:(

I MISS THIS CLASS!!!! :(

Johnnie's Poem- Alden Nowlan

This poem delivers a very important message. It states that anybody, no matter how big or small, how intelligent or not, how rich or poor, can write poetry. All it takes is imagination, and passion. I agree with this message. Although some write poetry better than others, everybody has the ability. Some love writing poetry, others not so much. I am one of the others. Even though I dislike writing poetry, I can. I believe that poetry is one of the simplest concepts there are to writing; it's not complicated, there aren't many rules, and anybody can do it. You just have to have imagination, and passion as i said before. Just write about what you feel deepest and hardest, as the poem says.

Cue for Treason

I actually really enjoyed this book. I had trouble connecting with it and getting started, but once I did, it was good. The concept of this book was really unique. It really made me think more about Shakespearean England, and also about civil rights. It really made me curious about women' rights back then. The fact that Kit was herself and pursued her own ideas and hobbies no matter what really inspired me. She wanted to act and she knew she wasn't allowed. So she did something about it. She changed the face of acting. By being who she was, she inspired other women to stand up as well. I'm sure she is the inspiration for today's society with acting- where it mostly is women now. Peter is also an inspiring fellow. He ran into so many troubles along the way but he never gave up. He could have hidden the whole time but that wouldn't have made him a hero, now would it? He risked his life multiple times to save others'. He was able to read between the lines and solve the mystery. After finishing the story, I was still wondering exactly what happened to Tom Boyd. It was hinted that he was killed, but it would have been nice to know what happened exactly, and whether he was killed or not. Also, i was confused as to why they wanted to kill the Queen, and i wondered how they got the actor to help them. Overall, it was a good book and it taught me a lot.

Growing up Online

I round this video really shocking. I'll admit that I use the computer to communicate with friends and family members who live far away. I've heard of things like this happening but it has never been more real to me. I dont feel like anything like this will happen to me. Poeple have said mean things to me over the internet but I know that it is just because they are too afriad to say it to my face. I am very careful on the internet. I only have friends that I personally know. I do not accept anyone that I don't know and I have a very high security setting. Barely any people know my passwords so it's almost impossible for me to be hacked. This video made me really think and it made me more aware of what goes on in this crazy world we live in.

Book Thief VS Stones.

I think if I had to choose any book other than the Book Thief, I would have chosen Stones. I think that if I had looked at the Book Thief more before I read it, I would not have chosen it. I had been interested in Stones before we started, but I did not end up with that book. It sounded fairly interesting, with a lot of different aspects of our lives coming into play. Along with The Book Thief, it had a deep topic of racism, and equality, so I've been told. I think it would be a good read for me also, because I could maybe relate more to it. I think this because it takes place in a more modern society, so it's easier for me to comprehend. I really think I would have enjoyed this book, and I hope I have the chance to read it someday.

Book Thief # 5

Uh oh. The air-raid warnings are becoming more frequent. But good news- Hans is back from war!
Liesel reads through air-raid after air-raid, and it seems as if nothing is ever going to happen.. but then..
One night, all of Himmel Street is bombed. Every one Liesel knows dies. Again, I can NOT imagine this happening to me. Liesel got a chance to say goodbye to her parents, and to Rudy. If I was her in this situation, I would regret not telling Rudy I loved him before it was too late. She really cared about Rudy. Liesel found her father's accordian among the ruins, and now it truly WAS the only thing she had left of her dad. After a week or so, she goes back to visit Himmel Street. She is shocked at how a place that means Heaven could have such a Hell-ish look to it. In that last week, she had written a book. When she went back to Himmel Street, she dropped it. Death picked it up, read it, and when he came for her, at age 80, he gave it back to her.




I think one of the biggest things I learned from this book- appreciate what you have before its gone. I believe that this is something EVERYONE should follow in life. Think back to the Haulocaust victims. They never did anything, and they had their whole lives taken away from them! Do you think the soldiers gave them a chance to say goodbye?

Book Thief # 4

After the first air raid, Max disappeared. At first, I wondered why he had left the safest place. I then realized that at that point, for him, it was the best decision. He had lost and sacrificed so much, that his life couldn't get any worse. He had hit rock bottom. There was nothing else left to do, but let the soldiers kill him. I guess the situation was sort of the same with Liesel. She had suffered everything. Losing her brother by accident, but losing her mother by choice. She had lived such a rough life so far. She could have been at a breaking point, just like Max was. And maybe she was, BEFORE SHE MET MAX, but once he came into her life, she was eternally changed... and then he disappeared...

I believe that Hans is a very opinionated character, in a good way. He stands up for what he knows is right, no matter what. I'm sure standing up in front of his whole town, and standing up for a Jew was a really tough thing for him to do, but he did it anyways. He helped the Jew, even though he knew he would get punished for it. And he did get punished. They shipped him off to war, simply for being a good person. Probably one of the hardest things for Hans in this whole book was seeing who he thought was Rudy die. Rudy was practically like a son to him. I can not imagine how hard that would be, watching someone you love die. Not only someone you love, but anybody! Luckily, it was NOT Rudy, but it would still be hard.

Rosa is a truly significant character aswell. Throughout the book, she mentions how she somewhat dislikes the accordian. After Hans leaves for war, Liesel finds Rosa sitting in the living room, playing the accordian. It is very symbolic. It's sort of like the accordian was the only piece she had left of Hans, and she couldn't stand to lose that. I kind of disliked Rosa at one point in this section. When she washed away all of Max's drawings, it made me mad and upset. She knew how much he meant to Liesel and it probably extremely upset her to lose the only piece of him she had left. It would be like Liesel taking away Hans's accordian from Rosa. It wasn't fair, and she really shouldn't have done that to Liesel.


The section leaves off with Hans at war with the body of the 13 year old boy.

The Book Thief # 3!

In the 3rd section of the book, I started to enjoy the book a little more. Max arrived and he and Liesel start to develop a relationship. I really love the connection between the two- Jewish man, and German girl. I think its crazy how much they have in common. I truly respect the fact that Hans and Rosa had the strength and will-power to accept Max into their home. I'm sure it took a lot for Liesel to accept him too, but I'm happy that they all did, because without him, this story is not complete. Once Max starts to get sick, Liesel is somewhat lost without him. I can only imagine what it would be like to be Liesel in this situation. She probably felt really helpless, lost, sad and confused. Liesel and Rudy start to steal the books from the Mayor's wife. This was a really risky thing for Liesel. She was hiding a Jew in her basement. If she had've been caught, she could have been taken home by the soldiers. They may have searched her house and found Max.

Book Thief # 2

I finished the second fifth of the book today. I can not say I understand it any better thus far. More characters were added, making me more confused. Where I ended the second fifth was a really important part of the book, I am guessing. It looks like Liesel and Max have a lot in common, and may become good friends. They both came from bad situations, and they both absolutely LOVE reading. Maybe Max will get Liesel interested in some of his books, and vise versa. I am not enjoying this book so far. It involves really abstract thinking, which confuses me. The characters, and plot change ALOT. Luckily, the point of view is always the same! Nothing really exciting has happened in the book yet. Practically its mostly about the characters and Germany. It is also confusing because the author didn't develop the characters a lot. We know a little bit about Liesel, but not much about anyone else. I am having a lot of trouble getting into this book. Usually, I love to read, but this is a book that I don't even want to pick up sometimes. It's frustrating me. Hopefully, something happens SOON, or else this will be one long book study.

Book Thief # 1

Last week, I started reading The Book Thief. When I first started reading it, I was pretty bored, because there wasn't really much going on. I got confused aswell, because the actual story doesn't start until about 20 pages into the book. There are multiple characters with the same name, so that was confusing. Once I sort of got into the book, it was easier to understand. By the time I reached the end of my section, I actually understood, because there was more going on. I was still pretty confused up until our book club meeting, where Naomi pointed out that the story was written from the perspective of death. This made a lot more sense to the book. I am not sure whether I will like this book or not. From what I've read, it seems like it jumps around a lot. There are a lot of German terms, which I do not remember quickly. I shall go read some more of this book, and tell you how I feel about it later.

This is me at the MID- POINT of Grade 9!

It has been a CRAZY start to the year. Sometimes, I still find myself adapting to high school. I love it.

If I were to say anything to future Minor Niners, I would start by saying - don't be afraid to ask for help. You will make it a lot farther, and your life will be a LOT easier if you just simply ask. There are going to be people that tell you that the older kids are mean, scary, and won't help you. This isn't the truth. There are many people that want to help you. Everyone's really good about it. Also ask your teachers for help. They want you to ask. Their job is to answer your questions, and make sure you completely understand things. Another thing is - JUST BE YOURSELF! You are going to meet many new people. Don't become someone that you're not. Stay true to your friends and stay true to yourself! Those that are your true friends will stand by you no matter what happens, and the ones that dont, they aren't worth your time. Girls- Do not let a guy get in the way of your friendships with your girls. Your friends are the ones that will always be beside you, no matter what. Everyone- join as many teams/clubs as possible. You'll meet a lot of new people that are like you, and have a lot of fun aswell. DO NOT BLOCK THE HALLWAYS! The older kids hate this, and will be extremely mad at you. The teachers are not too fond of it either. This is one of the most important things. Stay to the sides, please! And don't be afraid to talk to older students. Don't be immature. Be serious. These are the 4 best years of your life. Have fun, but don't have so much fun, that you forget what your focus is. ENJOY THESE 4 YEARS!

Most of all, remember that everyone is in the same boat. You're not in this alone. Everyone has gone through this at one time or another. Right now is your turn, embrace it.

Take Your Kid to Work Day- at VMS! :)

For 'Take Your Kid to Work Day' I went to VMS. I could have had the chance to shadow my mom, dad or sister, but i didn't not want to. For my mom, her job is too easy. She works at Home Hardware, and I wasn't interested in that. For my father, I wasn't really interested in working at a cement factory either. My sister sells auto insurance for the Co-operators. Although this IS something I am interested in, the only I could have done all day is filing, because I haven't had any training. Instead of these options, I job-shadowed my former teacher, Paula Weese in her Grade 1/2 classroom. It was a big change, because when Miss Weese taught me, I was in grade 8. It was crazy to see the difference in her teaching. I had a great day, of singing, games, and helping. It was also a big change for me, because she has some students that are developmentally challenged. I worked with some of these students one-on-one playing games to improve their letter sounds, and spelling. We also arranged the alphabet different ways. My day was thoroughly entertaining and valuable. Growing up, I have been around kids a lot, but being able to teach them was a great experience. I also had the chance to teach a Grade 8 Music class, where we worked on bowing, and fingering techniques, and learned to play Ode to Joy. Luckily, I was working with a few other Grade 9 students that I knew, so it was easier for me. The class was very out of control, but we managed to get SOME work done. I think if I was to go teaching, I would teach a lower grade class. Although I would like the connection I could have with older students, it would be complicated. I would not want to deal with their immaturity. I think 'Take Your Kid to Work Day' is a great experience. Students get the chance to work in one field for a day, and see whether it suits you. I think it should be a program for all grades, each on a different day. This would give students a chance to attend several different workplaces, and test their skills IN that program. I absolutely loved 'Take Your Kid to Work Day.' I am so thankful that I got this chance, and that I WAS able to attend, unlike some students.

Shakespere

We all have to learn Shakespere. Most likely for at least 4 years of our lives. So whats the point? I don't really see a point. Barely any people understand it because the language is so old. I do not see how studying the works of someone who died 400 years ago will make us smarter. The only thing it does for us is teach us romantic things, and old words. I would much rather spend my time learning new math equations rather than learning about Shakespere's plays. I'll admit, I do somewhat enjoy some of them, or at least the stories I've heard about them. But for me, I can't grasp things like this. They go in one ear and out the other. I believe it should be a choice to learn, or at least a specific course. If we don't understand it, we shouldn't have to learn it.

Much Ado About Nothing.

I was pretty confused. Shakespere does not come easily to me. I have trouble understanding and hearing what they were saying. I didn't really understand the story at first, but after we talked about it as a class, I understood better. I think this may be because in the story, they use different language than we use today. When we explained it as a class, we were speaking OUR version of english, so everyone could understand. One of the things that confused me the most was the mind games they played. I found myself asking 'Why?' a lot. Overall, by the end of the movie, I had an understanding of what was going on.