My Final Blog Post!

I find it hard to believe that summer is already coming to an end. It still feels like I just graduated from 8th grade and summer just started. With all that out of the way, i'm gonna talk about my summer! It all started on June 1st when my mom had surgery to replace her hip. I waited in the hospital all day, with my dad, because my two siblings were still in school. I knew since my mom is my main source of transportation that this summer would be different. So I packed my bags and moved to Hawaii... Just kidding. My counselor and I decided that I would do digital photography 1 for summer school (with Denis) so I could have something to do during the summer + get my GPA up early. I think that was the best choice I could have made and I will tell you why. First off I got an A (which speaks for itself), but grades don't really mean the most to me as Mrs. Joyner knows. So here is what I wanted to achieve/learn in this class. I wanted to learn how to take pictures and be a photographer. I wanted to explore and go places that I have never been to before. I wanted to meet new people. I wanted to learn more about photography and creativity. Of course I also wanted to become familiar with high school and the way everything in high school works. I will not say everything on that list happened, nor will I say everything went as planned, but all in all, I think it went the best that it could have gone. I had some awesome teachers like Mr. Hoering, and Ms. Sortino. Even though it was at Niles West I still enjoyed it the same. As my mind grew with skills in Photoshop, digital art, writing, and taking pictures with an SLR, I knew that this was a great opportunity for me. It really surprised me that EVERY single print that I turned in was hung up in the hallway. The reason it surprised me was because Ms. Boyle rarely hung up my pictures it the hallway, no offense to Ms. Boyle haha. In result of all of this, I think I did a pretty good job. All of my physical prints were given to very important people to me that helped me a-lot this summer. My favorite/best pictures are displayed below... I'M OUT.

Summer Photo Portfolio

Pictures I took for my class:

My Speech

My Graduation Speech

I want to start off my speech by first thanking everyone who has been there along all of our journeys up until this moment. The teachers, parents, students, and most importantly friends. My whole school experience has been a movie, like I might actually make a movie about it someday. I think it’s really important that we benefit from each other and become closer because it seems that we practically live at school. And I strongly believe that our class of 2017 did a great job at that.

In most graduation speeches people talk about their anecdotes from each and every year that they were in school like: “In first grade I always used to pick my nose in class” or “In 2nd grade my mom always left a note in my lunchbox”, and yeah everyone should cherish those moments but I feel like what we learned in school is deeper than that.

When I first started at the Golf School District,  I was in 2nd grade. I felt very welcomed and I met so many new friends, that are graduating in this class today! It was really different when transferring from private school to public. Me and my brother got on the bus and we didn’t even know what it was going to be like. But luckily for me all of the teachers and staff made me feel very welcomed.

I remember when we were in 5th grade, and Ms. Chvojka gave a speech about legacy. And I remember thinking, “woah that was an impressive speech”. When you look up legacy though, the definition says “an amount of money or property left to someone in a will”... But I don’t think that's what she was talking about.

Throughout my education, I have found a-lot of obstacles that have not only made me smarter, but made me more mature. And as we went from little 1st graders that always picked our noses in class, to 8th graders who, might sometimes almost fall asleep in class, it is important to not just be compassionate for our classmates, but also for the class below us and the class below them too.

Also for the other students that are sitting here thinking about when you will be in our spot. My advice to you is to keep working hard and it will all pay off.

Finally, I believe that everyone at Golf works really hard to prepare us for not just high school, but later on in life too, wherever we may go! Not only did I learn so much, but I also had a blast along the way. So I would like to thank all of my awesome teachers and friends that have been there for me along the way.

I guess if my middle school experience was a movie, this would be the credits, but not to worry, the sequel: High School is just around the Corner! Thanks.

Advice to myself in 5th grade

                  

Dear My Fifth Grade self,

Make sure you be yourself. Be confident, and don't let anyone bring you down. Middle school will be a blast if you focus, have fun, and remember that. Also focus on grades. I know that nobody told you, but if you get good grades, many people will acknowledge it! And also, don't really rep the Bulls, because they will never win it.... but keep an eye on the cubs!

Endings and beginnings 

                           

  This weeks blog post is about endings and beginnings. I was thinking about what I would post about. Then I got the perfect idea, because I don't think I've told this story yet. It all starts 8 years ago in 2009. It was my 7th birthday and I got what I had wanted sooo long, my very own dog. I was unbelievably exited, mainly because it was a huge surprise, and I really really wanted a dog. (I still have the video footage, but I won't show it cause my voice sounds like l sucked in a bunch of helium) Back then I was still really into Star wars so I decided to name him Lando, after Lando Calrissian, played by Billy Dee Williams, and soon to be played by Donald Glover aka Childish Gambino! The picture of him is the one on top. Anyway the breed of dog's that he is, is a beagle. Beagles are  very playful, but hyper dogs. As a puppy, Lando was very crazy and sometimes a not very well behaved dog. He did such things like bit my brother, tripped my mom, and was just too rough. It also really didn't help that during the time when Lando started to cause trouble, my mom told us that she was pregnant with my little sister. So my family decided that Lando was not in a safe environment for us to also live with him. So my parents contacted some of my family members that live in Indiana and Ohio. My Cousins in South Bend told us that they had friends that owned a girl beagle, and where looking to get another beagle. So my parents decided that was the best choice for us, but I was devastated. I was so upset that I had to get rid of my favorite birthday present ever, but not only that, a great friend! The one thing that my parents did promise us, is that we would get a knew puppy when our little sister was born. So fast forward two years. In 2011 my little sister Erica turned one year old, and my parent fulfilled their promise of getting a new puppy. We looked into all different breeds, but I said that I still wanted a beagle, and my mom and brother both really wanted a pug. So we did some research and actually there is such thing as a puggle! A cross between s pug and beagle, and we found one in the Chicago area. So in April we officially owned Doug the Pug. Doug was a much more calm dog, also he was trained very well! I didn't really connect with Doug as much as with Lando, but Doug is really my brother Luke's dog anyway. Plus Doug also has a bunch of problems, like he is super duper fat, he smells AWFUL, he will always steal your food, and he is sometimes really stupid! Overall, Doug is a good dog though! So the message of this is that if something you really loved or enjoyed always know their will be another beginning. 

It´s Complicated

                    Something that I think is really complicated, is the school grading system. Currently It is near the end of the 4th quarter and i´m panicking. First of all, I have all these assignments due online that I     haven´t completed yet, because I was so busy over the weekend. Also, all my grades are messed up! I mean in some classes i´m doing really great, like math i have an A+, but in science I have an F. The reason that I blame this on the grade system is because it just doesn't make sense to me. I mean, I just don´t understand how if I do bad on two assignments, it will bring my grade all the way down from an A+ to F-----. I get how there are percentages and actual reasoning for my grades, but it just doesn't make sense to me. Also of all times now is especially not good to get an F, because they won´t let you participate in a-lot of cool end of the year activities. Not only that, but they have to notify your parents that you are failing a class so then they can yell at you, which makes your life at HOME even more GREAT! If it was all up to me, I would not judge someones entire grade just on two assignments, but instead just tell someone if they fail or pass a class.

Who will be the 2017 NBA MVP???\

                     Well first of all I will just say that I can't believe it is all-ready 2017! With that being said,  during the NBA playoffs there is a-lot of talk going on and people are starting to debate on who is going to be the MVP! So, let's get into what my opinions on this situations are....

                      The NBA playoffs are and will always be one of the most exciting times for basketball fans all over. (Other than March Madness.) My favorite team since I was around 8 years old has been the Chicago Bulls. The big problem with the Bulls is how they have always just kind of stayed in the same spot, never doing great, but not that bad either. If you would have asked me about the Bulls 10 months ago, I would have just shaken my head, because they had just traded 2 of my favorite players. But they ended up turning that around I guess because they picked up D-Wade and Rondo. So shout out to the Bulls V. Celtics, Bulls are 2-0 and they play tonight? Can they sweep them?

                      The whole reason I made this post anyway Is to talk about who I think will be named MVP of the NBA this season. So Lets name the players: Russel Westbrook, James Harden, Isaiah Thomas, or Jimmy Butler. So I believe that Westbrook should win the MVP the records he has broken lately is phenomenal. Next Is Harden, I don't really want him to win it as much, but I think he has just as much as a chance as Westbrook does. On the east, Isaiah Thomas is leading in points per game, and honestly the Celtics wouldn't have much without him. And finally, as for Jimmy not many people have him winning MVP, but maybe in the future.
                      So for the moment you've all been waiting for my prediction for MVP..... Even though the series is down 0-2 I still have Russel Westbrook for the mvp. I really think he has earned it because of how long he has been in the league, he has also gotten so many other awards and acomplishments, so this will probably just give him something else to cross off his bucket list.