Mardi Gras is right around the corner, and I couldn't be more excited! It's the time of year for beads, king cakes, parades, and costumes; not to mention a break from school too. Ever since I was a kid, Mardi Gras has always been one of my favorite holidays. I just love the festive colors, exciting parades, and of course, getting to spend time with friends and family. I have many memorable childhood experiences from fun times during Mardi Gras, but there was one particular experience that I will never forget.
A few years ago, my dad got invited to ride in the Bacchus Parade, which is considered one of the best parades in New Orleans. When I heard that he was going to be riding in a big float, in a crazy costume, throwing out beads, I was more excited than he was! On the day of the parade, my whole family drove down to New Orleans early, so that we wouldn't miss any of the exciting events. You can always find something to do in New Orleans over Mardi Gras, that's for sure! Before all of the krewe members got on the floats, I got to take a tour around one of them! It was incredible! I had never seen so many beads in my life. The actual parade lasted for about 3 hours, and my dad's float was the very last one. It was worth the wait though, because when I was lifted up to him, he handed me about 10 bags stuffed with beads! For an 8-year-old, this was a BIG deal. Getting to see my dad ride in the parade, and being a part of all the chaos of Mardi Gras was definitely my favorite Mardi Gras memory.
This year for Mardi Gras break, my family is traveling to Virgin Gorda in the Caribbean. I have never been to the Caribbean before, and I cannot wait!
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Global Issues Paper
Hey Guys!
I hope everyone's progress with their research papers have been successful so far. This past week was a little crazy for me, trying to get everything going, but now I think I am right on track. I accomplished a lot last week, both at school, and at home. When we were told we would be required to create another thesis, I was a bit skeptical. Coming up with a thesis statement for the literary analysis was hard enough; but now we had to write another one!? Oh goodness. Surprisingly, it was easier than I thought it would be.
While we were in the writing lab, I wrote the rough and final draft of my thesis statement, and began to work on my outline. The conferences that I was able to have with Dr. deGravelles in class were very helpful and they reassured me that I could do this. The 150 minutes outside of class that we were to spend working on the paper were definitely not hard to accomplish. I completed my outline and began to work on the rough draft of the essay. I am happy with the progress that I have made and am anxious to see what the final product will look like.
I hope everyone's progress with their research papers have been successful so far. This past week was a little crazy for me, trying to get everything going, but now I think I am right on track. I accomplished a lot last week, both at school, and at home. When we were told we would be required to create another thesis, I was a bit skeptical. Coming up with a thesis statement for the literary analysis was hard enough; but now we had to write another one!? Oh goodness. Surprisingly, it was easier than I thought it would be.
While we were in the writing lab, I wrote the rough and final draft of my thesis statement, and began to work on my outline. The conferences that I was able to have with Dr. deGravelles in class were very helpful and they reassured me that I could do this. The 150 minutes outside of class that we were to spend working on the paper were definitely not hard to accomplish. I completed my outline and began to work on the rough draft of the essay. I am happy with the progress that I have made and am anxious to see what the final product will look like.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Dance Moms
When I was about two or three years old, my mom signed me up for my very first dance class. It wasn't a dance school, it was just a little jazzercise class at our gym. Since I was so young, I don't really remember it, but my mom tells me that I fell in love with dancing in that class. So, she enrolled me at Powell-Moise School of Dance. I took classes there for about 6 years, but quit because it was boring, and the teachers were mean. It's not that I didn't like dancing; what I didn't like was the kind of dancer I was becoming at that particular studio.
Y'all are probably wondering what my childhood dance experience has to do with the title of my blog. As many of you might know, there is a reality show on TV called "Dance Moms", and I am absolutely obsessed with it. I don't know what makes it more interesting; the rude, but funny, dance teacher Abby Lee Miller, or the pointless drama of the "dance moms". The reason why I chose to talk about my dance experience first is because when I was in dance, I often felt the same way these girls on the show feel. "Dance Moms" follows 6 young dancers on their road to stardom in a studio run by a highly demanding teacher. With their mothers by their side every step of the way, this show delivers a dramatic look at what competition season is like in this studio. Even though the girls are teammates, they will each do whatever it takes to be on top.
Y'all are probably wondering what my childhood dance experience has to do with the title of my blog. As many of you might know, there is a reality show on TV called "Dance Moms", and I am absolutely obsessed with it. I don't know what makes it more interesting; the rude, but funny, dance teacher Abby Lee Miller, or the pointless drama of the "dance moms". The reason why I chose to talk about my dance experience first is because when I was in dance, I often felt the same way these girls on the show feel. "Dance Moms" follows 6 young dancers on their road to stardom in a studio run by a highly demanding teacher. With their mothers by their side every step of the way, this show delivers a dramatic look at what competition season is like in this studio. Even though the girls are teammates, they will each do whatever it takes to be on top.
Global Issues Paper
When one paper ends, another begins! That is what seems to have been the pattern for the new year in English class. As soon as we completed our literary analysis, we are ready to dive into writing the global issues research paper. Since this is a project for two classes, World History and English, there is a bit more pressure on you to do your best. We have already completed the research on our topic in World History, so now all that is left to do is write the paper in English.
My issue is the ongoing conflict between North and South Korea. When I chose my topic, I expected the research process to be boring. To be honest, I didn't think I would find any interest in it at all. Surprisingly, as my research progressed, I learned things that were actually pretty interesting! I guess that proves that you cant make judgements about something until you give it a try. Luckily, there were plenty of articles and resources on my topic, so that made things a little easier for me. However, I did still have to search for some of the information that we were required to have, Now that my research is done, I feel confident in what I have found, and hope that it turns into a great essay!
Outside Reading:
The Girl With the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier- 150 min, 86 pages.
My issue is the ongoing conflict between North and South Korea. When I chose my topic, I expected the research process to be boring. To be honest, I didn't think I would find any interest in it at all. Surprisingly, as my research progressed, I learned things that were actually pretty interesting! I guess that proves that you cant make judgements about something until you give it a try. Luckily, there were plenty of articles and resources on my topic, so that made things a little easier for me. However, I did still have to search for some of the information that we were required to have, Now that my research is done, I feel confident in what I have found, and hope that it turns into a great essay!
Outside Reading:
The Girl With the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier- 150 min, 86 pages.
Sunday, January 15, 2012
A Devastating Loss
Anytime the No.1 and No.2 football teams in the country go head to head for the National Championship, you can expect an exciting, and thrilling game. No. 1 LSU and No. 2 Alabama both wanted the title of National Champions, and were willing to work harder than they ever have to earn it. Weeks before the January 9th game that would take place in the New Orleans Superdome, people from all across the country were speculating who the winner would be. It was hard to decide considering the teams were so closely ranked. Another thing that added to the excitement of the upcoming game was the fact that Alabama had played LSU at home on November 5, 2011, and lost. But everyone knows that in the end there can only be one winner; and that winner was the better team. Alabama ended up dominating LSU with a final score of 21-0.
My family and I drove down to New Orleans on the morning of Monday, January 9th. Since the game was such a huge event that many students would be attending, school was optional. The amount of crazy fans and excitement in the city was unbelievable! We attended pre-game parties and tailgated until it was time to go to the stadium. It was obvious who the winner was going to be by the third quarter, and all the LSU fans were shocked and dissappointed. While it might have been a difficult game to watch, the experience of actually being there was one that I will never forget.
My family and I drove down to New Orleans on the morning of Monday, January 9th. Since the game was such a huge event that many students would be attending, school was optional. The amount of crazy fans and excitement in the city was unbelievable! We attended pre-game parties and tailgated until it was time to go to the stadium. It was obvious who the winner was going to be by the third quarter, and all the LSU fans were shocked and dissappointed. While it might have been a difficult game to watch, the experience of actually being there was one that I will never forget.
Back to School
After the very relaxing, stress-free Christmas break, going back to school was definitely not something I was looking forward to. Although I was excited to see my friends, I was a little apprehensive about doing work again--I had gotten so used to doing nothing for two weeks! In years past, we have always eased back into school after long breaks, but that was not the case this year. When we returned to school, we jumped right back into things! We immediately got to work on the Global Issues Project in World History, and our Literary Analysis in English.
We began our Literary Analysis last semester, but had to put it aside during exams. Since we had already chosen a book, and written an outline and a thesis statement for the paper, all that was left to do was write the actual paper. I had never written a paper like this before; I felt so lost and confused. Thankfully, we familiarized ourselves with the characteristics of a literary analysis by going over them in class and creating a rubric. That really helped a lot, because I now knew what I was trying to do. Writing the analysis was tough at first, but after receiving help from my teacher and parents, I got on the right track. I am hopeful that my paper will come together, and be a success.
Last semester for one of my outside reading books, I read "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. I never got a chance to finish it though because of exams, and other things that were consuming my time. Last week, I read 150 minutes and finally finished the book!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
New Year's Resolutions
2011 has come and gone, and a new year is upon us. As soon as the clock strikes midnight on January 1st, people instantly stark looking forward to the new year, and begin thinking about what resolutions they will make to make this year the best one yet! The beginning of a new year is also a time to reflect on the year that has ended; on the happy times, sad times, and memories you will never forget. Whether it be to stop drinking soft drinks, stay fit, or spend more time with family and friends, the new years resolutions people make can truly change their lives forever.
Every year, I make resolutions, but I usually end up forgetting about them in a couple of months. This year, however, I have made resolutions that I really want to stick to, especially in English. Even though I was pleased with my work in this class last semester, there is always room for improvement. I think the main thing that I want to improve on this semester is time management. Since it was out first semester of high school, no one really knew what to expect, and I was definitely not prepared for what was to come. I found that I was struggling to get things done and becoming very stressed out. I hope that this semester I can better organize my time and plan ahead so I am not rushing to complete assignments at the last minute.
Every year, I make resolutions, but I usually end up forgetting about them in a couple of months. This year, however, I have made resolutions that I really want to stick to, especially in English. Even though I was pleased with my work in this class last semester, there is always room for improvement. I think the main thing that I want to improve on this semester is time management. Since it was out first semester of high school, no one really knew what to expect, and I was definitely not prepared for what was to come. I found that I was struggling to get things done and becoming very stressed out. I hope that this semester I can better organize my time and plan ahead so I am not rushing to complete assignments at the last minute.
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