Introducing...

Here it is...one of my favorite posts of the year: Meet the new kids! As a reminder, here's the intro I've given for the past two years...
These are excerpts from an informal writing assignment they had, it was an "About Me" essay and I gave them a bunch of questions that they could answer if they wanted to, or they could just write about themselves without answering the questions (things like: what do you value? what are your goals? what are your talents? etc.) Barring a few small edits, I kept most of the spelling/grammar as it was given. I pulled a comment from each essay, sometimes more than one...so here they are...funny, sweet, heartbreaking and insightful as ever...


My values are the be the first to graduate college of my family and to finish high school.

I have been known to procrastinate so try to push me when you see me focused on something else.

I lived almost all over Georgia with my mom for 16 years. Now I am trying to move in with my dad for the last years of high school.

I've always wanted to play lacrosse. I hate soccer. I like to play video games.

One thing I don't have anymore is a hobby.

My dad parks cars for rich old people and makes a good deal of money. My mother is a probation officer and I don't know what her salary is and frankly I don't care.

My plans for the future are to grow up and be a strong and lovely woman.

I can't stand people that act so clueless!

I love texting, it's probably my favorite hobby.

I'm half Italian and half Chereke Indian, and last I'm African American.

I want to be an animator or a cartoonist.

My parents are very strict with my work.

My aunt dying affected me because she succeeded in her life at an early age when women didn't have the right to vote.

I believe in god's powers to help you get through hard times.

I have no brothers, no sisters and no dad.

My name is M.G. I was not going to come to this school..... So far this school is ok, hopefully it can go a lot better.

My stepdad, which is my mom's boyfriend, is the father of my siblings (all) besides 2.

My father died when I was 1 1/2 years old.

I am shy when I first meet people.

I like to read, 3 times a day.
I don't like to read in front of other people.

When my Grandma died that affected my life very much because she was someone that I loved and someone I could count on. She was always there for me, she was like a second mom.

I like to play drums. Sometimes I skateboard with my brothers.

I am the middle child. My mom and dad have nine children.

I am very intergetic, sometimes I can be a little disruptive, I like art I draw alot, I like to watch scary movies...but other than that I can be a very nice person.

I am interested in firecrackers, cool bugs, nice shoes, crazy animals, and dogs I never saw before. I love different clothes different houses and big colors that are shineiny.

My family are all athletes. We play alot of sports. My backround is wild and fun at the same time. I am funny I respect my elders and I turn in my homework.

I love to draw because some people can understand my feelings and know what I talking about.

I love pickles. Most of my best friends are guys. ... I think most Americans are overweight because they are lazy. I have a frenemy named Teddy.

I love to dance ballet also I love to sing I'm good at both.

My favorite sport is football. I like to play it because you can let out all of your anger. ... I am one of the best on my team. I really like it because I like to challenge people.

I hate many things, but I do like to learn. I'm looking forward to my new adventures here. ... Hopefully this school will bring me new challenges for me to overcome.

Week 1...

It's been a crazy busy week and a half for me, but I've been stockpiling a few quotables for you :)

Some of the best questions I've heard this week:

8th grade girl (whose demeanor just screams "ditz!"): When they go into space, do they go past the clouds?

8th grade boy: How old are you? Really? You look so young! Do you use Proactive? You don't?!?

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me: Make sure you show your work for number 5.
student: I can't show my work! I don't have a calculator!

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me: Okay, so a few things you need to know before we go outside to do this activity--
student: Watch out for pedophiles!

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me: As you learn more, you realize that subjects are more closely related than you thought.
student: Like science and math?
me: Yeah, as you get deeper into science, you realize that it's really very closely related to math and uses a lot of it...
student: Yeah! Like if you explode a 9, it makes a 1 and a 0!
me: What?
student: You know, explosions are like science, right?
me: Sure...
student: And if you explode a 9 apart it makes a 0 and a 1!

At that point I decided it was wise to just move on...

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While outside doing a measurement activity...
student: Miss Book, you'd better get out of the sun! You're going to get sunburned and turn red like Dorothy's shoes!

And so it begins...

Okay, short summer hiatus... now it's Summer Academy time! That means a whole crop of new kids to entertain me (and you)!

Today it was one of the 8th grade boys...surprise! One of them noted, when seeing my name written down, that I was a "Ms."
"You're not married??"
me: Nope (flashing my ringless hands at him)
8th grade boy: She don't want to be in a relationship--she got us!