Category: school

Hello, Love, Goodbye.

eternity1030Leave a comment

Dear Junior year,
Hello! Hope everything is going well with you.

I really haven’t noticed that you are leaving me shortly. Therefore, I want to thank you for this fantastic whole school year.

I still remember the first day we met. I was nervous because I thought you would be a tough year. As I expected, you were difficult.

However, you were not as horrible as I imagined even though there were hard AP classes, homework, SAT and so on.

I became the junior class rep this year which was such an awarding experience.

We had “Team Competition” and my team the “Eagles” got second place for the first semester and the third place for the end of the school year. We had the funnest event of the year – Spuds Fest and I had great time.

Starting in September this year, I ran the Crosscountry for my very first time in my life. That was hard indeed. I wanted to challenge myself and fortunately, I did it. For the first time, I felt I was actually faster than a lot of people. I found confidence.

This year I also started journalism class for the first time. I felt so lucky that I actually enjoyed the class. We found and wrote stories. I learned how to look at the world differently.

Life is a story, and the best way to learn it is to write it.

Sincerely,
SX

Dear Junior year,
Love.

I was lucky enough to meet lots of new people this year and they were all lovely friends who colored my year with laughters and joy.

From you, my junior year, I felt I had become closer with our community. You brought me courage and confidence to talk to people more openly and comfortably.

But why you taught me a lesson by hurting me though?
Why did you take him away and told me brutally that love did not equal to ownership?

And then I realized that love had no right or wrong indeed. You were correct, some people were supposed to come into your life, taught you something and then left. So don’t worry about me, I’ll be ok.

Then our junior class organized a fairly successful prom with a theme of “Candy Land.” I had great fun with my friends and that was an unforgettable and “sweet” time.

After the prom, I headed to New York and Chicago for my spring break. That was a trip to heal my heart.

Days always got busy after the break. AP tests, finals and tons of projects were thrown to me.

But overall, thank you to make me feel love.
I grew up a lot.

Love,
SX

Dear Junior year,
Goodbye.

You’ve given me so much more than I could remember.
And then you told me it’s time to move on to the next station and Senior year is waiting for me.

Please remember me like I would never forget you.
Take care and farewell.

I’ll miss you, my Junior year.

Yours,
SX

End of the year work

callmemaybe321 Comment

Most people would think that as the school winds down, so would the work load.

Umm, that is a negative.

Quite the opposite has happened to me.

I feel like right now is the most work I have had in a while.

It could be that I am suffer from pre senioritis, which is an issue because I’m a junior….

Well whatever.

Message to teachers.

Stop it!

I want to be relaxing and studying for finals, not doing projects and writing essays, that was what most of the year was for, now please let me relax and ride out the rest of the year.

I would like to imagine my last weeks of junior year with myself on a tropical beach, soaking up sun, drinking something with a tiny umbrella in it, and watching cute girls in bikinis walk by.

Not sitting in a classroom, doing busy work so that we feel like we’ve accomplished more, when really we’re doing the same old stuff.

If I didn’t care about my grades so much and how that effected my future I would go on strike.

And also what is this going to school on Memorial Day.

I feel that it is un American and as an American I should have the opportunity to opt out of school on this day sans consequence, but whatever.

I will be in class bright in early while others are at the beach or BBQing enjoying the day.

Colleges start with ME.

eternity1030Leave a comment

As my junior year is coming to an end, my English class recently began to focus on the college stuff.

Ms. Boismenue came to my English class yesterday to introduce all of us a scary thing called “college essay.” Although I’ve heard how important it is for the application process of colleges, I could still feel the power of it which made me feel nervous and of course, stressful. 

However, as Ms.Boismenue and our English teacher Ms.Wilson explained to us more details about the process, I felt it was the most important process but also the most interesting part of the colleges applications.

Ms.Boismenue then handed to us a list of some traditional and creative essay topics from some colleges the past few years, and asked us to actually pick one of them and plan to write. There were about ten topics and this one caught me eyes – “It has been said in the future everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes. Describe your fifteen minutes. ” (from NYU, 2007)

We were told that for all the college essays, they want to know a real “YOU” from your writing which shows them how their school fits you the most and why you are different from other numerous applicants.

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It’s a Whole New Year

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

Most people measure their years beginning and ending at New Year’s Eve. But when you’re in school, Summer marks the beginning of a new year. You have three months off, to relax, sleep, recuperate from the endless studies and homework. Then in the fall, you go back to school and you start a new year.

Some people never want the year to end. They want to stay near their friends, and they don’t want things to change.

For me, it’s different.

At the beginning of every year I’m excited for what it will bring. For the new friends I will make, and the new things that I’ll learn. But a couple months in, I start getting tired. Tired of school, and of a lot of the people at school.

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There’s Always Something

smackyjackjackLeave a comment

As everyone generally feels, junior year is the hardest year in high school. Well, they don’t tell you about senior year.

While it’s true that academically this has been by far my easiest year, applying to colleges has been one of the most stressful things I’ve had to do all high school long.

I figured I’d know where I’m going by the hard deadline most schools set of May 1st as a reply date.

Well I was wrong about that.

I just figured it out on Thursday, and that choice is Chapman University (or more specially Dodge College).

Okay, so now I’m done.

Well, no.

I still have to figure out housing, classes and worst of all…finances.

Applying for financial aid is an ordeal in itself. Because after grants and scholarships come the dreaded student loans. Those are going to stack up. All I can say is that I hope I have a damn good job when I leave college or those are going to stay with me for a while.

Ready for Summer?

eternity1030Leave a comment

It was such a busy week filled with finals and AP tests.

Nothing seemed exciting and most of the students all looked so tired and bored. Well, as for me, I was personally excited for an upcoming big event – my NYU Summer precollege!

I found this program accidentally while I was planing my summer. A page of NYU‘s summer school advertisement jumped out. I did some more research on it and then I found this journalism program summer precollege. And of course, I was totally attracted.

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Shades at night

callmemaybe32Leave a comment

Sitting in a daze

Surrounded by the haze

Like I’m rockin shades

At night.

Vampire bite.

She’s sucking my blood

Takin all my love

But never givin back.

I spit these stupid raps

I just want to sit back

Relax.

The years almost over

It’s like she pulled the wool

Over my eyes

Swat me away like flies

As the time goes by

Maybe she realize

She ain’t never gonna find

A guy like me

Never again

Love you more than friends but no.

Just kidding

What I meant was be friends

Nothing more than pretend

Fairy tail books

Ok, now here’s the hook.

(Insert hook here)

NHL-It’s a distant second

backinphillyLeave a comment

Well, as you guys remember, I was a pretty big fantasy football player during the NFL season. This season, I follow fantasy hockey. I’ve been playing with a few of my friends this season and I’ve really enjoyed making some trades (including some that shouldn’t have been made and now I’m just laughing to the bank with it :))

Anyway, I’ve always been a pretty big NHL fan. I am a New Jersey Devils fan, and my favorite player is probably Ilya Kovalchuk. To be honest, I don’t have a favorite player. I just love watching some good hockey.

I especially love this time of year, which is trade season. The trade deadline is on Wednesday and teams are making some last minute adjustments to their rosters in the hopes of pushing for the playoffs.

I just want to discuss the Jarome Iginla trade from last week real quick. Iginla was traded to the Pittsburg Penguins for a first round pick and two college prospects. I think the Flames win this trade given Jarome’s age. But, I want to direct everyone’s attention to one of the college prospects that the Pens sent to Calgary.

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My Brothers

Daphne PsaledakisLeave a comment

One of the downsides of the schedule we have at OVS is that our spring break falls about two weeks after everyone else has their spring break, and that includes my brothers. This past week, they road tripped from Aspen out to where we used to live near San Francisco. They spent the week staying up there in a friends pool house, and then on Friday they came down to visit me at school.

They showed up around 10, just as morning announcements was starting. After announcements, I was able to catch up with them briefly before having to head off to class. My dad and Peter drove to Ventura to hang out while I finished my classes, while my youngest brother Philip joined me.

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Lacrosse Week

callmemaybe32Leave a comment

This past week marked the first 3 games of the 2013 lacrosse season.

Our first game was against the York School from Monterrey, CA.

The team was on a southern California road trip and had played four games prior to their game against us last Saturday.

Our team on the other hand had not yet practiced as a whole team yet, and it was evident on the field.

The team has many beginning players and adding new players changes the chemistry of the team every year.

It is an adjustment period to learn how people play the game and to be able to predict how they will react to certain situations.

Come game time I was excited to be back on the field from 9 months ago.

For most of the game York was dominating offensively and defensively ultimately scoring 11 goals.

The game almost ended in a shut out until one of our star returning players, Grant Spencer, scored the one goal of the game.

We all celebrated like we had won the game, but to us it was a victory because we did not give their goalie the shutout.

Final score was 1-11 L.

I was disappointed, but also realized it was the first game of the season and we had a lot of room to grow.

On Wednesday came the game against Laguna Blanca, a game I look forward to every year no matter what sport I’m playing whether it be football or lacrosse. Even when I’m not playing in the game, but the school is, I get excited.

Many think that Thatcher is our biggest rival, and they are, but they are our biggest hometown rival. Laguna Blanca is our biggest rival over all.

Most games with Laguna consist of some mouthing off from players and their parents which at our level of play can get a little out of hand.

We aren’t playing Division 1 sports, what parents need to remember is:

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