Slice Of Life #220 - Social Change Blackboards Share - Tuesday, June 18th, 2019

    I walked into my classroom and got my computer out of the computer cart. My teacher, Mr. Herbert walked into the room.
    "Okay, class," He said. "As you know, today, we're going to be sharing our social change blackboards, or SCBs, with the 4th graders, your friends, some teachers, and your parents. Please get your blackboards ready."
    I opened up my computer and opened up the online map that showed live statistics of the air quality all around us. I was going to show it to the people that came to my blackboard. After everyone had done what they needed to do, we all started chatting to each other - because we felt like it, at least.
    Mr. Herbert croaked the frog. When he croaked the frog, it meant that he was trying to tell us to stop talking. He told us to go find our blackboards (but you didn't need to if your blackboard was on your table).
    At last, people started coming. I started presenting about my blackboard. I talked to them about global warming (which was my blackboard topic) and greenhouse gases and asked them to "go home tonight and do something to help our Earth."
    I actually managed to convince a parent to go vegetarian 2 days a week (I don't know if she's actually going to do it or if she's just saying it, but DO IT!)
    On the other hand, some of the 4th graders just wanted to know stuff about the blackboard.
    When I got home, I stuck my blackboard to the wall with a "sticky sticker" I had. Then, I took a few steps back and adored my amazing masterpiece. I had spent a long time working for this, but it had all paid off.

A Meaningful Night

    My heart was beating fast as I walked to the front of the stage. With confidence, I said my first line, loud and clear.
    "So, what's next?"
     My friends replied me, saying their lines. And soon enough, we were off, swiftly saying our lines.
    Not after long, we reached the conclusion.
    "So the next time you use single-use plastics, think about the next 10 generations after us." I said.
    "'Cause these problems keep getting bigger and bigger." Linnea said.
    "And when these problems actually strike, the whole world will be in crisis." Karen said.
    "So please, when it's child labor or plastic pollution, go home and reconsider all this now." I said.
    "Because if we don't you'll find out soon enough that we're destroying what we call," Karen said.
    "Home, sweet, home." We all said together.
    I heard footsteps behind me as my classmates all stumbled to the front of the stage.
    I heard Linnea's 1st foot tap, signalling for us to get ready.
    And as soon as she was done with her 3rd foot tap, we took a deep breath and started to speak.
    "BE A PART OF THE SOLUTION AND NOT THE POLLUTION, BECAUSE US KIDS, DESERVE A BETTER FUTURE!" We all shouted together.
    The audience clapped and cheered. "Nice job, kids!" I heard Ms. Schneider say as we filed off the stage.
    Success! I thought as I walked back to my seat.
    We had planned this performance for a long time now, and after a month of hard work, we had finally put it into action. The Night of the Notables performance was not over. The Night of the Notables performance was a performance that Grade 5 did every year. The performance was performed for the parents.

Karen, me, and Linnea (from left to right)

    For the performance, the students would split into groups and do some research. After that, we used our own words and eventually made a script. From this experience, I thought that I was able to use my writing skills for a good cause.
    I think that memorizing my lines was somewhat challenging for me. I don't really know why this was a challenge for me, but after a while of practicing and checking my lines again and again, I was able to overcome my challenge and memorize my lines.
    There were also a few things that I learned about myself because of this performance. I learned that I had a better imagination than I expected because I was able to use my writing skills to make meaningful lines for the performance.
    From watching from the other performances, I realized everyone was able to project their voices so that everyone could hear what they said. I also learned a lot about child labor and animal testing because the other classes were able to confer their information pretty well to the audience.
    I wouldn't change anything about the performance because I thought everyone did pretty well.
    I think that I will take a few actions because of the ideas presented at the Night of the Notables performance. I will try to use less plastic and only buy products that do not use animal testing.
    Night of the Notables is a performance that Grade 5 makes every year. And from this performance, we help make the world a better place. If every school in the world did this, the world would be an amazing and peaceful place.
    Because us kids, deserve a better future! Because if this continues, kids in the future generations won't know the true definition of a future. Because they won't have a future.

Slice Of Life #208 - Night Of The Notables Practice - Saturday, April 27th, 2019

    Today, I went to school to practice for my Night of the Notables (NotN) performance. Every year, Grade 5 does a performance called Night of the Notables. Each class chooses a topic that we all believe is a potential threat to human beings and presents it to the parents and 4th graders.
    This year, for our NotN performance, our class chose plastic pollution as our topic. My group talks about plastic straws and the conclusion.
    Today, we came here to work with Mr. How, the high school drama director, and his students. We got this rare opportunity only because our school now is united (elementary, middle, and high school are all together).
    Mr. How and his students suggested a few changes. We would be on stage the whole time and just observe. After all the other groups were done talking, me and my group would walk forward.
    I would say: "What's next?" as I walked toward the front of the stage.
    I would then sit down on the stage first and we would start talking about plastic straws. We did it in a way so that it was like a conversation to the audience.
    We also worked on projecting our voices so that the people at the back of the theater (we were practicing in the Robert B. Gaw Theater) could hear us. This was really important, mainly because the theater was really large but also because there are 2 floors in the theater.
    I thought that working with Mr. How and the high school drama students helped us a lot. Our performance looks really good now! More updates are to come!

Slice Of Life #204 - I Don't Know What to Write About - Tuesday, April 23rd, 2019

    I'm now in the car eating apples. I am also reading a Novel Knockout book because I really need to know the book well because me and my team are representing the school in the competition.

    It's drizzling outside, and the sky is blue. I'm currently on my way back home. I'm on my double gold belt now, so I really need to work hard to pass it.

    Today in our school, we celebrated Earth Day. We got to wear our own clothes - that were green or blue or had something to do with the Earth.

    In the Earth day assembly, there were quite a few videos of 1st graders talking to us about why we should compost or do things that benefit the Earth. 

    The videos were really funny, and most of us laughed the whole way.
    I'm almost at home now, so I'm going to go now!
    Bye!