My Abandoned Island

I live on an abandoned island. My island is perfect! I got to this island while swimming at the beach. The waves took me with them and before I realized what was going on, I ended up on this amazing island. This island is a tropical paradise. It is fully stocked with food, candy, and robot chefs that make the most delicious food! The robots cook me food whenever I want. Food is unlimited and so is fun! There are robots to play anything I want with me. The robots are tall and have super long extendable arms. They are programmed to do anything I want them to do. Every day I do different things on my island. My day starts off with a delicious breakfast set on the table for me. Next, I play games, watch tv, and do whatever I feel like doing that day. After all this fun, I eat lunch. I choose what I want to eat on a screen and the food is made fresh within minutes! Life on my island is like living in a fairytale! For the rest of the day, I get to have a spa and massage. If I want to stop then I can end my massage/spa anytime. This is how my life is on my abandoned island. Having an abandoned island of my own is the best!

Yosemite

Yosemite is an awesome place to visit. During Thanksgiving break I went on a trip to Yosemite. I loved the trip for many reasons. One reason was that I got to see beautiful views. While driving through Yosemite, the whole car ride is like you are in a dream. Looking out the windows, seeing all the trees, wildlife and breathtaking sights. It makes you feel as if what you’re seeing is surreal. If you ever get the chance to go to Yosemite, I recommend stepping out of the car and taking a moment to realize that what you are seeing is natural. Second, I loved being there with my friends. I thought that it was awesome that I had this chance to have a multiple night sleepover with my friends. Every night, we watched a movie and had hot cocoa with popcorn to add to the fun! Lastly, I loved being in the snow. It was super cool that I got to play in the snow in November. Although the snow was icy and hard to play with, we could still make snowballs! Yosemite was a very fun vacation and I definitely recommend going there!

Rad Reading-January

This month I read part of the novel Better Than The Movies. Better Than The Movies is a 356 page novel by Lynn Painter that takes place in a high school most of the story. In the beginning, Liz Buxbaum is a senior in high school who really wants a boyfriend. As the conflict develops, Liz finds out that her old friend Michael has moved back and is going to her school. Liz wants Michael to be her boyfriend. In the rising action of the story, Liz asks Wes (her neighbor/enemy) to help her get together with Michael. She goes to a party that Wes has taken her to and begins to talk with Michael. Liz discovers that Michael thinks she is a nice weirdo. This is the part of the plot that I have read so far. In my next Rad Reading, I will write about what happens at the end of the story.

I loved what I have read so far in this novel for many reasons. One reason is that the story seems like it will stay the same the whole time, but it changes. It has mini twists that the author does a good job on making them unpredictable.

My favorite character is Wes. Wes is my favorite character because even though Wes and Liz have a history of arguing, Wes still agreed to help her. Wes shows selflessness and helps Liz with her goal of being together (boyfriend and girlfriend) with Michael. The author writes, “Liz’s clothes are falling off, so it’s time for us to leave.” This quote is said by Wes. He says that, since Liz was barfed on and wasn’t feeling comfortable at the part they were at, Wes decided that they would leave. This party was a party that many of Wes’s friends were at and Wes was enjoying his time there. He ignored the fact that he wanted to be there and took Liz home. He made it less awkward for Liz.

My favorite quote from the novel is, “So you think that two enemies-in the real world—can magically get over their differences and fall madly in love?” Wes says this quote when Liz states that just like in movies, enemies can end up falling in love. The reason that this quote is my favorite quote from the novel, is because it went hand in hand with my prediction. When I just started the novel, I predicted that in the end Wes and Liz will fall in love. After Wes said this, it made my prediction feel more and more like it is correct. This was also my favorite quote because while reading this novel, Wes didn’t seem like a nice character. He seemed like a mean character that just wanted to do bad things to Liz. After finding out more about Wes, his character became more and more likeable and it all started to make sense.

Dumbledore Quote

“We must all face the choice between what is right and what is easy”-Albus Dumbledore. This is a meaningful quote to me. To me this quote means that even when there is an easy way to do something, you should also remember to consider what is right. This quote tells me that the easy choice isn’t always right. It states very clearly how we all have to face this choice and we should definitely consider what we choose to do. This quote relates to me because it could help me decide what I choose, when I have a hard decision to make. A scenario in which I could use this quote to guide me happens in people’s daily lives. The scenario is when somebody has to decide who they want to be friends with. This quote is a meaningful quote to me and in my opinion, people should think about this quote to make decisions in their daily lives.

My Hero

Somebody that I really admire is my mom. My mom is my hero because of many reasons. One reason is that my mom is always by my side to help me achieve things that I want to achieve. For example, lately I have been trying to get better at tennis. My mom signs me up to classes that I want to go to. In addition, my mom cares a lot about me. My mom always remembers what I tell her and cares about what I want. She takes into consideration all my questions, when she could just say no. All together these show that my mom is always there for me. Another reason is that my mom takes time to help me when I need it. For example, if I need help with homework, my mom not only helps me understand the work but she also takes the time to practice more with me. Although it may be time consuming for her, she still helps me when I need it. Lastly, my mom also cares about me having fun. For example, if I don’t want to go to something, then she will come talk with me to work it out. She will definitely take into consideration what I want and don’t want. She does an awesome job balancing the boring stuff and the fun. So in all, my mom is my hero for many reasons. She is an awesome mom and is very kind, caring, and helpful when I need it.

Rad Reading-December

This month I read the book Wonder. Wonder is a 315 page realistic fiction novel by R.J. Palacio. Wonder mostly takes place at a school called Beecher Prep, a private school in Manhattan. In the beginning of the first part of the novel, Auggie(August) Pullman is a ten year old boy who is going to go to a real school for the first time. As the conflict develops, Auggie faces the challenge of going to school with his facial differences. Ever since Auggie was little, he has had a facial disability and has gone through many surgeries. In the rising action of the story, Auggie gets bullied by a boy named Julian. In a pivotal moment, Auggie overhears one of his only friends, Jack saying mean things about how Auggie looks. Auggie gets very sad about this. In the second part, the story is told from Auggie’s sister, Via’s point of view. In the beginning, Via tells of how she was always second to Auggie. As the conflict develops, Via feels separated from her two old best friends. Auggie tells Via about what he heard Jack say and Via basically tells him to suck it up. The third part of the story is told from Auggie’s friend Summer’s point of view. In the beginning, Summer tells of how she ignored what her peers thought and became friends with Auggie. As the conflict develops, Auggie and Summer work on their Egyptian Museum project together and learn more about each other. Summer also talks with Jack about why Auggie is mad at Jack. The fourth part is told from Jack’s point of view. In the beginning, Jack tells about the day that he gave Auggie a tour of the school in the beginning of the year. As the conflict develops, Jack and Auggie become friends. In the rising action, Jack tells lies and spreads rumors about what he thinks of Auggie. In a pivotal moment, Jack punches Julian in the mouth for calling Auggie a freak. The falling action tells of how Jack goes to Auggies house to work on a project and they both get to meet Via’s boyfriend for the first time. Part five is told by Justin(Via’s boyfriend). In the beginning, Justin is the lead of their school play, Our Town. As the conflict develops, Via gets a smaller part in the play, and Miranda gets the female lead. In the rising action, Justin sees Jack getting bullied by Julian and others. In a pivotal moment, Via confesses that she didn’t tell her parents about her role in the play because she doesn’t want them to bring Auggie. In part six, Auggie is talking again. In the beginning, he gets through the science fair while many people look at him weird. As the conflict develops, Julian starts putting mean notes in Auggie’s locker. In the rising action, Auggie finds out that Via doesn’t want him to come to her play and he gets very mad. In a pivotal moment, the Pullman family finds out that Daisy (their beloved dog) has to be put down. In the falling action, Auggie goes to Via’s play. The resolution tells of how Via and Justin get standing ovations for their lead roles at the play. Part seven is told by Miranda. In the beginning, Miranda spreads the word that she has a brother with a deformed face. This increases her popularity. As the conflict develops, Miranda is cast the lead in the school play. In the rising action, on opening night, Miranda realizes that Auggie is in the crowd. In a pivotal moment, Miranda lets Via take her part as lead in the school play. The fall action Miranda comes and says hi to the Pullmans, she goes with them to dinner. The resolution tells of how Miranda happily goes with the Pullmans to dinner. The last part, Auggie’s point of view, returns. In the beginning,  Auggie goes to the nature retreat for three days. As the conflict develops, Auggie enjoys his time at camp with nature walks, and campfires. In the rising action, Auggie goes with Jack to the bathroom during their movie night. In a pivotal moment, a fight breaks out with some mean seventh graders that say mean things to Auggie. In the falling action, Augie’s mom picks him up and tells all about his adventures. In the resolution, everyone is happy, Auggie and Jack become heroes.

I really like this book because it’s very heartfelt, it has times when it makes you want to cry of happiness and/or sadness. R.J. Palacio does a great job in describing the details of every chapter of the book. I definitely recommend this book to anybody who likes reading books that are realistic fiction and are very emotional. This book made me happy sometimes and sad at other times. It has the perfect balance between sad and very happy times.

My favorite character from this novel is Summer. Chose summarize my favorite character because she shows courage throughout the whole story. Although Summer’s peers didn’t think it was the right choice for her to go and hang out with Auggie, she still did. She did the right thing and showed courage. On page 125, Summer says a meaningful quote, “Hey, you want to start working on our projects together after school? You could come over to my house.” This quote is meaningful to me because she shows the courage of inviting Auggie over to her house no matter what others think.

My favorite quote from the novel is one of Auggie’s teacher’s precepts. It says, “When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind.” This quote is meaningful to me because it states true words. To me this quote means that if someone is given the choice whether to be right, even if it’s not something nice or kind, everyone should always choose kind. For example, when Julian bullied Auggie. Julian stated true facts about Auggie’s fact, but the things he said weren’t kind. These things made a bad impact on Julian at the end of the story, which is proof that Julian should have chosen kind.

Word of Intention

My word of intention for 2025 is productivity. There are many reason in why I chose this word. One reason I chose this word is because I want to be able to sit down and do my homework quickly without getting sidetracked by something else. I will try to start keeping a checklist on what I need to get done and prioritize according to it. In addition, I will try to keep my desk at home more organized by putting papers and school supplies in their designated spots. This will also help me be able to help me get my supplies faster and start working on my homework faster. Lastly, I will try to keep a routine every day. Due to many afterschool activities, I wouldn’t be able to keep one routine every day. So I want to try my best to write myself a routine and keep my daily schedule on a digital calendar. These are three reasons why I chose the word productivity for my word of intention.

Principal for a Day

I would love to be principal for the day! If I had the opportunity to be the principal for the day, I would make some fun changes!  First of all, I would work with the leadership class to make a super fun scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt would be a cool game during homeroom in which students choose teams of 5 and compete to find the most tickets around campus. I would choose to do this game because it seems like a game that would be both fun for the students and easy to set up for the organizers. The winners of the scavenger hunt would receive candy and PBIS points as their prize. In the same time as the game there would be a secret twist where if a team comes to me (the principal) then they would get a jackpot of tickets. Second, I would give teachers a special treat at breal. I would order donuts and a delicious meal and put it in the teachers lounge as a surprise. I chose this because I thought that it would be fun to surprise them with something. Third, I’d make that night a homework free night in which no homework can be assigned at all! Students would have a free night to do whatever they want. I decided to chose this because I think that the students should be able to enjoy their night on the same day that the teachers enjoyed lunch. Fourth, I would give all the teachers a raise. I chose this because the teachers are so awesome that they deserve it. Lastly, the students would get a short day. The day would end at 12:25 making the day consist of the two periods that the students choose to do, break, and tutorial. This is what I would do if I was given the opportunity to be principal for the day.

Rad Reading- November

Catching Fire, is a 391 page dystopian novel by Suzanne Collins that takes place in District 12, one of the twelve districts in Panem. In the beginning, Katniss is a 17 year old girl, who is arriving in her district as a victor of The Hunger Games, which is a fight to the death in an arena. As the conflict develops, Katniss faces the challenge of having to go on a victor’s tour to each district. As Katniss travels from district to district with her fellow victor Peeta, a feeling of rebellion starts to form. In the rising action of the story, the time of The Hunger Games comes around again and President Snow decides that due to the quarter quell happening, he will make the victors of The Hunger Games fight to the death once again. Then, Katniss and her fellow victor Peeta go once again to The Hunger Games. Later, they decide to make allies with the fellow victors/tributes in the training center. In a pivotal moment, Katniss faces the greatest challenge well in the arena as she shoots an arrow at a small gap in the top of the arena’s force field and breaks the system. The falling action tells of how Katniss is picked up by a hovercraft and learns that there is no more district twelve. In the resolution Katniss learns about the secret rebel group that Plutarch, the gamemaster, is a part of.

I liked this book because it had an amazing plot. The plot had one very large plot twist. I liked the fact that the book had an intense feeling and a feeling of never wanting to stop reading it.

My favorite character was Katniss Everdeen. She is a great role model. She has many amazing qualities and traits. Among these traits my favorite one is her self-confidence. The author writes, “I am the mockingjay. The one that survived despite the Capitol’s plans. The symbol of the rebellion.” This quote shows that she knows what is coming for her due to the fact that she has rebelled against the Capitol. It shows that she is not being scared about it but she is being confident.

My favorite quote from the novel is, “Aim higher in case you fall short.” This is my favorite quote because it is inspirational and is something that people could use in real life. To me, this quote means to always try harder even if it is not necessary because it can pay off if something unexpected happens.

Thankful

I am thankful for many things this year, but here are the three top things. First of all, I am very thankful for my family. I am the oldest child of three in my family and I feel very privileged to have such loving, kind siblings. I have incredible parents, who I appreciate in outstanding ways. Also, this category includes my extended family who always are loving and caring to me. Second, I am very thankful for my house. Without my house, I wouldn’t have a place to live. In my opinion, my house is the perfect size. In addition, I love coming home to my air conditioned house after school every day. The main reason that I am thankful for my house is because of the people that live in it with me. Lastly, I am thankful for my blanket. I am thankful that every night I get the privilege to snuggle in my soft, warm, and cozy blanket. Even when it’s hot, I love to wrap myself around in my favorite blanket. Those are the three top things that I am thankful for.