Graduation Speech

I remember vividly, the day I first walked through the doors of Hynes. I was greeted by my kindergarten teacher Ms. Ng. I remember having nap time everyday after recess and Arwin never waking up.

Hynes flew by in a blink of an eye, through first, second, third, and fourth grade. Each year making a different group of friends. The best thing about Hynes was the after school program. I have so many memories with my friends and counselors who made the experience a blast.

I then started middle school. I had Ms. Moss who was an outstanding teacher because I didn't just see her as my 5th grade school teacher. Sixth and seventh grade passed by and I had the best of friends who made the days better. Then 8th grade came. I had adults during these time of years who weren't my teachers who I want to say thank you to. 

I want to say thank you to Mrs. Featherstone who I felt like I was able to talk to when I felt like things would never be the same again. She taught me that sometimes you can't handle things all by yourself and that you don't always have to be the strong person who doesn't care and lets nothing faze him what was going on out of school. 

I also want to thank Ms. Boyle for being the best rainbows leader I ever had. She was almost like a friend to me and not really a "teacher." I wouldn't have to keep anything behind doors because I could tell her anything. I could go on and on and we would laugh or she would tell me how to approach the situation. She understood me and really got to know me as who I really am and I want to say thank you. Also to my group members for listening to my life issues and stories. 

And then 8th grade began. My schedule was changed on the first day of school because I would then be transferring to a new class. I was excited but sad at the same time. I was excited because I was advancing in skill levels but I wouldn't be advancing with my friends which was a bummer. 

There were days where I was bored because I talked to no one but soon I got to know the class as a squad. I had to a custom to a new kind of group that was different than what I was used to. 

I am surprised I am saying this but I want to say thank you to Mackenna for making the class fun for me and making me laugh even though she doesn't say were friends but deep down we always make each other laugh as "frenemies." 

Finally I want to say thank you to my teachers who believed in me and pushed me further and further to accomplishing my goals in becoming smarter not just academically but also as a person.

Do You Believe in Ghosts Part 1?

       I know I do. A lot of people always say the stories I tell are fake or that they are a bunch of lies but let me tell you, it's real. 
       It all started with my great grandma. My grandma told me that her mom was a medium, someone who can see, talk, and feel the dead. There are different kinds though. My grandma told me that she received a gift that the spirits gave her, which was to be a helper of god. 
       I'm getting chills as I type this. She ended up going through a faze for a week where she wouldn't eat, she wouldn't cook, and she would stay in her room all day. I remember asking my grandma " was she going crazy?" My grandma started crying, remembering what her mom had to go through.
      She said she used to be scared because my great grandma would talk to herself and she would praise the word of god 24/7. My grandma said after a couple days she went back to normal but that she came back with this strange "new power." 
      She was able to see spirits, talk to them, and feel them. My grandma said she would hear her mom talking to them. You might think my great grandma was crazy but with everything that my family including me has experienced is even more creepy.
      "People used to come to our house everyday in Puerto Rico everyday," my grandma said. My great grandma was a "healer" she had the gift to heal people. You might think this is so not true, but my dad has been healed by her, my uncle, and my grandma. So you are going to have to call them crazy too. Stay tuned for next week if you want to know how this "power" passed on through our family such as my aunts, uncles, and dad. And also how my mom has a side to her too which is also so cool. You might get to know what I have experienced too and find out things that happen to me.

Ending a Friendship?!

        What is it like to end a friendship? Many people from my school in my grade probably remember Zack. I knew Zack since I was less than a year old because we had the same baby sitter along with five other kids. Zack became my best friend as we grew up, seeing each other everyday Monday-Friday for years. 
         Once I became 5, I started kindergarten, and I knew I wasn't going to see anybody that I grew up with anymore. On the first day of school, I went outside for recess and saw Zack. I didn't know we would end up going to the same school!
          I'd say a couple years after we kind of started drifting apart as we made new groups of friends. A lot of people said he disliked me which I thought was kind of strange. We then became friends again one day when there was a group of kids that we were hanging out with. We started talking about the memories we had growing up when we were little kids. Zack then said he would be moving. The only person from my childhood that was like a brother.

It's Complicated

          "It's complicated" is all I can say when people ask me how it works with my parents being divorced. A lot of people didn't really know my parents were separated when I was in first grade. I was living with my mom in Niles for a while at that time. 

          My parents then got back together about a year later. My parents were then having issues again and so my mom moved out for good to Chicago before 5th grade started. 

          During the time my parents were getting a divorce, my parents got share custody of me. For those who don't know what share custody is, it is when you are with a parent for half of the week and the other half of the week you are with your other parent.

          Since then I have been with my dad Mondays and Tuesdays, with my mom Wednesdays and Thursdays, and every other Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, they switch on and off. Then holidays are always confusing for me as well.

          Many don't really know what my situation is like, so when they ask, I say "it's complicated" because they wouldn't really understand what it is like to be moving back and forth and packing bags back and forth. It honestly sucks but there is really nothing a kid could do about it. So all I can say is, "it's complicated."

Where Will I Be Going This Summer?

       This upcoming summer I will be going to Wisconsin Dells with my family for a week. Originally, we were going to go on a cruise through the Caribbeans but I have a really big family for everybody to go on.The plan is two rent two cabins on a beach in Wisconsin to stay for the week.
        I am looking forward to going to Wisconsin Dells Water Park and Theme Park because I have never been there. I am also looking forward for the jet skies and water rafting.   
  
        

Baby Bunny

I like this picture of a little bunny because it looks so small and fluffy. Especially its little ears and paws.

A Tribute To A Special Person

      I would like to give a tribute to my wonderful sister who has always been there for me and was one of my best friends as a little kid. Going all the way back to letting me sleep with her because I was scared of the dark, coloring eggs on Easter morning, and staying with me when my parents weren't there. We've had lots of memories growing up together, good and bad. She taught me what life is really like in this world and what it is like to live outside of the den. She made a part of me the way I am and all I can say is thank you. 

Which Three Famous People Would I Spend an Afternoon With?

     If I had the opportunity to meet three famous people and spend an entire afternoon with them, it would have to be Michael Jordan, Dwayne the Rock Johnson, and Kevin Hart. 
     If I met Michael Jordan, I would want to go to his mansion and play in his basketball court. It would be cool if he could teach me some cool basketball moves. If I met "the Rock," I would want to just get to know him better because he is a cool guy. I would like to see his perspective of life. Finally if I met Kevin Hart, I would want to go to one of his concerts and then chill afterwards and listen to his jokes and funny stories.

Where to Go With Unlimited Amounts of Money

       If we had unlimited amounts of money, we should go to Paris. Going to France would be so much fun because it is so different from here. There would be so many cool things to see such as the art, the city, the style, and the food.
     I have always wanted to see the culture and how it is like everyday to be in Paris. I would want to visit the museums and see the history of this city with the Romans and Napoleon. My favorite part to do would be to walk around the vast city with its architecture and shopping through the stores. We would all have so much fun.

The Pacifier

A Navy Seal named Shane is given a new assignment to protect five children from enemies of their father who was murdered. A scientist working for the government whose top secret experiment still remains in the house in which the kids live in. 

As the "bodyguard", he is to search for information on where the device may be hidden while coping with teens who are rebellious, childcare, school officials, and foreign spies also looking for this device. 

I give this movie a 7/10 for its comedy, drama, and action. 

Released March 4, 2005

Grammy Awards: Album of the Year

      Adele left the Grammy's with many rewards including the "Album of the Year" award. She was very emotional as she walked up onto the stage. When she was beginning to give her acceptance speech, she stated "I cant accept this award because my idol is Beyonce." She explained that the Lemonade album was so monumental, though out, and beautiful where people got to see another side of her.
      She proclaimed that she loved Beyonce and her music because it made herself along with her friends feel powerful. In honor of Beyonce, she even broke the trophy in half to share it with her. This even made many people in the audience emotional because nobody expected Adele to give a such an admirable, loving, and caring speech. 
      

Advice I Would give to Trump

Dear President Trump,

           There are lots of things I think should be changed in your time of presidency. My two major things to tell you is to fund more schools and help the disability people and not make fun of them. 

           There are lots of schools out there with poor education because of the lack of money. When there is poor education, the kids will not get the proper knowledge that other schools receive. It is necessary that all kids should receive the same education because we are the next generation that could change this world.

            In one of your speeches, you made fun of a reporter with a disability and many people took it offensively including me. My advice to you is put your feet into his shoes. How would you like for someone to make fun of you like that? Think before you do. I hope my advice is helpful to you. 

            

The Gift I Would Never Forget

     About four years ago, I got the best special gift. When I was in 5th grade, I wanted to fit in with the crowd. I asked myself, "What is something that I really like that lots of people have." I then noticed, that everyone had an iphone 4 or 4s. I couldn't wait to get home and ask my parents if I could get one. 
     I was nervous because I knew my dad was going to say no and my mom was most likely to say yes rather than my dad. When I asked my mom she said she had to really think about it, see my grades the passed quarter, and my behavior. I was convinced she was going to say no but I knew there had to be a chance. So once it came Christmas, since my parents were divorced, I told my mom I wanted an iphone 4. 
     On Christmas under the tree was a box, probably the size of a pillow. I was bummed because this was the last gift and it wasn't an iphone. I opened the box, and there was another box about half the size. I opened up that one and there was another box that was able to fit in my hand. When I opened it, there was an iphone 4!

     

My Name?!

     In Ancient Hebrew, my name means "Yahweh has given." Yahweh was a ancient Hebrew god. According to the Old Testament, Jonathan was the eldest son of Saul and had a strained relationship with his dad due to his close bond with his father's rival David. David is my actual dad's name.
     At home my name means I'm in trouble, at school my name means answer the question that's on the board, and with friends it means what up.
     My name actually came from a movie my mom saw called "Tuck Everlasting" in 2002. The original movie came out in 1974. During 2002, my name was one of the top five boy baby names. I wouldn't change my name for a million dollars. 


      
      

If I Worked At a School

     I really had to think about this because I had to think a little bit more about myself and how I am as a person on this one. What subject would I work best at? I narrowed down to a school counselor, a P.E. teacher, or a technology teacher.
     For a school counselor I am a very vivacious person. I have both sympathy and empathy for others and am very open minded when it comes to understanding someone. I can relate to others on how they are feeling or what they are going through. I feel like having sympathy and empathy is key when it comes to issues in someone else's life because you could help them out better and more easier.
     When it comes to sports I can never pick a favorite sport. I play all kinds of different sports which is something a lot of people don't do. Some people just favor one or two sports because they are good at them, but I play variety of sports even if I'm not that good. But I always tell myself that team work is more important in a game than individual skill. As people say, "There's no I in team."
     On my dad's side of the family, we are tech savvy. My dad is really into computer science and technology, and is always showing me short cuts and new software. I always learn something new everyday about technology whether it is something to do with my laptop or my phone. Learning new things about technology is something I enjoy and find extraordinary, incredible, and phenomenal.
     When it comes to my conclusion, I would be a technology teacher for middle school kids. I picked middle school kids because that is the time where kids are getting laptops, phones, and other cool technology devices. By this time, kids have a general idea on how technology is and works.

What Am I Thankful For?

I'm sitting on my bed in my room. It's currently 10:27 p.m. and I'm blasting my music on full volume with my headphones on. I'm currently listening to "Don't Mind" by Kent Jones. I take a sip of my Pepsi look at my candy bag from Halloween and nod my head. I have so much to be thankful for. 

1. I am thankful for dinner because that is where my family has the most conversation, spending time, and "family time at the table."

2. I am thankful for my family that I have because some people don't have a family to love and cherish. 

3. I am thankful for the education that I have at GMS.

4. I am thankful for my mom's cooking because even though she doesn't have to cook for us, she does. But I don't complain because she can throw it down when it comes to cooking.

5. I'm thankful for my parents because without them, I wouldn't be here today where I am and I wouldn't have anybody to provide for 
me.

6. I am thankful for Netflix because the days that I'm bored, I can kill time buy watching a movie or my favorite shows.

7. I am thankful that I am healthy and have no health issues with my body.

8. I am thankful that I have friends who have my back and look out for me and one another.

9. I am thankful for today's technology and software because it helps with everyday needs and education for kids.

10. I am thankful for books because they improve intelligence, knowledge, and an increase in vocabulary.

My Go To Restaurant

I love going to Chili's and getting their famous mac n cheese. I always loved their mac n cheese as a little kid, since I was five. No restaurant can top theirs. The flavor is just on point, and they make their cheese from scratch. My favorite desert they make is the hot fudge, ice cream brownie. It is so delicious that whenever I eat it, I feel like I'm in paradise. It is a perfect desert for someone who has a sweet tooth. Basically it's a brownie with fudge inside of it with vanilla ice cream. Then they take more hot fudge and caramel, and pour it on the ice cream. I love it when they bring it, and you see the steam rising from the fudge brownie and the ice cream melting.

The Best TV Show Ever

My favorite TV show as a kid was Drake and Josh. I used to watch all the episodes that came out. I always liked movies and shows that would make me laugh so I would watch Drake and Josh. My favorite character was Drake because he was so much cooler than Josh. Drake would get all the girls, he was very popular, and he was in a band. Josh wasn't that popular, he was a nerd, but would get lots of attention. One of my favorite episodes was when Drake and Josh got trapped in a tree house because of their little sister. To bad they stopped making the show though.

Where Would I Be 10 Years From Now?

In 10 years from now I will be in college. I want to to go to college to get a really good job that I love and yet has good pay. I want to do something with animals like a veterinarian and a zoologists. Always as a little kid I loved animals and always wanted to have multiple pets, but this always changes to a doctor or chef. As a teenager I want to work at a restaurant like my brother and sister.  

Worst Plane Ride Ever!

     Last summer, I went to Puerto Rico. I was really excited because I had never been there so this would be my first time. I would be taking a four hour flight straight from Chicago, to the island. Going would be my mom, my aunt, my grandpa, my two cousins, and I. Our flight was at 6:30 AM, so we got there an hour early to check in.

     Once we boarded the plane, we took our seats. My cousin Jayden, mom and I sat together, and my aunt, grandpa, and my cousin Amaiya sat across from us. Sometimes I get a little nervous from flying cause every time we fly, I get a massive headache, so I made sure I took two Advil before we took off. "Hello ladies and gentleman", the Captain said. Please fasten your seat belts for take off. Then the engines roared. 

      When I woke up the plane was shaking and bags for flying off the shelves. I had no idea what was happening. The Captain spoke on the monitor and directed everybody to fasten their seat belts again. "Sorry ladies and gentleman, we are experiencing a little turbulence." Jayden's pop spilled all over his bag and hat. I was laughing even through the turbulence. Then everything stopped.
       I knew this was going to be a good summer vacation.