https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46 en-us 2018-08-30 17:17:48 UTC 2025-10-16 00:14:27 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/icons/Apple.png ale1391_2 https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276674997 As an only child my perception of High School was only built by movies and my mom telling me that it was important. As I grew older and my mind matured, I realized that High School is more of expanding your mind from the basis you had in Middle School. I didn't know what to really expect and hoped for the best. My mom wanted to drive me to school because I couldn't find a bike that was safe and comfortable. It was nearly 6:40 and I felt that I should explore the school in an effort not to be confused, as one of my greatest fears is legitimately missing school. ]]> 2018-08-30 17:20:41 UTC https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276674997 ale1391_2 https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276678248 I knew I wanted to receive the Seal of Bi-literacy, though I was never the most fluent speaker of Vietnamese I knew that in growing in a Vietnamese household I should at least understand the most crucial part in speaking. So I decided to take Spanish, as I only know a few simple words I thought we would start with basics as the class Spanish 1 was for students who had little to no knowledge of Spanish. Yet the teacher clearly had more knowledge than us and spoke in sentences very few students understood. Though I only understood about 5% of the words she said, I sat at a table with people I was comfortable with and it made it for a better learning environment. ]]> 2018-08-30 17:27:26 UTC https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276678248 ale1391_2 https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276681041 We had the option to join MERITS during our 8th-Grade year, though we may not have known what we were getting into. The teachers even said that from the High School presentation had less information than last year's. All we heard was "Advanced Placement". Even the name gives you a sense of something superior, we knew that our parents would approve and that if we were mature enough to think of the long term we would see this as a solution. AP classes teach more of fast-paced independence, e.g. expecting us to study on own our rather than studying with a class. Which we should be doing in the future when there is no one to rely on for studying. Mrs. Gonzalez runs the MERITS club and as it helps to befriend teachers I believe that she would be easy to get along with. Though she does have a sort of intimidating look I hope to work toward another AP class. It also helps that more people that I know are in each class I have so I can rely on at least someone to help me.]]> 2018-08-30 17:33:22 UTC https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276681041 ale1391_2 https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276685925 I don't think I am the best at many things but I just have an absolute love for typing and taking notes, I can't really describe it in a normal way other than "I just do". Though I wasn't expecting someone who would let us eat and drink in classrooms and choose to use something simpler than Canvas. I would've liked to learn about Canvas but I suppose in other classes we would anyways. The teacher seems very likable and made me even more excited to see what we were going to do in the case of assignments. My only critique is that there are stories. Respectfully, I'm not pointing this one teacher out many teachers tell many stories but in this period I just realized that when teachers tell stories it pulls the student's focus away to a story that most likely won't achieve anything towards the subject. Even the teachers get lost in thought when telling the story and it drives the class nowhere.]]> 2018-08-30 17:43:19 UTC https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276685925 ale1391_2 https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276689214 Though it wasn't an exasperated sigh of relief, I did feel some relief after passing the Geometry Placement Test we took near the end of 8th-Grade. I remember having the lowest grades because I didn't pay attention in 7th-Grade and as every lower grade is a foundation for the next higher grade my standing in 8th-Grade was very unstable. I couldn't understand why I was getting low grades and I hadn't opened up to anybody about them because I suppose I felt ashamed and didn't want anyone to think less of me. Eventually our teacher said that if we were to pass the Geometry Placement Test it would raise our grade. The year was a blur but I believe if we were to get a 45 out of 70 we would pass? I'm not entirely sure and I also believe I got a 49.5, meaning I technically passed. I still worried that I wouldn't be accepted because of my low score but I did. Coming into class I met different people that I was comfortable with and we had a lot of fun like we used to in middle school, making very noticeable, inappropriate jokes slightly under our breath. I think the teacher chose to ignore it and continue with her activity. We kept saying how she reminded us of a teacher we used to have in Johnson, she seemed a little quiet and with a class a bit big I'm expecting yelling.]]> 2018-08-30 17:50:26 UTC https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276689214 ale1391_2 https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276693493 Being labeled a MERITS elective I felt as though I didn't know what to expect. Yet from the title we should've known, the computer science would revolve mostly around computer programs. Such as java or "Scratch", we've heard of them but I've never gone into programming. I used Scratch before but it was a thing during Summer camp where we would make simple sprites and play around with the program because the leaders didn't really know what to do with us. I felt that as a first day I wanted to give the teachers the benefit of the doubt as this shouldn't dictate my first impression of them. Yet I kept picking apart every little thing they did even if they didn't realize it. The teachers seemed like he really didn't know what level of technology we were at or what type of understanding we had. He kept stuttering and it was a little scary thinking of maybe it was jitters or he hadn't memorized what he wanted to tell us, or simply it was the end of the day and his mind was out of energy. Either way I thought about how this would affect my understanding of the class.]]> 2018-08-30 18:00:44 UTC https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/276693493 ale1391_2 https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/277699245 As an incoming freshman most of the Link Crew and other informants will tell us that sports open you up to new people who will have a higher chance of having similar interests. Yet for me it just made me feel small compared to the Varsity team, the Varsity coach is also slightly getting on my nerves. Though I know that her being firm is just her way of teaching and it is effective. The JV coach seems nice though, and JV is essentially beginning so they're a little easier. ]]> 2018-09-04 18:18:04 UTC https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/277699245 ale1391_2 https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/277821544 In conclusion the first day of school was alright, I was just aching to see how the school actually functioned. With homework that mattered and learning things that mattered. Instead of having students be confused and scared of the upperclassmen. Even though Westminster High School is supposed to be a welcoming place, as presented by the Link Crew, I believe independence is the most crucial thing in simply surviving life. ]]> 2018-09-05 03:02:40 UTC https://padlet.com/ale1391_2/5qekg9imsn46/wish/277821544