To:               My Dear Freshy:

From:                   Leah Joy

Congratulations for passing eighth grade! Was it fun? Well, Welcome to ninth grade! The most exiting grade on Earth!(not) Your going to need some major skills to make it through this grade. I’ll give you some tips.

One thing is your locker. Your not going to get the most ninth grade with who-knows-what stuffed in the bottom of your locker. My locker was a mess all year and now I regret not cleaning it because I could've been more organized and gotten better grades.

Another thing is, you have to deal with the teachers. Some teachers don't teach effectively, some are grouchy, some have bad spots: but everyone knows that. You don't have to go around hating on all them. It will only make your year miserable and make them hate you even more.

If you are in band and chorus, like me, it's hard. Expecially when you have to miss classes like geometry and stuff. I don't have much advise on this, because I haven't quite mastered it yet. All I can say is good luck.

Take the classes you are good at and want to pursure. If you take classes you like and want to learn, you'll find yourself acually learning. If not, then it might be kind of  hard.

Stay away from the drama. Drama is bad. It makes you sad.

Most people write about how you have to do your homework to pass. I disagree. If you have Mr. Delano for geometry, it's not required to do your homework. I never did homework in that class and passes fine! Blogging in a pain in the butt, but if you don' t do it, you won't have such a good grade.

Don't be surprised when people leave. It's just the way it goes. You really find out who the real friend are in your life. You know who they are because they stick by  you, when the not-so-pure friend leave when one little thing happens.

Now you know how to get through ninth grade. Oh, one more thing. HAVE FUN!!!:D

From , Leah Joy

March FreeWrite:The Problem With This...Homework Thing.

Think of something you spend time on on a daily basis. Did you think of homework? For my FreeWrite I chose to write about online homework. In the 21st century, with technology becoming more advanced and  popular, some teachers like to assign blogs on the internet. Though this may seem like a wonderful creative idea, it can be very inconveinient (and sometimes painful) for the students.

Firstly, not all students have access to a computer. While it may be assumed that EVERYONE has the internet, that is simply not true. With the absence of internet, they are told to do it during study halls. Some students don't have study halls. Also, when there are studyhalls, it's hard to do all the work because you have other things you have to get done. Sometimes there isn't even a computer. Since it's something everyone has to do, teachers should consider from everyone's position. This problem could be solved if the school provided ipads,but sadly we don't have that privilage.  

Another reason why online homework is not the best idea in the world is because, in my opinion, it is not the best way to learn. Typing a quick blog about anything on your mind doesn't really prepare us for class. I would learn more from reading or writing. Honestly, this blog stuff bores me to death. Then, you read other students attempt at a blog, and find that they tried almost as hard as you did. Which would be next to nothing. Blogging is something people do in their free time, not schoolwork. In short, I think the teachers have a little higher veiw of blogging then the students do. Of course, it just schoolwork and it doesn't really matter what they think. It's worth considering though since they are the ones that have to complete it.

Make a video of your own at Animoto.

My Literary theory is historicism. Historisism is looking at the historical aspects of a story. For example, reasearching the time period in which the story takes place, then knowing whether the story in historically acurrate or not.

One story that a historisist would celebrate would be The Diary of Anne Frank. This book was written by a Jewish girl in hiding from the Nazis. This book is historically acuarate because it is a true story. It acually was written by a girl who didnt know everyone would be reading it.

Also, a historicist would celebrate this book because it contains true information on what the Nazis would do to people in those times. All the things that happen in this book acually happened in real life.

In Conclusion, The Diary of Ann Frank is one book that Historicists would celebrate. It is historically accurate and contains information about those times.

In the last part of Something Wicked This Way Comes, the young Mr. Dark was trying to trick Mr. Halloway into following him.

Where do you think Jed was trying to get Mr. Halloway to go? Why was he trying to get him to follow?

In the second part of Something Wicked this Way Comes, One question that I had was

Why did Mrs. Foley want to go onto the Carosel and be younger? Did she know it would make her younger?

While I was reading the book Something Wicked This Way Comes, I had a few minor questions. For example, Why did Charels Halloway not tell his wife and son about the Most Beautiful Woman in the World?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

As the air outside is getting colder, we can now get ready for the Christmas season. November is the last month of fall, and the holiday times are approaching. For me, Christmas is by far the best time of the year. The snow outside is heavenly. The Christmas tree gives off the aroma of peace and love. Christmas Carols are being  sung around the campfire by joyful families. The nativity scene is being displayed and the story is gently being explained to little ones. Soft Ginger bread cookies are cooking in the oven, filling the house with the scents of Christmas.

Coming with the Christmas season is snow! Snow is my favorite because I can go snowboarding. I love snowboarding because it is really fun, it is an awesome bonding experience to spend time with someone, and it is an activity that you can do almost everywhere that there is snow. You can go snowboard down your roof or go to Vermont. My winter sport is also why I love this season so much. I love swimming. I am very exited for my first year of being on the varsity swim team. These are only a few of the reasons that I absolutely adore this time of the year.                                   

    3rd person Omniscient

The narrator knows everyone’s thoughts.

    The trees swayed in the breeze as the sun started to fall beneath the horizon, as if hiding from the rising moon. Lonely and drained of all life, a small man by the name of Chilumfin sat. He heard a ghoulish voice outside his window, seeming to be whispering his name. Then, the window suddenly shattered and Chilumfin sat up with shadows of fear in his eyes.

`    “Cowabunga!” screeched a crazy old man as he crashed through the window. His evil mind was boiling with thoughts of wicked schemes. Chilumfin was horrified. As he let out a scream of fright, he steamed with anger. He intended to pulverize that psycho pappy once he got the chance!

    Abruptly, the door creaked open. There stood an innocent child, tearstained, and ragged. She looked up into Chilumfin’s eyes, searching for someone to love her. She longed for a real friend. In that moment, something deep down in the heart of the previously isolated and secluded soul, Chilumfin changed. He was no longer burdensome and empty, but was filled with a mystifying sensation of complete cherishment.

Third Person Limited Omniscient

The narrator knows just some characters thoughts

    The trees swayed in the breeze as the sun started to fall beneath the horizon, as if hiding from the rising moon. Lonely and drained of all life, a small man by the name of Chilumfin sat. He heard a ghoulish voice outside his window, seeming to be whispering his name. Then, the window suddenly shattered and Chilumfin sat up with shadows of fear in his eyes.

`    “Cowabunga!” screeched a crazy old man as he crashed through the window. It appeared as if he was unhinged from reality . Chilumfin was horrified. As he let out a scream of fright, he steamed with anger. He intended to pulverize that psycho pappy once he got the chance!

    Abruptly, the door creaked open. There stood an innocent child, tearstained, and ragged. She looked up into Chilumfin’s eyes. It looked as if she had not had a real friend in her young pathetic life. In that moment, something deep down in the heart of the previously isolated and secluded soul, Chilumfin changed. He was no longer burdensome and empty, but was filled with a mystifying sensation of complete cherishment.

Third Person Dramatic

Tells no thoughts of any character

    The trees swayed in the breeze as the sun started to fall beneath the horizon, as if hiding from the rising moon. Lonely and drained of all life, a small man by the name of Chilumfin sat. He heard a ghoulish voice outside his window, seeming to be whispering his name. Then, the window suddenly shattered and Chilumfin sat up with shadows of fear in his eyes.

`    “Cowabunga!” screeched a crazy old man as he crashed through the window. It appeared as if he was unhinged from reality . Chilumfin‘s face turned red as he let out a scream of fright.

    Abruptly, the door creaked open. There stood an innocent child, tearstained, and ragged. She looked up into Chilumfin’s eyes. It looked as if she had not had a real friend in her young pathetic life. In that moment, the anger and hatred drained from the eyes of Chilumfin. From then on he no longer treated the old man and little girl as if they were a burden, but he treated them like a farmer treats his beloved pigs.

DAsH FoR CaSh:October Freewrite

Your heart is pounding as you hear your name, pronounced slowly over the loudspeaker. You approach the starting gate, as your horse is rearing to run. It feels like  the whole world slows down when you start to run for the fist barrel, then second, then, when you turn the third barrel, the world seems to come alive again screaming for you to "bring her home!" and "GO!" My favorite thing to do is barrel race my horse, and I would never be able to live without it.

Ever since I was eight and had my little mini pony, I have loved horses. When l used to ride my pony he would buck me and I would fall off, but I would just get back on. I am still learning that you have to get back on after dissapointments. Last year I was in 4-H and made it to the State Horse show. I made it in only one event, so I was really nervous. At the big show, I kind of had an accident. I got my belt stuck around the horn of my saddle so I couldn't stop when I started running. And it pretty much ruined my run. I hurt my pelvis really bad, and also a couple of my fingers were hurting. It was really dissapointing. Now, in a week, I am going back down to Harrisburg to go to States again. I hope I do better this time!

September Free Write

Have you ever dressed up on Halloween? Have you ever thought it was creepy? Do you like Halloween? On Halloween little kids are encouraged to dress up as witches, vampires, and devils. Imagine how little kids would act if they dressed as devils. Should the little kids really be into such scary things, like they are on Halloween?I think Halloween should be a time for candy, carving punkins, and donuts and cider. Not scaring people. On Halloween people decorate their houses and they don't even look nice. They are just presenting themselves in a creepy way. When

I was a little kid, the worst part about Halloween was when you walked up to a house and an old lady in a witch costume was there. Why is she doing it? To scare the little kids! It's not very good for the kids to be scared like that. They probably have nightmares about it. I think the little kids should be dressing up as cowboys and princesses, not creepy things. Lets bring the scary out of Halloween and make it fun!

Pay Attention to Me!

Who would you consider a hero? Is it someone who saves lives? Someone who is brave? Many people have heroes who have fought in a war or saved someone’s life. Do you think of teachers as heroes? I do not think that teachers are heroes because they are just normal people, they are just doing their job, and they don’t really save lives.

Imagine being part of a school with people who don’t really care for each other. They don’t know right from wrong, and don’t know any of their morals. This would lead to disrespect, hatred, and maybe even racism between the students in the school. I believe to prevent this from happening the teachers of the school should teach morals as part of their curriculum. They should teach this because some of the students do not get taught at home, it would reflect on their overall grades, and it would help improve the community.

"The Djin Who Lived Between Night and Day"

 
It is okay to lie.

In the  story, "The Djinn Who Lives Between Night and Day", Al-faq lies to the the father and tells him that his family would be alive if he ran away and never came back. Then, he lies to the village people and tells them and he was holy and that they should go feed him. In my opinion, it was ok for the man to lie because it was for the good of this man. He only did it to help him. This Myth story can be applied to real life situations, even though it has many fictitious characters in it.

A Visual Representation of Me!

Hi! I'm Leah Joy Ofalt and I am a Freshman this year. For my first project of this year I decorated front of my English binder. It's a visual Representation of Me!

A meaningful quote that I put on my binder is by my Grandpa.

"In sports, as in life, you must give it your all. If you don't, you will fall. You must be strong in body and mind, listening and oveying the coaches command. In the end there is satisfaction in a game well played."

This quote means a lot to my because my grandpa said it. He is really supportive of me when he comes and watches all of my soccer games and swim meets.

One of my favorite things to do is barrel race. I am a member of the National Barrel Horse Association (NBHA) with my horse, Katie.

My favorite book is a book that I have loved since I was a little girl. It is called Little Bear, by Else Holmelund Minarik.

Something that I chose for a representation of my personality is a smiley face because I like being happy and I am most of the time.

For my last picture I chose to  have a couple pictures of my friends and family. I put them on my binder because they mean alot to me and I love them. It's really encouraging to know that someone is there for you all the time and that you are not alone.

That is my Visual Representaion and I hope you liked it.