Reflection Blog

What are the three most important things you have learned this year?                                  
The three most important things I have learned this year is TIQA format because my paragraphs and my information is written very strong and it has really made me grow. Without TIQA format, my paragraphs wouldn’t be organized the right way. Next, I learned about the Holocaust. I think out of all the topics we have discussed, this one was very crucial to talk about. Many people died in this event and my teacher has the opportunity to spread the word about what happened. We can learn about our mistakes and not let history repeat itself. Finally, another important thing that I learned about this year is to be a role model. Now that I am in middle school, and I am graduating, I really had to be a role model this year since we are the “leaders” of the school. I want to mark a role in someone else’s life and going to read to little kids in Emerson really taught me to be helpful. These little kids listen to us read to them and one day, they will be in our place. We are so much older and wiser and I really do see that they look up to us eighth graders.

What is something we did this year that you think you will remember for the rest of your life?
 Something that my classmates and I did this year, that I will remember for the rest of my life is giving our "This I Believe" speeches. I put a lot of effort and heart, eventually to the point where I started crying during my speech. It was not easy, but overcoming your fear will help you in the future. In high school, there will be many instances where you will get asked to do something in the whole class, and you will not be able to say no. Mrs. Larson really did show me that public speaking is not that hard, and you will feel relieved once you finish. Opening up to my class about something so personal, felt good because I know they are not the kind to judge. Everyone got to share something about their life and we did get closer as students. Public speaking has been the worst and I am a really shy person, so this speech will never be forgotten.

What was the nicest thing someone in our class did for you this year?                                              
The nicest thing someone in our class has done for me this year is when I forgot the book, The Giver, Dena sent me the pages of what I had to read. It is amazing of how technology works these days. I really appreciated what she did for me because I would’ve gotten into consequences for not getting my homework done. I also had to do annotations or during that unit, it was called signposts. Once she sent me the pages to read, I did my annotations and was ready when the teacher came around to check who did their homework and who did not do their homework.

What is something you taught your teacher or classmates this year?
Something that I have taught my teacher, following my classmates is the power of enthusiasm.  I taught them to live life to the fullest and that we should never take it for granted because we should appreciate the time we have left . Remembering also, to always have a smile on your face and surround yourself with the people that are meant to be in your life.

In what area do you feel you made your biggest improvements? What is something you accomplished this year that you are proud of?
The area that I feel I made my biggest improvements on was my argumentative essay. This unit took quite a while to finish, but it was really worth it because I strongly agreed with my reason and stuck by my side with very precise information. Something that I accomplished this year that I am proud of is getting mostly 3's and 4's throughout this language arts class. This class has taught me so much, that maybe I thought I was going to fall a little behind. The amount of homework was okay.  When students say that there was lot of homework , I think it means they do it last minute and that's when they come to a realization there is a lot of homework. But other than that, I was caught up in my work and got good grades, I'm really proud for being a strong student.

What was the most challenging part of this year for you? 
The most challenging part of the year for me was the butterfly project. Reading my poem and understanding it was a little difficult because the children who wrote the poems, used terms that I did not know. Also, this involved a lot of art , which I am not good at but it was a really interesting project.

What was the best piece of writing that you did this year? Why do you think it is your best?
My best piece of writing, in my opinion was one of my  Articles of the Week. I think that this was my best because in the beginning of the year, we did a lot of annotations and analyzed the text very well and that helped me develop a good way of writing. If I did not understand a word, I searched it up on the dictionary and that helped me get a clearer background knowledge of what I was going to summarize.

Of the books you read this year, which was your favorite? Why? 
My favorite book I read this year was Night because it was really inspiring to hear how Elie overcame the Holocaust. Imagine losing your dad during this horrifying event, and now you're alone. I mean Elie had to worry about himself now and survive on his own without his father. His father was his motivation to not give up and die. It was very hard to picture what he was going through but it is great to see how he survived and he is a whole different person for what happened.

What advice would you give students who will be in this class next year? 
The advice I would give students that will be in this class next year is to pay attention to what Mrs. Larson says. She takes the time to teach you and you should respect what she does for you. Also, do not do things last minute because it will be harder for you to catch on, on what you are learning about. Do your IXL's or else you will be in working lunch until you finish them. Overall, be positive around your classmates and especially around Mrs. Larson, she is such a great teacher. Appreciate her because you will be in high school, and the things you do in her class, will help you.

   

" This I Believe " Blog

Overcoming Obstacles”

By: Nathaly Galvez

      Growing up, my mom always told me that the life we have here is temporary. At any moment, something can happen to me, my mom, my dad, my brother - in general, my loved ones. I believe that enthusiasm can drive you to overcome any obstacles in life


       When I was in 7th grade, I was bullied numerous times by girls that I thought were my “best friends”. It turned out that my friendship was taken for granted by people that judged me easily. They judged me on how I acted, what I wore, who I was friends with.  Frustration and engagement were the words describing how I felt.It was a very difficult time for me. It led to a point where I let anyone and anything step over me.

     It was night, and they all messaged me saying hurtful things. At the moment, I thought to myself will they ever stop ? I lied to my mom the next day saying that I was sick, I went to work with her and she realized that I was perfectly fine. Eventually, I ended up telling her what happened and I saw in her eyes that she felt hurt I was feeling hurt. That wasn’t acceptable to her. We went home and my brother came home from practice yelling at me. I usually get my charisma from him, he told me to be the bigger person in the situation, to not care because life's too short to be serious all the time. I stress over the minor things and over think and to my brother that is “hilarious”. He would constantly start laughing and pointing his finger at me saying mean things but in a funny way. Not only did I start dying of laughter, but I also thanked him, and I’m very fortunate to have a brother like that, especially one that was in my shoes before.

    The two words I think of when enthusiasm comes into mind is laughing and smiling. I learned to surround myself with the people that came into my life for a change and the people that stood by my side through my many adversities. One girl named Claudia. She has been the most supportive and uplifting girl who for me, she's been like a sister.  Also, for the people that crushed my spirit, I have them to thank for.  I wouldn't be the person I am today without them. My character has definitely built up. I became not only a wiser person, but a stronger and perseverant person.  In the future, I hope to raise my family with the power of enthusiasm . It will strive them to become successful human being.They can use this value for themselves and for the use in someone else's life.
   
     Imagine the smile you can put on others, imagine the impact and influence you can have on someone's life. It is important for people to value the time they have on left with family, friends, and close ones. The real secret to life is living it to the fullest, the key to living it, is living it in an enthusiastic way.
 

                                                       

Literature Circle/Non-Fiction Article Blog

   
      One of my essential questions while reading the book, Things Not Seen, is if Bobby ever goes back to the way he was? This question tied to the novel because the whole conflict happening in the book, was Bobby turning invisible. It was mostly an internal conflict between Bobby and himself. Bobby didn’t want to stay invisible for the rest of life and the fact that he found out that Sheila had been invisible for three years, made him feel more afraid because he thought to himself if his invisibility was going to be a permanent condition. His father and Alicia’s father made up numerous ideas to reverse the invisibility, but they couldn’t decide how much more time they needed. Several weeks, months, and maybe even years. There was also an external conflict because social services came into his home with a search warrant, Bobby has skipped school for many days and it was starting to get suspicious. Social Services had to call the police and interview Bobby’s mother for questions, the lie that the parents told the authorities is that he is in Florida with his Aunt Ethel. Then, social services calls into Florida and makes sure, the authorities follow the address of where Aunt Ethel lives to identify if Bobby is there. Bobby’s mother is starting to get frustrated because social services keep coming in her house, unwelcomed and uninvited. The longer the parents keep the lie up, the more chances of them getting put in jail. Bobby does not want that. It connects with the essential question because it is important to ask if Bobby turns back to himself because the conflicts keep rising. The outcome of the essential question is that Bobby turns back to himself, It was Alicia’s idea, “two negatives make a positive”. If Bobby tries the electric blanket again, he cannot become more invisible, so he decided to try to sleep with it again. As a result, he was back to himself and living a regular life.

     While reading, Things Not Seen and the article, “8-year-old who is blind prepares for reading competition in L.A.”, it showed me multiple differences and comparisons. The relation between the article and the book is that it focuses on the condition of being blind. The two topics that are talked about both in the article and the book is that a disability does not define what you can or cannot do, you have to have a strong mindset and know you can do anything if you believe in yourself. It states in the book, Things Not Seen, “ ...Alicia's smiling and nodding, moving her head to follow the voices of the people at the table. She looks like she could have just graduated from college. With honors. And three proposals of marriage” (Clements 183). This quote means that even a person with a disability, shouldn’t give up on their lives. Alicia is blind but a very intelligent person that can get very far in life.  Alicia clearly shows that blindness will not interfere with her view on her future.  Likewise,it states in the article,” Now, his reading has earned him a bigger honor. In Los Angeles, he'll compete in the Braille Institute's Annual Braille Challenge. Amare, who is blind, is one of 50 finalists from the U.S. and Canada. He made the finals by scoring in the top 10 out of 310 students in his age group on the institute's test.” This means that despite the fact that he cannot see physical things around him, he can read Braille very well and will be competing in a challenge. Amare accepts the fact that he is blind and knows it doesn't affect the way he goes on about his education and learning.

The way the article and the book contrast is the age difference. In Things Not Seem, it states," ... Plus she's right about people avoiding her. No one walks near her, no one even looks at her for more than a second." (Clements 84). This quote is stating that Alicia also feels invisible because no one even bothers looking at her and no one walks near her. She feels isolated and sadness. She was once very popular in school but when she woke up one day and couldn't see anything, her world shifted into a different way. She lost contact with her old friends and it was a very hard time for her to cope. In the article it states," ...Maybe that's why stories in books are so real to him. "It's like if he reads it, he truly believes it," Peterson says." This quote clearly states that Amare is a young boy that likes to read. He is taught by his teacher who is trained to teach students with vision problems. Amare hasn't reached the stage of an adolescent and it changes the perspectives because he has a different mind than Alicia. Amare has his family who supports hi, and his teacher who loves and appreciates the time spent together of learning and reading. Overall, in Things Not Seem, it talks about isolation and in the article, it talks about how you should surround yourself with the people that help you the most. It all ties in because both main characters are blind and their disability doesn't stop the, from becoming wiser and stronger.

Clements, Andrew. Things not seen. New York: Puffin , 2006. Print "8-year-old who is blind prepares for reading competition in L.A." Newsela | 8-year-old who is blind prepares for reading competition in L.A. N.p., 17 June 2016. Web. 12 May 2017.

Literature Circle Blog

 
     The book I am currently reading with my literature circle is called Things Not Seen. It is based on a boy named Bobby suddenly waking up invisible and does not know how it happened. Bobby ends up telling his parents and at first, his parents thought he was joking, but Bobby demonstrated a trick to them so that they could believe him. He grabbed a spoon and placed it on his nose and his parents could see a spoon in mid-air. This is unusual because the day before, Bobby had a visible human body. How could a 15 year old just turn invisible all of a sudden? However, with all these questions, his fear rises because as he turns on the news, his parents got into a car accident. He is all alone now. No one can figure out that he is invisible because they will take him and break him up and his family, that is the least he wants to do. While in the house alone, he goes to the library and bumps into a blind girl named Alicia, Alicia and Bobby start talking and build a connection fast. As Bobby's parents heal, him and Alicia spend time together, and I learn a lot about their relationship continuing the book.

    Who is the most important character to you? Why?

   I think the most important character to me is Alicia. I think she is the most important character to me because I can relate to her so much even though I am not blind. Last year, in seventh grade, it was a pretty bad year for me. I was distant from a lot of people and I don't regret going through that because it made me stronger as a person. She says it seems like she was "invisible" as well as Bobby. Being seen but not noticed. I think the people who decided to put me down, came into my life as a lesson, to be the person I am today, and accept my differences and the beauty behind them. I was invisible to the people who blocked me out of their lives, they never seemed to notice me, they always had to say something that dropped my low esteem, so being invisible was part of my daily basis in school. It did hurt but God put me through those obstacles, and I overcame them with the people who did stay by my side and defended me.

    Is what you are reading believable? Why or why not?

      The book I am reading is not believable because a person cannot just become invisible. It is physically impossible for a person to disappear from their human body. It would be a scientific phenomena. It is based on a fiction story. Gravity does not work like that either. A spoon cannoot just float in mid air without scientific explanation. I think this book really has its own perspective on things, it makes it seem believable though. The police coming to check Bobby's house to see if he's there, he can feel people, the whole story seems believable but it is not. The science of this Earth does not work in a way making people invisible. I do think, that a person can be emotionally invisible to other people, but the question does ask if what I am reading is believable, and the main conflict here, is a boy becoming invisible and not knowing what happened to him. 

 

I commented on  Christian's blog. 

3rd Quarter Reflection Blog

    Of the books I have read in 3rd quarter, my favorite book was Night by Elie Wiesel. I think that this book really influenced my way of learning about the Holocaust. I didn’t know much about the topic, mainly about Jews and the Nazis. In our Language Arts class, we had to complete tasks and go to websites to look for the answers. But reading Night gave me background knowledge, it portrayed imagery, and most of all it portrayed its mood and tone the most. Imagine being in a concentration camp, living under that type of torture, it really touched my heart knowing he survived and still lives up to this day. He survived through the work, through the exhaustion, starvation, and the losses of his loved ones. The courage to build up that strength was impressive. At such a young age, everything was taken away from him, that is one thing I admire of this book, he accomplished to focus on himself and learn to live without anyone at his side, the world is not perfect, but he definitely did his best to great through his adversity.

    The area that I have most improved in English Language Arts is collaborating with my group. For example, we had to create a poster and discover themes for Night, we each had to look for quotes in our book and discover how it related back to the theme. We all helped each other out and I think it is really important to work with my table because we all put in effort and do not give up when we think something doesn't seem right, we continue and try our best.  PARCC is coming up, and my mind has to get ready for the questions being asked. Reading is not my strongest subject, but this quarter definitely helped me learn new things for the future.

    Something that I have accomplished during this quarter, that I am proud of is, persevering into my argumentative essay unit. I have always looked at presidential debates for the running of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. One day, I want to debate for something important in my life. Something small that affects me , to something big that affects everyone. The thing that I accomplished, is researching into gun control laws. I am proud of myself for choosing this topic because it affects communities and people. People are getting killed and we do not have it under control. We need stricter gun control laws and stricter background checks on people. Although it is hard for me, I stay too specific. My teacher checks up on me, sees how I am progressing, she says that I am too specific. I searched for sources that relate to my claim. I am proud for reminding myself that I can accomplish this type of goal. It makes me stay persevered and strengthen my confidence.

   The most challenging part of this quarter for me was research. Research and research. Looking for credible sources is not easy. Many websites have grammar errors, punctuation and spelling errors. It Paraphrasing quotes is also a challenge for me because I try to interpret the information at my best ability but some of the words in articles,  are complex . As fourth quarter arrives, I want to rise and improve in my complications. I also got distracted by personal things outside of school, my focus is important because it strives for success. Third quarter overall, was not my best quarter, but it was not bad either. Fourth quarter will be better, it is my goal to get fours in projects and assignments. I usually go for meeting standard, but I want to achieve fours.

Life is Beautiful Blog

 

Life is Beautiful

 While watching Life is Beautiful, I observed some similarities that can be compared to Night. For example, one similarity that happened in Life is Beautiful, is that Guido (main character ) receives a message from his Uncle Leo, that the Germans are on their way to capture them. Guido is in fact an Italian Jew. According to the information about the Holocaust, the Germans’ goal was to get rid of Jews. In the movie, the horse sprayed in green paint, had a message from the Germans. Uncle Leo warns Guido that they are coming to get him and he must evacuate the area. Guido does not believe him and he stays optimistic. In Night, the people are ignorant and do not listen to what Moshe the Beadle has to say about the Nazis coming to Sighet. Moshe survived because he acted dead. He came rushing to his community, spreading the word that the camps the Jews are being sent to, are meant to put them to work until their last breath. The Sighet Jews stay optimistic and hope for the Nazis to not come their way. Another similarity shown in Life is Beautiful, is the son and father relationship like the one in Night. As they are heading to the concentration camps, Guido and Joshua (his son) travel in the same cattle carts and in Night, Elie and his father were inseparable. They both remain together, and do everything in their power to stay alive for each other. They both care deeply about one another and make sure they are safe. The love really shows in both Night and Life is Beautiful because the bond they have is incredibly strong, Guido takes food given to him and gives it to his son and in Night, Elie and his father watch over each other when going to sleep. These are some similarities shown in Life is Beautiful  and Night.

    As well as similarities, comes differences. I observed many differences from Life is Beautiful and Night. One difference shown in Life is Beautiful and NIght, is that Joshua is much younger than Elie. This can affect the way they are both different because Elie is much more mature and realizes that his life's in danger. However, Joshua thinks that he is in a game. A game that if you win 1st prize, you get a tank. In order to get 1st prize, you must receive 1,000 points. Joshua is still a little kid and doesn't understand what is happening to him and his father. He is still living in his childhood while it was taken away from Eliezer. In the movie, they incorporated the defeat of Ethiopia, by bringing an animal and a flag. Everybody in the Grand Hotel, started to clap because they took power over Ethiopia. They also have two different leaders. In Life is Beautiful, the leader is Mussolini. Mussolini brainwashed children and had an inspector go to schools and had them learn about their beliefs. In Night, the leader was Adolf Hitler. Hitler didn't brainwash children, however he sent them to the crematorium or gas chambers because they were “useless”. They could not do the heavy work because they did not have the strength. Not only were the events different from each other, the mood and the tone were also different.

Another significant difference shown in Night is that it's tone is depressing and Life is Beautiful, the tone is humorous and cheerful. Throughout all the torment, Guido still manages to protect his son by the truth by filling him with humor. In Night, the whole story was depressing and scary. Elie and his father write about their experience, living in harsh conditions while in the concentration camps. They had a point of view of being desperate to live. Their life was in their hands, the Nazis were treating them so bad, they sometimes felt like giving up. Death always crossed Elie's mind, I would too because the things, the work, the labor we had to do, was so exhausting. My bones would ache, and my stomach would be in flames. On the other hand. in Life is Beautiful, their point of view creates humor because when Guido, gets captured by the SS, he knows that he is going to die. He says goodbye to Joshua, and walks away in his goofy, silly, walk. The final thing Joshua saw, was his wink. I find it so amazing that in the goodness of his heart, he finds his sense of humor, knowing that he is going to die, he still smiles and makes Joshua smile. He is a true father, a father that loves his son so very much, that he has to hide all that fear and terror in his body, to make Joshua think he will be okay. But this goodbye, meant that he was on his way to his death.

Life is being shown beautiful throughout the film in so many ways. Life is Beautiful really impacted me. It was such an emotional movie that teared me up. One example shown in the film that makes it beautiful, is the setting. Guido mainly travels in the city and finds his first true love there (Dora). The setting is really important because the audience wants a better picture of where the time period is taken place. His family enjoys living in the place they are in the beginning, the nature, the animals. The grand hotel was a marvelous beauty, that so many people went to. Guido was a servant and really enjoyed his job. Another example, that shows how life is beautiful in the film is the love. When it asks how life is beautiful, it does not have to be something physical, it can be emotional. The love Guido has for his wife is breathtaking. The first time he laid his eyes on her, he completely fell in love with her. They went on a couple of dates, had fun, and smiled endlessly. As well as Guido's love for Dora, Dora's love for Guido is jaw dropping. Dora's husband and child were being sent to concentration camps on cattle carts and she told the soldier that there has been a mistake. When the soldier tells her, that there is no mistake, she decides to put herself on the train. Incredibly courageous. It inspired me because love is so beautiful, if you truly love a person, you will do anything for that special person, in tis case, putting your life at risk is one thing she decided to do for the sake of her love for Guido and her child, Joshua.

"Night" Blog

As our language arts class finished reading “Night”, we have witnessed many changes that have impacted Elie as a person and character in the book. His struggles to maintain his faith. In the book, while Elie and all the other prisoners were marching to Buchenwald, Akita Drumer lost his son on the way. Unfortunately his son was trampled to death. Elie responds to this by asking,” Where is the divine Mercy? Where is God? How can I believe, how could anyone believe, in this merciful God?” (Wiesel 73). This quote shows how Elie has changed because in the beginning of the book, it really explains how pious, Elie was. Elie had no teacher to teach him the Cabala, however he finds Moche the Beadle, and Moche becomes the teacher. It states,” We would read together, ten times over, the same page of the Zohar. Not to learn it by heart, but to extract the divine essence from it” (Wiesel 3). This quote differs from the first quote because it shows the change Elie has been through relating to the relationship he has with God. At first he was religious, he even wept while he prayed, but now he doubts his God and believes he doesn't help him in anything. This is one way that Elie has changed as a character, the faith he has in his God.

Another way Elie has changed as a person and character in the book is that he becomes emotionally mature. In the beginning of the book, it states,”I didn't know that this was the moment in time and the place where I was leaving my mother and Tzipora forever” (Wiesel 29). This quote shows how Elie was separated with his mother, and this really affects him because he is so young, losing a parent and a sister is difficult to cope with. Elie was innocent and naive, his childhood was beginning to fade by entering a concentration camp. In the beginning of the book, he is really devoted to his family, his mother, his sister and dad. As a result, Elie’s mom and sister die. The way he changes is that he becomes mature and focuses on only surviving, once his father passes away, he watches out for himself. It states in the book,” Your age?" he asked, perhaps trying to sound paternal. "I'm eighteen." My voice was trembling”(Wiesel 31). This quote shows how an age difference can mean life or death. Now that Elie is “18”, he has to go through painful obstacles and he has to make sure he comes out alive in the end. It states," I spent my days in total idleness. With only one desire: to eat. I no longer thought of my father, or my mother” (Wiesel 113). This quote shows how he only focuses on himself and the only desire he has is to get food. The thought of his parents do not pop into his head because now that he has no one, he must stay persevered and determined to survive. In the beginning, he is naive but he transforms into a mature, single minded, young man.  

In conclusion, after reading "Night", we have witnessed many transformations with Elie as a character. The Holocaust really impacted his life and changed him into a completely different person than he was, back then living in Sighet. Elie changed in positive and negative ways, he lost faith in his God but also started focusing on his survival. He was selfless because he had his dad, his dad was the reason that he kept going and not give up, but now that his father passed away, he shone the light on himself. 

Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York : Hill & Wang, 1960. Print.

 

"Fear" Butterfly Project

"Fear"

Today the ghetto knows a different fear,
Close in its grip, Death wields an icy scythe.
An evil sickness spreads a terror in its wake,
The victims of its shadow weep and writhe.

Today a father's heartbeat tells his fright
And mothers bend their heads into their hands.
Now children choke and die with typhus here,
A bitter tax is taken from their bands.

My heart still beats inside my breast While friends depart for other worlds. Perhaps it's better – who can say? – Than watching this, to die today?
No, no, my God, we want to live!
Not watch our numbers melt away. We want to have a better world,
We want to work – we must not die!

Eva Picková, 12 years old, Nymburk  

I commented on Erik's, Denise's, Josh's, Arely's, and Sam's blog.

Berlin Memorial Activity

What did you learn?

     This Wednesday, during Language Arts Class, we did an activity contributing to the unit we are learning about. The Holocaust. In the activity, I learned that as years progressed from 1933 to 1945, laws and restrictions against Jews went up. At first, I learned that once Hitler rose into power, he wanted the Jews to get used to the torment, so he extended the laws to specific ones later on. From 1933 to 1945, I have seen a big difference in the laws. In 1933, I learned that the laws were mainly about jobs being taken away from the Jews. Jewish teachers had to be discharged, Jewish judges were placed on permanent "leave", (meaning they could not longer be a judge) and Jewish civil servants were discharged from their jobs. This period of time must have been difficult because what if these Jews had families? A son, a daughter? The jobs were the part that offered them money to support them, but by being taken away, they fell right to being poor.

 Why do you think this monument was built?

    I think that this monument was built for a memorial to the people that were musicians, and kept persevering their way through life although Hitler prevented it. Music was one of the things that were also taken away from Jews. They had to turn in their radios to the Nazi's. A monument is to remember those who died from an event in history. The Holocaust was a terrible, traumatizing, and horrible event that affected many Jewish families and Gypsies. Unfortunately many people died during the Holocaust, but the people that marked something, will not be forgotten for what they did. The Jews or Gypsies were overruled by the Nazi's but for example, the people that helped Anne Frank's family to hide, their effort to help was a good deed that they will mark for the rest of their lives.

 What did you notice about the number of laws passed in certain years? 

      I noticed that the laws passed in certain years became more specific. They became more specific because towards the end of the years of the Holocaust, the Nazi's began to take their food, they had curfews, they could not use a public telephone, and Jews had to wear yellow stars with the word "Jew" on it. At first it was jobs being taken away, but as time passes, it was almost like the Jews' life were a schedule given by the Nazi's. Hitler was a man with power and it was sad that the Jews couldn't unify because they weren't strong enough. They were abused in so many ways that they could not fire back. All these years were continuous of torment until 1945. 

Which restrictions do you think you would have the most trouble dealing with and why?

I think the restriction I would have most trouble dealing with, is not being able to graduate. I think this would be hard because education plays an important role in my life. My parents taught me to work hard in school, and the fact that I can't accomplish that, would be hard for me. Graduation gives me a chance to close a new chapter and open a new one. Jewish children could not go to public schools any longer, and it is required for children to attend school here in the United States. As the future approaches all people, we need to prepare for the journey of success we will have. Part of that journey, has to include graduation. 

2nd Quarter Reflection Blog

In what area do you think you made your biggest improvements in English Language Arts?
      I think that my biggest improvements in English Language Arts is to read the text and analyze which quote is the best to support my topic sentence. In Language Arts, our teacher gives us an assignment called Article of the Week. The instructions are to first make annotations to help better your understanding of the article, take the pop quiz, and gather all your evidence to create a central idea of the article. There needs to be at least two to three pieces of evidence, the evidence we get from the article are quotes. The quotes have to relate back to the central idea, it was a struggle to find the quotes to tie back to the central idea. From all the text, there are many quotes that need to be mentioned and are there for extra information. It is important for me to follow the TIQA format, this format helps me throughout my reading. This is the area I think I made my biggest improvement because it becomes easier for me to look through the text and locate it. I have also become more manageable with my time. Studying for my vocabulary quizzes, reading for my 10 book challenge, and completing IXL goals that are due on Sunday.


What is something you have accomplished since the new year that you are proud of?
       Something I have accomplished since the New Year that I am proud of is becoming more organized. I would use one folder for all of my classes and I would lose all the important things I needed for Language Arts class, the notes , articles, they were lost. I had to make an effort to organize all of my things because if not, I would lead myself into consequences. Id possibly go to working lunch and be behind on what we were learning in class. Now that I am organized, I've become more successful and doing my homework diligently and strongly determined. I have pushed myself to strive and cite evidence to get to a four. Fours are hard to receive but in order to get one, you have to get past your limit .

What has been the most challenging part of 2nd Quarter for you and what did/can you do to help overcome this?
     The most challenging part of 2nd quarter for me was working on the investigative journalism unit. It was challenging because you had to make sure it was 3rd person point of view and all the research was extreme. I got a lot of information and paraphrasing the information intomy own words,was difficult. I overthink too much on the way it is supposed to be written. My TIQA format was a little off. I don't think that unit was my best however it was not my worst. The best I can do to overcome this is to read the text and analyze it and annotate it. For better understanding, and to overcome this, I have to work hard .

Book Talk

      The book I am currently reading is With Their Eyes by Annie Thomas. The genre of this book is nonfiction. With Their Eyes is about the tragic event that took place on September 11, 2001. The twin towers were attacked. Students from Stuyvesant High School experience this by being only a few blocks away from the World Trade Center. The students share their stories and how it has changed their lives since that day that has brought fear into many people’s lives. Teachers fighting to be brave for their students, evacuating the building as fast as possible, covering their face and mouth from the falling debris, all in all, this day was not going to be forgotten. The theme of With Their Eyes, is looking back at your history, whether it be terrible or fantastic, those are the moments in your life that will help shape you into the person you will be in the future.

        With Their Eyes is a really good book that I like because throughout all the struggles , the students have,  they were able to cope with the grief, sadness, anger, and share their stories with amazing details. Their lives are completely different now than before. One part I remember from this book was the story that Juan Carlos Lopez shared. Juan Carlos Lopez is  a school safety agent. When the towers were collapsing , it was his job to protect children from the falling debris. One thing I learned from him is that he has a son. Unfortunately, he states," We're going through some, ah, some post-divorce situations... I wish I could talk to him about what's going on so I could get his sense. It made me go start in tears again.... I'm picking up the puzzle pieces of mylife and putting it back together."  These quotes are explaining to me that from that day, Juan Carlos Lopez had his life changed around and focused on the real things happening in his life, like his family for example ,that is extremely important for him to regain the relationship with his son. Reading this also makes me wonder what things in my life are a puzzle?
   

                                                 

Investigative Journalism

“ H&M Employing 14 year olds?”

                    By: Nathaly Galvez

     More than 200 million children today are child laborers and 73 million of these children are below the age of 10 years old. Child labor has been a problem throughout the whole world, during the Industrial Revolution. Children worked for long hours, had poor working conditions, and earned a low pay. It took away their time of education and the time to enjoy their childhood. Families make an arduous effort to support their children but when not capable, children have to support and maintain their families.

          On August 21, 2016, officials say that children as young as 14 are working for more than “ 12 hours a day “ with H&M factories. These factories employed anyone who wanted to work. These children working in Myanmar, that are 14 year olds work but do not receive the equal amount of pay . Information was collected on the Myanmar factories, they “ found a high prevalence of forced overtime and low pay.” This quote shows that children work for long hours in factories, however they are not paid fairly for the amount of time they put into the factories. It states, in the article, “ I am not hugely surprised these problems are happening given the scale of disempowerment of workers in Myanmar,” Sahan said. “ This quote from the article states that Erinch Sahan, a man that has recorded data based on the child labor established in Myanmar, shows his perspective on the situation. According to his statement, there are not a lot of workers being employed in Myanmar. The minimum wage is “one of the lowest in the world” inferring that the pay, workers are receiving is not enough ($3 a day).

      There are many popular companies, that yet continue to use child labor to this day. Nestle, H&M, Philip Morris, Walmart, Gap, etc. Child Labor is a problem that has tried to be stopped by employing workers over the age of 18 and enforcing child labor laws. The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) which helps protect “educational opportunities of the youth and prohibits their employment in jobs that are detrimental to their health and safety.” In the United States, the legal age to work is 18. However in many other places, this is not happening. Child labor is yet not stopped, and with the way it is handled, will it ever?

Non-Fiction Book

 
            The book I am currently reading is , Odd Girl Speaks Out, by Rachel Simmons. This is a book where girls write about bullies, cliques, popularity, and jealousy. Many girls all around the world are being bullied and treated bad by the people around them . Rachel Simmons asked for girls to submit their stories with  great emotion and the girls opened up about what they feel deeply on the situation. She received many letters discussing what had happened to them from England, Canada and Australia. From stories, to poems, expressing their anger, sadness, and jealousy, etc about what they have experienced in or outside of school could no longer be a secret. 


            One passage that I found in the book that stood out to me was in the chapter , Who My Friends Really Were, it states," Everything got twisted and the truth never made it out....I went through this alone for three months...It wasn't until February that I figured out there was a cause for what I was feeling. I was diagnosed with clinical depression. " This quote shows a teenage girl in high school, talking about how the bullying unfortunately affected her to the point where she let herself break down. This is interesting and significantly stands out to me because I cannot believe that through all the cruelty, this girl has gone through, the girls making fun of her or teasing her, led her to a devastating time in her life. Her life is supposed to be making friends, receiving good education, not falling into depression because of the mean, rude, and nasty things people say. This girl is 17 years old, I am currently 13. It is mind blowing to think, that she is very young and has a story behind her that impacts everyone. It also says," I wouldn't take back anything I went through because I have gained so much through my struggle. " This quote stood out to me the most because managing all the tears and crying home from school, this girl managed to conquer it with strength and determination. Any girl can fight through any weakness, a girl has to go through the bad times to become stronger. 

          Some things that I have learned that I will remember in the near future is to use the strength we have from our weakest moments. I myself have gone through this stage, reaching the middle of seventh grade was the worst time of my life so far. I remember the days when I would come home crying from school, but I remember that in order to rise, you must fall. These stories from these girls will help me remember that when you are at your worst, things get better. I have to fight. Learning to be strong and living life, not worrying about how others live it because at the end of the day, it is my life and it is based on the decisions I plan to make. The main focus in this book is how you are willing to solve your problem? The outcome. The outcome, I decide for myself.

                                                      

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Grateful Blog

       In my life, I learned to be grateful for the things I have everyday, not for just a special holiday coming up, Thanksgiving. Gratefulness is more than just saying “ thank you” to my mom for buying me new clothes, or saying “thank you” to my dad for getting me Chipotle, gratefulness is more than that. In my opinion, people worry too much on materialized things but don’t enter the reality. Having family with you on Thanksgiving is more than enough, you could not ask for more. Family is a bond that is unbreakable because they stand by your side, support you, and love you no matter what. I am thankful for my family because without my family, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. They shape me into the person I am everyday. When I make mistakes, my parents and my brother are there to lecture me because they have been in my shoes. It helps because I can look up to them and say “that is my family” who have helped me in the bumps in my life. However, my mistakes do not define who I am, but they shape me. As discussed above, my family is the greatest blessing I have ever received.

     Other than my family, my friends are also an important part of my life. I want to start talking about my best friend, Vivi. "Vivi ", short for Viviana. Vivi has been there when I feel sad or not myself. She has helped me through bad times, conquer the bad things I go through. She, herself, has been through difficult times but I could have not met anyone stronger than her. She shows me everyday her strength. In the world, there are nine planets, seven continents, 195 countries, and 50 states, yet I still had the fortunate privilege to meet her. It's hard to imagine my life without Vivi in it. She is also the most funniest person as well, I can laugh at the smallest things she does because she is crazy in a good way. Vivi and I are best friends because we are crazy together. Whenever we are together, we make everyone laugh. I consider her a sister. I'm also thankful for my best friends, Annalie, Hazelle, Jessica, Claudia, and Laura. I consider all of these girls sisters because I can turn to them at 1:00 a.m, and they'll be there to answer my text or call. Thank you to them.

      Finally, I am thankful for receiving education and thankful I have teachers to teach me. Many kids all around the world do not have the opportunity to receive education, it is extremely crucial for me to be grateful I have education because in the future, this will help me with many things. My teachers are there to support me as always, they make sure to check in with me if they are concerned with my grades, there to compliment me with the hard work I put in classes, and they sacrifice their time to teach me ,although it's required to. Teachers deserve the most appreciation everyday because they wake up very early, ready for another day at school. I am very grateful for Mrs. Larson because she has taught me so much in the year. She is a charismatic and fun teacher to spend time with. I have my exploratory class in the morning, and go to her Language Arts class, second. I will become a successful student because of Mrs. Larson and my many other teachers in Heritage Middle School. I will be proud to say at the end of the year, I am a 2017 graduate of Heritage Middle School. My teachers are crucial on my work because they help me to do even better in high school. So no furthermore, thank you.

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Impressions Blog

           Today, during the gallery walk, I learned many things happening around the world. One thing, I learned from the gallery walk, from the article " Sixty years of progression wiped clean," contends one American Muslim" was that one girl named, Hiba Nasser, is afraid to go to school because of the comments Donald Trump has said about Muslims. Muslims are not terrorists, but these stereotypes have developed for years because people assume or think right away that Muslims are terrorists, but are wrong. People need to become more mature and tolerant towards people's cultures. I learned that people should accept the diverse world we live in and learn to communicate with the beauty of differences instead of using the bitterness in their hearts.

    Another thing I learned during the gallery walk is that students in Ohio are collaborating to decrease bullying. Kids in schools share their stories with everyone about what has happened to them. By sharing their stories, they have a chance to speak up behind all the embarrassing, tormenting, things they have experienced that no one knows. Bullying is never okay, but all around the world, kids choose to bully. This can lead to many kids committing suicide, so it is crucial for students to speak up and use their voice when something is not right either in or out of school. In order to accomplish this, we must learn to teach children at a young age to speak up because the girl or boy sitting right next to you can look like a normal kid , but behind that, there is a terrible story within them.

 
   

Election Reflection

The presidential election is finally over. Republican, Donald Trump, claimed victory of becoming the next U.S President of the United States on Tuesday, November 8th. However, Hillary Clinton was accused of receiving “ as many as 650,000 messages", Hillary was able to win the popular vote. Donald Trump won the electoral votes. My thoughts on this election in general was me being incredibly shocked. I did not expect Donald Trump to be the next president, Hillary Clinton may be a woman, but has, in my opinion, far more experience than Donald Trump. Donald Trump was recognized of being a millionaire, he is a representation of someone who is conceited with how much money he has and not focused on the real life situations , citizens across America are facing currently. Donald Trump does not want Syrian refugees to enter the country, he wants to build a wall and make Mexico pay for it, and deport undocumented citizens. Congress is mostly made up of Republicans therefore, Donald Trump and Congress will compromise with ease.

A president can serve two terms (eight years) if reelected, the next election will be in four years, I am very excited to vote. I would be very excited because I feel that your vote can impact the world and make a difference. The Electoral College decides who the president will be but they rely on us to help them decide, so it is crucial for me to vote. I also have a voice and the world should be able to know by me voting. I grew up in a family that has always been Democrat and I believe that we should have a Democratic president respecting other people's culture unlike, Donald Trump who judges consistently throughout the world. My vote is important because back in history, without voting, their would be no women rights, no minimum wage, no medicare, etc. My vote would be important to the world because it is the president, the person who is the leader of America. If I want to have a bright future, my voice counts along the way.

Issues and problems are discussed everywhere, but I think in this election, the most important and interesting in relation to the election must be; economy, immigration, and climate change Many undocumented citizens (mostly Mexicans) are getting afraid of getting deported back to their countries while having family here in the United States. Moving onto economy; some people are receiving low wages but work for long hours, which is unfair. The minimum wage is an example of the economy affecting many people. Next, climate change, the world is getting "hotter ", the sake of the population is in the president's hands now. What will he do to keep us, citizens, safe? How will climate change affect our world in the future? These questions can extend, but we all, Democrats or Republicans need to join forces to become a whole. Whether disagreeing or agreeing, our job is to represent a country with pride. Now our new upcoming president, will hopefully guide to " Make America Great Again!".

" Nothing More Than Honor and Respect "

Red, White, and Blue

Soldiers shedding their blood for you

Battling out on the field

Protecting our freedom with a shield

Nothing to give more than honor and respect

Standing up to enemies that are a threat

Fighting to stay alive

Families praying for them to survive

Grieving with tears for those who died

Veteran's Day is a remembrance

The many men and women who got our independence

Without these people in our life

Our world would not be free

 No voice

Thank you to all soldiers for being a hero

Discharged, retired, or currently enrolled

Our world wouldn't be the same without you

"Here We Come World Series"

  T.V screens filled with emotions of many fans, waving W flags, screaming, tears of ecstasy, etc.  Fireworks exploding into the air as well around the Berwyn neighborhood, this celebration roaming through Chicago continues. Thousands or hundreds of people filled Wrigley Field on Saturday night, October 22, 2016, the Dodgers and Chicago Cubs played.

    The final score was 0-5. The Cubs have progressed to the World Series! Bryant, Hendricks, Rizzo and all the players from the Cubs,  forming a circle, jumping up and down vigorously. The Cub’s victory entering the World Series was the first since 1945 and the Chicago Cub's latest triumphs win at the World Series was in 1908. An interview was held after celebrating this victorious win, Anthony Rizzo was asked if he still had the ball from the final out, Rizzo replied,” Do I still have it? I’m sleeping with this thing tonight. Are you kidding me? We’re going to the World Series.”

    Following this, the Cubs will be playing the Cleveland Indians this upcoming Tuesday, deciding who will continue in the Championship. The Chicago Cubs have to win four games in a row to win the World Series.

1st Quarter Reflection Blog

      I have successfully reached the first quarter of Heritage Middle School. Although, there have been struggles in many classes, I manage to overcome them. In Language Arts class with Mrs. Larson, I have learned many things such as writing a newscast, blogs, article of the week, annotating articles, etc. One struggle that I particularly find difficult is the time. The time limit I have when assignments and homework are due, I stay up sometimes until 9:00 p.m. completing blogs. I do sports outside of school such as swimming and I end practice at 7:45 p.m., when I get home from practice, I take a shower. It is a lot of responsibility for me ,as a student, to turn in homework on time, ask for help, and satisfy my teachers with the work I do. It may mean to stay up late, but I am okay with that because the homework my teachers give me, prepare me for being even more successful in high school. My brother says,” In high school, you fail or you pass.” This quote that my brother tells me is true because in high school, it is the real deal. It becomes harder to manage your time in completing assignments and getting good grades because you get pressure from colleges, you want to fulfill them. It is important for me to do my work on time because the less pressure I have to stand within me to getting it in on time. It takes a lot of concentration, but I know I will get good grades by pushing myself to become a better student.

     Aside from struggles, Mrs. Larson gave us a 10 book challenge. Basically, the 10 book challenge is reading 10 books throughout the whole school year, but is optional only to choose 10 books to read. In ELA class, we have already read one book, The Giver. In the summer, our assignment was reading the book we chose to receive. My book was Papertowns. I have also read The Fault in Our Stars. This challenge Mrs. Larson gives us, is a really good technique for me because I occasionally do not read as much as I did in sixth and seventh grade. As the years have progressed, reading has helped me because I learn new words that I can use outside and in school.

     Now that I have reached the first quarter of Heritage Middle School, there are three quarters left to complete and I'm off to high school. Some goals that I would like to achieve in Language Arts class, is to finish my 10 book challenge first, I would also like to learn to give a presentation to practice public speaking without getting nervous. For my eighth grade speech, I want to act confident because this is my last year in Heritage and I want to make myself proud by acing my speech. One goal that I would like to achieve as well is going back into the beginning to learn about prepositions, interjections, and conjunctions. I would like to back to learn more about this because my map score was less than what I expected, I want to get a higher score. I would have to read the text and determine the preposition being written, since I didn't know, I obviously guessed. For me to be more certain of my answers in my map tests, I would be willing to go back and learn about this because I get more intelligence out of it and remember the concepts of my learning. In conclusion, my first quarter in Heritage Middle School has been going great with the hard work I put into my classes.

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