Final Reflection

Finall Reflection 

Three most important things I learned this year were to always improve your writing, To annotate the articles you read and write down any questions you may have about it, and finally that every book you read has a purpose on why it was written. These things helped me do well in class and in other classes as well.

Something we did this year that I will remember for the rest of my life is that annotating/writing notes on what I read will help me with my work. It helped me remember what the article was about as well as I was able to pull out key facts I needed for an essay. That way I could just look at my annotations and not have too re-read the article top find something. I will always hold on to this because it will help me in life.

The nicest thing someone in our class did for me this year was fill me in with what we were doing when I came back from Mexico. They explained what I needed to do and helped me out when ever I had questions about it.

Something I taught my classmates this year was that keeping their things organized can help them find things easier or write something neater. Helping the teacher and others understand their point in writing.

An area I feel I made the most improvement in was in my writing. I have improved my writing style and wording a lot compared to the beginning of the year. Something I accomplished this year that I am proud of is improving my vocabulary. I have learned many new worlds that I will use in the near future to come.

The most challenging part of this year for me was finding books that interested me for book talks or reflections. It was was hard for me to find books I would enjoy reading since I tend to stick to certain genres of books.

The best piece of writing I did this year was probably my argumentative essay. I think it is my best because I was able to write about something I was was worried about and wanted people to know
about the problem. As well as I was able to write an essay with a nice formal style. I made it look professional, Which I am proud of.

Of the books I have read this year, My favorite was “Shadow and Bone” By Leigh Bardugo. This was my favorite book because it has a lot of magic in it with very active and cheerful characters. As well as it has romance and evil in it. It was just a wonderful book because It had tough characters whom protected each other and never gave up on one another.

The advice I give students who will be in this class next year is to turn in their work on time. Give good quality work as well. It will free their hands and won't stress them out if the have to improve their writing. It will give them time for themselves if they are responsible with their work. I also recommend future students to always be organized with their things and always give your best in this class.

"The most Important thing in Life"

“The Most Important Thing in Life"

I believe that family is the most important thing in one’s own life. It’s the one that truly makes you
who you are. I believe that family is the most important thing in one’s own life because since I can remember my family has always been there for me, helping me achieve my goals and teaching me what they know.

It was a new day in Mexico. I could hear the birds chirping, dogs barking, children playing. It was just a beautiful sunny day. My father was working in the United States for the summer. My mother and I were in my grandma’s backyard. Sitting under the shade of a big tree in the middle of the yard. My siblings were playing on the swing and laughing.

I watched them play, seeing their smile on their small delicate faces. Looking at them got me thinking… How was I when I was a toddler? Unable to take the thought out of my head I turned to my mother and asked her. She smiled and told me about the things I would do when I was younger. I laughed until I had tears running down my cheeks and was out of breathe.

I noticed that my parents were there for me in all the things my mother told me about my childhood. When I took my first steps my parents were there, holding my hand with a smile on their face. They were there to scare the “monsters” away when I had nightmares during stormy nights. When I learned how to ride my bike guess who was there? My parents. When I won my first medal they were there cheering and clapping for me.

Then my siblings tagged along, I became a big sister. I was able to help my parents raise my siblings. Then when my dog Paloma was stolen I was crushed and my siblings were there to comfort me. To cheer me up and help me continue life. It made me realize that I loved them even if they pushed my buttons at times.

I believe that family is the most important thing in one’s own life. Because It has made me who I am and has taught me many things. I ask you all to think back into your younger lives and you will see that your family has been there for you when you were younger.

Counting by 7s and Families with a Missing Piece

Counting by 7s and Families with a Missing Piece 

One of the Essential Questions that my group and I had was to see what had caused the accident that made Willow’s parents died. In the beginning of the book Willow is seen with her friends and Dell Duke. They arrive at Willow’s house and find out that her parents have died. “There’s been an accident.” And after that in whispers comes out the news that the two people I love most in the world are gone forever.” Pg.8 Showing how Willow’s parents have died in an accident. But it is not mentioned on how they died or what had caused the accident, until later on in the book. Where it is revealed that Willow’s parents have died in a car accident. “... he stepped on the accelerator believing he could just glide right through the red signal. Jimmy died on the scene but was still put into an ambulance and taken to the hospital with his wife. Roberta stopped breathing three hours later during emergency surgery.” Pg. 104 Which answered one of the Essential questions we had. The outcome wasn't what I had expected. Since the officers were at the house I thought someone had murdered them. Sadly my group and I found out what had caused the accident.

I found an article titled "Families with a Missing Piece" by Hello Grief and noticed that it related to Willow Chance from the book titled Counting by 7s. First of all In the article one man shares his story on how he lost his mother at a very young age. According to the article "Families with a Missing Piece it says"  “Gary Jahnke, 31, of Hastings, Minn. was 13 when his mother died of cancer. “I gave up on my good grades and drooped out of high school.” As you can see this man lost his mother at a very young age just like Willow whom lost her parents at age 12. Both Willow and Gary dropped out of school and were depressed for some time. In the book Counting by 7s it says “The next morning Willow told Mai that she wasn’t going to school. She didn’t say “ever again,” but Mai thought that’show it sounded.” Pg.130 As you can clearly see, Willow and Gary both had stopped going to school and had shut out the world around them for awhile. These are some ways that the article and book are similar to one another.

Even though I found similarities between Willow and the article, I also found differences. One of these differences is that Willow lost her parents to a car accident while the parents in the article commit suicide or die due to cancer. According to the article it says “He lost both his parents to cancer before he was 13.” This article has many stories of kids losing their kids to cancer. According to the article it said “Children whose parents commit suicide, for instance, are three times as likely to commit suicide later on in their lives.” As you can see Willow lost her parents due to a car accident while in the article most of the kids loose their parents to cancer or suicide. As well as Willow didn’t commit suicide and kept living. While in the article it says that most of the kids commit suicide later on in their life. These are some of the ways that the article and the book are different.


MLA: Sloan, Holly Goldberg. Counting by 7s. NY, NY: Puffin , an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), 2014. Print. 

"FAmilies with a Missing Piece ." Hello Grief. 2010. Accessed May 11, 2017. http://www.hellogrief.org/families-with-a-missing-piece/.

Counting by 7s

Counting by 7s

The book I'm currently reading is Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan. So far in the book a 12 year old girl named Willow Chance. Willow starts middle school and she is a very smart girl for her age. She is accused of cheating on a state test because she got a perfect score. Though she didn't she meets with a counselor named Dell Duke and makes a friend named Mai and her brother. One day after Dell takes them to eat ice cream they take Willow home to find that her parents have died in a car crash. Willow is left shattered and gets taken to a place where she would be safe until she got a home. Mai later ends up in hospital and escapes going to the library. Later on she is found and is approved to stay with Mai and her family temporarily and is living with them for now. 

The most important event that has happened in the book so far is that Willow lost her parents to a car accident "... he stepped on the accelerator believing he could just glide right through the red signal. Jimmy died on the scene but was still put into an ambulance and taken to the hospital with his wife. Roberta stopped breathing three hours later during emergency surgery." Pg 104 Showing how Willow had lost her parents to a car accident and was left emotionally shattered. She changed after that occurred, she wasn't the same. "I sit on the front steps. The tears will not stop. And I almost never cry. But I'm not myself. I will forever be someone else now." Pg.110 This accident made Willow change and shut out the world. This accident made Willow end up without parents for the second time. "I'm an only child. I'm adopted. And I'm different. As in strange." Pg.9 Willow had been put up for adoption by her real parents. Making her loose them and then her foster parents adopted her but she lost them as well. She lost her parents for the second time and it was painful for her.  

The thing that I have learned about life from what I am reading is that I should appreciate and love those around me. I learned this because seeing Willow loose her parents made me see that I am lucky to have my parents and siblings with me. That I should love them while I have them with me. That I shouldn't take them for granted. This is something that I have learned from the book I am reading. As well as that I should be who I am and not anyone bring me down. Just like how Willow doesn't kids from her school or principal bring her down when she gets accused of cheating.