After a 20-minute commute, I get dropped off and dart off to my locker. I put my backpack in my bottom locker and then I am off to my first class!

 

I arrive at Ms. O’Connell Science class and we get started on our biology homework since we have a test on Monday. One of my favorite moments in this class was when we learned how to plan out an experiment and my group, featuring Reid, Justin, and Jordan, got to plan out a sports game called  ‘Ball Frenzy.’ Ms. O’Connell is a great teacher and is always organized…she gives us so many options to learn the material – study guide, online quiz, web sites etc…

 

In Spanish class with Senora Aramendia, we are working on a Spanish dialogue video about going on a trip Spain. My partners are Nicole and Fiona. We get to use iMovie and there is a dual part to the project – the travel part to Spain and the activities once we arrive in Madrid. This class is so handy to take since we live in South Florida where so much Spanish is spoken.

 

Once we arrive in homeroom with Ms. Potts-Hawk, we eat snacks, go over announcements, and hand in the Red-Reef field trip form.  In a week, we are going snorkeling at Red-Reef in order to prepare us for the class trip to the Keys.

 

In Ms. Steinberg’s class we do a lot of fun writing assignments. Today, we are working on writing a letter to an author of our choice as part of a national literature contest. I picked Afrika by Colleen Craig. I want to get my letter done quickly so I can send it out today. I can’t wait to see if I make it to the finals for the contest!

 

I walk over to Andrews Hall for Band class with Mr. Stancampiano. Once class starts we start preparing for upcoming concert, including playing festive season songs– for  Christmas around the world. I play the French Horn, which is something I have done since 4th Grade. Our entire band goes to cool competitions, where we have to do site reading with little prep. It’s a lot of pressure but we do well usually. Last year we got two ‘Excellents’ ratings and a ‘Superior’ rating.

 

After Band, I head back to the Middle School for History class with Mr. Rivera. Today, for that class, I am working on a small group project on the topic of slavery. My partners are Reid and Kade. We get to create, explore, and answer our own questions concerning slavery. We have two weeks to work on the project and will probably deliver our presentation through Keynote on a Macbook Air.

 

Lunch is a great time to grab some hot food and sit with my friends – Justin, Reid, Nathan, Kade, Jeremy, Parker, Andrew, and Tucker. We like to talk about our fantasy football and basketball leagues.

 

After finishing lunch, I head to Ms. Dejo’s art class. Today, each person in class is supposed to choose and research a painting and artist of our choice. I choose Open Window at Collioure by Henry Mattise. The tough part for me is recreating the painting since I’m colorblind. Mixing colors is really hard. I just try my best though.

 

Today in Mrs. Potts-Hawk math class we get to work on a project with ciphers and codes. It is so much fun making secret codes! For my code, since I love football I am using all the NFL team logos to create a secret alphabet. Pretty cool!

 

Extra help is always a good time to meet with a teacher if you don’t understand something in class.

 

Under Coach Kilpatrick we are currently 5-2 and League Champions. I play wide –receiver since I am pretty good with my hands. During practice, we do a lot of training and conditioning. It’s a great experience to be part of a winning team!

After I get dropped off, I walk over to meet with the Round Square Leadership Action Council (RSLAC) with Ms Haynes and Mr. Glick. RSLAC focuses on service and this week we are talking about a volunteer project for the Florence Fuller Children’s Center here in Boca Raton.

 

In Mr. Martin’s class, we get to pick our individual topics for our project on ‘controversial topics.’ I picked the national debate on ‘same-sex marriage.’ I know one other student who picked the national discussion on whether college athletes should be paid or not. I think this class is very interesting. Mr. Martin is very passionate about the English language!

 

After English, I walk over to Math class with Coach Fred. What’s cool about the class is that it is a ‘flipped classroom.’ So we work on homework in class and watch the lectures online at night. That makes it easier for me to learn since I can play the online lectures as many times as I need to do until I really get it.

 

Lucky for me I have Coach Fred for homeroom so I don’t have to change classrooms after Math. Homeroom is so fun because I can catch up with some of my friends….and since today is Monday we get snacks. We also do a teamwork exercise called ‘ball game.’ It’s pretty interactive and creative!

 

In PE class, Coach Tobey and Coach Howey meet us in the gym and we continue to learn about taking care of ourselves –with exercise and nutrition. We get to use the equipment – treadmills and the weights. I like working out because it helps me get in shape for soccer season!

 

 It’s time for Strings class with Ms. De Los Santos. She is so professional and she makes us professional! I really like this class since we get to play challenging pieces, which makes us better. I have been playing the violin since I was in Kindergarten. It’s great being part of an orchestra…there is a lot of teamwork and creativity and it’s really cool to play with my classmates.

 

11:35-12:05 am – Lunch
It’s now lunchtime and I like the food a lot. I’m not a picky eater…I eat everything. I go to the hot bar and usually get rice, chicken, vegetables and a salad. I then sit with my friends – Olivia, Alex, Clhoe, Lizzie, Milana, Allison, Morgan, and Lucia so we can catch up on things.

 

I like Science with Mrs. Bogalski because she is really funny and makes learning fun. Today we had to apply the concept of density to real life. I chose ‘Gold Fraud’ so I have to work with my friends Jessica, Grace, and Alex on comparing fake gold vs. real gold. It’s fun collaborating with my friends!

 

After Science I move to History class with Mrs. Mulligan. What I like about the class is how Mrs. Mulligan takes history and applies it to the present day. For example – we just put together our own Shark Tank using old inventions. I did a Janney Car Coupler. We had to act like the inventor, which was cool. It took a lot of research. At the end of class Mrs. Mulligan puts on the CNN weekly student news for us to watch.

 

Time for Español with Senora Shepherd. She is so sweet! Today we are working on our vocabulary by creating an imaginary school that runs on our own rules. In my imaginary school I made up the rule that students ‘must read 20 minutes a day,’ which translates to ‘Hay que leer viente minutos cada día.’

 

For extra help today, I go to Science first to go over some of the concepts and questions I had during the school day. After I get done with Science, I stop by Math class and do homework and go over other problems. This way I know if I missed something or if I have any questions.

 

Coach Blum and Mr. Martin are the coaches and we have a good team. I have been playing soccer for 8 years now and my position is mid-field. Our team travels and plays at different schools throughout the county. I really like the van rides so I can hang out with my teammates and listen to music. It’s cool having your school friends be your teammates!