At the beginning of the year Mr. Fisher had everyone write a letter to ourselves, that we would open in June. In that letter we set goals for ourselves for the school year, out of school and in our life. We did the same thing last year, and it was a lot of fun to see what we each wrote to ourselves.

One of my goals was to get over 80% on all my midterms. I think I did a good job at achieving my goal. I tried to study hard, and I think it paid off. On my math exam I got a 93%, 89% on my science, 91% on my social studies and 95% on my ELA. I was very pleased with my exam marks! What I did to achieve my goal of getting over 80%, is I started with organizing all my stuff, then I would read it all over. I made worksheets for myself, so I could quiz myself. My best friend Syd always makes little card with information that we need to know, and I also studied off those. I also studied with her a lot; we would go through our reviews and ask each other questions. I asked Mr. Fisher for some maps and blank worksheets that I could re-do to help me study. But there are a few things that I wish I would have done, and will try to do in future years.

I wish I would have started studying a little earlier. When I get into high school and take exams, I think this will help me learn more. I also want to try to study without getting distracted. Maybe I should try to study more by myself, and maybe I won’t get as distracted. I also made a mistake this year while studying. I looked at my review and saw one thing that I was positive wasn’t going to be on the exam, so I didn’t study it. But it was on the exam, so I lost 3 marks on that. So I want to make sure I study everything in future years. But hopefully I don’t have to start this until next year.

I don’t want to start this until next year because I’m hoping I don’t have to write finals. I’m hoping that I get full exemptions! If I don’t have to write my finals I will be sleeping in, go swimming, chill with my other friends that got exemptions and more. I can’t wait until June, last month of school!

Mr. Fisher had us write a six word story about the year so far, since we are at the half way point. I wrote, “The school year should hurry up!” I wrote this because this school  year seems to drag on. I think it is because last year I was in a class with most of my friends, and it was really fun. So this year should hurry up, then I will be in high school finally!

I liked learning about chimps, I learned a lot of interesting facts about chimps that I never knew before. One of the most interesting fact was that there are only about 12 000 chimps left in the world. The population of chimps has increased by 4 000 very recently! Also that chimps were created about  4-8 million years ago! Now chimps are located mostly around the central part of Africa.

Chimps mostly eat plant foods, like fruit, seeds, nuts, leaves and flowers. When they eat it is really messy, they shove food in their mouth, and only about half will actually go in. Did you know that chimps are the closest relatives to us humans? This is true, and I thought that was pretty interesting.

I found chimps a very interesting subject to research. I found some pretty interesting facts about them. Now that we have finished giving our presentations, I can’t wait to start the book. I don’t really have any predictions on what is going to happen in the book, Half Brother. But I can’t wait to start it!

We started with working on Google Docs. Google Docs is very cool because no matter how far away you are, its just like working together in one classroom. There is a chat room, plus the doc itself. When we were working in the doc, it was very organized and easy to do. We made questions about chimps in the document, then turned them into headlines after we answered them. My group worked really well in the doc, we all got along with no arguments. Once we were done finding information, it was off to Google Presentations.

Google Presentations was updated while we were working on our presentations. But since my groups was almost done all of our slides, we did not update ours. The old version (which we used) did not have a chat room in the presentation. So we just used the chat room in our doc. Working on the presentation was a little more difficult. My group members and I all had a tough time deciding how to organize the slides, and who was doing what. At first the kids in Wingham did not like the picture to fill up the full slide. But near the end, we all agreed that making the picture the full slide looked the best. Now that we are done making our presentation, we are ready to give the presentation.

I am kind of nervous to give our presentation, I’m not a big fan of getting up in front of two big classes. But since Kassie will be getting up to give it with me, makes me feel not so nervous. I think my group will do a great job on giving the presentation, we have nice slides and good information. Good job Shelby, Preston and Kassie, we did a fabulous job!

One thing that we all have in common is, we all brush our teeth. There wasn’t an answer that we all answered the same.

Something I have in common with most is, most of the people have there favourite website as Facebook. The people who’s favourite website is Facebook are Savannah, Karidrap, CassAdam, Melimast, Logaheme, DylanW, AlysHuff, Isaac, Tannmcar, Tannlewi, Dylasche, Justschi, Tegagric, Cassidy, Syd, Juli, Katelyn, Kassie, Logan, Mercedes, Madisyn and Chantal.

Something I have in common with only a few people is, having a family guy as my favourite t.v. show. The people I have this in common with are Willpark, Tannmcar, Kelly, Jordan and Lyndon.

Something that is unique about me is, I’m the only one who has a nickname as Joannie. I am also the only one who wants to be a helicopter pilot.

The person that I think is the most like me is AlysHuff  because we both have dogs, we both like pretty little liars (sorry forgot to put it down as my favourite show!) , we both want to go to Mexico, we both like watching hockey, we both brush our teeth at least twice a day, and love Facebook.

My question that I still wonder is, do you guys go snowmobiling in Wingham a lot?

Another thing I like to do, which is in the summer is swim. I love to go swimming with my friends and cousins. I went swimming a lot when my cousins were here from Newfoundland. I also did a lot of swimming when my friends from out of town were in. I like swimming because it is refreshing, and it’s exercise. I especially like swimming in my backyard. My backyard, is the lake, its pretty cool! So when I get cold from the lake, I just run up the small hill, and go into my hot tub. My hot tub is outside, just off the deck. 

Another thing I like to do in the summer is go fishing at Burntwood. Burntwood is my families lodge. My sister, Jamie, went out there this summer and worked there. So while she was out there my cousins and I went out there and visited her. It takes about 20 minutes to get out there by plane or helicopter.

I also like to play sports in the summer, like volleyball. This summer I played volleyball with my friends in my backyard, which was lots of fun. We also jumped on the trampoline a lot! I also went in our paddle boat with Shelby, Brady, Nicholas, Logan and my sister a lot! It was so much fun swimming off of it.

I love summer, and all the thing to do in the summer. I also like winter, but I like summer is better!  

     After school I like to go golfing with my friends, and triple on Syd’s bike. By triple on Syd’s bike I mean, my sister, Syd and me all ride on  Syd’s bike. It’s lots of fun! I love playing Call of Duty, I can’t wait for MW3! My favourite colour is purple and lime green. My favourite book is The Last Song. My two favourite sports are golfing and hockey. My favourite t.v shows are Pretty Little Liars, Family Guy, The Cleveland Show, Degrassi, American Dad and The Ellen Degeneres Show. My friends that I hang out with are Syd, Brady, Austin, Logan, Cole, Kade, Riley and Jordan. I love summer and winter, but I’m not a fan of fall or spring!

     Looking forward to another exciting year in Mr. Fisher’s class. I am also looking forward to working with the class in Wingham again!

At the beginning of these chapters, Laurie went to the football game. She wanted to go up, higher in the stands. But she had to give The Wave salute or she wasn’t allowed to go up. Brad was the one who won’t let her go by. But Laurie wouldn’t give the salute.

Laurie had the meeting at her house, and of course, not  all of the members of the paper came. They wrote about The Wave, and how it was bad to be a member. Laurie showed Amy the paper, and she didn’t like it at all. Never have the school paper been scooped up so fast. Amy thinks that Laurie doesn’t like The Wave because she is not the only smart, popular one.

A bunch of Wave members from Mr. Ross’s class were talking and they want Laurie to stop writing bad things about The Wave. So Brian told David to go and talk to Laurie after school.

When Christy got home from school, she had to talk to Ben. She really wanted Ben to stop The Wave. Ben told Christy he will, but he needs them to learn a lesson first, so he needs some time. Back at the school, The Grapevine staff was having a party to celebrate the successful issue about The Wave. Laurie was the one who had to clean up after. When she was done, she went to her locker and one it was the word enemy, she turned around and started for the door. She her footsteps getting faster so she ran out the doors and as far as she could.

David and Brian were waiting for her to walk by, so David could talk to her. Laurie didn’t want to talk to him, which was making him mad. So he threw Laurie to the ground, but with the intention of The Wave. He was sorry the second he did it.

Laurie and David then showed up (late) at Ben’s house. They too told him he needed to stop The Wave. Mr. Ross wanted to know 2 students that were never part of The Wave, with that, Mr. Ross told them that no one could know that they were here. Then the students left.

The next day at school, Laurie and David interrupted the class, so they had to go to the office. Mr. Ross told the class, there would be a rally for Wave members only. Laurie and David both didn’t want to go. So they left school to go to the park, but when they were there, Laurie realized that they needed to go back.

At first Laurie and David couldn’t get in, but finally they got in. Just in time to hear what Mr. Ross had to say. Mr. Ross said the leader was Hitler. The lesson was that bad history can happen again, it was close to happening. Mr. Ross said he was sorry that it went so far, but he hopes it was a well learned lesson. Everyone left, but there was still Robert there, and he was sad. Mr. Ross then asked Robert to go get a bite to eat. Robert was changed from The Wave, and for the good.

There was one good thing about The Wave. It changed Robert and that was a good thing. He had a social life before, that he didn’t have before. The Wave was a terrible place, it was bad to be a member (in the end). But not for Robert, that is where he made friends, he felt like someone when he was in The Wave. Mr. Ross always seemed to have faith in Robert, even when he was weird. Like at the beginning of the book, Mr. Ross told Robert that no one expected him to be like his brother. It just seemed that throughout the book, Mr. Ross’s favourite student was Robert, even if he didn’t do good in his class.

At the beginning of the book, I thought it was going to be about the Nazis. But then in the middle I thought it wasn’t going to be about the Nazis. In the end, my prediction was right! But that was pretty much the only prediction that came true out of all of my predictions. I thought that Mr. Ross would lose his job, he didn’t, but he was sure close to it. Principal Owens was pretty mad at Mr. Ross about all of the complaints. I was pretty surprised that he didn’t lose his job.

It was very interesting how Mr. Ross ended The Wave. I thought Mr. Ross was just going to tell all of the students on the intercom, that The Wave is over. Throughout the book, I didn’t think Mr. Ross knew what he was doing. But he did in the end, it was a well learned lesson for the students. I thought he was like the bad guy in the book, but he turned out to be prettygood. When Mr. Ross told the members that the leader was Hitler. I wonder what they thought at that moment? I think they would seem very confused. 

This was a very interesting book. One of the most interesting part of this book, is that it was based on a true story. I recommend this book to anyone who wants a short and interesting book.

In these chapters, Ben thought about expansion of The Wave. The Wave is not only in the senior history class, it has expanded around the school. Ben thinks it is interesting that his experiment could help the football team to win.

Mrs. Saunders is worried about Laurie taking The Wave too seriously. But Laurie keeps on tell her mom that she isn’t, but her mom is still worried.

In these chapters we meet the principal of the school, Principal Owens. He wanted to talk to Ben about The Wave. When Ben was walking to the principal’s office, there was students putting up posters and saluting to him. Owens doesn’t really know if The Wave is such a good idea. But mostly, he just doesn’t want any complaints.  On his way back, Robert was following him. Robert wanted to make sure that ‘the leader’ of The Wave was safe. Robert is now Ben’s bodyguard.

While Laurie was sitting in the publications office, a white envelope was on the floor. She opened it and inside was a note from a junior. There wasn’t a name on it anywhere. Laurie read the note, it was about a junior who wasn’t a member of The Wave. A senior tried to pressure him/her into joining like the rest of his friends. On the note he/she said, that the senior said to him, if he doesn’t join then he would be too late. The person wanted to know, “Too late for what?”

At the end of these chapters Laurie seen Brian and another boy fighting, they were punching each other. David told Laurie that he was Deutsch. He wasn’t a member of The Wave and he wanted to take Brian’s position as the quarterback. Laurie and David then started fighting about The Wave and David told Laurie to go find a new boyfriend.

Laurie, Alex and Carl are going to have a non Wave member meeting at Laurie’s house on Sunday at two o’clock. When Laurie went home her dad came into her room and told her that some kids were beating up a Jewish kid. Laurie told her dad that The Wave was not ment to be like the Nazis.

Last week my prediction was that Laurie and David would break up, and they did. I thought that they would break up because David it taking The Wave way more serious than it should be taking. Laurie told her mom that she doesn’t take The Wave seriously, which I think, is a good thing. The hint that made me wonder if they would stay together was, David didn’t come over to study like he usually does. I think it is a good thing that Laurie and David broke up because it seems that David always seemed more into football and The Wave than into her.

My predictions for the next set of chapters are that Mr. Ross will lose his job. I think that there will be a bunch of parent that come and complain about The Wave. In this set of chapters, Principal Owens made it clear that he didn’t want any complaints. So if parents come to complain about The Wave, Owens will get mad and Mr. Ross will lose his job.

I also predict that the junior who wrote Laurie that not in the envelope will show up at Laurie’s house for the meeting. During the time that Laurie, Alex and Carl were making the plans for the meeting, the Wave-rally (pep-rally) was going on. Since this junior isn’t a member, he/she probably didn’t go. So he could have been listening to them talk. It’s a book, anything can happen.

As we read each set of chapters, they just keep getting more and more interesting.

In the beginning of these chapters, it started in Mr. Ross’s history class. Mr. Ross started off the class with writing on the blackboard: STRENGTH THROUGH DISCIPLINE. Mr. Ross made everyone sit in their desks with great posture. Robert not only participated in this activity, but did it the best. Mr. Ross then came up with three rules: First, everyone needed pencils and paper for taking notes. Two, when they answer a question, they had to get up and stand beside their desk. Three, before answering a question, they have to first say, “Mr. Ross.”

Mr. Ross then started asking random students to answer history questions. After that day was done, Mr. Ross told Christy that tomorrow they had to start learning about the Japanese campaign. But the next day the students sat in their desks with great posture, without being told. They also followed the rules, without being told.

The class is now known as The Wave. Mr. Ross then made mottoes, a salute and a symbol, all to represent The Wave. David now wants the football team to be like The Wave, so that they act as a team.

Laurie told her parents all about The Wave, but he mom doesn’t think it’s a good idea. Mr. Ross and Christy were also talking about The Wave, and how it has changed the entire class. So far it has changed them for the better.

The next day when the kids went to school, Mr. Ross handed all the students membership cards. Brian and Robert had a red X on the back on them, which meant that they are the ones who tell Mr. Ross when the other members of The Wave didn’t obey the rules. Later on that day, all of the members of The Wave sat at the same table at lunch. All the students talked about The Wave, they all seemed to like it. Then Laurie said that she didn’t know if she like being part of The Wave.

The character that I like the least, would have to be David. I don’t really like David because he seems mean and bossy. First, he took Mr. Ross’s idea of The Wave. Although he stole it for the football team to act as a team. He could have come up with something else, with the same idea. He seems very bossy and controlling. He seems bossy because he tells all of the members of The Wave what to do (out of Mr. Ross’s class). He acts like he knows everything about everything. But he can also be very sweet, and when he wants something, he’ll try hard to get it. For example: He really liked Laurie, they started dating because of David walking with her almost every day to school. He wanted Laurie to be his girlfriend and he succeeded. He wanted the football team to act like a team, with Mr. Ross’s idea, he seems to be getting there. Everyone seemed to like the idea. David wants to be an engineer and he seems to be getting there, talking with Laurie’s dad and taking calculus.

The Wave is now known as a group because they have a lot of the kinds of thing that groups should have. This group has a name, they are known as The Wave. The Wave has a salute, it is: cup your right hand in the shape of a wave, then tap it against your left shoulder and hold it upright. They have mottos, which are: “Strength Through Discipline, “Strength Through Community, Strength Through Action.”
They also have membership cards, and a leader and it’s followers. Finally, they have a symbol, a circle with waves inside (just like on the cover of the book). Mr. Ross said their symbol represents the pattern of change and it has movement, direction and impact.

This book is not what I expected, but it is still a good book. I thought it would have more to do with the Nazis.

In these chapters, it is mostly about meeting the characters. In these chapters we met quite a few characters. First we met Laurie, she is a pretty girl with light-brown hair. Laurie is the publications officer for the school paper, The Gordon Grapevine. Alex and Carl, two of the biggest practical jokers in Gordon High, also work for the school paper. Laurie’s best friend is Amy, who we also met these chapters.

In these chapters we met two characters who play on the school’s football team. One named David, who is Laurie’s boyfriend, and Brian, who is the quarterback of the team.

All of these characters are students at Gordon High School. They also all take Mr. Ross’s (Ben Ross) history class. Ben has a wife and her name is Christy. Also Robert, a really weird student, takes Mr. Ross’s history class.

Besides meeting the characters, these chapters were about Mr. Ross’s class. In his class the students watched a documentary on the Nazis and the concentration camps. Mr. Ross told the students all about that time period, Adolf Hitler, when and where it took place, and more. This documentary really disturbed  some of the students! After the documentary, some of the students asked questions on it, but Mr. Ross couldn’t answer all of them. Questions that were about, why didn’t someone try to stop them. The fact that he couldn’t answer some of the questions really bothered him. After going home, reading book after book on Nazis, he came up with an idea. He was going to give his class a taste of what life was like in Nazis Germany.

When they watched the documentary on Nazis Germany was my favourite part of these chapters. It was my favourite part because I loved learning about that kind of stuff. It is scary to think about what happened. I find it exciting to learn about it because it was such a crazy thing that happened. It is not like learning other social studies units, it’s different. Learning about World War 2 is my favourite social studies unit. It was a very bad thing that Hitler did. But it is a very important part of history, that we can’t let happen again.

I like books with beginnings that are fast. I don’t like a slow starting, I just want to be immediately interested in the book. I would much rather a book that jumps right into the exciting part, than a book with lots of detail at the beginning, then gets into the interesting part. I like the way this book starts off, I liked the book after just reading a couple of chapters. This book started off describing the characters, but it didn’t have so much detail that I became bored with the book.

I like to read novels about the WW2 time period. I love the book, The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas, it is about a boy who meets another boy in a concentration camp. Mr. Ross is going to give the students a taste of what it was like to live in Nazis Germany, sounds like an exciting book so far.