Graduation, and so the adventure begins

My time here at Hynes and Golf flew by so fast. It's extraordinary how quickly how my nine years of being in District 67 has gone by in the blink of an eye. I have so much to say, so let’s start from the beginning. The first day of school. I actually have a picture of my friend and I of our first day of school at Hynes. In the picture we were so happy and excited to finally be able to go to school. Of course I was nervous but, it was a great first day because I already met some really nice friends and, it was the day that I met my really sweet teacher Ms Roos, who is now Mrs. Brandess. I remember that year when we learned about butterflies, how they started out as caterpillars and turned into beautiful butterflies. If you think about it, that’s kind of the situation we have here right now. We started out as little kids ready to learn, and blossomed into young boys and young ladies full of knowledge.

Now, let's fast forward to 4th grade. The year I had Mr. G. as my teachers, he was a really fun teacher by the way. I still remember him saying that we were the big dogs of the school. It’s funny how one year you’re the big dog, but then the next year,  you have to start over. It’s interesting how much control you can have, but fast that could change. That just means you have to build up and work hard, and pass every grade ;) so you can be that big dog again. That 4th grade year was one of my favorite years at Hynes. It was also the last year of elementary school. I remember I was excited to leave elementary school because I thought I was old enough to stop walking in a straight line in the hallway with my other classmates everywhere we went. But, I was pretty sad leaving Hynes, all the nice teachers and all the memories I made with my best friends in that building for 5 years. I'll admit it we all definitely had our ups and downs, especially in middle school, that's when the drama starts and groups start to form. But somehow we’re all alive no matter how much drama that has happened. At the end of the day we all forgive each other and care about each other like a family.

Speaking of family I want to recognize and thank my family so much. Thank you for coming to all my school events like concerts and games. Making sure I did my homework. To my parents and grandma, thank you for making sure my backpack was packed when I was little and for also making my school lunches every single day. Thank you for picking me up whenever I got too frustrated about school. Lastly, thank you  for caring about me so much. Teachers, on behalf of the students thank you for committing yourselves to us, so we would have bright minds for high school and farther into the future. I thank every single teacher for striving us into being kind and bright people. For caring about us and teaching us all of your knowledge. Thank you for everything that you have done for us.

I hope that one day we’ll all conquer our goal of success. If it is being an athlete, nurse, scientists, artist, or winning a medal. I hope that we will set a goal for ourselves, and keep working hard so we can reach that goal. “You have brains in your head, feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” this quote is by the one and only Dr. Seuss. Whatever we decide, is only up to us. Our family, friends, and teachers can help guide us, but the final decision is up to only us. We have to chose wisely of our decisions, because everything we do, affects our future. If not tomorrow, then maybe the next day, or even the next year, and beyond.

We have created so many different relationships with so many different people. Throughout these years we’ve had laughs and memories and, made some amazing friendships that will never fall apart. I will never forget the numerous memories I have made with my fellow peers. For example the the grade play, that was one of the best experiences I had. I truly had so much fun with my friends during the play, we had so many laughs. Also, I have some very special friendships that will last for eternity and I’m very thankful for those true friends. We all had a lot of happy moments in our live that we are thankful for. We also had tough moments but, those moments only made us stronger and made us learn from them. It is actually alright to go through tough times, if we didn’t we wouldn’t become stronger people, and the people we are now. Without learning and experiencing, there is no growing.

I still cannot believe that we are  graduating. All those mornings I complained about waking up, all those packed lunches I had during lunch. All those days I spent with my teachers and friends learning and growing. It’s very sad to say goodbye especially to the people you have been with since day one. Saying goodbye doesn’t always have to be sad though, it can just mean a new hello. “How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” this quote is by Winnie The Pooh. This is true, missing someone means that you care about them, it  shows that that person or people have affected your life greatly. That is why I’m really going to miss District 67.

Once again I would  like to say thank you to family, friends, and to the Hynes and Golf staff, every single one of them. Including the janitors and bus drivers, they need to be recognized. For shaping us into the marvelous, intelligent, and powerful people were are now. I would like to congratulate The Class of 2016! Thank you so much for supporting us by being here and for listening.

And now our new chapter of life begins.

-Karolina

Test Advice

Taking tests sucks especially PARCC tests, and if you don't agree then ya lyin. We are forced to take test so here is some advice on how to succeed even though tests are a pain.

-First of all, if you have no idea what the test even is about, then you are screwed. I wish you the best luck.
- Don't study chunks of information the night before or five minutes before class, even though I sometimes do that. You should always study a little bit everyday.
- If they are test like finals or PARCC tests, then get a good sleep and don't stress too much because that won't help at all.
- If you're taking a test like a PARCC test for English and literature and you have to write a paper, don't rush. You should plan out how you are going to write your paper before you start.
-If you're taking a timed test, you should defiantly plan your time out so you don't run out of time and start worrying about finishing.
-Lastly, do your very best.

*The End Is Just A New Beginning

It's crazy to realize that already four years ago I came to this school with a bright smile on my face excited since coming here was so new to me. I even remember as a fourth grader coming to Golf with my whole grade to see what it would be like. I was so anxious yet so excited not having any idea at all what to expect. Along the way, I made so many wonderful memories with my amazing friends, picked up some lessons that I learned, got good grades and bad grades (but mostly good grades) , and I had to push myself and work harder, and etc. I'm especially thankful for my friends for helping me survive middle school. Time flew by too fast too soon. Especially this year. Before I even knew it we're already planning out what to wear for the 8th grade dance and talking about graduation and going off to high school. I even remember the first day of elementary school! I'm thankful for everything that happened to me these past four years, even the bad things because I learned from them. Even though I'm sad to leave Golf, I'm excited for high school (and pretty scared) but I can't wait.

Camp MacLean

       My all time favorite field trip I've gone to was Camp MacLean. It was so much fun, especially
since it was an overnight field trip where you got to sleep in cabins. The bus ride there was kind of long ride considering everyone was really excited to already be there. The bus ride was also uncomfortable because the terrain was bumpy, but it was worth going. I did not know what to expect because I've never had a field trip similar to this before. We already knew who would be in our cabins, and luckily I had some of my best friends in my cabin. Once we arrived we took our bags into the cabins, unsettled, and started our activities for

the day. Overall, the activities were a lot of fun We got to do archery, rock climbing, fishing, and other activities with our cabin. While it got dark, we sang songs and ate delicious s'mores. Also at night we got to play capture the flag with the whole grade, which was the best part. We ran like crazy, and the camp workers even gave us paint to put on our faces which was so much fun. I made so many memories, and can't wait until we come back again.

Holocaust Diary: I'm Still Here

August 31, 1939

Dear anyone who will ever find this,

I can't take this world anymore, it's driving me crazy. I see people getting beaten in the streets, just because of what they believe in. These shadowy streets are filled with nothing but somber. If you step out of your home and into the city of Wrocław, all you see is gloomy people walking in the streets that are petrified and depressed feeling that no matter what they do, the German's will take them away and beat them. Feeling worthless, no where to go, nowhere to escape this treacherous world we are living in. Atleast I'm not a Jew in Germany, now I truly feel bad for them. Your own people hating you, just because of the religion you believe in. Doesn't matter even if your great grandparents are German, your are considered filth if you're a Jew. Word has gone out throughout Poland that the German people are planning some sort of an attack on Poland. We mostly found out about this because of the Polish Resistance, I admire them greatly. So brave, they try everything to risk their lives for Poland. A lot of the Resistance members are even young teenagers. They're the main source of informations for these type of tragic news. And I'm really scared hearing about this. All alone in my room writing this makes me wonder if there will be war. I pray every night hoping things will get better in Europe. But, there's nothing more than newspapers and radio stations talking about something related to violence and killing. My mother and older sister are out working as much as they can for rations. I'm only thirteen, so I usually stay hope like a nervous wreck and clean the house. Food lately has been scarce than it has in the past. Most of our breakfast, lunch, and dinner consists of potatoes. They're pretty cheap, and you could store them for quite a long time. I never thought I would be this sick of potatoes. If this ever ends, I will hope to stop eating potatoes, they just get more and more dull everyday when I eat them. I don't blame my mom and sister though, some families can't even afford a loaf of bread. Since fathers and brothers were forced to fight for Poland, leaving mothers stuck taking care of their children alone. Unfortunately, my father left for war but my brother luckily hasn't. Thank God he's a student in college, which is the only reason why he's not fighting. Almost every healthy man was taken to be trained to fight ever since word came out about Germany planning something for us. Poland didn't take any chances, and immediately drafted men to become apart of the Polish Army. Word also has gone out that Germany is planning something terrible for the Jews. This made my heart drop, what if they mean killing? What if Germany wants all of us Jews to be permanently exterminated? If something like that actually happens, what will happen to me, my family, my friends, my neighbors? Everyone I know and care for? Everyone that's Jewish and affected by this? The world needs to know about the mayhem that's going on before something completely horrible and tragic happens and it's too late. Before we can't stop it, we have to start fighting back. I pray for the best.

    -Sonia

Always Choose Love

In a very interesting book based on the Holocaust called "Daniel Story" that my class and I are reading, we read a very moving quote from a character in the book.

    “We must live, and when this is all over, we must work to make the world a better place.  And if we die, we will die knowing that it was not our fault, that we did our best, and we can go to our deaths in dignity… I want you both to live…And to remember...You must choose love.  Always choose love.”

This quote reminds me of my family, if I had to specifically talk about one of my family members, it would be my grandma.  She shows me that no matter what would happen, family will always always be there for you, which is true. I'm so thankful for her and the rest of my family because I know that no matter what, we will always love each other and be there for each other. She always tries her best to help me no matter what the situation is, from stress because of school to anything. Even if it's a problem that she can't always solve, but she would always support me as best she could and would guide and motivate me the right of way because she loves and truly cares for me. You must chose love. Always chose love.

Leap Year

        It was recently Leap Year, it's crazy how Leap Year only occurs every four  years, and that the next one will be on 2020, the day I'll be graduating high school. It's also crazy to know that the last Leap Year was when I was 10 years old. I think I've changed a lot since then. As a more confident person now, I look back and realize I was pretty shy, and I overcame that which I'm happy about. I've been through so much, made new friends, made memories, went through drama, learned new things, important life lessons, and more. As a 10 year old girl, I thought how long it would take until the next Leap Year. But, time actually flew by so quick, I have learned a lot through these 4 years. It's difficult to realize that by the time the next Leap Year arrives, I will be driving my own car (hopefully a Porsche but that won't happen) and looking for which college to go to. And worrying about other things, a whole life ahead of me. I truly hope for the best.