iPads By Davi

This year at Durham Academy, every middle school student received an iPad. I think one of the ultimate goals of the school was to go completely paperless. This goal was not met. I am not saying that the iPads were a bad thing; they were amazing; a great help in studying and checking homework. It’s just that the iPads didn’t lessen the weight of our books, it increased it. The Otter Box that the iPads are in weighed too much. Not all textbooks were online, and those that were required Adobe Flash.

Despite all of these complaints, the good outweighs the bad (as it always should). I use the iPad in every class. I use it to check homework, and to study for quizzes. The iPad is much lighter than a computer (even with the Otter Box), and much easier to carry. Even though Adobe and Apple don’t agree (no Flash), most Internet things can still be done, with the exception of blocked sites. Looking back on the year, I realize that he iPads were a wonderful gift, and that we are lucky to have them

 

Membean by Davi

I think that Membean is a wonderful program. Membean teaches us new words, and strengthens them, before adding new words to our vocabulary. It does this with multiple choice questions, word maps, and pictures. Event though Membean has its flaws, I think that it is still better than memorizing vocabulary lists. Vocabulary lists just make you memorize the words for one week, then you can forget them. Membean revisits old words, so that you can’t just forget them. Every once in a while, one of your very first words might pop up. Because of this, you remember more words, and your vocabulary grows. In conclusion, Membean is amazing. Try it out, and share your opinions on it with a comment.

 

What Memory Would I Give Away? By Davi

Over+Looking+The+Sea

http://flickrcc.bluemountains.net/flickrCC/?terms=Beach&edit=yes&page=1

In Language Arts class we are reading a book called The Giver. In The Giver, the Giver gives memories to the main character Jonas, as part of his training. The memory then disappears, or fades to almost nothing.

I would give away the memory of the beach in Peru. I would give this memory away because it is one of the best I have. The community in The Giver probably doesn’t know what a beach is, so I want to give them that memory. The beach is fun, beautiful, and not always crowded. The residents of the town in The Giver would, most certainly enjoy a memory of the beach.

The Ideal Teacher by: Davi

For me, an ideal teacher would be a person who listens; a person who doesn’t think that they are superior to the students because of their age. A ideal teacher would be a person who understands kids, and helps them with their problems.

These days, teachers aren’t always open to suggestions. They have their lessons already in their head, and they don’t listen to new ideas. There will always be teachers like that. Then there are some teachers who are close, if not already ideal. They are open, listen to their students, and treat their students as equals; no matter if they are young or old, big or small, or the same religion or race. They treat their students as if they were fully fledged adults; with respect and kindness. That, is an ideal teacher.

Community Service by Davi

 

 

 

 

 

For the second community service of the year, I went strawberry picking. We picked the strawberries so that we could donate them to the Ronald McDonald House of Durham. We traveled ten minutes from the school to a strawberry patch were you could pick your own strawberries. We picked strawberries until the container we had was full, then we were done. I tried to pack them neatly, so that I could get the most strawberries. We then went to the Ronald McDonald House to drop off the strawberries. It was amazing to see how big the house was, and how much things it had.

 

What’s Your Favorite Movie? By Davi

I decided to do this blog post instead of my quarterly What Is Your Favorite Book post. I am going to put chambers and categories below. At the beginning of course comment, put the number of the genre your answering about, then the name of the movie. Thanks!

 

1. Action

2. Comedy

3. Foreign

4.  Horror

5. Thriller

6.  General

The Giver Assignment By Davi

I think that my assignment would be author. I would be an author because I love to read and write. I read whenever possible. Even though I am a very picky reader, I always find something to read that interests me. Writing is something that interests me greatly. I write with my friends Ryan and David, during LA class, recess, tutorial, and even French class. Writing is my passion, and I think that I would be a great author. That is why I think that the Elders would assign me the job of author.

 

My Hero by Davi

My hero is my uncle Dan Astrinsky. Dan was born in Lima, Peru and still lives there today. He lives in an apartment with his wife Ghila, his daughters Orit and Noah, and his dogs Chami, Chami’s seven puppies, and Facundo. Dan is my hero because he managed to quit smoking. Even though he started again, I hope that he can find the will to stop. Dan loves to participate in Extreme Sports, especially dirt bike racing. I admire him for this, because I think that dirt bike racing is pretty dangerous. In conclusion, I think that Dan is a great person, and that he can quit smoking once more.


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The Lady Or The Tiger by Davi

Princess

I thought about the decision I had made. My lover looked so desperate, silently asking me; Which door? Which door? I pointed to the door on the right. The door that held a fearsome tiger. I felt like a monster, leading my love to a gruesome death, instead of giving him a happy life with a woman who is not me. I could almost smell the raw meat, hear the flesh being ripped apart, and my lover screaming. Oh the screaming, I thought. Those gut-wrenching screams. I could barely stand the thought of those screams. I laid my head down on my arm, closed my eyes, and prepared for the horror yet to come.

Youth

As the princess cautiously pointed to the door on the right, the first thought that popped into my head was: Is that the door with the lady? I scolded myself for thinking such a thought. The princess wouldn’t let me die. I confidently sauntered over to the door on the right. I grabbed the handle, then yanked open the door. As soon the door opened I heard a fearsome roar. I instinctively jumped up as a blur of black and orange barreled out of the door like a shot from a cannon. My hand found the knife in my sleeve and pulled it out, fast as lightning. The whole coliseum gasped as they saw the fifteen centimeter blade. By now the tiger had spun around and was prowling around me. It lunged for a second time, and I ducked. The tiger smacked into the door and fell to the ground. the tiger got up, its eyes rubies, its teeth bared in a formidable snarl. The tiger lunged for a third time, and I didn’t duck. I don’t really know what happened next. It was all a blur. All I know is that I heard a sickening thwack as my knife cut into the tiger’s neck and cut its head clean off.

Princess

Thwack. That was the only sound I heard. Then no more. I could barely look up, fearing what I would see. I looked up and saw my lover. Still alive and with the tiger dead at his feet. In his hand was a long curved knife. The murderous look on his fae said one thing. I hate you.

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Talk To Your Teen by Davi

In Language Arts class, we are reading a book called Cosmic. In Cosmic, the main character, Liam, is so tall that he pretends to be a dad to be able to go on an amusement park ride called “The Rocket.” Liam has a copy of the book Talk to Your Teen, and there are a few things I would like to add.

If you want your teen to accept you, then treat them as equals. Don’t ignore them like they’re little kids. Some adults treat their teens as if they are significantly inferior. This makes the teens aggravated, and less likely to listen to their parents. Some will shout and will say things that they will later regret. If parents treat their teens as equals, then their teens will feel respected, and will be more docile. They will answer questions respectfully, and treat their parents well.

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