Goodbye

Goodbye to all the ones I know
And all the ones I didn't
Goodbye to the teachers I loathed
And the mentors I loved
Goodbye to the bumpy fields
The source of many twisted ankles and bruises
Goodbye to the long, overgrown grass
That hides caterpillars and secret bird nests
Waiting to be discovered by eager students
Goodbye to the woods that line the Lower Field
They kept our secrets and our hideouts
Safe from prying eyes
Goodbye to the wall of the Mitchell Building
Reddish brick, we laughed and played against it
Goodbye to the basketball courts
Besides dozens of fast paced games
They witnessed our triumphs and our failures
While we endured and struggled through P.E (just kidding Mr.D)
Goodbye to the locker rooms
If they can be called that
Forever smelly, those rooms held laughs, tears and pranks galore
Goodbye to Mr. Salsichs room
Full of light and cozy chairs
Fond memories of Romeo and Juliet, To Kill a Mockingbird
And lets not forget Poetry Madness
It was a humdinger of a class Mr. Salsich
Goodbye to the language classrooms
Through much confusion, trial and error
We all got the gist (eventually) of what our teachers were saying
Goodbye Mrs. Dolphin
A special mention to you
Through thick and thin
You were the soul of Pine Point
Goodbye History
I'll never forget you
Nor the incredible videos and stories
That were shared within your walls
Goodbye to Science
You changed throughout the years
From the pond and semi dangerous chemicals
To lighting Purell on fire
Goodbye to Math
Though I struggled and was stubborn
Somehow something stuck
Goodbye to all the specials
Art, music and dance
My three most loved subjects
Dance, you taught me how to express myself through movement
And not to be afraid while the music is playing
Thank you for that
Music, you taught me to use my voice
And as tough as chorus was for you
Everyone always appreciated the effort you spent on us
Art
What there to say?
Nothing appropriately describes my love and passion for the subject
Or my love for the teacher
Despite the undeserved and unfortunate C+ she decided to give me
(That shoe had a mind of it's own)
Goodbye Nurse Hall
Thank you for putting up with my best efforts to get out of school
Mrs. Moreen
Thanks for everything you did
You were like the manager for a celebrity
Quiet and in the background
Yet so important and instrumental in everything Pine Point did
Goodbye Library
And the bookworms so like myself that lived inside it
I'm still fairly certain I have books out
Goodbye to G.I.V.E committee
I only wished I had joined it sooner
Because of all the good I felt we did
Goodbye to all the coaches of our sports teams
The real reasons why we won games
Goodbye to Lower School
I have blurred yet happy memories
Of my time spent there
In the company of smiling teachers
And goofy classmates
Along with furry hamsters and guinea pigs
And potatoes
Goodbye to Middle School
The place where I learned my strengths and my weaknesses
Who my true friends were and who were not
And what kind of person I needed to become
At the risk of sounding like a popular sci fi show
You taught me well
Goodbye to Maria
My Mexican friend
I will always miss your laughing and quirky face
Remember the cheese and mysterious meat stick forever!
Goodbye to Doc
The teacher who taught me the meaning of laughter and fun
And that truly excellent actors
Don't need to use microphones
Keep reading your complex and creepy stories to your students, Doc
It's something you never forget and never want to end
Goodbye to Mr. Giese
For as long as I can remember you have headed our school
And I find it fitting that I am leaving the same year you are
For I cannot imagine Pine Point without you
And finally
Goodbye to my friends
From Harry to Hanna (totally the best couple in existence haha)
Kara to Kolton
Wequai to Kiona
Every person in my class is like a brother or sister to me
And I love you all
Class of 2012
Pine Point taught us to achieve our goals, then reach beyond them
Let's take the world by storm
Goodbye

Introduction

Dear Reader,

            Being as you are likely a human and in the process of aging, I feel I should explain to you the meaning and topic of my essay. It is about being human and aging. No doubt you are already quite familiar with the concepts yourself, being human and constantly growing older, but I feel that if aliens from some far away planet ever happen upon this and decide to read, they should have the background information first. Humans grow older every millisecond. It is impossible to not grow older, even when you are dead you still age. Probably. Not being dead, I don’t have that knowledge on a first hand basis, but it is an educated guess on my part that the dead still age.  Growing up however, is not just about a humans body maturing, but also a persons mind. When we are born, we have undeveloped brains beyond the basic necessities for survival, like eating, sleeping and breathing. As we grow, our brains grow with us, learning new things and becoming stronger and more developed. Therefore, this multi-genre essay is about human aging, but also touches the delicate subject of maturing. Enjoy the essay.

                                                            Sincerely,

                                                                        Jennifer Carroll

Text messages between Romeo and Juliet

My dear Juliet,

Ah, my love! I write this to you with hopes that it finds you well and relatively happy. How I long to be with you! To see the sun rise above the gray sheeted clouds and watch the golden rays fall softly on the slumbering homes of fair Verona. To listen to the sweet melodies of the lovely birds that sing in yonder pomegranate tree. Those birds, they are no comparison to your own loveliness though. You are the envy of the heavens.

Romeo

Romeo,

            I’m not talking to you.

- Juliet

Juliet,

            Why ever not?

-Romeo

Romeo,

           

            Oh, don’t even try that game! You know what!

-Juliet

Juliet,

            Okay, actually, no, I DON’T know what. Why do you always think that everyone somehow knows exactly what you’re talking about ALL THE TIME?

-Romeo

Romeo,

            Baby, you killed my cousin! You know how close we were! Why would you do that?

-Juliet

Juliet,

            It was just a little killing. I’m sure he’ll be fine.

-Romeo

Romeo,

            :(

-Juliet

Juliet,

           

            Ok, I’m sorry. Are you happy now?

-Romeo

Romeo,

            Well… OK! So, how about our wedding? I was thinking a minimum of oh, say, three hundred guests, and lots of white with gold accents. And we could talk to the friar and see what kinds of flowers go best with white and gold!

-Juliet

Juliet,

            Uh… you do realize that since I killed Tybalt, I’m technically banished from Verona. Plus, our families hate each other. So, we would probably be killed before we even got the news of our engagement out for five minutes.

-Romeo

Romeo,

            Yes… I didn’t think of that. Hmmm….

-Juliet

Juliet,

            Ok, lets pretend that we’re older than our teenage years. We are mature and we are reasonable. We live nice respectable lives, and have reputations for behaving wisely. What do we do?

-Romeo

Romeo,

            Run screaming from you and marry Paris.

-Juliet

Juliet,

            Run screaming from you and try to woo Rosalyn again.

-Romeo

Romeo,

            This is depressing.

-Juliet

Juliet,

            Yeah, I’m not a fan of trying to mature.

-Romeo

Romeo,

            I know what to do!

-Juliet

Juliet,

            What?

-Romeo

Romeo,

            Well, right now, being the moody and angst-ridden teenagers in love that we are, we are relatively depressed at the moment. So, let’s commit suicide together!

-Juliet

Juliet,

            OMG! That’s perfect! OK, I’ll bring the poison. Where do you want to meet?

-Romeo

Romeo,

Ick, poison? I want to do it more dramatically… I know! Let’s stab ourselves!

-Juliet

Juliet,

            You can stab yourself, but I want poison because there’s less of a mess to clean up after.

-Romeo

Romeo,

            Yeah, good point… I’m still stabbing myself though.

-Juliet

Juliet,

            Fine.

-Romeo

Romeo,

            Fine.

-Juliet

Juliet,

            Ok, gtg. Ttyl.*

-Romeo

Romeo,

            Bye,  I love you!

-Juliet

* gtg = got to go. Ttyl = talk to you later. Slang commonly used in text messaging

Eulogy: Childhood

If maturity had never happened, if growing up had never existed, childhood would still be here. I would still be able to laugh freely, lightheartedly, no troubles or burdens affecting me. I would still speak in innocent tones; I would revel and cavort in the simplicity of everyday life and find something ordinary wonderful and magical, simply by imagination flaring inside me. Childhood was a precious time and time that will always be in my heart. How I wish sometimes, that I could go back to those happy, joy-filled days where a brown, mossy stick could be a gleaming silver sword and a leaf-covered clearing in the woods could a fairy’s gilded ballroom. However, if I had stayed in childhood forever, if I had never left the realm of make believe that all children live in, how could I have experienced the things I have and the things I look forward to? I would never have kissed a boy, or driven a car or talked until midnight with my best friend. I would not have felt the excitement of an A on my math exam, or the jolt in my stomach when my crush looked at me. I would not have felt the pain of a pet dying, or the sadness of friends becoming enemies and the joy of enemies becoming friends. I would not feel the increasing nervousness as the prospect of high school looms ever so menacingly on the horizon. These emotions and experiences are things that I would never give up, not for anything, now that I have experienced them. Childhood, I will miss you dearly, but all good things cannot last forever. I can only treasure the beloved memories I have of you, and look forward, to the future.

                                                                        - Jenn

WANTED

DEAD OR ALIVE

Peter Pan

For excessive refusal to grow up

Physical Characteristics:

Height: 5 feet, five inches (5’5)

Hair: Dark brown, short

Eyes: Brown

Age: Unknown, considered a minor by popular society

Gender: Male

Distinguishing marks: Often wears a uniform, green tunic, green leggings, green hat with red feather.

KNOWN ASSOCIATES:

Tinker Bell: Female, around six or seven inches tall, blond hair, green eyes. Reported to have wings. Considered dangerous, approach with caution.

Wendy Darling: Female, approximately twelve years of age, light brown hair, blue eyes. Last reported to wearing a blue nightgown and having a blue ribbon in hair. Not considered a threat.

John Darling: Male, assumed to be ten years of age. Black hair, brown eyes. Often seen wearing a top hat, nightshirt and carrying a small, black umbrella. Reported to be extremely intelligent. Not considered a threat.

Michael Darling: Male, four years in age. Brown hair, brown eyes. Last seen wearing a pink pajama set with feet. Carries a small teddy bear. Not considered a threat.

The Lost Boys

Tootles: Reported to be wearing animal fur, approximate age unknown. Minor.

Nibs: Reported to be wearing animal fur, age unknown. Minor.

Slightly: Reported to be wearing animal fur, age unknown. Minor.

Cubby: Reported to be wearing animal fur, age unknown. Considered to be overweight. Minor

The Twins: Reported to be wearing animal fur. Inseparable. Age unknown; they are minors.

ATTENTION!

The Lost Boys are considered to be extremely dangerous.

DO NOT APPROACH.

Should you see Peter Pan or any of his known companions, DO NOT APPROACH. Call the number shown at the bottom of the poster. Thank you for your cooperation.

Signed,

Captain M. J. Hook

Captain of the Hunt for the Notorious Peter Pan, Scourge of the Adults of the World.

And, the good ship, the Jolly Roger.

860-510-8992 or 527-895-4001

Growing Up PROVEN To Erase Wrinkles!
Inside: A Dermatologists Confession!

By Lisa LaRue

Have you always thought that the more you grow up, the more unsightly wrinkles and age spots you’ll get? WRONG! In this shocking interview with dermatologist Megan Staley, you’ll discover the best kept secret in the world… REVEALED!

My interview with Dr. Staley started off with us sipping raspberry tea on the porch of her Norwegian summer home, watching the goats frolic below us in the grassy fields. After a few easy questions to warm her up, I posed the million-dollar question, “ So Megan, what is the key to youthful looking skin? Women all across America want to know how every one of your clients come away with that desirable freshness to their face.”
She laughed, snow white teeth gleaming,” Why Lisa! You want me to give away all my trade secrets! I’d be out of a job.” I smiled, and then asked again.
She looked nervous, “It’s all thanks to my Super Moisturizer/ Sun block 1200-“
I cut her off,” Yes, we all know the story, Megan, but that’s not the truth.”
Dr. Staley sighed,” Well. I guess the truth had to come out sometime,” she remarked wryly.
I leaned in closer, my delicious raspberry tea forgotten as I prepared to hear the greatest Hollywood secret since Botox.
In hushed tones, she told me the whole story,” Ten years ago, I looked terrible. I had blotchy and irritated skin, thousands of wrinkles and age spots and basically, looked twenty years older than I was. I just kept buying all of the over the counter drugs meant to improve skin. I tried all of the options out there, everything under the sun. I even flew to China to talk with an old Tibetan monk who had lived two hundred and fifty years, and looked like he was thirty. Of course two days after visiting with him, I discovered he actually was thirty,” She sighed. “ It was a disappointment, but life goes on. Finally, I figured out the secret. I mean, I must’ve, otherwise how would I have skin like this?” She remarked, touching her flawless cheek and chuckling. Breathlessly, I waited, pen poised over my paper, waiting to scribble down what was sure to follow.
Dr. Megan Staley took a deep breath and then whispered,” The secret is growing up!”
Taken aback, I blinked. Before I could protest however, the good doctor quickly elaborated,” You see, I was trying so hard to remain youthful looking; I ended up looking older than I was. Cheesy make-up and dangerous wrinkle fillers that you see advertised on T.V only make it more obvious that a person is aging. If you want to look young, you have to accept your age first. You need to grow up, not try to be twenty again!” She sat back, preening and then added,” Just grow up and mature some, and I guarantee that you’ll be looking half your age before the month is out.” She winked,” But my moisturizer helps too!”

So, good citizens of America, there you have it. The secret to looking young is growing up and accepting your age! Just remember my name, Lisa LaRue, whenever you want to discover the truth about something, whatever it is! Right now, you can reach me with questions and comments at the website superstartabloids@comcast.net.

By Lisa LaRue, Star Reporter for the National Enquirer… we inquire for the nation!

Sonnet of Friendship

Friends are the most important things to me
They share your deepest troubles and your joys
They open your eyes to possibilities
When you are too caught up in your minds noise
They're always there to catch you when you fall
To laugh with you and wipe your tears away
No matter what they will give it their all
As fresh with you as the seas salty spray
When I was little, I had one wish
Not to own a horse, or be royalty
Now my dreams consist of scoring a swish
In a basketball game, but they were loyalty
And friendship back then, someone like a fish
Always constant, like salmon swimming upstream
Back then that was my only, and greatest dream.

Love

An Essay About Love

By Jennifer Carroll

8^th Grade

Pine Point School

April 20, 2011

Love can be described by many different things. It can be sound, a sight, a smell and an emotion. There are loving people, there are foods and places you can love and there are even animals and pets you may adore. Love is infinite. True love can withstand storms, betrayals, fights, time and anything you throw at it. This essay is all about love, especially true love.
 “The only way to love is to fall headfirst into love.” This quote describes my feelings towards love. People don’t work to love each other; they don’t slowly create enough affection over a course of time to be in love. You are either in love when you first see someone, or you aren’t.  You cannot build love like you would a house or building, brick by brick. Tenderness may be slow sometimes, but it’s always there in a person’s heart. You might ignore it or pretend it isn’t there, but eventually, at the right moment, you’ll see affection inside you. Love, that giddy feeling when you spot a crush, the butterflies in your stomach, the blush on your cheeks, the ache in your heart, that’s something that can only be experienced by tumbling face first.
A couple that has a truly loving relationship would have to be Beauty and the Beast. I mean, if that's not a loving relationship based entirely off love and not looks, I don't know what is. One, Belle helps the Beast immensely. He thinks he's hideous and that no one will ever love him because he's so ugly, so he's extremely violent and angry. At first, Belle thinks he's just cruel and mean-spirited, but as time passes, she learns that he has a truly caring heart and shows him how to accept his looks and be a good person. Also, they save each others lives. The Beast rescues Belle from being devoured by a pack of wolves when she's running through the forest outside his castle, looking from her father. Then, Belle saves the Beast after Gaston, an evil suitor, stabs him in the back before falling off the castle to the jagged rocks below. She admits she loves him, and he is healed by the fairy's curse lifting. These characters, one ugly, the other beautiful, nevertheless share amazing chemistry together and are an admirably loving couple. 
 Love isn't bought. It isn't sold. It cannot be traded, borrowed or stolen. Love is not a tangible thing, something to be held and caressed, to be tucked away safely in a small nook or cranny in a persons heart. Love is swimming in the sea that reflects the stars at night, like tiny diamonds speckled on the dark water. Love is eating ice cream cones in the hot summer sun. Love is laughing as you squint on a bright beach and it is resting in the cool, sweet grass that ripples in the breeze. Love is everything important to you in your life. 

Self Assessment: I really like my closing paragraph on this essay for its detail and descriptiveness on what love is to me. I need to work on making my sentences flow more smoothly, especially in the second body paragraphs, as I seem to lose focus in that area usually. I would give myself a B+ for this essay.

Outline: Essay 13

TS: You fall into love

            SD: I think I will fall into love.

                  CM: People don’t work and toil to love one another

                  CM: You are either in love with someone or something or you aren’t.

         SD: You cannot build love

                  CM: You can’t build love like you do a house, brick by brick.

                  CM: Love may be slow sometimes, but it was always there in a person’s heart. Sometimes you just don’t see it until the right moment.

CS: I know I will fall into love, because that’s the way all of the famous couples throughout history loved – Cleopatra and Marc Antony, Rome and Juliet and even Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere.

TS: A couple I know that has a truly loving relationship would be Beauty and the Beast.

        

         SD: Belle helps the Beast

                  CM: He thinks that he’s evil and should be alone forever

                  CM: She originally thinks he’s evil as well, but comes to view him as a kind person at heart and makes him see it in himself as well

         SD: They save each others lives

                  CM: When Gaston, a jealous narcissist who wants to marry Belle, stabs the Beast when he is protecting her, she tells him she loves him and breaks the curse upon him

                  CM: The Beast rescues Belle from being eaten by a pack of wolves when she is searching for her father in the forest.

CS: These characters, while they are not real, are a truly loving couple.

A Sonnet of Friendship

Friends are the most important thing to me

They share your deepest troubles and your joys

They open your eyes to possibilities

When you are too caught up in your minds noise

They’re always there to catch you when you fall

To laugh with you and wipe your tears away

No matter what they will give it their all

As fresh with you as the seas salty spray

A Sonnet of Friendship

Friends are the most important thing to me

They share your deepest troubles and your joys

They open your eyes to possibilities

When you are too caught up in your minds noise

They’re always there to catch you when you fall

To laugh with you and wipe your tears away

No matter what they will give it their all

As fresh with you as the seas salty spray

A Sonnet of Friendship

Friends are the most important thing to me

They share your deepest troubles and your joys

They open your eyes to possibilities

When you are too caught up in your minds noise

They’re always there to catch you when you fall

To laugh with you and wipe your tears away

No matter what they will give it their all

As fresh with you as the seas salty spray

Friendship In Wonderland

An Essay on Friendship and Metaphors

By Jennifer Carroll

Pine Point School

8^th Grade English

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

         Friendship holds the world together. Without friendship, nobody would have someone to trust and rely on, everybody would hate everybody, we'd probably be in one giant World War and eventually die out as a species because of all the bombs and weapons. Friends are people you can count on to be there for you, and they're people who can make you smile in the worst of times. Basically, without friendship, and without friends, human existence as we know it would be infinitely worse.

         My friend and I share a great camaraderie, the kind that brings out the jealousy in others, the type that inspires great tales and poems written by famous authors and the style that makes every famous friendship in history look like a speck of dust beside ours. We are much like Lewis Carroll’s famous duo, the Mad Hatter and Alice, from the classic book and now hit movie, Alice in Wonderland.  She is a lot like Alice in many ways. One, she is always helping, or trying to help people around her. And two, she loves animals of all kinds, but especially rabbits. I think of myself as the Mad Hatter. I love to laugh and smile, and can be considered slightly insane by many people. Also, I drive her crazy, much like the original Mad Hatter did to poor Alice when he invited her to have a tea party with him and his good friends, the March Hare and the Dormouse. The Mad Hatter and Alice are to unlikely friends, but they have wonderful amity. They may fight and bicker and argue and madden each other to the breaking point, but in the end, they always have each other’s back, no matter the situation. While they are two incredibly different people in their believes, ideas, thoughts and personalities, that's what makes them friends. People like the Mad Hatter and Alice and my friend and I share a common connection that is the root for fantastic friendships.

         My friendship with my friend is something very important to me. Without it, I think I wouldn't be as happy as I am now. In fact, I'd probably be on the verge of depression. Friendship connects people and countries is positive ways, and provides a structure of support. Friendship paves the way to peace and contentment among the world.

TS (Main Idea, Topic, or Thesis): Friendship- My friend and I are like the Mad Hatter and Alice from Alice in Wonderland

Bell word: Friendship

2 Echo words to be used: camaraderie, amity 

   

SD: She is Alice

        CM: She is always helping and trying to help people

        CM: She loves animals, especially rabbits

    SD: I am the Mad Hatter

        CM: I like to laugh and smile, and can be considered partially insane

        CM: I drive her crazy

    SD: The Mad Hatter and Alice are two unlikely friends with amity

        CM: They have great camaraderie, even when they are in tough situations

        CM: They fight and bicker, but in the end, they always have each other’s backs.

CS: My friend and I are two completely different people, but that’s what makes us friends, just like Alice and the Mad Hatter

Teen Troubles

An Essay on Problems That Teenagers Experience

Pine Point School

8th Grade English

Jennifer Carroll

Everyone has or will experience being a teenager. For some, it’s enjoyable, the first breath of freedom in years and taste of what’s to come in their adult lives. For others, it’s a long string of unhappy and dark years filled with uncertainty and second guesses. This essay is about some of the problems teens may experience during their lives, and why teens may feel this way.                                                                                                                

 Teenagers are complicated and confusing creatures, at the most fragile stage of life where they feel like every single action they take or every word they speak isn’t the correct one to use in a situation. Many teenagers face serious problems in their day to day lives. Some teenagers have unstable and dangerous home life. They may put in predicaments where they are abused physically and emotionally every day. They could be neglected, therefore showing up late or not at all to school or activities some days. Also, a lot of teens have to deal with peer pressure every day. Their friends might want them to smoke, or drink or do something that they’re uncomfortable with in order to look “cool”. These messy situations often lead to the teen in question succumbing in order to keep his or her friends. Lastly, many teenagers are very self conscious. They can feel like they aren’t pretty, or strong or smart enough. These feelings can escalate from self consciousness to serious medical issues like anorexia, bulimia and even suicide. Lots of teenagers have very serious and complex problems in their life, and it’s important to help them through their troubles, whether they are your child or simply your friend.

Being a teenager myself, I understand many of the complicated problems that teenagers all over the world face. One problem that I am facing is the thought of going to Stonington High School next year. Having gone to Pine Point my entire life, the idea of leaving to go to a public high school is an extremely daunting prospect. I’m terrified for what the next year might bring. Another issue I face is going to Vermont for six weeks on my own over the summer. Usually, when I go to a camp, I’m with my twin brother or a friend, and I never stay for as long as six weeks. But when I leave this summer I’m entirely by myself, and have no one I know waiting for me at camp. These are a few of the problems I face that are similar to fears and troubles that other teens in the world might have.

            While experiencing adolescence, you will be confused at times, unsure of yourself or unwilling to believe that you can do something. These feelings of being lost and bewildered at your surroundings will fade as you gain confidence in yourself. Every teenager knows the feeling of doubt, especially when thinking about themselves and things involving each other. Problems are natural in lives, but teenagers- children- should not have to confront such serious issues as those addressed in this essay.

Self Assessment: I am working to overcome my problem of thinking things before I write and sometimes skipping words. I think I do a good job with details and elaborating on sentences. One weak point is making sure sentences fit together and flow. I would give myself an A- for this essay.

Teen Troubles

An Essay on Problems That Teenagers Experience

Pine Point School

8th Grade English

Jennifer Carroll

       (TS) Teenagers are complicated creatures, at the most fragile stage of life where every action they take or word they speak isn’t the correct one. Many teenagers face serious problems in their day to day lives. Some teenagers have unstable and dangerous home life. They may put in predicaments where they are abused physically and emotionally every day. They could be neglected, therefore showing up late or not at all to school or activities some days. Also, a lot of teens have to deal with peer pressure every day. Their friends might want them to smoke, or drink or do something that they’re uncomfortable with in order to look “cool”. These messy situations often lead to the teen in question succumbing in order to keep his or her friends. Lastly, many teenagers are very self conscious. They can feel like they aren’t pretty, or strong or smart enough. These feelings can escalate from self consciousness to serious medical issues like anorexia, bulimia and even suicide. Lots of teenagers have very serious and complex problems in their life, and it’s important to help them through their troubles, whether they are your child or simply your friend.

         (TS) Being a teenager myself, I understand many of the problems that teenagers all over the world face. One problem that I am facing is the thought of going to Stonington High School next year. Having gone to Pine Point my entire life, the idea of leaving to go to a public high school is an extremely daunting prospect. I’m terrified for what the next year might bring. Another issue I face is going to Vermont for six weeks on my own over the summer. Usually, when I go to a camp, I’m with my twin brother or a friend, and I never stay for as long as six weeks. But when I leave this summer I’m entirely by myself, and have no one I know waiting for me at camp. These are a few of the problems I face that are similar to fears and troubles that other teens in the world might have.

TS: This experience changed me
Bell word: Change

SD: I learned to be more compassionate
Echo word to be used: Modify
CM: I modified my behavior towards the less fortunate
CM: Instead of shying away from them, I now go and try to help them

SD: I now watch my food and save my money
Echo word to be used: Alter
CM: I altered how I lived by saving money more and checking my food for expiration dates
CM: I do this because I don’t want to end up in poverty like so many other Connecticut residents

SD: I look for opportunities to be helpful
Echo word to be used: Changed
CM: I changed my behavior because I now look for ways to help other people, even in tiny things
CM: I know that helping somebody else in need helps yourself a little bit inside

CS: I changed thanks to this experience at the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center for the better

TS: Looking back, what would I have done differently?
Bell word: Different
SD: I didn’t communicate with the other volunteers a lot
Echo word to be used: Distinct
CM: I stuck to my distinct jobs
CM: I didn’t talk to the other volunteers unless I had to

SD: I would’ve helped more people
Echo word to be used: Separate
CM: Some people came in that really needed help, but since they didn’t have the form that said you were approved to receive food from the PNC, we couldn’t help them
CM: I would have helped them, even though they were separate from those who had been approved

SD: All these children that came in stood to one side, very uncomfortable as their parents got food
Echo word to be used: Apart
CM: These kids looked really nervous as they stood apart from us
CM: I would’ve comforted them more, maybe given them a cookie from our bakery table while they waited

CS: I would’ve done a few things differently, but basically I felt that I did a lot of good at the PNC.

TS: I can relate the story and themes in To Kill a Mockingbird to the PNC
Bell word: Relate

SD: The black members of Maycomb don’t get a lot to eat and are poor
Echo word to be used: ARE SIMILAR TO
CM: The colored members of Maycomb are similar to the poverty stricken members of America
CM: They have next to none money and don’t have a lot of food

SD: Atticus
Echo word to be used: Comparable
CM: Atticus is comparable to the people who work at the PNC
CM: He cares about his clients and tries to help them the best he can, which is what we at the PNC strive to do

SD: The Ladies Meeting that Aunt Alexandra held
Echo word to be used: Akin
CM: The meeting that Aunt Alexandra with all of the Ladies is akin to the PNC work CM: All of those ladies work for the benefit of the community like the people at the PNC

CS: To Kill a Mockingbird is similar to my work at the Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center

TS: My research increased my understanding of what the PNC deals with

Bell word: Understand

SD: Hunger is a big issue in America and Connecticut

Echo word to be used:  Appreciate

CM: Hunger is a huge problem in CT and I now appreciate that fact

CM: An average of 20% of people in cities go hungry daily

SD: Connecticut is trying to stop poverty and hunger

Echo word to be used: Know

CM: I know that Connecticut is trying to prevent poverty and hunger within its state boundaries

CM: Connecticut was the first state to publically announce its goal to cut child poverty in half by 2012

SD: Too many people are poor and hungry in America

Echo word to be used: Realize

CM: 14% of America is considered to be under the poverty line

CM: I realized that far too many people are dependent on food pantries for food when I researched poverty and hunger in America

CS: My research increased my understanding of the PNC because it told me exactly how much of Connecticut and America rely on us for meals

TS: I think I did a lot of good by working at the PNC
Bell word: Good

SD: I checked for expired food
Echo word to be used: Help
CM: I made sure that no one would get old or rotten meals
CM: I helped everyone that came in came away with fresh food that was safe

SD: I stocked the pantry
Echo word to be used: Supported
CM: By packing and unpacking food, I supported the PNC’s efforts to keep their pantry stocked
CM: Because I helped keep the pantry full, everyone who came into the PNC ate

SD:I sorted clothing
Echo word to be used: Benefit
CM: I sorted clothing for underprivileged children
CM: They benefited from the warm coats and clothes

CS: I feel like I did lots of good while working

TS: Challenges I experienced while working at the PNC

Bell word: Difficult

SD: Too many people needed food

Echo word to be used: Hard

CM: So many people, young and old, strong and weak, desperately needed food

CM: It was hard to watch people keep walking in through our doors because they had to have food, and couldn’t afford it

SD: Ebb and flow of food

Echo word to be used: Tricky

CM: Amount of food that came in was tricky

CM: One day we had tons, the next we had none

SD: Some people that came in were angry

Echo word to be used: Complicated

CM: They blamed us for the problems in their lives

CM: They complicated our life by demanding certain foods and talking nastily to us

CS: The work at the PNC was hard, but satisfying

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TS: I chose the PNC for my service project

Bell word: Helpful

SD: The Pawcatuck Neighborhood Center is a very helpful place

Echo word to be used: Cares

CM: It cares about the less fortunate in their community

CM: It strives to help the poor by giving food and clothing to the needy

SD: I felt like I could truly help there

Echo word to be used: Aid

CM: From my first look inside, I saw people trying to make a difference, just like I wanted to do

CM: I was aiding Connecticut in a very real way by distributing food

SD: Amount of help I did

Echo word to be used: Assist

CM: In 2009, 14.6% of Connecticut reported not having enough money to buy food

CM: I assisted to help correct that problem by working to give out food at the PNC

CS: I feel like I did a lot to help in the few short weeks I worked at the PNC, and I was enormously pleased to be able to lend a hand to the poor

Circles in To Kill a Mockingbird and My Life

By Jennifer Carroll

Pine Point School

8^th Grade English

January 31, 2011

(TS) Circles are never ending cycles in which something, be it a book, a feeling or even a friend, seems to play a continuous role throughout your life. (SD) In TKAM, circles are everywhere and with everyone, especially when focusing on Boo Radley. (CM) Boo makes his name known in the very beginning, when three children take a sudden and obsessive interest in making the neighborhood spook come out. (CM) After a whirlwind of chapters detailing the wild pursuit of Boo Radley, the excitement dies down, only to be brought up again when Boo rescues two of those same children from certain death at the hands of a madman. (CM) Boo is finally seen after months of desperate planning and extravagant schemes that eventually faded into nothing in the light of other, more important matters. (SD) Alongside this circle in TKAM, you also have another circle, in which everyone mentioned in the chapters before is brought together in one, small building. (CM) The Halloween celebration brings together all characters mentioned before for a night of tricks and treats that ends in disaster. (CM) All of the little side plots, the tiny, irking, thoughts of “I wonder what happened to them,” are all wrapped up in one evening. (CM) From Judge Taylors “encounter” with an almost burglar to Atticus’s confrontation with Bob Ewell, everything that you wondered about comes around to a final clash of good versus evil. (SD) Another circle that is brought about in TKAM would have to be fear. (CM) Fear rules through out this book, from an old woman’s fear of a painful death to a young boy’s terror for his younger sister as they fight off a knife wielding killer. (CM) Fear, if you look at the book closely, is perhaps, the only circle in this book. (CM) Everything that went on, every action that a person took, was influenced through a fear of something, be it that a black man might be better than a white man or a neighborhood spook might not be so terrible after all. (CS) TKAM  has many circles, some bold and prominent and others subtle and mysterious, but all around the book is like a spider web…just when you thought you traced all the lines, you find a whole new section.

Outline for Essay 10: Coming Around in a Circle

TS (Main Idea, Topic, or Thesis): Coming Around in a Circle

Bell word: Together

SD: See TKAM coming together

Echo word to be used: As one

CM: All of the characters side plots are being wrapped up

CM: The novel is as one with itself

SD: Boo Radly

Echo word to be used: In league

CM: Boo Radly resurfaces

CM: He is in league with them

SD: The school fair

Echo word to be used: Everyone

CM: Everyone in the town was there

CM: All the characters together

CS: TKAM has made a circle

TS (Main Idea, Topic, or Thesis): Circles in my life

Bell word: Special

SD: Hawaii is a special place to me

Echo word to be used: exceptional

CM: The exceptional island is everywhere

CM: I even see it in my dreams

SD: Art

Echo word to be used: Unique

CM: When I draw, Hawaii is always on my mind

CM: It’s unique style is always a major part of my artwork

SD: Time

Echo word to be used: perfect

CM: Time doesn’t change it

CM: It remains consistently perfect in reality and in my mind

CS: Hawaii is my heaven; it influences everything I do