Friday, November 25, 2011
Young Judaea Convention!
So my best friend and I are going to Chicago in a few days, for a four day long convention. The convention is for jewish teens for kids who live in the midwest. There is one for every YJ (Young Judaea) camp across America, of which there are only four. There used to be five, but the one that was in the West, (the one I used to go too,) was closed down, so now we goto the one in the midwest. Anyway I'll post what all exciting things happen after we come home next week!
Friday, November 11, 2011
Volunteering Part Duex
Some days are different than others. Last week in the kindergarten classroom, the assistant teacher and I were really cold. We both were jogging on the spot, while the kids just sat on the carpet and stared at us with the utmost look of 'you guys are weird' and confusion. We then proceeded to stand next to each other, and huddle, which, they thought was funny, because I had to bend down to be at her height considering, she is half the size of me hight wise. So we decided to go make tea. The day after that ended being the day I spent the whole day with them, since their assistant teacher had a doctors appointment. (It had nothing to do with the previous morning.) I did the usual morning routine, but instead of leaving when they went to recess I stayed. It was the usual school day. After recess, they read a book. Then it was lunch. During lunch I had lunch with the other kindergarten teachers. I got to hear the teachers 'gossip' I guess, though I just sat there and smiled a lot. After lunch (again it was a usual schooled day. Not really interesting. But fun because of their little kindergarten personalities.) We had science class. So their teacher took half of them and taught them about veterans day, and I took half of them and read them a five senses book. There would be one page that was a close up of something, for example an onion. I had them take turns guessing what it was, (there was one kid who for every page guessed a hot dog). Then I would reveal what it was, and ask them silly questions. They were simple like can you taste the onion? Can you feel the onion? So you think you can feel the onion but do you think you can rub it on your skin? No?! Why not? There was a page where it was a close up of a parrot's beak. I turned the page and asked them questions like, "can you hear the parrot?" Of which one boy replied that parrots can in fact talk because he heard one talk once. I then asked them if they could taste the parrot, and what they think it would taste like. The same boy replied that it would taste all beaky and feathery. To that I replied that I just thought it would taste like chicken.
After science, there was math. And something called interventions. I'm pretty sure they went to recess again, and P.E. but I don't really remember the rest of the day. I know that when they went to P.E. (Educacion Fisica!) I helped their teacher with their nightly reading folders. After helping them with snack they had fifteen minutes just to play. So as I helped clean up snack, I noticed that one girl was making me something. I knew that I probably shouldn't look in her direction. So I didn't. Later she came up to me with a picture drawn of the two of us, that read,'ILovethedayatschoolwithyou.' (I love the day at school with you.) Once I got home, I showed it to everyone and then hung it up on my door. It made me so happy I told her to come here and I gave her hug. (I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to, but that's beside the point.)
Once in the third grade classroom they were learning about Rosh Hashana. I told their teacher that I had a shofar, and I could bring it in and give them a presentation about Rosh Hashana. So for about two weeks I brought in the shofar, until there was finally a day we could fit it in. She really wanted me to do it, it's just that she didn't have a lot of spare time. I took them out to the grass and I told them about the shofar, and then I proceeded to blow each individual call, (not to be bias but I actually did it fairly well, considering I hadn't done it in more than a year.) Then I handed each one of them a clorox wipe, and they proceeded to each take a turn. In between each turn they had to wipe the mouth piece off. I'd say about four of the twenty four children were able to do it. I was really surprised at how well they did it. My brother could do it, but just like his voice he did it at the highest pitch he could probably muster. He is a very high pitched person in general.
Then there was the time that smokey the bear came in, and gave an hour and a half long presentation on how to be safe in a forest, and how to not start fires. It was really long, and I thought it was a little too long for the younger ones. But yo make it up to them, at the end they got to take a picture of smokey the bear. I went to the third grade classroom where I began to sort out the number of pencils, rulers, and fire safety booklets for every class that went. I was even nice and gave them an even number of each color.
I think those were all of my different days. But everyday I go is exciting and different. I love going and everyone knowing me, and their little waves and smiles every time they see me.
This week I get to help with the school Thanksgiving lunches. All of the families come in and they get to have a special lunch in their classrooms with their kids. I heard it will be pretty hectic.
After science, there was math. And something called interventions. I'm pretty sure they went to recess again, and P.E. but I don't really remember the rest of the day. I know that when they went to P.E. (Educacion Fisica!) I helped their teacher with their nightly reading folders. After helping them with snack they had fifteen minutes just to play. So as I helped clean up snack, I noticed that one girl was making me something. I knew that I probably shouldn't look in her direction. So I didn't. Later she came up to me with a picture drawn of the two of us, that read,'ILovethedayatschoolwithyou.' (I love the day at school with you.) Once I got home, I showed it to everyone and then hung it up on my door. It made me so happy I told her to come here and I gave her hug. (I'm pretty sure I wasn't supposed to, but that's beside the point.)
Once in the third grade classroom they were learning about Rosh Hashana. I told their teacher that I had a shofar, and I could bring it in and give them a presentation about Rosh Hashana. So for about two weeks I brought in the shofar, until there was finally a day we could fit it in. She really wanted me to do it, it's just that she didn't have a lot of spare time. I took them out to the grass and I told them about the shofar, and then I proceeded to blow each individual call, (not to be bias but I actually did it fairly well, considering I hadn't done it in more than a year.) Then I handed each one of them a clorox wipe, and they proceeded to each take a turn. In between each turn they had to wipe the mouth piece off. I'd say about four of the twenty four children were able to do it. I was really surprised at how well they did it. My brother could do it, but just like his voice he did it at the highest pitch he could probably muster. He is a very high pitched person in general.
Then there was the time that smokey the bear came in, and gave an hour and a half long presentation on how to be safe in a forest, and how to not start fires. It was really long, and I thought it was a little too long for the younger ones. But yo make it up to them, at the end they got to take a picture of smokey the bear. I went to the third grade classroom where I began to sort out the number of pencils, rulers, and fire safety booklets for every class that went. I was even nice and gave them an even number of each color.
I think those were all of my different days. But everyday I go is exciting and different. I love going and everyone knowing me, and their little waves and smiles every time they see me.
This week I get to help with the school Thanksgiving lunches. All of the families come in and they get to have a special lunch in their classrooms with their kids. I heard it will be pretty hectic.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Slowly Healing
I did end up re-writing my novel, I am really behind. I have decided to stop being so OCD about it, and to stop dividing the days by how many words I have left, therefore calculating how many words a day I should write. But it still bugs me as to how much I have to catch up on. Today is the tenth of November, and if I had not started from the beginning and I had followed my original plan of doing two thousand words a day, then I would be a twenty thousand words. But since I have decided to start over, my story is a lot better, but it is only at three thousand-ish words.
A Sort Of Politition
http://www.edd.state.nm.us/about/cabinetSecretary/index.html
Today my brother had a dentist appointment, and my sister had a doctor's appointment, so in between their appointments, we went out for lunch. We went to a restaurant, which was next door to the pediatrician my sister was going to. As we were sat at our table, we saw this man, who was obviously of some importance (due to the way he dressed). "Hey you should ask if he is a politician!" My mom nudged me, and looked in his direction. I protested and asked her what I was to do if he wasn't a politician, she said to ask him if he was on T.V. Again I protested, and said that he was probably busy or something. But after a few minutes of getting up and sitting back down (and a lot of giggling between the two of us), I finally went to ask him if he was a politician. He replied, and told me that he was sort of like a politician. After introducing himself as the secretary of the economic development, he told me that he had run for senate last year and lost by only a few votes. Then he introduced me to his friend that he was talking to, who happened to be a very old man, and nearly deaf. His name was Joe, and he was wearing a hat that was covered in badges, it declared that he was a veteran from the Korean War. I wondered if that had anything to do with his hearing, but he did also seem to be at least eighty years old. Jon asked me what school I was from, and I told him I was home schooled. He then asked me if I was planning on going to college, and I told him, I had been planning on it my whole life, I told him that I wanted to go college somewhere on the east coast, and preferably to an IV league school. Promptly after that, his friend Joe asked where I went to school and I told him that I was home schooled, in as loud and as clear of a voice I could manage. He told me that he had two grandchildren that are also home schooled, and they were the smartest group of people in the neighborhood. Jon then told me that I seemed like a very bright and smart kid, and throughout the rest of the conversation he kept telling me that. And I repeatedly kept saying thank you. My mom came to the table, and she spoke to them about my former schooling, and how I was younger than everybody in my grade here, and why I was home schooled, and such.
Then she told Jon Barela that I would like to volunteer in the campaign trail, and then she asked him how I would go about it. He told me to that I was to pick a party first, then I was to pick who I was going to volunteer for, such as the senates, or the representatives. Then I was to go down to the district office and sign myself up. He wished me good luck on getting in to the college I wanted, and then he told me it was nice seeing me, in which I replied that it was nice to meet him. The veteran stood up and we shook hands, I smiled and then I left their table and went back to mine. Later as we were going back to the car, I thought it was rather coincidental, considering we were just talking about politics on the way in to the restaurant. My mom proceeded to tell me to pay attention to the signs, and I said I do, I told her that I also believe in coincidences. And she told me that science doesn't. To that I responded that even if I did end up in a science field as my career, even if I do become a scientist or an aerospace engineer, I will always have my beliefs, and that I will always have that balance. Even if they completely disagree with each other.
Today my brother had a dentist appointment, and my sister had a doctor's appointment, so in between their appointments, we went out for lunch. We went to a restaurant, which was next door to the pediatrician my sister was going to. As we were sat at our table, we saw this man, who was obviously of some importance (due to the way he dressed). "Hey you should ask if he is a politician!" My mom nudged me, and looked in his direction. I protested and asked her what I was to do if he wasn't a politician, she said to ask him if he was on T.V. Again I protested, and said that he was probably busy or something. But after a few minutes of getting up and sitting back down (and a lot of giggling between the two of us), I finally went to ask him if he was a politician. He replied, and told me that he was sort of like a politician. After introducing himself as the secretary of the economic development, he told me that he had run for senate last year and lost by only a few votes. Then he introduced me to his friend that he was talking to, who happened to be a very old man, and nearly deaf. His name was Joe, and he was wearing a hat that was covered in badges, it declared that he was a veteran from the Korean War. I wondered if that had anything to do with his hearing, but he did also seem to be at least eighty years old. Jon asked me what school I was from, and I told him I was home schooled. He then asked me if I was planning on going to college, and I told him, I had been planning on it my whole life, I told him that I wanted to go college somewhere on the east coast, and preferably to an IV league school. Promptly after that, his friend Joe asked where I went to school and I told him that I was home schooled, in as loud and as clear of a voice I could manage. He told me that he had two grandchildren that are also home schooled, and they were the smartest group of people in the neighborhood. Jon then told me that I seemed like a very bright and smart kid, and throughout the rest of the conversation he kept telling me that. And I repeatedly kept saying thank you. My mom came to the table, and she spoke to them about my former schooling, and how I was younger than everybody in my grade here, and why I was home schooled, and such.
Then she told Jon Barela that I would like to volunteer in the campaign trail, and then she asked him how I would go about it. He told me to that I was to pick a party first, then I was to pick who I was going to volunteer for, such as the senates, or the representatives. Then I was to go down to the district office and sign myself up. He wished me good luck on getting in to the college I wanted, and then he told me it was nice seeing me, in which I replied that it was nice to meet him. The veteran stood up and we shook hands, I smiled and then I left their table and went back to mine. Later as we were going back to the car, I thought it was rather coincidental, considering we were just talking about politics on the way in to the restaurant. My mom proceeded to tell me to pay attention to the signs, and I said I do, I told her that I also believe in coincidences. And she told me that science doesn't. To that I responded that even if I did end up in a science field as my career, even if I do become a scientist or an aerospace engineer, I will always have my beliefs, and that I will always have that balance. Even if they completely disagree with each other.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Volunteering
I volunteer 2 mornings a week at my brother's elementary school. Every Monday and Tuesday morning, I'll wake up with them, (not like I don't already, infact I wake up before them.) and I'll go with them to school. Immediately as we pull up to the drop off zone, I get waves and smiles. And for the kids that remember my name, I'll get; Hi Miss. Celia!. After going to breakfast with my brothers, (They serve breakfast in the cafeteria.) I'll drop them off at their classes and head over to the office to sign my self in.
Once finished with that, I proceed over to the kindergarten classroom. The class I work in is a dual language classroom, which means it is both in spanish and English, but most of the time it is just spanish. It helps me learn a lot of Spanish, and it also goes towards my language credits, which is really good. I always love walking in the door because all the kids wave at me and shout to each other that 'Ms. Celia is here!' I sit down on the carpet with them and they begin their morning routine. After their morning routine, like all elementary school classes in America they do the Pledge of Allegiance. then we separate into their assigned groups and I help them with literacy.
The bell rings, and they all clean off their tables, and run off to recess, which is when I take the chance to leave to go to the third grade classroom. Since I always enter at the same time everyday I come, I always know that they will either be taking a spelling test, or they will be doing literacy. Always with literacy in the mornings. This class is also a dual language class, but from what I've gathered since I've been there, is that she mostly does everything in English. But I probably shouldn't say anything, considering I am only there two mornings a week. In that class I just help the kids with the school work, and do small tasks like stapling homework. When they do English, I'll help them with whatever worksheet they are working in, or I'll help them spell things for whatever they are writing. They write a lot in that class, and then they also need help editing. The only other class I'm apart of is their math class. Again I'll just help them with their worksheets. When it is time for recess, if I'm not helping their teacher inside, I'll go out and play with them. I always look forward to lunch time, because the teacher and I will always sit and talk in her classroom, usually over stapling homework.
The work seems easy to me, but it also seems as though the teachers need my help a lot, especially the third grade teacher, who always has volunteers coming in and out. Both teachers are exceptionally nice, and I love working with them.
Once finished with that, I proceed over to the kindergarten classroom. The class I work in is a dual language classroom, which means it is both in spanish and English, but most of the time it is just spanish. It helps me learn a lot of Spanish, and it also goes towards my language credits, which is really good. I always love walking in the door because all the kids wave at me and shout to each other that 'Ms. Celia is here!' I sit down on the carpet with them and they begin their morning routine. After their morning routine, like all elementary school classes in America they do the Pledge of Allegiance. then we separate into their assigned groups and I help them with literacy.
The bell rings, and they all clean off their tables, and run off to recess, which is when I take the chance to leave to go to the third grade classroom. Since I always enter at the same time everyday I come, I always know that they will either be taking a spelling test, or they will be doing literacy. Always with literacy in the mornings. This class is also a dual language class, but from what I've gathered since I've been there, is that she mostly does everything in English. But I probably shouldn't say anything, considering I am only there two mornings a week. In that class I just help the kids with the school work, and do small tasks like stapling homework. When they do English, I'll help them with whatever worksheet they are working in, or I'll help them spell things for whatever they are writing. They write a lot in that class, and then they also need help editing. The only other class I'm apart of is their math class. Again I'll just help them with their worksheets. When it is time for recess, if I'm not helping their teacher inside, I'll go out and play with them. I always look forward to lunch time, because the teacher and I will always sit and talk in her classroom, usually over stapling homework.
The work seems easy to me, but it also seems as though the teachers need my help a lot, especially the third grade teacher, who always has volunteers coming in and out. Both teachers are exceptionally nice, and I love working with them.
Ehh Well...
Update on my novel-
When I first started writing my novel, I didn't have an outline prepared, or even a story line going until about the fourth day, (which just happens to be today). I found out today that there is a website for teens to do their novels, so I joined that website, aswell (Yes I'm making swell one word. I believe it should be. That and homeschooling.) On the website they have a 'workbook', that you can fill out. It was just basic things, like who my main characters would be, what my main plot would be, and even things like what my mint plots are going to be. Things I thought I had already figured out. But now that I'm about six thousand words into the novel, I find that I am wrong. I feel now, that I have wrongly gone about this whole thing, and I would like to start over. I have even re- written my synopsis and everything. I just don't know if I do start over if I can catch myself up. Because this time I would like to have an outline written. And as much as I'd like to re-do the whole thing, I would be ten thousand words behind. But hey, who's timing me? I am the one that puts my word count in to the website everyday, which I have given up on, because I am tired of it lying to me. (Read my last post.) I finally just decided to put that I had written fifty thousand words into the word count, just so it would leave me alone. Ha! Take that stupid word count! Anyway, the gist of it all, is that I'm stuck at a junction, and I need to take the right path. But because there are no signs in England, (where allegedly my day dreaming takes place), I don't know which road to take.
When I first started writing my novel, I didn't have an outline prepared, or even a story line going until about the fourth day, (which just happens to be today). I found out today that there is a website for teens to do their novels, so I joined that website, aswell (Yes I'm making swell one word. I believe it should be. That and homeschooling.) On the website they have a 'workbook', that you can fill out. It was just basic things, like who my main characters would be, what my main plot would be, and even things like what my mint plots are going to be. Things I thought I had already figured out. But now that I'm about six thousand words into the novel, I find that I am wrong. I feel now, that I have wrongly gone about this whole thing, and I would like to start over. I have even re- written my synopsis and everything. I just don't know if I do start over if I can catch myself up. Because this time I would like to have an outline written. And as much as I'd like to re-do the whole thing, I would be ten thousand words behind. But hey, who's timing me? I am the one that puts my word count in to the website everyday, which I have given up on, because I am tired of it lying to me. (Read my last post.) I finally just decided to put that I had written fifty thousand words into the word count, just so it would leave me alone. Ha! Take that stupid word count! Anyway, the gist of it all, is that I'm stuck at a junction, and I need to take the right path. But because there are no signs in England, (where allegedly my day dreaming takes place), I don't know which road to take.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Slowly
I had decided it was easy to write two thousand words a day, which it is. But you have to know what to write about. I find myself, writing useless things, just to pad it out, instead of coming up with interesting things, to fill it up with. It's more than just writing two thousand words a day, I've found because you have to write an outline for tomorrow's chapter, and edit yesterdays chapter, while still keeping your numbers up. I haven't even gotten to the point of my story yet, and I still find myself writing the first chapter, and not have even started the second. which means I'm two thousand words or so behind. Things are going slowly but I soon hope they pick up.
Seriously, who cares about the blue group at the rectangle table cleaning up their pencils, when Celia's older brother are home alone, having the chickens throw eggs at eachother?
Seriously, who cares about the blue group at the rectangle table cleaning up their pencils, when Celia's older brother are home alone, having the chickens throw eggs at eachother?
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
R.O.U.S.S.s
Synopsis of my 50,000 word novel.
Stuck at home sick, with nothing to do, these rambunctious little boys and moody sister have nothing to do but to entertain themselves. Having done all their homework, and colored in all their coloring books, they decided they would make up a story, based on a movie they had watched over the weekend. The only problem with this is there was a lot of sword fighting in this movie, there was also a lot of things little boys (as they say) 'should not try at home'. For example jumping on each other's back and wrestling until the other was unconscious, or pretending they had come back from the dead, and setting themselves on fire to scare the guards into letting them into the castle. Luckily it was only pretend but still... By the time they were finished, Daddy was home, and it was time for bed. Having told him what they had done that day, he decided he would tell them their bedtime story based on the events that occurred that day. Their dad proceeded to continue telling that story every night for a whole month. After a week of being home they go back to school, and they then begin to tell their friends all about the crazy things their dad tells for a bedtime story. Not realizing though that their days begin to parallel the story.
Excerpt from the first chapter
Meanwhile at home, were her brothers. Even when they were sick, things were still as crazy as usual. No one was watching them because Celia was at their school, and their mom was in the bedroom feeding the baby. So they took this opportunity to define the definition of little boys. They had decided they were going to act out a movie they had seen recently, about a king who marries the most beautiful girl in the world. He was going to have some of his men kill her, and blame it on the other country to start a war for his own entertainment . But the men he had to kill her, ended up saving her and her true love. There was a lot of sword fighting in this movie, there was also a lot of things little boys (as they say) 'should not try at home'. For example jumping on each other's back and wrestling until the other was unconscious, or pretending they had come back from the dead, and setting themselves on fire to scare the guards into letting them into the castle. Luckily it was only pretend but still...
Stuck at home sick, with nothing to do, these rambunctious little boys and moody sister have nothing to do but to entertain themselves. Having done all their homework, and colored in all their coloring books, they decided they would make up a story, based on a movie they had watched over the weekend. The only problem with this is there was a lot of sword fighting in this movie, there was also a lot of things little boys (as they say) 'should not try at home'. For example jumping on each other's back and wrestling until the other was unconscious, or pretending they had come back from the dead, and setting themselves on fire to scare the guards into letting them into the castle. Luckily it was only pretend but still... By the time they were finished, Daddy was home, and it was time for bed. Having told him what they had done that day, he decided he would tell them their bedtime story based on the events that occurred that day. Their dad proceeded to continue telling that story every night for a whole month. After a week of being home they go back to school, and they then begin to tell their friends all about the crazy things their dad tells for a bedtime story. Not realizing though that their days begin to parallel the story.
Excerpt from the first chapter
Meanwhile at home, were her brothers. Even when they were sick, things were still as crazy as usual. No one was watching them because Celia was at their school, and their mom was in the bedroom feeding the baby. So they took this opportunity to define the definition of little boys. They had decided they were going to act out a movie they had seen recently, about a king who marries the most beautiful girl in the world. He was going to have some of his men kill her, and blame it on the other country to start a war for his own entertainment . But the men he had to kill her, ended up saving her and her true love. There was a lot of sword fighting in this movie, there was also a lot of things little boys (as they say) 'should not try at home'. For example jumping on each other's back and wrestling until the other was unconscious, or pretending they had come back from the dead, and setting themselves on fire to scare the guards into letting them into the castle. Luckily it was only pretend but still...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)