The Conclusion

Wow! is it really the end of freshman year? It seems like we all just moved on from middle school, and took this big leap into high school. This year has gone by extremely quickly yet slowly at the same time, but it has also been my favorite, and the best of all of my years of school.  Looking back at every single blog that I did over the course of this year, I have noticed my writing has developed tremendously.  in my first blog "The Introduction Tom My Blog" My writing seemed overly uptight. reading over it right now, it  the tone doesn't really sound like my writing. Over the course of the year, My blogs have relaxed. They still have the same amount of effort in them, but they show my personality in them rather than shallow, wordy pieces of work.  after all thats what blogs are for right? to speak whats on your mind and share it with your readers?
Come to think of it,  I never missed a blog, and they have always been on time. some may have been a lover quality and posted at 11:57 but, they were done and well thought out. Apart form the wonderful, and sometimes annoying experience of writing a weekly blog, I really enjoyed reading classmates' blogs  and getting to know their ideas and opinions through their writing as well.
a quote that reflects on my blogs and writing this year is:


As for accomplishments, I just did what I had to do as things came along.
                      ~ Eleanor Rosevelt

This shows that I  took on one thing at a time. I soaked in every blog assignment along with others, gave them my best, and did what I had to do to get them done. I am really proud of my accomplishments, and work this year, and think that it is a fantastic way to kick off high school, and afterwards, roll right along in life.
English, this year has been one of my favorite classes. It was a challenge, and I have really learned a lot. from essays, and  analyzing poetry, to our almost weekly word power assignments. aside form these aspects,  I love how our class has  sort of bonded. we all have had fun and funny times in class, for example today when some people were talking down the trim in the classroom, the atmosphere was lighthearted and happy., and everybody was enjoying themselves,and the company of their classmates.


Thank you Mrs. Gilman for this amazing year! :)

~ this picture was taken the first week of school when we first set up our blogs in the computer lab :) and here we all are now wrapping up our last blog posts, and getting ready to move on to a whole new year.

Memorable assignment

Each and very person in our class has achieved so much this year in english, weather it was the blogs, our essays, poetry out loud, or artistic book assignments, and much much more.Over this last year I have really enjoyed being in this class and have learned so much! It has definitely been a great class to kick off my high school career.

So what is my favorite and most memorable assignment I have done this year? Hmm... I'm going to have to say my Great Expectations essay. Although I didn't particularly enjoy actually writing it, I loved the final results. Once I was finished, and we received our essays back with the grades, I was, and still am extremely proud of it.

A Good Experience With Poetry

In all of my years of school, i have had many opportunities to study, and create poetry. I remember going out to gardens with my class in elementary school and writing poems about what we see and how it made us feel. One positive experience I had with poetry is another time we went to a garden. Our teacher had us make our own little sketch/ poetry book, and we went and sat by different plants of our choice to draw them and describe them in poetry. We went out there every day for about a week and sat peacefully and wrote.

At the end of the week, we chose our favorite picture and poem to share with the class.  some were silly, and some were serious. It all depended on the maturity level of the classmate. Each poem was different, and had its own flow to it. Our class thoroughly  enjoyed it.

Right now, My attitude towards poetry isn't the same as when I was younger. I don't enjoy it as much, But if I get into it, it becomes fun. I prefer the poems that are short and humorous  rather than the long sort of depressing ones., so I have sort of mixed feelings about launching into our Poetry unit.

Conflict in Romeo and Juliet

The Capulets, and the Montagues. Enemies. They have one gigantic conflict that will never end. Their grudge, a factor in their lives that will always repel the families like two opposite sides of some magnets. This was brought up towards  the beginning of the play,  when Romeo and Juliet realized who each other really were, and that they shouldn't be in love. This family grudge is one of the most important conflicts in the play, because it is the whole reason to make the two teens want to rebel and pull close to each other even more. It is the reason for heart break, deaths, love, and anger. it is the foundation of the book.

Everywhere you look in our society, there are also grudges of all kinds. There could be the dog and the mailman,  you and the neighbor over the fence, or even just between siblings. Every grudge is a little different. it could be for so long as a minute, like two friends fighting over one piece of candy, or a lifetime like the Montagues and the Capulets.

Romeo and Juliet and The Sound of Music

If you think about it, every story has it's brother, or sister, another story out there with a different look, gender, and personality, but the same DNA. the same plot that makes them related. One of Romeo and Juliet's many siblings is the movie The Sound of Music. Lisle and Rolf, like Romeo and Juliet, love each other very much. But because of their family's beliefs, political views, it is forbidden love. They are suppose to be enemies. With Rolf, being a Nazzi, and Lisle's father a sea captain that loves his country, and doesn't want it ruled by Hitler, they shouldn't be in love, but they are. Just like the Capulets, and the Montagues. Romeo and Juliet, enemies from birth, but in unconditional love.



~ the computer I'm on now will not let me upload a picture so I will upload it as soon as possible.

Connecting With Romeo and Juliet

Even though they are in two completely different eras, my family And Juliet's family have some similarities. They both care about us, and want what is best for us. Our families want different things for us, but they care very much. Sometimes we might not appreciate that as much as we should, but when we do, we are very grateful.

Reading Romeo and Juliet outside of class Is good. I personally enjoy Romeo and Juliet more than Great Expectations. I understand it for the most part at home, but it definitely helps reading and talking about the book in class. I also like annotating in class rather than at home, because I don't have to worry about it when I am reading the section for the first time. We have a chance to just read and then go back and annotate. also, ideas shared in class are fresh in my head. It was sort of a shock just starting a book that has more of artistic language instead of commonly used language, but as we proceed through each act, I am getting used to it and am able to understand it more on my own.

Wrapping up Great Expectations!

There were many details and themes that Dickens included in Great Expectations, but In my opinion, the main message that Dickens is trying to portray in the book is to accept who you are and be happy with what you have. Also, to accept who your family is too. Appreciate them while you have them before it's too late. People learn throughout life and experiences, wanting something more than what they already have doesn't make them any happier. It could lean them in the other direction. The same goes with family. Dickens shows what a result could be by pulling away from your family, and later on it could be greatly regretted. These I believe are just two little but very impacting themes of the book that come together among others, to make it the classic it is.