Dear Ms. Weldon,
Hi. I know my last two blogs were late. :( But I was at my friend's birthday party and she didn't have an internet connection at her house, so I couldn't publish them until I got home from the sleepover today. You can even ask Bianca, Maddie, or Alex for proof - they were there and saw me freaking out over it. I hope you can still accept them and count them for my grade, but if you can't I understand. :(
Andie
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Summer
As the end of the school year rapidly approaches and the sun grows increasingly warm every day, people grow more and more excited for summer. Out go the furry jackets and warm, cozy Uggs, and in come the cool flip flops and the hot shades. It's time for people to chill at their cottages, or run through the sprinklers in the backyard, bask in the homework-free life or just sleep in.
Summer is understandably one of the most favourite seasons. And why not? You don't have to worry about deadlines, tests, or tucking in your shirt, and it lasts for two incredible months! I can go swimming at my cottage with my friends, and get a tan at the beach. I can eat all of the freezies and popsicles I want. Life is carefree, easy, relaxing and wonderful!
There's really not any downside to summer. I just wish my whole life could be as amazing as a simple summer day.
Summer is understandably one of the most favourite seasons. And why not? You don't have to worry about deadlines, tests, or tucking in your shirt, and it lasts for two incredible months! I can go swimming at my cottage with my friends, and get a tan at the beach. I can eat all of the freezies and popsicles I want. Life is carefree, easy, relaxing and wonderful!
There's really not any downside to summer. I just wish my whole life could be as amazing as a simple summer day.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Blooooogs
Maybe I'm just a loser who can't do things that other people can do with 50% of their effort, but blogging, for me, was painful. Everyone had similar feelings about blogs at the beginning of the year - we thought this would be a fun year-long project, where we'd get to express ourselves and personalize our own web spaces on the internet. But as we soon realized that the amount of time spent on writing them every week and how high Ms. Weldon's grading standard was, most of us started to resent the task.
Now that's not to say that I didn't try my best. I spent more time than most people on writing mine every week, and sometimes it took longer than it should have, resulting in late posts. I didn't procrastinate. It's just hard to write! It's difficult to harness my thoughts and actually turn them into words, and then into sentences, and then full paragraphs. Some people just aren't as creative as others.. Me being one of them. Because creative writing is marked partly on creativity and originality, and that's not something you can learn. Being graded on creative writing is like being graded on your personality and your character. I believe in another format of ranking - one where we are averaged on not only the quality of our work, but the effort that goes into it. Because when I get a rubric back on a blog that I must have spent more than 5 hours on in total, and I get only in the eighties, it's really discouraging.
My personal writing standard may have slightly improved since term one, thanks to Ms. Weldon's slightly harsh level of excellence. But I regret to say that writing a mini-essay a week, added to the normal amount of Language Arts schoolwork, was not a particularly enjoyable experience. Although I'm grateful that I got the opportunity to try it, I don't see a hobby of blogging in my future.
Now that's not to say that I didn't try my best. I spent more time than most people on writing mine every week, and sometimes it took longer than it should have, resulting in late posts. I didn't procrastinate. It's just hard to write! It's difficult to harness my thoughts and actually turn them into words, and then into sentences, and then full paragraphs. Some people just aren't as creative as others.. Me being one of them. Because creative writing is marked partly on creativity and originality, and that's not something you can learn. Being graded on creative writing is like being graded on your personality and your character. I believe in another format of ranking - one where we are averaged on not only the quality of our work, but the effort that goes into it. Because when I get a rubric back on a blog that I must have spent more than 5 hours on in total, and I get only in the eighties, it's really discouraging.
My personal writing standard may have slightly improved since term one, thanks to Ms. Weldon's slightly harsh level of excellence. But I regret to say that writing a mini-essay a week, added to the normal amount of Language Arts schoolwork, was not a particularly enjoyable experience. Although I'm grateful that I got the opportunity to try it, I don't see a hobby of blogging in my future.
Monday, May 31, 2010
What is 'Cool'?
An obsession over being 'popular' and 'cool' has cause terminal insanity, depression, and suicide. What do you think when you read that? At first, it sounds ridiculous to me. Everyone likes to believe that they are untouched by peer pressure, cliques, and the pressure of fitting in. But if I think about it again, it's totally conceivable. Honestly, I am seriously affected by it all, but I try not to be. Though cliques in our grade are very prominent and defined, most people pretend that they don't exist when confronted with the idea. The popularity situation in our grade takes up a lot of my time and thoughts, and I know I'm not alone in this position.
I've talked to a few other people who share similar feelings about this. Some of us come to school stressing about whether we'll be able to sit with the cool kids at lunch that day, or whether we'll be casually edged out of the circle again. Then we wonder who we can sit with if we aren't accepted there. If anyone actually reads this, they will totally know exactly what I'm talking about, but most people still wouldn't admit it to their friends. Well, someone's got to address the problem, and since I've only got three more weeks of dealing with it, I'm comfortable talking about this on behalf of the people who are being excluded.
Last year, I admit, I tried a little bit too hard to be 'cool'. It was my first year, and I wanted to make friends, so obviously they were the first group I looked to. Why not? The popular people always seem to have the most fun, are super attractive, are the center of attention, and never have a dull moment. I wanted to feel included, like I was a part of a special group of friends with a tight bond, that I could be friends with forever. It's natural to want to be a part of something like that. I got labeled almost immediately as 'the person who tries too hard', and apparently that's some horrible sin.
What I really don't understand, is why cliques are so necessary. It's different than just groups of friends. The groups are exclusive, and I know from personal experience as I've tried for basically two whole years to officially join a group of friends and have been unsuccessful. When people in my situation (there are a few) are simply trying to make friends, they get caught between the two different cliques. We might think we're basically accepted now, but then we don't get invited to a sleepover or a party, and we have to deal with being left out of inside jokes and funny stories about it on Monday morning - not so fun. So why don't people just hang out with whoever they want?
We worry about boundaries and getting labeled, like I did when I tried going down that path. We worry that other people will start to dislike us, and insult us because of it. Everyday I'm left wondering what to do at SOS, because as soon as that clock reads 11:00, the friends who I had been laughing and hanging out with moments ago race out the door. They run to meet up with the rest of their group, leaving me behind and wondering, "Is it okay to follow them, or is that trying too hard?" I don't want to have to try to be someone I'm not, cooler than I am, for my friends. But in a small school like this, there's not many other people to turn to.
So what are we supposed to do? Well, I say, we make friends with who we actually want to be friends with. Screw the boundaries; go for it!
I've talked to a few other people who share similar feelings about this. Some of us come to school stressing about whether we'll be able to sit with the cool kids at lunch that day, or whether we'll be casually edged out of the circle again. Then we wonder who we can sit with if we aren't accepted there. If anyone actually reads this, they will totally know exactly what I'm talking about, but most people still wouldn't admit it to their friends. Well, someone's got to address the problem, and since I've only got three more weeks of dealing with it, I'm comfortable talking about this on behalf of the people who are being excluded.
Last year, I admit, I tried a little bit too hard to be 'cool'. It was my first year, and I wanted to make friends, so obviously they were the first group I looked to. Why not? The popular people always seem to have the most fun, are super attractive, are the center of attention, and never have a dull moment. I wanted to feel included, like I was a part of a special group of friends with a tight bond, that I could be friends with forever. It's natural to want to be a part of something like that. I got labeled almost immediately as 'the person who tries too hard', and apparently that's some horrible sin.
What I really don't understand, is why cliques are so necessary. It's different than just groups of friends. The groups are exclusive, and I know from personal experience as I've tried for basically two whole years to officially join a group of friends and have been unsuccessful. When people in my situation (there are a few) are simply trying to make friends, they get caught between the two different cliques. We might think we're basically accepted now, but then we don't get invited to a sleepover or a party, and we have to deal with being left out of inside jokes and funny stories about it on Monday morning - not so fun. So why don't people just hang out with whoever they want?
We worry about boundaries and getting labeled, like I did when I tried going down that path. We worry that other people will start to dislike us, and insult us because of it. Everyday I'm left wondering what to do at SOS, because as soon as that clock reads 11:00, the friends who I had been laughing and hanging out with moments ago race out the door. They run to meet up with the rest of their group, leaving me behind and wondering, "Is it okay to follow them, or is that trying too hard?" I don't want to have to try to be someone I'm not, cooler than I am, for my friends. But in a small school like this, there's not many other people to turn to.
So what are we supposed to do? Well, I say, we make friends with who we actually want to be friends with. Screw the boundaries; go for it!
Monday, May 17, 2010
Comment of the Week!
SOOOOO, I commented on, once again, Olivia's blog (surprise!) because she's just so darn good and I always feel compelled to share my thoughts and appreciation with her.
HEY IMMA COMMENT! IMMA COMMENT! OUHAHAHEHA.
HEY IMMA COMMENT! IMMA COMMENT! OUHAHAHEHA.
Best Two Years of my Life.
As I enter the hallways of Middle School, people turn to see me, happily. I stride briskly over the cleat-streaked blue floors towards my closest friends, who smile and greet me pleasantly. Lauren and I bond over last night's epic episode of Glee... Bianca rambles on about how boring her weekend was... Olivia excitedly informs me of the progress of our group video project... Cassie talks briefly of Justin Bieber's performance on Oprah, or maybe breaks into song. Greeting the rest of my close friends quickly, before the warning bell rings, we scramble to make our polo shirts appear to be tucked in. I think to myself, I am so lucky to be here.
Last year, I hated this school. I hated SJK with a fiery passion and I hoped desperately for a sunny opportunity to get out of here. From the atrociously boring uniforms, that seem to resemble an old librarian with no love life, to the difficulty of fitting in, to having to continuously sit and stand (and sit and stand and sit and stand..) on Fridays from 1:40 to 2:15, being forcibly enrolled at SJK seemed like a death sentence.
After spending basically an entire year trying to make the right friends, I was told that I wouldn't be returning in Grade Nine due to nonnegotiable curriculum changes. As Mr. Carswell broke the news of the release of the Grade Nine drama program, I was dazed. To most people, this was an annoying inconvenience, resulting in an overly full Art class and no easily gained marks from playing Drama games in class. To me, that thirty seconds involved the past two years flashing before my eyes (I know it's melodramatic - now you see my problem) as I realize that without a doubt, I would not be returning to this school, and the friends that I have grown to truly love, next year.
I think about all the things that I hated about SJK initially and in some cases, still haven't come to like- things like Evensong, "C.O.O.L." Conferences, the need to tuck in our polo shirts, Wyatt, and exams. Honestly, I probably won't miss them too much. But looking back on the majority of the year, I know I had a lot of fun. I will always remember the days spent taking photo booth pictures in French with Alex, colouring plastic babies, googling pictures of cakes and sharing an extreme interest in some of my favourite things, Glee and Justin Bieber, with everyone. The real turning point for me, when I really fell in love with SJK, was sitting on the dock, at sunset, playing guitar, at Tanamakoon. We listened to Reid play Wonderwall, by Oasis, and the enthusiastic voices of my friends singing along. I remember wishing that I could stay on that dock forever.
I honestly don't know where the year has gone. Memories of the first day of Grade Eight seem so strong. I can clearly remember screaming and hugging my friends whom I'd missed so much over the summer, and fussing over Olivia's killer new bangs. Now, as exams are approaching rapidly and the thought of graduation - leaving all this behind - makes me cry every time I think about it. As my friends anxiously await the night of the Graduation ceremony, and of course, the dance, I inwardly try to suppress my sorrow and the worry of missing my friends after I've gone. They get excited about Upper School, while I wish desperately for time to just slow down. Maybe even for it to rewind, bringing me back to sitting on that dock at Tanamakoon. But time won't give me a break. They will continue on, but I'm leaving for good, and I really don't want to. I just wish I had more time here, time to make more memories.
P.S. Wyatt I was totally kidding about not liking you. You know I love ya buddy.
Last year, I hated this school. I hated SJK with a fiery passion and I hoped desperately for a sunny opportunity to get out of here. From the atrociously boring uniforms, that seem to resemble an old librarian with no love life, to the difficulty of fitting in, to having to continuously sit and stand (and sit and stand and sit and stand..) on Fridays from 1:40 to 2:15, being forcibly enrolled at SJK seemed like a death sentence.
After spending basically an entire year trying to make the right friends, I was told that I wouldn't be returning in Grade Nine due to nonnegotiable curriculum changes. As Mr. Carswell broke the news of the release of the Grade Nine drama program, I was dazed. To most people, this was an annoying inconvenience, resulting in an overly full Art class and no easily gained marks from playing Drama games in class. To me, that thirty seconds involved the past two years flashing before my eyes (I know it's melodramatic - now you see my problem) as I realize that without a doubt, I would not be returning to this school, and the friends that I have grown to truly love, next year.
I think about all the things that I hated about SJK initially and in some cases, still haven't come to like- things like Evensong, "C.O.O.L." Conferences, the need to tuck in our polo shirts, Wyatt, and exams. Honestly, I probably won't miss them too much. But looking back on the majority of the year, I know I had a lot of fun. I will always remember the days spent taking photo booth pictures in French with Alex, colouring plastic babies, googling pictures of cakes and sharing an extreme interest in some of my favourite things, Glee and Justin Bieber, with everyone. The real turning point for me, when I really fell in love with SJK, was sitting on the dock, at sunset, playing guitar, at Tanamakoon. We listened to Reid play Wonderwall, by Oasis, and the enthusiastic voices of my friends singing along. I remember wishing that I could stay on that dock forever.
I honestly don't know where the year has gone. Memories of the first day of Grade Eight seem so strong. I can clearly remember screaming and hugging my friends whom I'd missed so much over the summer, and fussing over Olivia's killer new bangs. Now, as exams are approaching rapidly and the thought of graduation - leaving all this behind - makes me cry every time I think about it. As my friends anxiously await the night of the Graduation ceremony, and of course, the dance, I inwardly try to suppress my sorrow and the worry of missing my friends after I've gone. They get excited about Upper School, while I wish desperately for time to just slow down. Maybe even for it to rewind, bringing me back to sitting on that dock at Tanamakoon. But time won't give me a break. They will continue on, but I'm leaving for good, and I really don't want to. I just wish I had more time here, time to make more memories.
P.S. Wyatt I was totally kidding about not liking you. You know I love ya buddy.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Comment of the Week!
I commented on Alex's great new post comparing iTunes and LimeWire.
Comment, comment, comment, comment, I am a comment, Read meeee. COMMENT.
Comment, comment, comment, comment, I am a comment, Read meeee. COMMENT.
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