What I'm going to send

I am going to send a small soccer ball keychain. I love soccer and to me it's my life. I know that in some parts of africa that people are really in to soccer and I hope that the people who will receive this gift love soccer too. To me, the place I feel the best is when I'm on the field, standing right there in front of the goal. Most people think that being a goalie is just a way to get out of running, but it's not. It's more than that. Being a Goalie is the way I can make peace with the world. The game of soccer is amazing, a team of many moving as one. Connecting passes or Connecting minds? Scoring a goal or succeeding in your goal? Feeling the way as everything tunes out as all the sudden it's just you and the ball. Afterwards, after the game, people will come up to me and tell me I did a good job but I just shrug them off. I don't play soccer to get praise. I play it to get better. To feel accomplished. To make peace with myself.
What do you think of when you hear the word peace? I think of no yelling, shouts or cries. Nature is the loudest noise, not cars. And most of all, Everyone is at peace with themselves. They're not mad that they forgot something or that they did something stupid, but they are respecting what they did and learning from their mistakes.

7th grade

Junior High is great. I did know what it was going to be like because of my brother, who told me all about it and the huge homework load. It was a little different then he said though... it was the view of a jennifer and tony's student, thought. I wasn't ready for the speeches and the whole 'trek' from music to science every morning.

The thing I like about junior high the most is being able to see friends in different classes so much. Last year if you weren't in the same class you never got to see them in school. Now, this year, I see everyone between subjects and in the halls. I thought I was going to die when I found out all my friends were in Shom, but now I see it's not so bad. I'm surprise by the speeches. I thought they would be more why we want to run then the story.

I like our teachers a lot. I don't really know much about Martha since she has been more with the eighth graders, but she seems okay. Greg is really cool. I was so excited when he said Freaks and Geeks because I L0VE that show. He and I both don't eat gluten, and although this seems a little weird, I'm kind of happy. I felt so alone thinking I was the only person out there, and Greg is just an awesome person all around. He does have a great sense of humor and adventure by deciding to teach seventh grade kids.

Children Inspiring Hope

This project that were doing seems to me that we will be connecting with this class all the way in Ghana and learning about their culture and daily lives. I'm very excited that now I will have a 'version' of a pen pal now and can't wait to learn all about them! Passed different countries friendship have usually only fallen apart after three or so letters so I'm ready the stick too it and enjoy myself at the same time.
When I think of peace, I think of people living in harmony. No war and no fighting, no pollution, cars, or big factories. I see Japanese gardens and lots of people praying. There aren't any loud nosies besides what nature creates.
I believe poetry is a good way to promote peace. There is an unlimited number of things one can do with paper and pen. When worded brilliantly, it can move people and touch the world.
I think we should send Ghana a little bit of everything. In Peter's class we sent 10 year letters, which are letters he will give us in ten years. We loaded them up with random pictures, business cards, and work we had done that year. I think we should all just send lots of little things like that and maybe we could all write something about ourselves and mail it out to them.

hi this is going to be my academic portfolio for 2010 and 2011!