logankrdg0910's Blog

Ending a year for some people is sad. Your moving on and leaving your teachers behind. In some cases, your friends. To some it is an extraordinary thing. You finished school, finished waking up early, finished HW, just summer ahead. To me, I find leaving middle school hard. Now that I have high school to face and all the rumors about being a freshman, I wish I had 2 more years like I did with Elementary school. Back then, life was easy, popularity was almost nothing and kids just had fun. Not in middle school, and certainly not in high school. Getting back to leaving, I will miss the teachers I had in Middle school, like Mr. Williams, Mr. Olivo in 6Th and 8Th grade, Mr. Natale, Mrs. Martinson, Mrs. Favazza, and all the rest but I will find new teachers that I will have in High School, and yes I will still visit to pick my sister up, maybe.

What have I learned in middle school? Lots of things. From inside school and from the outside all those things. The kids though in 8Th grade are preparing for what they will be like in High school, the 7th graders are trying to be tough, and the 6th graders are trying not to dissapoint us, and sometimes those things affected me. But those things aren’t big. Whats big is that probably the following 4 years will be the worst for me. While the last 8 years have been the greatest.

 From Middle school, I learned that everything is not what it seems. Like how kids I see act in school, and how they act at home. What their friends think of them, and what they think of their friends. I also learned is how the kids act (probably preparing their attitude for High school) to each other and to themselves. True we did learn a lot in speaking of Science, Math, Soc, and English, in my words grammar and literature, but you learn those things in the three schools, and probably including the college your going to.

For all the teachers and students reading this let me say, I loved middle school, probably the best of the three schools that I will go to. Elementary I was in front of the class as my teachers said and found it very boring. I know I will not do well in the beginning of High school because of my curly hair and other stuff I will not speak of. But Middle School was normal for me. So there you got it. My opinion of Middle School, not much to you, but it does mean a lot to me. This is Logan katsoufis signing off from Middle School English.

In the story “The Griffin and the Minor Canon” the griffin takes over the Minor Canon’s school after the villagers forced him to leave. His harsh teaching frightened the students so much that instead of being noisy, rude, and obnoxious, they are scared to death. They listen to the griffin and follow all his rules.

If the griffin came to the school in took over your job, I would think there would not be a big change in the students performance because we have already dealt with bad teachers in our past, though we have never faced a griffin as a teacher. Though we would be mortally terrified, sick, and scared to death we still would learn the lesson.

Since the children at the Minor Canon’s school are used to being taught be an extremely nice teacher, the had always taken advantage of him. When the griffin took over, the children had never had a mean teacher especially one who could eat them, they would have licked his wings if he asked them to. Unfortunately for us, we would not have done that since the griffin would probably been fired.

In 1896, Paul Lawrence wrote a poem called “We Wear the Mask”. He wrote it during a time of segregation of which the time the Harlem Renaissance was in affect. Hewrote it while in New York and tells of bad times in it. In it he challenges the whites to see them as regular people and tells that they cannot.

If you look at this poem and if you were a new resident in reading, ma, at first look you may see this on the bad side of town. The people don’t like to share that much because of the bad times with the health care and economy, but if you look hard enough you will see a kind, give and understanding people.

In the last paragraph it talks a little about religious beliefs. In the town of reading, the big church write across from Parker near the gymnasium, has a lot of people who attend their services. There are about 6 churches in reading and most of them are almost full. I see this like how the old new England people used to go about their business. It’s not that reading is a huge religious town but most people tend to put their faith in god which Paul and the majority of people in reading do.

To write a story/blog/ article etc, you need an idea. Reading a page I found out that 75% of all stories are written by something the  author has seen or has been told. In our assembly last Friday, Kathleen Benner Duble talked about what she was told that made her write the book, “The Sacrifice”. This made me think about all the inspiration that gave me the idea(s) to write my blog post. Here are some of the best ones that stand out to me;

1)  Decisions and their traits - other people’s lives – Other people are just as important to you and to me. So instead of looking at myself,  I looked at my brother and sister watching TV while I did this.

2) Defying my mom at cleaning my room - Event in my life – Before I typed this up, this same event happened to me 10 minutes before what you will read from this. I just looked back not long ago and typed it.

3) I misunderstood this assignment- Vacation – being embarrassed is really embarrassing. Everyone hates to be embarrassed so I just rewrote what happened because I remembered it happening.

4) Something important to me - My life – Growing up dreams that are hard is difficult. That is why I chose to write about something deep from within me. My dreams when I was little popped out and all I did was type them.

5) Sports Contest- Place I live - When growing up in Greece, I used to always play soccer in the streets with my neighbors. When my dad showed the pictures again, I knew I had to write about my soccer experience now and then.

6) Eath Quake Attacks- My genealogy – What inspired me to write this topic is when my mom was pregnant, there was an earthquake in Greece. She told me that there were many cars spinning out of control and that the place was entirely destroyed.

All humans have traits that make them unique. Though a lot of us are smart and some are athletic not all of know the same exact things and not all of us can do the same thing other athletes can do. Some traits can be good and some can be bad. Most humans have good traits unless you are meant to do bad in your life. Having traits means that you make some decisions. Decisions are important to your traits and to other people’s traits.

In the book “Staying Fat for Sarah Byrnes” Eric Calhoune stays fat in the beginning to be with an ugly girl called Sarah Byrnes. Eric gives up a lot for Sarah. Some call him fat,stupid but he doesn’t mind he got over that a while ago. Eric decisions have given traits that are unique to him. He is very clever in talking and winning and argument. Some also view him as athletic. He can beet Mark and Ellerby easily but for some weird reason he likes to play around with them and feel that they can win. You could also call him selfish for that but the others don’t really mind. The last trait the stuck out was he was brave. He is brave to keep Sarah’s secret from her dad who could easily beat the crap out him, true words from the book.

Eric’s decision make the book grow in suspense about half way through. He suddenly has to keep more secret which opens up new decisions for him to take. Spill them all and hope he doesn’t get in trouble or keep them and increase his strength and troubles. The most important decision Eric took in the book in my opinion was when he decided to go along with his swim coach and take Sarah out of the hospital without her dad’s permission and knowledge. Kind of like an ant eating away the clan’s food without consulting his superior, I know crappy metaphor but there’s and crawling on my arm and I’m smiling down at him, wondering if hes doing the same thing, kind of like the way Sarah feels about Eric and what he’s done for her.

Today in class we got into groups assigned by Mr. Olivo and switched from 6 different tables. We only got to do 3 rotations but we did answer all the questions on our sheet. We answered the question we chose from the list of questions in our book’s category and had our team members help us. Then when we were done we just waited for our 10 minutes to be up.

The question I chose was “Do you see the world as a good place?”. At first glance many would say no. But to me I say yes. Though some people live in poverty and some people are homeless, most people in the world have a home, family and a job. Other than wars that happen, the planet earth is stable and calm to most people.

Our ancestors would see this as a place like their heaven. We are not suffering from plague or famines or even being chased by beasts like our way back descendants. So in my defense I know there is a war going on in Iraq right now but that will pass and the middle east will go on running itself as it likes, hopefully. The east seems to be doing except of the health care and economy but those will pass, and like always, life will prevail.

Whenever you parents see you lying around not doing anything, do they sometimes tell you to for upstairs and clean your room or do something else than what you are doing? Well this is their job and unless you are preparing to become a lawyer I suggest you do it. Though most kids would call me crazy you end up doing or loosing something. A typical parent would say clean your room, and if you say “no” they say “okay. Just start in 10 minutes or else.” And you end up doing it.

It is good to defy your parents sometimes so you don’t learn to become so soft later in life. When your a teenager you probably do it all the time like me. Now for parents hitting your kids when they don’t do it THE WORST THING EVER, a couple of days ago, there was this article in the main page of yahoo saying they did a study of kids who were hit and what happened when they were older. Half of the kids went on to becoming criminals and the other half grew up as normal adults with a bad attitude. And a small percentage went on to becoming football, rugby, lacrosse and hockey players.

So in ym defense I say you can’t alwasy let your parents win because then they would be doing their job to easily. You got to make sure they don’t go all old on you to early. No offense to the adults reading this. In conclusion I think that like 4/5 you can do what your parents and they other 20% argue a bit like if something is really unfair to to you.

When I am reading my independent reading book, I choose two places that best fit my needs in order to concentrate and complete the book: Upstairs in my bed or my parents bed, or when I’m at school near the edge of the class or when I’m around girls and other kids that I know. Its hard to read a book and get into it when somebody it looking bug eyed at you wondering what you are doing.

The book “Dark Fire” in which I just started is a good book. It is the last book in a trilogy of four and I hope it will have a good ending. The trilogy was written by a man named Chris D’Lacey. Having the picture of a dragon on it(Scroll down to end to see it) made me look around and pick it up and read the summary. From a first look at the summary and reading the first 100 pages, I learned its a pretty god darn book. In fact the whole serious was good it made me buy all three.

Well back to the “Dark Fire” book, the story is about a writer David Rain coming back to earth after 5 years after being killed by a alien species called the IX. Now, David is part of the good guys or the people who oppose the IX, the Fain. David is now on a mission to bring dragons back to earth with the power of the polar bears. The IX want to make a anti dragon called a Darkling using as you probably guessed it, “Dark Fire”, yeah, yeah you now know the reason of the title. So when David returns, his wife, Zanna, who gave birth to a little girl called Alexa some 5 years ago, who also like David is part Fain. Reading this inspired me to continue to reading the book which I will do when I finish my HW.

In the short storie “The Griffin and The Minor Canon” a Griffin starts the story by learning of a stone statue of himself and decides to go there. When he learns that the towns fokes are cowards he asks if the Minor Canon may come to him. The Minor Canon being a good man, agrees to go hoping it would make the griffin leave. When he doesnt the citizens turn to force.

There are many parts were the Mnor Canon gets along with the Griffin, for instance, when he brings him to the stone statue and he waits for him to finish looking at himself. When it grows late he aks the Griffen if he can leave and he reluctanly says yes. Another part were these two characters get along is when the Griffen begins to follow the Minor Canon everywhere he goes to do his daily duties which scares the townsfokes though.

When they learn that the Griffen will eat 12 babies at the Autumnal Equixnox, the towns fokes send the Minor Canon away hoping it would draw the Griffen away from the town. When it doesnt the Griffen takes over the scholl and countinues the Minor Canon’s work. When the Griffen learns that they sent the Minor Canon away he becomes furious and sets of after him. He rescues him and the Minor Canon regains his strenght which is another way they get along. Mostly the story end on a good part with the Grifin giving the Minor Canon a good life in the twon.