The English department at Big Sandy Public Schools is off to a great start for the 2022-2023 school term. Grades 7-12 have all completed the first quarter during which the students have been challenged to write the following: short stories, summaries, persuasive essays, informational essays, expository essays, cause and effect essays, compare and contrast essays, and personal opinion reviews, all while learning the extreme importance of proof-reading.
Mrs. Ray is very pleased with the progress the students are making, even though they are still working on a plethora of pesky punctuation problems (note the “alliteration”). All levels are increasing their vocabularies through a fine workbook series. Additionally, the juniors and seniors have been working on their spelling by studying the “100 most commonly misspelled words in the English language” that are widely used. As an example of irony, the word “misspelled” is on the list!
Everything that has been covered in each class thus far has been a step toward making each student realize the power of the written word -- the importance of being able to think critically, followed by the ability to express accurately those thoughts in sophisticated writing. Classes will continue to hone their writing skills through the end of the school year.
This second quarter will find the students moving on to public speaking and the study of poetry. Original ideas, ranging from political issues and dress codes to current events and personal hurdles, are still being covered and will now be orally presented. Students will be coached in how to use note cards, a microphone, a podium, as well as the importance of good eye contact, vocal projection, and appropriate body language. The expectation is that the students will become more comfortable with the power of the spoken word.
Reading a multitude of poems in various forms from free verse to sonnets to odes to song lyrics, while learning about the meter, rhyme scheme, and figurative language techniques used in a wide variety of poetry, will help the classes with their own creation of poems. The eighth grade class is the first to pen an original poem this quarter, and their initial attempts indicate they will have a very productive nine weeks. Hopefully, all of the classes will rise to the occasion, even if poetry is not their cup of tea.
All in all, the classes are moving forward, even with all the non-academic interruptions that every school faces. As a whole, the students are a credit to this little town: they are bright, well-mannered, attentive, hard-working, and quite responsible. Those characteristics translate into success in the English classroom.
Spur
By Karter Jurenka
How great a dog you were.
How special you made everyone feel.
The best dog ever
That deserved the best meal.
A dog who a great past.
Biting steer’s ankles with dad,
Getting ovations for his work.
The day we lost you will always be sad.
You had few fears,
Only fireworks and thunder.
Being funny for us
Always made us wonder
The ways you’ve impacted me,
Will never let me forget you.
There will be many things I do,
That will be dedicated to you.
Freedom
By Quinn Rodewald
America the land of the brave, free, and intelligent
The land of petitions, assembly , and freedom
America, like a lion, king of the jungle
Powerful like a gorilla
America full of righteousness and patriotism
We have the right to bear arms
The right to defend ourselves with speech
America is strong and free
We can find a level of safety in our house no other country has
Have a right to a fair trial in a time of crime
The ability to vote no matter what race or ethnicity
The country I love---America
The Chippewa Cree
By Warren Hartley
The Chippewa Cree lived in the land of the free
Other pale-faced men lived in the land across the great ocean
Their forefathers were also Chippewa Cree
Then the pale-faced men came to their land and took their men.
The Chippewa Cree didn’t live in the land of the free
The pale-face told them to leave their beloved land of the sun
The Chippewa Cree fought for the land of the free
They lost the land of the free-long live the Chippewa
The Dock of Long Ago
Jaxon Jones
As I walk down
To the dock of long ago,
It brings back many memories
Of fireflies aglow
Of beautiful bright lights,
Shining in the sky
Like an angel from heaven
Descending from on high
But as I stand there remembering
The dock from long ago
I know that memories
Will disappear with the falling snow
The Leaf
By Jake Carrell
As I descended from the tree I thought about my life, it wasn’t much
I just hung there-watching cars going by
Now something has changed
I am happy the way things are
Now
I would hate to be the tree just standing there all its life to eventually get cut down
I am happy the way I am
Back then I would have loved to be the tree
Then
I know eventually I will lose my color and get raked up
But I am happy things have changed
I wish I would have been wishing for this instead of being the tree
Thins just can’t get better
Now
Wonderland
By Samantha Bjornestand
As your grandma asks you to sit down
And listen to the stories that have been passed for centuries
As she talks you eyes wander and your thoughts drift.
After a while your hearing fades back in
You hear her asking “are you playing attention
You nod your head and drift back to
That Wonderland
While she finishes the story your eyes fade back to her
And you thoughts clear
Now you wished you would have listened Now that your grandma has passed
And you look back on this memory
All you see if your grandma and that wonderland
Trust
By Harley Labuda
Trust is something that is earned
It is possibly the hardest thing in the world to learn
People will hurt you and lie
And some people will always deny
Trust is very sacred
And breaking it can cause hatred
You’re lucky to get a second chance
Sometimes it’s like you’re in a trance
You may never be ready to commit
You may feel the need to quit
Once you get through the rough part
Try your best not to restart
Success to Me
By Elaine Weaver
Success to me is working my hardest
Loving what I do
Having passion
And achieving the Goal
That’s Success To Me
Success to me is loving the people that care
About me
And supporting what they Love
But knowing they’ll be honest with me because they care about me
That’s Success to Me
Success to me is finding the Joy
In the darkest times
And savoring each moment of Life
While having feelings of great Pleasure
That’s Success To Me
Spring Fields
By Joshua Hagen
As I walked outside I felt a nice cool breeze on my side
I felt the wind inviting me to be its guide
I could feel the cold wet grass as I watched a car pass
The happy weather brought a lot of cheer
And a bunch of animals like birds and deer
I could see the dew glisten in the sun
And I knew this season would be full of fun
I couldn’t look at it all
Because I heard my parents all
As I walked inside my parents laughed and cried
That the snow was gone
And a new season had been turned on
