Graduation Speech

When I stepped through the doors of Golf Middle School on the first day of 8th grade, I had two things on my mind: going home and summer break. I was wishing that graduation would come soon, but now that it is arriving, I think about how I don’t want to leave and go off to high school.

Every day I walk through those same doors and see the same exact 20 faces that I have spent 7 hours of each day with for the past 3 years. That’s what I’m going to miss the most. I’m going to miss my incredibly astonishing, dorky, intelligent, and unique class. Somehow, each and every one of you has found a way to make my day a little better and put a smile on my face in any way possible, literally. From hearing a shocked scream yell “Oh Jesus!” across the room, or witnessing ears fall off of Mia’s head in the middle of Spanish class, I have never been more entertained in a place where most people find boredom. Before this year, I never really enjoyed going to school, but that changed because of you guys, so thank you all for being the amazing people you truly are.  
Not only did my views on school change because of my classmates, but because of my teachers as well. Every teacher I’ve had from district 67 has impacted me in many different ways but especially the 7th and 8th grade teams. How would my day start positive without being told to be kind to one another? How would I come to think that reading could possibly be enjoyable without phenomenal book recommendations? My teachers have done so much to prepare me for my future including:how to apply for a job, how to succeed as an athlete, student, and person, the proper execution of how to be left alone on a plane, and how to stay golden. I am truly grateful to have been taught by such amazing people, I hope to remember all the memories that I’ve shared with all of you. 
So as I exit the doors of Golf Middle School and open the doors that belong to Niles North, I will have many things on my mind: every lesson, laugh, opportunity, and memory that this district has gifted me.

Camp Maclean

This upcoming week at school we are going overnight on a field trip to Camp Maclean. I'm not much of a camper, or outdoors kind of person, so I'm not really looking forward to it.

Last year when we went, all I wanted to do was go home, because when I'm away for about 10 hours plus, I get nervous and just want to go home. I've never been to camp or on vacation so I guess that factors into the problem, but it's not too bad at Camp Maclean.

Honestly, I'd rather just have a normal day and go to school, but I guess this is alright. I hate all the bug and uncleanliness, so I'd rather just stay indoors and have a normal day instead.

There's different activities there, like: rock climbing, archery, fishing...but like I said, I'm not an outdoors person, so that stuff doesn't really interest me. My favorite thing to do is just sit and fish since it's really peaceful and quiet.

I'm not really looking forward to going to Camp Maclean, but I'll make the best of it.

End of School, Beginning of Summer

Usually when school is ending I'm really excited. However, this year is different because I don't want to leave my middle school and go off to high school. I guess what I want is to just stay an 8th grader for as long as possible.

On the other hand, when school ends, summer break starts. No homework, no stress, no books, just relaxation and time to do whatever you want. I really like summer, it's the best, there's: softball, nice weather, the pool, tans, etc. I'm really excited for summer vacation to start, but also sad that 8th grade is ending.

In just a few months this blog title will be "End of Summer, Beginning of High School", that's really weird to think about.

It's Complicated

PSA: I am only writing about this because I don't like talking about my actual problems. 

It seems that 8th grade went by really fast, and that really makes me upset because it was actually fun. My times at Golf will shortly end, and I'm not really looking forward to it. I know this sounds kind of crazy, but I really don't want it to end. 

I'm guessing about 75% of my grade is looking forward to High School because it seems fun to them, but it probably won't be as fun as the think. I have been surrounded by the same 20 kids since Kindergarten for 7 hours a day, and it's really hard to switch from that to a bunch of people you don't know. 

I guess there's some things about high school that are pretty cool, like sports (basically all I'm looking forward to), but 8th grade is pretty cool too. My classmates are like the dorkiest people ever, and it's the best to just have class with them all day because it's very entertaining.

To conclude, 8th grade was a pretty awesome year and it's sad to see it end so quick. I don't think High School will be nearly as good, but it seems alright. 

Pros and Cons of Parcc Testing

Parcc testing is one of those things that you hate with a passion, but can't wait to do it. My school has Parcc testing next week, and I'm sort of looking forward to it.

I like Parcc testing because it's a good waste of time. They give you way more time than the average person needs, so when I finish, I get to just read after for about 2 hours. Also, we get to skip classes. That's usually a good thing, but this year the classes that I dislike are spread around my schedule, so it's not that good of a thing. I enjoy doing the Parcc tests because I don't feel stressed about it, so it's not that bad at all.

On the other hand, there are very horrible things about the Parcc test.

The number one thing I despise about the Parcc test is that the answers NEVER MAKE SENSE. The creators of the test always try to stump us by giving us two possible answer choice. I then spend the next 5 minutes contemplating what the correct choice is. However, the answer half the time makes no sense at all. This is my only problem with Parcc testing.

Cuteness Overload

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aw5M-4Fo2wE

I have blessed you with this video of a husky having a temper tantrum in a bathtub... you're welcome.

Special Tribute

I would like to make a tribute to my history teacher, Mr. Carris, for being an all around great guy and mentor. He teaches us a lot of history topics and useful life lessons that I hope to use in the future. Every morning, my day starts off right by being greeted into RTI with a "Morning, Nanut".

 My appreciation for Mr. Carris is not only for his awesome personality, but for his teaching skills as well. In his class we learn a lot of history topics, but also have a lot of fun. We get to play Kahoot a lot and have free time at the end of class if we finish all of our work. That's why every day I look forward to his class because it's really chill but we learn a lot as well. I give a lot of credit to him because even though he has a disability, everyone knows he loves his job and always comes to school with a smile. Overall, Mr. Carris is by far one of my favorite teachers of all time, and I'll for sure miss him when I go to high school.

Magical Meeting

If I could spend the afternoon with three people of my choice, dead or alive, I'd choose Jim Parsons, Johnny Galecki, and  Kaley Cuoco. I decided to choose the Big Bang Theory cast because their topic of conversation is always hilarious, interesting, and extremely random. For this afternoon, I would want to spend it in the apartment room that is Sheldon and Leonard's on the show. Most of the time on the show, the scenes are in their apartment room and it's pretty cool. There's lots of food and chairs so it looks fun. The contents of this dream afternoon include: eating, talking about random things, playing video games, and forcing Jim Parson's to make me a math prodigy in about 3 hours.

I know this magical afternoon sounds really boring, but it's nice to just chill every once in a while and relax, that's why I'd spend it this way.

Most Bogus Field Trip

The absolute worst field trip I have ever been on was to the Morton Grove Historical Museum in second grade.

This museum is literally just a house that contains all these objects and artifacts from where I grew up. It was so boring and dull, that the most interesting thing there was a type writer. In the museum all the rooms were very old fashioned, so I think the whole purpose of this field trip was to show kids how the lifestyle from back in the day was different to how it is now. Instead of going to this museum, I could have went to my grandma"s house where there are: disposable kodak cameras, wallpaper, and no tv. From this field trip I learned nothing and wasted my time. It was the most useless field trip I have ever been on.

Not only was the museum bogus, but the food after was even more horrible. After the museum we were taken to a restaurant called Kappy's which I've never been to before. So as my second grade self, I ordered a hot dog, trying not to be too risky with this decision. You'd think that it's very difficult to mess up a simple hot dog, but no. Somehow the Kappy's chef found a way. Ever since second grade, I have referred to this restaurant as 'Krappies".

Overall this field trip was horrible and I would rather have stayed at school that day learning. And that's really saying something because I used to despise school. I hope to never go into that museum or Kappy's ever again.

The Perks of Movies

Everyone loves movies. They come with the perks of: popcorn, cozy blankets, and relaxation. But, the best perk is the movie itself. For this blog, I'll be reviewing the most heartbreaking, yet touching film "The Perks of Being a Wallflower".

Summary:

After being hospitalized, fifteen year old Charlie Kelmeckis is not only coping with the suicide of his best friend, but the anxiety of approaching his first day of high school alone, the death of his aunt Helen, and the fear of being stuck in his head the entire 4 years of high school. To lessen his tension, Charlie begins writing letters to a stranger who he heard was nice, but has never met.

At school, Charlie meets his English teacher, Bill, who gives him the best advice, to make one friend on the first day. With this in mind, he steps out of his comfort zone on a Friday night football game, and approaches two senors who will change his live, Patrick and Sam.

During the course of his freshman year, Charlie has his first kiss, deals with bullies, experiments with drugs and drinking, and makes friends who invite him in as a "wallflower".  His life turns around with the help of Sam and Patrick, mix tapes full of iconic songs, classic books from Bill, and writing.

Unfortunately as the school year comes to an end, a secret that has repressed Charlie since a young age comes back into his head as he realizes really what has happened in his life. Remembering this secret causes Charlie to have a severe mental breakdown, concluding in him being hospitalized once again.

The closing letter concludes with feelings of hope: getting released from the hospital, forgiving his aunt Helen, finding new friends his sophomore year, and trying not to be a wallflower. Charlie intends to get out of his head and into the real world, participating in his life instead of watching it fly by.

Recommendation:

If you're looking for a movie to leave you in tears but paint the most beautiful smile across your face, I highly recommend this movie. It'll warm your heart but break it at the same time. I've learned countless lessons from this film, and some important life advice. Not only is the movie phenomenal, but the book is as well.

9/10 overall.

Music = My Life

I love music because it somehow finds a way to define my every mood and feeling. When I'm happy, it's country. Coldplay or the Fray for when I'm sad or tired. When I'm angry, my rant session includes me rapping every lyric of an Eminem song. This is why I love almost all types of music, because there's different messages and meanings in every song.

Most of the time when I'm listening to music, it has to do with my mood at that exact moment. Right now it's getting late, and I've had a nice relaxing day. So, alternative is the way to go, to perfect today. Below I'll list the artist and their songs (since most are from the same artists) and my favorite album from them. 

COLDPLAY - Violet Hill, The Scientist, Fix You, Paradise, Yellow, A Message, Green Eyes

THE FRAY - Look After You, Over My Head, You found Me, How to Save a Life

THE LUMINEERS - My Eyes, Stubborn Love, Slow it Down, Cleopatra

MAROON 5 - Sunday Morning, She Will Be Loved, This Love, Misery

Here's some other songs:

1. I Went To The Hospital - Cass McCombs

2. Wonderwall - Oasis

3. Alseep - The Smiths

4. Open Your Eyes - Snow Patrol

5. You - Switchfoot

6. Stuck With Me - Timeflies

7. Use Somebody - Kings of Leon

8. Words - Skylar Grey

9. American - Lana Del Rey

10. Rocket Man - Elton John

Dear President Trump

Dear Mr. Trump,

There's things that you say and do that I totally disagree with, but some that I agree. Your personality and your word choices aren't the best and need improvement. Something that you should always remember is to think before you say. Your words about women, people with disabilities, and people of other race, don't come out in a way that sounds appropriate to the society. Most people, and from my perspective as well, hear all the negativity you say because you exaggerate your thoughts and only focus on what's important to you, rather than what is important to the community. My biggest tip to you is to figure out what you want everyone to hear, and say it in a way that's convincing.

In some of your main concerns involving the deportation of illegal Mexicans, you stereotype that all people of Mexican heritage are "illegal" and "rapists". This I entirely oppose because: 1. not all Mexicans are illegal or rapists and 2. there's many people from other origins that actually are illegal and some that have raped others. Yes, I understand that there really are illegal people in the United States coming here from Mexico, but that doesn't mean every person that is from a Mexican decent is illegal.

Your thoughts and comments on women are extremely awful. It's hard to consider that such foul words would come from a man who has a wife and two daughters. I know that you said these things in the past, but your actions proved that you really don't respect women. I also find it hard to believe that the current President of the United Stated, would mimic a reporter with disabilities on live television, in front of most of the nation.

I hope to see that in the future you'll think of these mistakes and take care of them cautiously with your words and your actions as well. Thank you.

"One" gift with "many" reasons. Monopoly ;)

I got many presents this year, including Monopoly Empire. This present was given to me by my good friend Maddie, and it is by far my favorite present that I received this year. A couple years ago Maddie and I would play Monopoly for hours almost every day, until unfortunately, pieces were lost, boards were thrown away, and hearts were broken. It was a very tragic moment in life. :(

My facial expression from when I saw the gift still wrapped, to when I was ripping off the paper off out of excitement, changed dramatically. After I opened this gift, I basically ran to Maddie and choked her to death.(hehe love you Maddie). 

I'm really grateful that I got this present because it brings back a lot of fun memories, and I've been playing it with my brother for about 3 hours every night... I may have a slight Monopoly addiction. But that's okay because I enjoy it a lot. I hope to start playing with my friends again just so I can beat them. 

-J

My Name

My name means wealth and grace. It means that someone needs me. It means that I did something wrong. It means joy and love when it's called so effortlessly. It's poetic from the first syllable to the last thanks to Shakespeare. My name doesn't really come from anywhere, it's just for me.

I've never really though of how people are portrayed by their name, but my name suites me perfectly. My real name is Jessica but no one really ever calls me that because it's too formal to me, so I go by Jessie. The name Jessie fits perfectly for me. It's short and simple (just like me ;). It's tough yet sweet at the same time. It's just the right name for me.

My last name means "The Life Path". I hope that names do affect one's life, because if you put my name together it means "A path of wealth and grace to life". I wouldn't mind that happening.

Teacher? I'm a-freud not ;)

I've always loved helping people with whatever they need, no matter what the case. You may find it surprising, but I'm quite good at it. I guess if I had to work at my schools' district, I'd be the psychologist.

I find peoples' behavior very interesting, because there's so many different ways to react to anything that happens in your life. In my head, I compare what I would do, but everyone's different. I'd like to be psychologist because it feels good to help people in any way possible. From my perspective, I'm well suited for this job since I'm just an understandable person. The only problem I'd have with this job is feeling nervous or bad for not helping someone by saying something wrong, and things along that line. But, it's really cool to get to know people more than you think, so I'd like that job.

In class the other day, we took a personality test that showed us who we are as a person. There were many categories, but I exceeded in 4 of them:

Musical - Music personally helps me express thoughts or feelings, so I could recommend to kids to do the same

Intrapersonal - If someone is telling a certain thing that is bothering them or basically anything at all, I could show them sympathy to help them learn and relate.

Verbal Linguistic - It would be good to know what to say in a bad situation. I'm also a very good listener and I'm careful with words.

Interpersonal - This is a great trait to have for being a psychologist, because you have to be oriented and learn cooperatively with the people you're helping.

My Gratitude List

I'm sitting in the dim light of my room, drinking hot chocolate, as the thought of Thanksgiving crosses my mind. I looked around my room trying to find things that I'm grateful for. There were so many items, but there were also more important things to be thankful for, that are listed below.


1. I am thankful for my brother Alex, for always making me smile and being there for me no matter what.

2. I am thankful for my health because there are kids who suffer everyday from multiple types of illnesses, which stop them from living their every day life.

3. I am thankful for growing up in Morton Grove, for giving me the friends I have and the great school I go to.

4. I am thankful for music, for expressing my every emotion in words that I can't express myself. Especially Coldplay and Eminem.

5. I am thankful for the class that I'm in and some of the teachers I have, for making me laugh during the day at school no matter how dorky they all are.

6. I am thankful for movies, for making me go into their own little big world.

7. I am thankful for my friends, who give me joy and happiness for the littlest of things.

8. I am thankful for books, for taking my mind to another universe and filling it with every word and story.

9. I am thankful for having items that some kids have never had before, like: a room to myself (even a bed), food on the table every day, having a family, and there's so much more but I could go on forever.

10. Lastly, I am thankful for my mom and dad,  who give me everything I could ever ask for and showing how much they care for me in the slightest ways.

It's sad to say that I don't think about these things enough (even if they are little things) to realize how truly grateful I am for each one of them. Again, there's so much more that I'm thankful for, but these are the ones that mean most to me. I'll continue to think about these every day, to remind me how lucky I am. If you're reading this, enjoy your Thanksgiving.

Food

You have 24 hours to live, what's your last meal going to be? There's so much to choose from, but mine would be Famous Dave's Barbecue. I have been to this restaurant limited times, and been satisfied to the max every time. For my last meal, I would order multiple meals, and have a little bit of everything from each one. 

My personal favorite order is the chicken sandwich. The smell is just as good as the actual taste. Barbecue sauce drips from the meat, leaving a smokey taste in my mouth. It's the absolute best thing known to man. 

My Childhood Favorite

When I was a little kid my favorite show was Drake and Josh. I still love it, but they don't show it on t.v. anymore. I remember every Tuesday the new episode of Drake and Josh would be televised and I'd get so excited and watch it every single week, no matter if I've seen the episode a million times. I would relate to this show so much because at the time, my brother and I would do the same things to each other as Drake and Josh would so to each other. So, I would get ideas from the show and do it to my brother (it was evil, but it was funny). I still wish Drake and Josh was on t.v., but I still watch reruns because it's really funny.

In Ten Years

How does a person so young know what they want to do in ten years? To be completely honest, I have no clue what I want to be doing in ten years. I've been asked hundreds of times, "Jessie, what do you want to be when you grow up?" and almost every time, my answer has changed. Yes, I know that kids should have an idea of what they want to be, but I don't see why we're forced to know at such a young age. At the moment, I'd like to become a physical therapist when I grow up, but knowing me, that hope will probably change very soon. A dream of mine ever since I was little kid, was to play softball for Northwestern, so I'd absolutely love to follow that dream. So in ten years, I'd like to be graduating Northwestern with a degree to get me able to become a P.T.'s assistant. This is what I'd hope to happen to me in the next ten years, but I still have 6 years to think about this and make up my mind, so this will most likely change. Who knows what my future will be? Hopefully, incredibly extraordinary.

My Favorite Trip

          My favorite trip was when I went to Nashville last year for New Years. It's the only trip I've ever been on in my entire life, but it was so much fun. I've loved country music ever since I was 10, and ever since I begged my parents to let us go. We decided to drive there, it wasn't that bad of a car ride, it was only about 8 hours or so, but it was really fun. We stopped in Kentucky to see the Louisville Slugger museum, and that was really cool. When we got to Nashville, we went to the Country Hall of Fame museum where they have all the amazing country music from the 70's all the way to 2016. We did a lot of other fun things too, but those were my favorite. I hope to go back to Nashville, because there's so much left to do there.