Yearbook is Done!!

My first year as a yearbook adviser has been educational and fantastic! My students have worked so hard and learned so much. I am impressed with their dedication. I'm really looking forward to next year and applying all the skills and strategies that we have learned this year.

Here are some quotes from members of my staff:

Rainhan B- It's hard work, but it's fun!

Danielle D- It is a lot of work, but it is rewarding at the end.

Vivianna T- I like the teacher, Mrs. Davis, and I appreciate everyone that helps working in the class.

Mikayla V- It's hard.

Amy S- I learned different people skills by going out and interviewing. I also learned leadership skills by making sure everyone is doing their job.

Madie S- I learned how to use a computer and social skills.

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GUEST BLOGGERS

Book Review

(spoilers)

During the break, I read Lois Duncan's “Locked in Time”. In The book, Norys mother has just died and she now has to live with her dad, stepmom, stepbrother, and stepsister. She packs up everything and moves to the outskirts of New Orleans to live in the old Berge plantation. Things go well in the beginning but as certain events happen, she reailzes her stepfamily is not what they claim to be. Her stepsister Josie says some odd things like how they were at the Hartford Circus when it caught fire (which was in 1944), and how she’s stuck the way she is. She also overhears an odd conversation between her her step mom and Josie. The thing that makes everything worse is that her step brother Dave tries to kill her but is unsuccessful.

Since no one believes her, Nory Decides to find her own answers by talking to someone who used to work on the plantation. What she discovers confirms her suspicions. She learns that Lisette's ancestor had married a rich man. They had two boys and a girl. Then the husband died and the family moved away. Then the “daughter” would come back with her three children, one girl and two boys, and this went on for many generations. In one generation though, the family came back with only one boy, and this was because Dave had said his younger brother died. Now with this newfound information she decides to read Lisette's diary that is dated in the 1800’s! She finds out that Lissette did a ritual with a woman so that she would never age, and that she killed all her husbands for money.

-Iyanah B

My First Basketball Game

The first time I played a basketball game for a actual team I was 12. I played for Chico Jr High School. I still remember it like it was yesterday. It was at Notre Dame Jr High School. I was really excited to play, but at the same time I was nervous. It felt like it took forever for the game to start, but when it did, I was really happy even though I had no clue what to do. We started and they got the ball and were pushing it down the court. It was my first time, so I put my hand out there to get the ball, but I fouled the kid because I reached. We were supposed to be running plays and shooting the ball, but we were just playing around and not running anything. We ended up losing pretty badly, but we did not care. At the end, we went home happy as could be. That was the very first basketball game I ever played.

-Marcos B

Movie Review for Short Circuit 2

In the beginning there is a robot named Johnny Five that goes from the country to New York City because he has human friends that need help in their newly-started robot toy factory. Johnny Five has a funny personality and loves books so much that he can finish them in a few seconds. One funny part of the movie is when Johnny Five is going to explore the city he meets this gang called the Locos. The Locos gang tricks Johnny Five into breaking into cars by saying that they have families that really need help. They cannot go home because they need these cars opened.

During the movie there is a scene where expensive jewels are being put in a heavily guarded bank that will be tied into the end of the movie. Along the way, Johnny Five notices there are bad guys that break into the robot toy factory and he meets this man named Oscar. Those bad guys wanted to break in because they have a hideout under the toy robot factory that leads to the heavily-guarded bank with the expensive jewels.

One day Johnny Five realizes that Oscar was the bad guys’ boss after all, when he was forced to drill up to the vault with the expensive jewels. During that process of drilling, Johnny Five damaged something that could have killed him. After that, Johnny five, his friends, and the New York police chased down the bad guys. Oscar’s henchmen got arrested but Oscar escaped on a speed boat. With all the power he had left, Johnny Five took down Oscar by himself.

I would recommend this movie to anybody.

-Evan A.

Academic Support

I have had the privilege of teaching a small group of students this year who need a little extra time and help to get their work in and keep their grades up. My class has been as small as 6 and as big as 16.

We have had highs and lows. Here are some of them:

Mrs. Davis- My high has been our field trip to Christine MacShane's art studio where my students created painted canvases of their own. Beautiful, imaginative, original. My low was some of the challenging behavior that students displayed (especially at the beginning of the school year). Time and continued dedication to building relationships helped me overcome the difficulties, and now I love them all!

Rebecca- A low I had was always having anxiety about my grades and what everyone else thought about me. I didn't have many friends, and it was hard for me to talk to my teachers because I never really had anyone to talk to about my feelings. I had a hard time coming to school because all summer I was so depressed that I slept all day. My high is I overcame being depressed and stressed about my grades and stuff at home. I started to look at things differently and positively instead of looking at things in a bad way.

Tyler- My high was when we went on a field trip to Butte College and the Lineman's College because it gives you an idea about where you want to go to school later in life. That way you're not wandering around aimlessly wondering what you're going to do after high school. My low is not turning my work in most of the time and getting bad grades for it.

Amanda- My high is that I have a teacher that I have a relationship with and that we went on a field trip to Butte College where we stopped to look at art. My low is that at the beginning I had a really bad attitude with a lot of my teachers, but I've learned to work on respecting people.

Lucie- My low this year was the beginning of the year when I was convinced that I couldn't get my grades up, and I didn't want to. I didn't think I was capable of making the changes in my life that needed to be made in order for me to have better relationships with my friends and teachers and people around me constantly. I didn't think anybody cared about my success. I thought the teachers were just doing their job because they had to. Then towards the middle and end of the year, I started to get my grades up. I wasn't in trouble as much with my parents, and the motivation kicked in. I didn't want people to call me stupid anymore. I knew that I was smart, but I didn't feel like it was worth it. Now, I feel like I can come into class and not feel so stressed out. I can talk to Mrs. Davis about what is going on in my life. It makes me feel like I matter to the people in this classroom and the teachers at this school. It's a really nice way to start my day.

Nicolle- A high I had is when we went to Chico State. We got to see glass blown in a class. That was my favorite part. My low was when I first came to this class in the beginning because I didn't know anyone. I was shy. Now I know more people in this class and I don't feel shy anymore.


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GUEST BLOGGERS

Two Truths and A Lie

1. Last summer I went to a party for one of my friends. It was a party at the Sky High. It was the best party ever. There were trampolines all over the place basketball hoops. We had a basketball game because we brought a basketball. We played for one or two hours. We were dunking and doing crazy passes. It was a fun birthday.

2. We were about to play a basketball game. I was ready to go but none of my shots would go in. I thought I was going to miss every shot. I was not in the best mood at the very beginning of the game but when I took my first shot of the game and I made it. After that I made every shot. I think I had 16 points that game, I made a lot of threes and made all of my free troughs.

3. When I was in 6th grade I was the type of kid that stayed inside for the whole day. When I got home, I did not really like to go outside. But when I was in seventh grade all of that changed. Every day I would get home from school, grab a basketball and go to my front yard to shoot hoops. I realized that I wanted to be a basketball player, so I practiced hard every day. Now I play for Chico Jr basketball team.

Marcos B


Question of the Week:

I asked my friend, Amanda, “What is your everyday routine?”

She said, “Usually, I get up and lay on the couch with my blanky then I eat cereal. My favorite is Krave chocolate. Then I take a shower and use Tresemme shampoo and conditioner. I follow with oil free pomegranate flavor face wash. I then get out and dry myself off and put my clothes on. Then comes the embarrassing part, I pretend like i'm a youtuber and start my fake makeup tutorial. I start with foundation and apply it on the basic surface areas of my face, forehead, the bridge of my nose, cheeks, under eyes, and jaw. Then I take my concealer and conceal my under eyes and blend it out with my blender after applying it with a brush. Then I set my concealer and foundation and occasionally bake my face and after 5 min, I dust off the excess powder, following with using dipbrow to fill in my arch and Too Faced mascara and eyeshadow. I go for a more natural look so I don't apply lipstick but sometimes I’ll use a little gloss or use chapstick, and yeah then I go to school.”
Lucie D.

Two Truths and A Lie

1. Last summer I got my first phone. I had an iPod before I got my phone. I like my phone a lot more than my iPod. The first phone I had was the iPhone SE. The SE was created by Apple because of the errors in the iPhone 6 & the 6s. After this completion the SE is now the superior phone. The new SE has the same capacity as the 6 & 6s but in a compact size.

2. Last year for my birthday me and my family went on a vacation to Fort Bragg. We stayed in this big hotel right next to the ocean for one week. That week every night when I was falling asleep, I could hear the waves crashing against each other. We went to the beach every day. Being on the beach made my birthday great.

3. Last summer I went to a water park with my family. The water park was called Raging Waters. When you first walk in, it may look small because you can only see three or four rides. When you walk past those rides, you will then see a lot more rides. Me and my sister rode every ride. There was one ride that was extremely tall, long and super scary. Me and my sister were walking up the stairs, when we looked down we both had second thoughts, but we still continued up to the top of the ride. When we got to the top of the slide, we told each other that we should just go for it and don’t think about it. We both went down the slide and never went on it again.

Marcos B.

Favorite Class

My favorite class is math. I really enjoy math because it always has me thinking. For example, when I am is science, english, or history, I don’t really concentrate the same as I do in math. I like math because it has always been my strong subject in school.  Although I am good in all of my other classes I can’t really focus on them as well I can in math. In science I am not really into atoms and how a liquid turns into a gas and all of the steps in between that. I am not very good at english because I am not a very good writer and not a very good reader. You would think it would be easy to write a couple of paragraphs for me but my first language is Spanish. English is not the same as Spanish, it is more difficult for me. I am not really good at History because, I am not good at remembering the states, or the history of the Greeks, thing like that. When I am in all of my other classes I can’t seem to focus as well as I can in math. For me math is fun and always as me thinking. That is my favorite class and why I like math more than all of my other classes.

Marcos

Shakespeare

Have you seen any of these movies? They are all "Teen Movies" adapted from the works of William Shakespeare. 

Who is William Shakespeare, you ask?

He was a playwright, a poet, a shrewd businessman, and a wordsmith over 400 years ago.

His words are used all the time, and we don't even know they are attributed to him. Here are some examples from Mental_Floss: 

1. “WILD GOOSE CHASE”: ROMEO AND JULIET, ACT II, SCENE IV

“Nay, if our wits run the wild-goose chase, I am done, for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of thy wits than, I am sure, I have in my whole five. Was I with you there for the goose?” — Mercutio

2. “GREEN-EYED MONSTER”: OTHELLO, ACT III, SCENE III

O, beware, my lord, of jealousy! It is the green-eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on." - Iago

3. "PURE AS THE DRIVEN SNOW”: HAMLET, ACT III, SCENE I AND THE WINTER’S TALE, ACT IV, SCENE IV

“Be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, go.” — Hamlet, “Lawn as white as driven snow.” — Autolycus

4. "SEEN BETTER DAYS": AS YOU LIKE IT, ACT II, SCENE VII

“True is it that we have seen better days and have with holy bell been knolled to church, and sat at good men’s feasts and wiped our eyes of drops that sacred pity hath engendered.” –Duke Senior

5. "OFF WITH HIS HEAD": RICHARD III, ACT III, SCENE IV

“If? Thou protector of this damnèd strumpet, talk’st thou to me of “ifs”? Thou art a traitor—Off with his head.” – Richard III

6. "FOREVER AND A DAY": AS YOU LIKE IT, ACT IV, SCENE I

"Now tell me how long you would have her after you have possessed her.” — Rosalind, “Forever and a day” — Orlando

7. "GOOD RIDDANCE": TROILUS AND CRESSIDA, ACT II, SCENE I

[Thersites exits], “A good riddance.” — Patroclus

8. "FAIR PLAY": THE TEMPEST, ACT V, SCENE I

“Yes, for a score of kingdoms you should wrangle, and I would call it fair play.” — Miranda

9. "LIE LOW": MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING, ACT V, SCENE I

“If he could right himself with quarreling, some of us would lie low.” — Antonio

10. "IT’S GREEK TO ME”: JULIUS CAESAR, ACT I, SCENE II

“Nay, an I tell you that, Ill ne'er look you i' the face again: but those that understood him smiled at one another and shook their heads; but, for mine own part, it was Greek to me. — Casca

See the above and read some more 
common Shakespeare quotes here.

For the next three weeks in class, we are going to learn a little more about Shakespeare. We will find out about his life and his works. We will read his comedy, "The Tempest."

Are you ready? Let's do it!

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GUEST BLOGGERS

Movie Review

I have recently watched the movie Middle School: The Worst Years Of My Life. I really liked this movie because I am still in middle school and at this age nobody likes rules. I first wanted to watch this movie because an actress I knew played a role in this movie. I really liked the role Jeanne played by Isabela Moner. Jeanne was a good girl in the movie; the one who followed the rules and volunteered for anything. She was your typical good girl, straight A’s student but was she a good girl at heart? The main role Rafe, Griffin Gluck, had recently got his drawing notebook thrown in a tub of acid by the principle, the antagonist. Seeing all of his drawings that took hard work and time in his life go down the drain, he wanted revenge. He planned to break every rule the school had. While breaking these rules he had to have a partner in crime, his best friend Leo. Aside from trying to break all the rules he had family problems, girl problems and his own personal problems. This movie contains comedy, emotion and a little romance. I recommend this movie because not only is it funny but age appropriate and has a very good soundtrack.

-Ariel L

Two Truths and A Lie

1. When I was in the seventh grade I had all b’s except for one class. Other people have told me that teacher doesn't like seventh graders, and I think it was true because every day of his class he would send me to the office. In total I got kicked out twenty times and not one got me in trouble.

2. Last summer I had a dog named Spot. He was the cutest little puppy. He was all white and had black spots all over its body. One morning I was taking out the trash and I saw this white thing in the road. I thought it was a funny looking squirrel. I went to look at it and it was my puppy Spot! he just got hit with a truck. IT WAS A HIT AND RUN!!!!!!!

3. I like to play soccer I am pretty good at it. When I was a little kid around 5 years old, I was scared to play because I got hurt and I was embarrassed. When I got older, I was a lot stronger and bigger, so I was not scared at all. Every time I step on the field, I choose one guy and he will be the person who lands on their butt at least once. Ever since then I love playing soccer.

-Marcos B

Two Truths and a Lie

1. I love the band Neck Deep. It is my favorite band and my favorite songs is December. My favorite album by Neck Deep is “life's not out to get you”. I like this band because they are all adorable and have some great music. I adore Neck Deep.
2. I love gardening. Gardening is a really fun sport and makes a lot of hard times easier. It also relaxes me. I started gardening when in 6th grade I met a mom at an Arbonne party and she brought me coffee and we started to garden. IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Her name was Debra.
3. I can play the drums, ukulele, the flute, piano, and the guitar. I love music and it has always been a close part of my life. Ever since I was little I was singing and dancing and playing whatever I could find. So music was and is a good escape for me.

-Lucie D

Favorite Food

My favorite types of foods are quesadillas, hamburgers and pancakes. The reason why I like quesadillas is because I like cheese and tortillas very much.  A quesadilla has both of those items put together. I like the melting hot cheese inside of the tortilla which gets folded in half to make the best type of food, the quesadilla. The other reason why I like quesadillas a lot is because they go with almost everything. They go with soup, eggs, beans, and rice, pretty much every type of mexican food.

The second type of food that I like is a Hamburger. I like hamburgers because I like the taste of them. I like to eat hamburgers with everything on it such as, buns, cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, onions, pickles, and mayonnaise. The only thing I don’t like on my hamburgers is mustard. I never really liked the taste of mustard.

My last favorite type of food are pancakes. I like pancakes because they have a good taste to them, especially in the morning. When I wake up in the morning and I go to eat my breakfast, I always get pancakes. I like to eat my pancakes with lots of syrup.  The weird thing is I like to eat pancakes with an egg right on top. These are all of my favorite types of foods and why I like them.

-Marcos

So Many Firsts and Thank You

I'm sitting at Starbucks right now, grading some papers. Reflecting on this school year that is winding down. This has been a year of firsts for me.

I left my job of ten years to come work at Chico Junior. It is my first year teaching at Chico Unified School District, first year teaching 8th grade, first year as the yearbook adviser. (Additionally, I got married for the first time, followed shortly with selling and buying a house!)

I have learned so much. 

8th graders behave differently than do 6th graders. In some ways they are more advanced. They are more proficient readers and writers. They can participate in more abstract thought and conversations. They are older and often more mature. 

Some of them are more defiant and harder to redirect. If they are not at grade level, the gap requires even more dedication to bridge.

The standards I have to teach are different; the curriculum was new to me; I am learning new routines and procedures in a new district.

Fortunately, many resources are available to me, and I use them. A few educators have been my rocks this year, and I want to mention them here.

Andee Farrar- You continue to be my friend and confidant. I share with you; you share with me. Thank you for being my sounding board and enduring supporter. 

Tony Chinchay- When I was feeling most overwhelmed, you welcomed me and made me feel at home. You are warm and friendly, wise and experienced. Your honesty and direct advice got me through the toughest time. I owe much of my success to you!

April Hislop- You are my classroom neighbor and resident expert with 8th-grade English. You have observed my teaching formally and informally and offered suggestions that help me improve my craft. I trust you to keep me on the right track.

Pedro Caldera and Jessica Kamph- My new administrators, I feel lucky to have joined your team. You two are leaders and role models. Progressive, inclusive, caring-- You set the standard for how to support students and staff. I feel safe and included here. It can only get better!

Mary Anne Pella-Donnelly- Your knowledge and experience have been indispensable. Because of you, I have been able to take some of my students off campus to enjoy field trips that may keep them engaged in their educations for the years to come. You have selflessly given your time and shared your connections to make these excursions come to life. I could not have done it without you.

Denise Hughes- You are the sun, the center of the Chico Junior universe. You patiently answer all of my questions, of which I have an endless supply. You help me find things and do things and understand things. THANK YOU. 

Finally, I must thank all of my students. Every one of you has helped me become a better teacher this year. You help me practice growth mindset by showing me that I can work hard and endure even when things are difficult. You show up every day with eager minds and inspiring ideas. We learn together. I have had the pleasure of getting to know all of you and you've improved me as a person.

Let's finish this year strong!!! Ready? Go!


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GUEST BLOGGERS

Two Truths and a Lie

1. When I was a little kid I used to always go to my grandma’s house. Every time me my dad and my sister went to my grandma’s house, we would stop at the gas station and we would always get my grandmother a Butterfingers. We would get a Payday for my grandfather because that was his favorite type of candy. One day something happened to my grandmother and she could no longer have candy. She had a heart attack. It was a really scary day when we found out.

2. One time my cousin was at my grandma’s house and she was texting her friend. My cousin somehow got her friends to go from Chico to Corning because that is where my grandma lives. She got caught sneaking out of the house with her friends. Her friends ditched her and ran off to the car, but my uncle and his friend chased them and caught them. Now my cousin doesn't have her phone and she practically lives in her room because she can no longer go anywhere.

3. When I was in 5th grade, I played soccer and I was good at it, but there was this one kid who was the best soccer player ever. He was a good close friend and I called him JR. He was one year older than me, so he had a one year head start. He would always show me new tricks. One day I was playing soccer doing tricks, I got hit and fell on the ground. I fell on my arm and I broke it. After that I could not play soccer until I started jr high two years later.

-Marcos B.

“Beastly” movie, based on the novel

Beastly, written and  wonderfully directed by Daniel Barnz is a modern day teen Beauty And The Beast. Seventeen year old Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) while very attractive being a shallow, ruler of his highschool kingdom in New York City. He foolishly chooses Kendra (Mary Kate Olsen) as his next target for humiliation among many innocent “uglys”. Kyle learns soon enough that the rumors about Kendra are as true as they seem and the Witch disguising as a highschool student uses her magic to plot and complete the perfect revenge, turning Kyle as aggressively unattractive as he is within. Kyle then has a year to find someone to love him or he will remain beastly forever. I found that this movie is a thrilling love story with a message that love is never ugly. I recommend this movie for all ages over 13 years old. My reasoning for the age recommendations is because there are some adult themes and mildly crude language.

-Lucie D.

Marcos’ Vacation

For my vacation I want to go to the Bahamas. Out of all the places I had in mind, I chose the Bahamas.  My options were the Bahamas, Hawaii, Florida, Disneyland, or a Disney Cruise. The reason I would like to go to the Bahamas is because they have nice beaches and it would be nice to swim in the water. If I ever went to the Bahamas, I would want to stay at one of the nice, big hotels. Big hotels have a lot of things like swimming pools, game rooms, exercise rooms, and they also have a big breakfast buffet. I love to eat.

I love going on vacations during summer and especially to the beach. The beach is my favorite place to go because I can chill out on a towel, play with the sand, play volleyball, and swim in the ocean. I love going to places I have never been before. The Bahamas is one place that I have not visited yet.    

Smartphones: Helpful or Hurtful?

This week in class we are reading articles about smartphone use. Helpful or Harmful? We are thinking critically about the information in the articles and determining our own positions on the subject. 

Here are some photos of students' annotated articles:

Next week students will make claims and defend them in argumentative essays. This assignment will prepare them for the district assessment coming up in a few weeks.

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GUEST BLOGGERS

Sister Soccer Opinion

I asked my sister what was her opinion of her playing soccer, and she said her opinion was that she is the best player on her soccer team. She likes it also because it is fun to play and she is good at kicking the ball. All of her friends play soccer also.

My sister is a pretty good soccer player. She usually scores one goal every other game, but she never goes outside to practice. My whole family is trying to get her to practice, but she thinks she is too good for that. Maybe one day she will understand that she is not the best player on her soccer team and she will have to practice a lot to get better. I know that all of the times that she was sitting on the couch, she should of been outside practicing. I am sure one day she will wake up and understand she needs it.

-Marcos B

Two Truths and a Lie

1. I had an agent at age 9-10. I was also in a program for young actresses and models. In order to get her, I had to drive down to Los Angeles to audition for an agent...I got all six call-backs. It was an amazing experience for a young girl.

2. I did ballet for seven years. I had pointe. And was invited to Santa Anna’s Dance Academy for youth. I told my Mom and we fundraised as much as we could but we ended up not being able to afford to send me. I was devastated and quit ballet. I can still stand on pointe though!

3. My mom’s best friend got invited onto Pharrell Williams tour bus. Then she left. Why? She went overboard...literally. She was dancing in the front of the bus and somehow the doors opened and she fell out! They got her back in but she hurt her ankle and went home. Then she said after seeing the pictures from the previous few weeks, she got serious anxiety.

-Lucie

Two Truths And a Lie

1. I was riding my bike and I fell trying to turn.  I couldn’t get up because I had tiny pebbles stuck in my knee.  There was a kid who came outside to see what happened and his mother ran to get him and she said thank you to me.  I then just walked to my house, which wasn’t very far.  My mom disinfected the wound and told me to put a bandaid on it.  After a couple of days the wound healed.  Now I have a faint scar on my knee.
2. I traveled to Houston, Texas and went on a boat ride.  My mom didn’t want to get wet so she went to the back.  She didn’t go to the very back so she got completely wet.  She got off and she blamed the whole thing on me for not telling her.
3. I went to monkey face and took a hike.  I had slipped on some of the rocks there and fell.  I nearly fell off the edge but my cousin was there to hold on to me he helped me up.  I decided to keep hiking.

Which is the lie?

-Emily A.