Students Guest Blog

How many of you know that there is a way to earn extra credit in Mrs. Davis' class? You can be a guest blogger right here! 

Check out the guest blogger tab on this blog. Follow the very precise directions. Scroll back through years of student guest blogs to see what other people have written. 

A single thoughtful comment that includes your first name and zero errors will earn you a single point. A guest blog post is worth up to 5 points. Remember, it's EXTRA credit for extra work. You do the extra work, not me. :-) 

Be patient; I preview everything before it gets posted.

Below are some current blog posts from students, submitted recently.

GUEST BLOGGERS

Book Reviews
Uglies

The author, Scott Westerfeld, starts off with an interesting description of the protagonist. This is the first judgement we have about this story. Tally Youngblood sneaks out of her dorm, tricking her high-tech room. The story is based in the future, she is still “ugly” and hasn’t had the gruesome surgery that changes her small eyes to bright shining ones, her small skinny legs too long, flawless limbs, making her body fit into the perfect standard of a 16 year old pretty.

This all takes a turn when a friend she had met while hiding out in New Pretty town leaves on her hoverboard to go to a city beyond called Smoke. Shay has met her older friends so she can start a life somewhere else, leaving a note with non-descriptive clues to lead Tally if she followed. This is a dilemma because she wants to stay and become pretty. Tally chooses to go by the “Special Projects” hand. After meeting with a secretive government group, she ends up leave to the Smoke as a spy for the “special circumstances”. The climax begins as she’s finding how to figure out the clues as well as living in the wild, which Tally has only visited once or twice before. As she follows the strenuous clues that Shay has given her, Tally learns how to live by herself.

She is shocked by the rough living of the people living there. In her city, no one cut down trees or used real leather as the old, ancient people did many years ago. There is a stressful love triangle that tally has to fight through. Tally finds a life altering secret that is revealed towards the end of the book.

This book raises questions and concerns that is plausible for the future. It could change society in a way that shouldn't be welcome. It is interesting to think about the possibilities of living in an exclusive city where everyone is up to beauty standards. I personally don’t believe there should be a change to our modern society, it is changing enough already.


Audrey H

Let it Snow

With all of the holidays coming our way, I decided to start getting in the spirit and read Christmas books! One of the books that I have recently read is called Let it Snow. This book has three romance stories, The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson, A Cheertastic Christmas by John Green, and The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle. The book is about three different teenagers who each share their own story and they all connect to one another. This book is young adult fiction but of course anyone can read it! It has so many moods such as hilarious, charming, and lovable. John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myracle are three of today’s bestselling authors and we can see why in this book. If you’re a person who loves detailed books then I highly recommend this one. I have read books by John Green before and I can tell you, he is an amazing writer. This was my first time reading a book by Lauren Myracle and Maureen Johnson and they are amazing as well. You can never go wrong with these types of books so I definitely suggest it!                   

Yureli M

Two Truths, One Lie

1. I have gone to a family trip in Lake Tahoe for winter break. There was a sauna, hot tub, and a dirt path leading up to the mountain. I stayed in the hot tub for an hour and stayed in the sauna for 30 minutes. Afterwards, I went off to ziplining afterwards all of that heat.
2. I used to have many pet fish when I was younger and all of them died quickly. I was in love with fish and was somehow not sad at the fact that my pets had all died. I just quit asking for more pet fish since I couldn't do much with them.
3. I used to have 3 dogs and their names were Apple, Yellow, and Square. Apple was a cute small pug, Yellow was a small playful chihuahua, and Square was a lazy bulldog who loved stealing food.

Kayla L

Question of the Week

What is your favorite thing to do in your free time?

My friend Savannah’s favorite thing to do in her free time is ride her horse named Bubba. Bubba’s original name was Spur. His last owners changed it to Bubba. When Savannah got Bubba she didn’t want to change his name because she thought it was a cute name. Bubba is 17 years old and Savannah got him when he was 15 years old. Savannah loves Bubba a lot and will do anything for him. For example she rides him everyday, feeds him horse goodies, grooms him everyday, and talks/sings to him. When Savannah rides him she feels really safe and she trusts him a lot. They like to do sports together. Their favorite sport to do is barrel racing. Barrel racing is a rodeo event in which a horse and rider race around 3 barrels in a cloverleaf pattern and whichever rider and horse gets the fastest time wins. They win a saddle and a buckle for their horse. Bubba is a really awesome horse!

By Olivia W.

Creative Writing

The Difference Between Saying, Thinking, and Distance.

I’m ok.

I’m not okay.

Its funny knowing

that these are my last moments here with you.

Or maybe it’s just sad

knowing that I’ll never forget this.

I'm happy knowing

that I knew you.

Or maybe it’s just sad

knowing that I’ll never forget you.

It’s annoying when

I think of you sometimes and never been able to take you out of my mind.

Or maybe it's just sad

knowing that I don't want to forget you.

It’s impressive that

we’ve spent a lot of time together.

Or maybe it’s just sad

knowing that I’ve never said “I love you” the way I wanted to say it.

It’s boring, knowing that

you won’t be with me anymore.

Or maybe it's just sad

knowing that you’ll never be here, waiting for me to come online.

It's crazy, thinking about

how you say that you love me and I say “I love you” back for the last time.

Or maybe it's just sad

knowing that I didn’t get the chance to say it in person.

It’s insane, realizing how

much I love you at the end.

Or maybe it's just sad,

knowing that I don’t want you to leave.

It’s weakening, knowing that

I still love you.

It's just plain sadness.

Don’t you understand?

Do you know that I’ve been hurting?

It hurts to say goodbye. Especially to you.

It's frustrating, needing

to take you out of my mind.

You’re my biggest weakness.

I need you to get out of my head.

I loathe you but at the same time,

I regret saying that I do.

It’s joyful, knowing that

you’ve left.

At the last moment,

I wished that I could've said some more things;

I know it’s too late to say this.

I know.

You’ll never hear me say this.

But for the last time;

I just want to say this.

I love you.

It’s sad, knowing that

you used to love me.

Kayla L

Thanksgiving

Hello, everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving.

I hope that you enjoy your week off 

if you are lucky enough to have one. 

I look forward to good food and time with my family.

I will also be planning our 

House on Mango Street unit next week. 

We will be reading this book when we return from break. 

It is available online in PDF format. 

I highly recommend buying your own copy of the book 

so you have it to read and hold and re-read and cherish.

Here is one YouTuber's review of the book.

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GUEST BLOGGERS

Two Truths and a Lie

1. I went to Hawaii last summer. I stayed at a resort type of thing and it was fun, especially when I got stung by a jellyfish. Right off the resort, there was a beach which was nice. There was a barbeque restaurant and a couple other things. So one day I was at the beach and just messing around in the water and I felt a really bad feeling on my leg. It stung for a long time but it wore off later that day.

2. I have 3 pets. I have 2 dogs, one is a black lab, Lucy, and another which is like a rat dog,  Murphy. We call Murphy that because we don’t know his breed and he looks like a big rat. I have a fish named Ringo after Ringo Starr. I also have pets at my mom's house.

3. My real name is Antwan. When I was two years old my mom changed my name because she liked the name Asher more. My dad liked the name Antwan but my mom didn't like it.

Asher F.

Question of the Day

My question of the day is “What is your favorite holiday?” For this question, I asked a couple family members and people I live with.

Dad: “There's only one real holiday and that would be Christmas. Christmas is about the birth of Jesus and brings family's together like no other holiday. Only Christmas can bring out the best in people and turn our focus on others rather than ourselves. Lest we forget the food and smells that are created during the Christmas season can't be beat. The final reason that makes Christmas the best holiday is we can watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation as much as we want.”

Cathy: “My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.  Most people would say Christmas, I think, so one reason I prefer Thanksgiving is to be unique. Also, Thanksgiving is during my favorite time of year, fall.  My favorite part about Thanksgiving is that the whole family gathers around the table and shares the reasons they are thankful.  And, of course, the pumpkin pie doesn't hurt!  :)”

Mom: “Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. I love having one day a year that focuses on everything we can be thankful for and spending quality time with family. Life gets so busy and goes so fast that I fully appreciate this holiday where we can slow down, just enjoy each other’s company, and have some fantastic food as well.”

Amy S.

Movie Review- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

         Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a good movie. For one, it fills in the thirty-seven-year-old plot error about how they got the plans to the death star in the first place. It is also enticing with action that keeps the viewer from getting bored of the movie. For instance, one example of this is when the crew infiltrates the imperial base on Scarif, and they ambush the imperial stormtroopers. This battle scene results in the highest point of action in the movie. However, it has many errors with the plot, such as when director Krennic has Jyn as his prisoner, and then Cassian somehow appears, even though he fell from a massive height earlier. Overall, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story is a good movie, but not one of the better Star Wars movies I have seen. I recommend that you see it if you have not watched it yet.

Asher C.

2 Truths, and a Lie!

1. I love Justin Bieber. I’ve been a Belieber since 2009, and I was 5 years old when I started liking him. I’ve seen him in concert once, and I was supposed to go to Pasadena for another concert but it was canceled.
2. I used to live in Texas for 5 years. I moved to California by car in 3 days when I was 6 years old. I didn’t finish up school there so when I got to California I went to 2 schools for kindergarten, 2 for first grade, 2 for second grade, and I finished up elementary school at Hooker Oak.
3. My mom gave birth to me at prom and died during my delivery. I’m an only child and I live in a foster home with 8 boys and 4 girls. My father dipped at prom and left the country. SKRTTTTTTTTT

Ashlynn C.

Two Truths and a Lie

1. I have eight siblings. two brothers and six sisters. Their ages are twenty seven, twenty nine, twenty four, twenty three ten, eight and two three year olds but none of them are my real siblings. I look almost exactly like one of them even though we have a different dad.

2. I went to the beach with my family and watched the sundown. The sky was pink and purple and the clouds were glowing like a glowstick.. We were looking at the sun since it wasn’t too bright and watched it go down little by little until we couldn’t see it.

3. My step-mom is a district attorney and my dad graduated from ITT Technical Institute just last year. I do not live with my mom but i visit her every other week. We are not very close to each other so i am happy for the time i have with her.

    

Which one is the lie?

Kiana B.

 

Yearbook Halloween Party

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The yearbook staff is taking a break from their hard work in order to have a partay! Students arranged the entire thing, demonstrating leadership skills, organization, teamwork, and party planning. They decorated, ate snacks and drinks, and held a costume contest. What fun!

 

 
















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GUEST BLOGGERS

Movie Review: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

What I liked about Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone is the magic and the creatures. I think all the special effects that went into making the magic look realistic are amazing. The magical creatures like the troll and dragon must have been hard to make look real. Somehow the people doing special effects really made the creatures and the monsters look like it wasn’t special effects. It looked like they were actually in the movie.

I think other people will really like Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone Because of the beginning where the people that Harry Potter is living with treat him like garbage. They make him cook breakfast for everyone, they make him live under the stairs, and do all the chores. Once Hagrid takes him to Hogwarts, he is really respected and everybody is nice to him. People are shocked to be talking to “the Harry Potter.”

Jacob F.

Two Truths and a Lie

1. I have gone to Disneyland seven times, Disney World four times, and I have been on two Disney Cruises. On the cruise there was a waterslide that was two hundred and three feet long going throughout the ship. I went on the slide five times while we were on the cruise.
2. I lived in Arizona for nine years, lived in Las Vegas for a year, and moved to California in 2016. I moved to California because my dad got full custody of me and he lived here and I lived in Arizona.
3. I have four animals living in my house. A bird and three dogs, my dog is Chloe and she is the youngest. Gretta is the second youngest dog, then it’s Angel who is the oldest and last but not least there is the bird Peanut. Peanut is nine, Angel is also nine, Gretta is two, and Chloe just turned a year old.

Athena C.  

Question of the Week

       I asked my mom a question about summer. What did you do over summer? Her answer was, “First we went to LA to visit family on 4th of July and saw fireworks all night and had a good night playing games with the family. After LA we went to Monterey to go camping as a family and see the sunset at the beach and visit the piers sampling clam chowder. The next morning, we went kayaking and saw otters and harbor seals with other families. After kayaking, we went to a seafood restaurant that had really good food and tried new things but very delicious foods like a deep-fried artichoke.” So from what all my mom said made my summer seem much longer and much more fun-sounding. I am very glad that she let us do so many things as a family.

Julian Q

Two Truths and One Lie

1. I am a very good artist and have taken many art classes. I am terrible with color pencils and I am great with shading pencils. I have drawn many drawings that people say are good but I don't really like them. Also I don't like to draw or talk about drawing in public.
2. I hate chocolate. I've hated chocolate ever since I was a little and had a cake with too rich chocolate. Ever since that day I've hated chocolate so much that looking at chocolate makes me throw up. Even if the chocolate is lightly covering a delicious good I still won't even touch it. Chocolate is the last thing in the world I will eat.
3. I like playing video games. I like playing video games with my friends online and messing around and just hanging out. I like most games but not games which you have to create objects and survive. I like squad games where you can play with friends and mess around or be really serious. I also like games that are in first person and I don't mind third person games. All of the games I have are competitive so I like competitive games.

Julian Q