Independent Reading

What are you reading? Summarize?
I read Heroes of Olympus: Mark of Athena.

Basically Annabeth Chase, Jason Grace, Leo Valdez, Piper Mclean come to retrieve Percy Jackson, Hazel, and Frank. When they are reunited, a spirit posseses Leo and he attacks Camp Jupiter which causes misunderstanding between the Greeks and the Romans. The Romans [their last scene in this book] set off to Camp HalfBlood to destroy the Greeks. Hazel is reminded of her ex-boyfriend when she sees Leo because Leo is the grandson of her ex-boyfriend. Percy is more serious during this book and it seems more grim. Annabeth is a lot more clingy as well. Nico di Angelo is actually trapped by Gaea and they rescue him. But most of the book is the journey and its perils. For example Jason and Percy fight because spirits make them fight and they're so much more awkward to each other than anyone. However it also has the ways they learn to work together.

Do you like/dislike? Evaluate.
I don't really like this book of the series. It focuses too much on description instead of meanings and the plot. The plot is extremely slow moving until the end. However you can only anticipate for so long before it starts boring you. This book is mostly about learning to 'work together'. And the Roman and Greek camps just can't be peaceful. It's like they're trying to fight instead of trying to work together. This also has more thoughts than actions. Books need to have a balence between thoughts and actions, which this book doesn't have.


Why you should read independently?
Reading independently encourages your reading comprehension and your perception of the world and/or your book. People who read to you mostly hold your hand throughout the whole reading; they influence your thoughts as well as your understanding and that leads you to have a whole different view on the book [which can influence your perception of the world]. When I read Harry Potter in 4rth grade it was completely different than when I read it in 6th grade. In 6th grade, I noticed the manipulations of Dumbledore and the 'innocence' of Tom Riddle Jr. After learning about the terrible World War II, I can safely say that Tom Riddle was not happy. World War II affected the entire world and most likely orphanages weren't very nice.

Next book/step?
Well, the next book came out last year. It's called the House of Hades. I've bought it but I haven't read it yet. The Hunger Games and Divergent was a little [a lot] more interesting.

Día de la Hispanidad / Día de la Raza

During Día de la Hispanidad [Día de la Raza] which is on May 1, the Spanish classes are going to host a Spanish Festival. We're going to cook Spanish [Spanish-Speaking Countries's] food, dance to Spanish songs for the entire day. And during ES, MS, and HS' lunch break, we will be at the breezeway to sell Spanish Food, games, and everyone is welcome to join in our games, songs, and dancing.

For Día de la Hispanidad [Día de la Raza], I have decided to cook Chilean Style Stuffed Potatoes and Pebre [A Chilean Style Chilli Salsa]. Pebre can be paired up with my brother's nachos.

Songkran Plans

My family doesn't really celebrate Songkran and my dad doesn't have the week off so it'll kind of be the usual weekend for me with a few differences. I'll probably sleep till 9:30-12:00 in the morning and eat breakfast. Then I'll either read or watch movies/cartoons/animated movies. Then I'll eat lunch at 2:30 or 3:00. I'll continue reading [or watching movies/cartoons/animated movies]. And I'll sleep at 12:00 in the night. Maybe I'll buy my confirmation dress and shoes and all. Perhaps I'll take out my PS2 and play some games. My family will be staying at a hotel at Silom, Bangkok.

Quarter 3 Reflections

In Quarter 3, school went a little fast for us. It passed by with due dates all splattered across the calender. Math, Science, Language Arts and Social Studies, Spanish, Thai and Drama. Projects and Essays and Reading and Tests. Golden Rule: Do them now before they catch you in their trap later. Are my Goals fulfilled to my satisfaction? Well lets see!!!

Skills Reflection:
I have been speaking fluently [due to all my reading and conversations with my friends as well as teachers] and I'm struggling a bit at not making things a bit complicated. Complicated is something I'm used to. I've always taken complicated notes as my friends love to tell me. But it's always something I was proud of [I always wanted to do it like that in Elementary but now in Middle School, I'm finally getting the chance to atleast attempt at this].

Skills Adjustment: Speaking Clearly with a Topic [Summarizing Notes]
I will speak clearly with a clear topic and will not give unnecessary information in my presentations.
I will know that my goal has been achieved when I can speak without stuttering or pausing in my speeches and I will not need to practice my speech for a presentation
I will volunteer to answer complicated questions with a simple answer and question teachers in class and practice writing essays, short summaries and stories and read books aloud to increase my knowledge of professional summarizing
I will do this by the end of school year

Values Reflection:
I am still struggling a lot with this goal. There were more projects than homework and tests last year for me and so I'm not used to handling even this year's homework. I do dislike homework so that might be the reason. And I have this habit of saying to myself; "Just a few more minutes, 10 minutes more." That might hinder my determination for doing homework.

Values Adjustment: Organization of My Homework
I will be more organized with my homework and not finish it the day before it is due but rather the day I recieve it and if not, I will take more time out of my daily schedule and finish it the day after I receive it and if not, I will take more time out of my daily schedule and finish it the day after I receive it.
I will know that the goal has been achieved when I will have more freetime and when I will look over my homework again and see if I need corrections.
I will write my homework in my planner and sticky notes in my computer desktops that I will see everyday.
I will make alerts in my laptop and phone calendar as well as alarms in my phones. I will also ask my mom to remind me about my homework and all my necessary dates.
I will do this by the end of the school year.

Knowledge: Reading and Comprehending
I read a lot but I'm slightly struggling with comprehending. I can't really analyze and infer most of the gist

Knowledge Adjustment: Comprehension of Reading Material
I will read more than 20 minutes per day and comprehend that reading material
I will know that my goal has been achieved when I have a higher level of comprehension and acadamic skill
I will talk to people older than me everyday more than just once per day.
I will ask and answer questions atleast 3 times in school.
I will find more books and read more than 20 minutes.
I will ask my teacher about doubts I have about the book that I am reading or about something else.
I will time myself to read atleast 25 minutes per day, either on my laptop [E-Books] or a real book.
I will have a conversation with my teachers and parents every day
I will do this by the end of the school year

Final Science Goals

My Science Goal:

To be able to remember the exact details of the requirements of projects and tests and apply it. In my food project, I noticed that, I put only one picture of every food I eat because it is the same mostly. Now I see that we had to put pictures of our food for every time we eat not just every one food. This mistake has shown me that I need to remember such details. I am quite capable of memorizing my homework except for math though in certain amounts of pressure, I tend to forget. So I need to revise my goals from before and combine it to have the goal I need to acheive before going to High School.

How will I acheive my goal

1. I will attempt to finish my homework first so that I may have more time for my projects to try and revise and edit it

2. I will use my textbook and my notebook to cross-reference the facts I need for my projects so that I will not forget any detail

3. If I have a question about the project, I will ask the teacher, Ms.ZM or one of my classmates

4. I will write side notes in my planner [in my phone, laptop or another notebook [sometimes even my science notebook]

5. I will write due dates in my planner and calender [in my phone, planner, and laptop]

6. I will have alarms each day to remind me to do my homework and projects at a certain time

7. I will remember to put alarms in my phone and write due dates in my calender and planner

8. I will ask my mother to remind me to do as mentioned above

Checkpoint!!! How will I stay Focused

I will do as mentioned in steps 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 to remind me.

How will I know that I have accomplished my goal

I will get high scores on the Infographic and upcoming projects as well as tests, formatives and activities. I will also have more freetime.

When

I will accomplish this goal by the end of the school year

Science Goal Update!!!

My goal was to provide rarely mentioned details that are important.

 Usually I forget about it so when I describe it, I rarely use these details. So I came up with a strategy. I was going to make a study schedule. I was also going to use alarms and digital post it notes to remind me. Tests and Formatives would help me see what I need to work on. If I didn't understand a concept, I would ask the teacher or an adult. I would do this by the end of March [My Birthday is on the 31st actually]

I have been pretty good at following what I wrote but last week, I was absent for two days because my dust allergy had been acting up. And I had such a headache that I could barely do anything. Then I realized that there was homework from different classes and they all varied every day! There was supposed to be a math test on last Friday but Mrs.Rao postponed it to Wednesday but the assembly took to long so she postponed it to Thursday. Tests worry me a lot.
Basically this was worrying me so much that I had a headache and I revised most of the time. It happens a lot to me escpecially with every summative. I haven't actually been able to set Digital Post It notes everyday because some classes don't require the uses of a laptop or it's usually during the last 5 minutes that they tell us our homework. I also keep forgetting to check Edmodo.

So this has given me a new goal that will help me achieve this goal.

My Second Science Goal:

I will remain focused on my work and attempt to finish my homework on the day I receive it so that it would not disrupt my other work for other days.

How will I accomplish my goal [Plans]:

1.) I will try for digital post its whenever possible
2.) I will set alarms in my phone
3.) I will tell my mom my homework and tell her to remind me of it

4.) I will arrange a study time with my brother or my father atleast once a week
5.) I wil write my homework in my homework notebook
6.) I will start songs while studying in my home [songs helps me focus and keep headaches away]
7.) I will write post its in my Note Board app in my Google Chrome
8.) I will set a color coded schedule for each day of the week
9.) I will try to write a reflection [Either in my notebook or my laptop] each week
10.) I will email my fellow students about homework and topic and objective when I am absent
11.) I will set a Edmodo bookmark in my Google Chrome to help remind me to look at it

How will I know that I have accomplished my goal:


I will know that I have accomplished my goal when I can finish my homework more efficiently and quickly. I will have more free time as well.

When will I finish this:

I will finish this goal by April

My Science Goal for 8th Grade 2015

My Science Goal:

To be able to provide details and facts that are related somewhat distantly to the main focus. I usually write a lot about the main focus but I only describe it; I don't really go in-depth and actually connect it to another fact that is related to the main points.

An Extremely Detailed Family Tree

How will I accomplish my Goal:

1.) I will study my textbook and my notes to cross-reference them for formatives as well as tests and projects

A Collection of Post It Notes

2.) I will note down the important details in the textbook that we do not really go in details

3.) I will attempt to converse with my brother about what he is doing in Science when possible and I will cross-reference what I have learned in school with what my brother has learnt so that I may understand more since I usually add a lot of details.

4.) If I do not understand a specfic detail that is important, I will ask my teacher, brother or mother

5.) I will try to research topics in advance so that I may have questions that does relate, distantly, to what we learn in class so that it may help me understand further about the topic

6.) I will also write what we have learned and some side notes on the topic in my journal/my other notebook

Checkpoint!!! How will I stay focused:

Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini [My Phone]

1.) I will set up a study schedule so that I may be organised with my work and divide it so that I may have a period of time to study science only

2.) I will set alarms in my phone so that it goes off for every period of time for when I need to study

3.) I will write a digital post it note for me so that I know the dates in which assignments are due on and when the tests are so that I can study for it.

How will I know that I have accomplished my Goal:

Exceeding Expectations/Meeting Standerds Test Papers

I will know that I have accomplished my Goal when I get E and Ms on my test papers in class as well as the projects and lab reports.

When will I accomplish it:

2015 Calendar

I will accomplish my goal by the end of March.

Plans:

I will reflect every Friday evening on what I have done in science and if I am close to accomplishing my goal. I will write my reflections in my daily journal.