses.

Candy

Sleeping is fun. I mean, who doesn't like to sleep? I am a very heavy sleeper, and not just any noise can wake me up, not even a baby crying. And that is very loud and annoying. I am a type of person who sleeps in on weekends when we don't have school and don't have to wake up early. People say sleeping is both good and bad for you. It could be bad because you can get to much rest and could get Diabetes. And it's good because you are resting. I think it's good for you.

Candy

My favorite thing to do at Citywalk is go to the store Sugar. That store is like heaven. They have all different type of candy like Gummy Bears, Sour Worms, Baby Ruth, Bubble Gum, Candy Corn and Skittles. Once I went to Citywalk with two of my friend. We had just finished watching the movie The Lonely Bones. We went into the store sugar and we put our money together, and bought a lot of candy I mean a lot of candy. Within 30 minutes we had finished the bag! The candy tasted both sweet and sour it was a good taste. When my mom picked us up we were all very hyper.

Candy

Once I was running late to school and I skipped breakfast to be safe with my time. But when I got to school my head started to hurt, and my stomach started to growled, and I was not sure why. So went to the nurse and I told her what was wrong. The first thing she asked me was if I had eaten breakfast, and I answered no. She said that's why my head was hurting. And that is when I realized that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Candy

On Presidents Day we celebrate and honor all the presidents that we have had in the country. School is closed on this day because that is a way of showing that we respect and are thankful for all that the presidents have done for the United States. I went to my cousin’s house on the last President’s Day, we had a BBQ, and it was a fun day.

Some ketchup on the side of the plate and take my plate to my room and then do my homework for school.

Candy

Flashcards are very helpful when you are studying. I use them often. When I had my vocabulary test coming up I took out my flashcards and studied. I went to my room with my TV off so that I wouldn't get distracted. I looked at each word, then flip the card and tried to memorize the definition. Then when my test came I was ready to take the test. This is the way to get an A.

Candy

Moving to middle school

            Moving to middle school from elementary was a big change for me personally. School went from having one class and one teacher, to having seven classes, and seven teachers: one teacher for every subject. In elementary we had one teacher for each subject. The grading system was different in elementary. In middle school we have A B C D and Fails, in elementary we had 1 2 3 4. In elementary it was recess, and in middle school is nutrition. So yes, it was a big change. I've gotten use to the whole system now, I am in my last year in middle school, and I’m an 8 grader. Next, I’m going to be a 9 grader starting my first year in high school. But I am looking forward to high school.

Candy

Daddy

My parents tell me crazy stories . I remember this one story in particular. My mom told me when I was 1 years old I was really close to my dad. One day my dad had to go to Mexico, and he was gone for 4 weeks. When he came back I cried whenever he picked me up and carried me around. I thought he was a stranger. I would cry and cry every time he tried to carry me, or hug me. With time I got more comfortable with him, and I got used to him. This story is always going to stay with me in my memories.

Candy

Pancakes are really easy to make. First you get the pancake mix, then you pour the milk into it, and you add an egg. Next, you mix it together, and then you pour the mix onto the pan on the stove. Once I remember when my mom was teaching me how to make pancakes. She taught me how to make them step by step. It’s a moment that I will not forget. Because after we finished making the pancakes we sat around the table and added some syrup on top of the pancakes. With a glass of milk on the side.