Feature Article Reflection

Posted on December 16, 2024 by myaghoobzadeh32

Wow. I am officially done with my feature article! Although it felt that I would never finish, I finally I did.

At first, I was told to come up with a topic I knew a lot about. I wasn’t supposed to do much researching. The thought of tennis came to me instantly, as if it was there all along. Yeah, tennis! That’s the one! That’s what I thought when I was thinking of an idea. Although thinking of an idea came to me easily, my message was a bit more complicated. I wanted my feature article to be about tennis overall. So it was hard to be more specific about my topic. Finally, I chose to do ‘tennis is unique.’ I chose this because I thought this message would show what tennis was all about. It would also hit the key points of tennis, which I felt was really important.

Looking back at what I have done and the process of doing it, I feel that overall this experience was pretty enjoyable. I liked writing the most, though. I just wrote away and didn’t have to make a lot of adjustments, just grammar,and spelling. I was really impressed by the layout. Although, I thought that making the layout would be easier than it really was. The most challenging part for me was probably adjusting the layout I already had! I had to delete and add a lot. But, this work totally paid off, because I absolutely love my finished product!

I used various techniques throughout this experience including: finding the best words for what I wanted to talk about, coming up with a catchy title, and using comparisons to other sports throughout my article. For example, I used “various” instead of “a lot,” or “farther” instead of “far away.” Also, another example is I compared tennis to soccer or basketball. I used different examples also, like when I wrote about a second chance with a serve. These various techniques helped my reader to understand what I was talking about throughout my article.

When looking back at my work, I feel that I am most proud of my layout of the article. When I first saw an example of a feature article from a previous student I was really impressed by the way it looked. I was surprised that I would be making something like that. Looking at it now that I am finished, I think I made it look just like a real feature article! I am really proud of my finished product.

To conclude, although it was a long process, it all was worth it. My finished product was much better than I expected it to be. Although I did have some forks in the road, it all paid off.

Here is my feature article:

Thanks for reading!

Vote For Me

Posted on November 7, 2024 by myaghoobzadeh32

Do you want a honest and fair student body president of Heathcote’s 5th grade? Well, introducing [drumroll please] Lainey! Hello, I am Lainey and I am running for student body president of Heathcote’s 5th grade. I am honest, fair, and about everything else you want in a student body president of Heathcote’s 5th grade. My birthday is in May and I enjoy doing poetry, art, playing tennis, and more! My main goal is to hear you out and make what you want happen. So, please vote for me!

The first thing I would like to change is how we care for the environment. I would like to organize a school cleanup. Also, I would like to focus on this matter a bit more so students can realize whats happening with pollution. For instance, on the playground I spot bags of chips and pieces of paper and, with a little help that won’t happen anymore. The more people realize whats happening, the less pollution the planet will face.

The second thing I would like to change is the amount of homework given each day. I think that your teachers should give you the homework for the week for you to plan what to do each day. For example, there are some days where students have longer afterschool activities then others so students can plan to do more homework one day rather then others. Also, this would benefit as a way to teach time management to the students.

In the end, how we care for the environment and the amount of homework given each day are only some of the things I would change, and with me the school can be a better place. I would love to hear your ideas. So, don’t be a painey vote for Lainey!

A Day At The Board Of Legislators

Posted on October 21, 2024 by myaghoobzadeh32

I would have never guessed that the first chairman of Westchester County is about to be 100 years old! Did you know this? A couple of weeks ago my class went on a field trip to the board of legislators and thats where I learned all these fun facts! I learned so much facts from this trip from big to small. I knew from the begigining this trip would be full of surprises… So, get ready to read about them!

During this trip we had many new experiences that I really enjoyed. Some of these experiences were meeting our legislator so he could tell us about what it is like to be a legislator, going to the chamber room to do a mock vote on a fake law, and entering the conference room to discuss another fake law. While we were meeting the legislator he told us about his job, the process to become a legislator, and lots more. He introduced himself as Benjamin Boykin II and even called us legislators! Our class was very lucky because he wasn’t supposed to be at the board of legislators, but for some reason he was there so we got to meet him. He told us lots of interesting facts and I was thinking, how come I didn’t know that? Additionally, we got to go to the chamber room and take a photo with him! Speaking of the chamber room, we all got to go into it and we all got a job. There were four jobs. The clerks, the legislators, the public speaker, and the chairman. I was one of the clerks. I got to do roll call and discuss a law. Furthermore, I got to speak into the microphone. I was thinking, when do I get to speak into the microphone, when do I get to speak into the microphone? But, when they finally turned it on it was so cool to hear my voice loud and clear. At the end we also got to bang the gavel and say, “this meeting is now adjourned.” It felt like I had so much power! At the end I was fooling around and saying it with an accent. I was like, “ Theese meetin’ eez now adorned.” It was so funny! Next, we went to the conference room. While we were in the conference room they split us up into two groups. As a result, each table had a chairman/woman but I wasn’t one of them. The chairman/woman lead the meeting, discussing another fake law. I got the table with the chairs that turn. I was thinking, I am glad I got the chairs that turn! At the end of our fake meeting at the conference room they passed out lifesavers, they were very yummy! While going from one room to another, we passed a lot of offices. I thought it was pretty cool to look into the offices. One even had a treadmill! When we left, we each received a certificate and a pin with a golden apple because, well, Westchester is the golden apple. Right now as I am writing this, I am wondering, why gold? Why not blue, yellow, or green? Anyway, this trip was so fun and I enjoyed every part of it.

On this trip I got the experience to learn a lot on the legislative branch. Sure, I learned a lot in school but, I got to experience learning from the legislator that represents district five and a lot of Westchester County and learn about how it feels to be a lestislator. When he told us there were about 1.3 million people in westchester and 20,000 people in Scarsdale, I couldn’t help it but let my mouth drop wide open. I couldn’t believe it! In addition, I learned [as I said in my introduction] the first chairman of Westchester County is about to be 100 years old! Benjamin Boykin II showed us a picture of him. I thought to myself, Um, isn’t that kind of old. I wonder what it was like back then. Did you know that there is 17 representatives of Westchester County? As a result I was honestly surprised by this number and I thought there would be less. I learned so much from this trip and I hope to learn lots more interesting facts.

To summarize, this field trip was awesome. I had an amazing time. From the first second I walked into that building I knew this trip would be better than I thought. So, come one, come all, to the amazing [drumroll please] Board Of Legislators!

My First Week of School

Posted on October 10, 2024 by myaghoobzadeh32

I have been waiting and waiting for this first week to come, but when it did I wasn’t too sure… surprisingly this first week was amazing! We did projects and games and also did some fun challenges! I enjoyed making my projects and was proud to see mine up on the wall. There was so much fun things we did this week, and if this keeps up this year will be amazing!

This past week, I have had many new experiences as a fifth grader. I have done various projects and activities. One of the projects I enjoyed was my identity map. While working on my identity map I have dug deeper on what really makes me, well, me! When my teachers announced that we would be making our identity maps I reflected on a project I did in third grade, I did the same thing! I partitioned my identity map into a lot of parts because I had so much to say. I was worried that I wasn’t going to get it done in time, but in the last second I finished it. While I was making my identity map, I was thinking how did I split this up into like, 2,000,000,000 parts in only a couple of minutes? Believe it or not, I have even more parts of me that I couldn’t fit. Now, we are working on sharing our identity maps. I can’t wait for my turn! Another project we did was our we make a difference project. During this project we drew a self portrait of ourselves and thought of a trait that we had that would help the classroom become a better place. We also found a quote that would go with our word that we chose. But, if I looked like what I drew I wouldn’t look like a normal human being, maybe more like a cartoon character or an alien robot. During math we did a puzzle to make a square of pieces of paper. Surprisingly, it was very tricky and made me think outside the box. I was really excited when I got the challenge. I was trying for days! It was really hard not to look at other people’s combinations. I was so proud when I finally got it. The right combination was so surprising I would have never thought that the pieces went where they went. I was thinking, did someone cut these pieces so they would fit? I couldn’t believe I finally got it. We also made locker signs to hang up on our lockers. To make our lockers more personal they stated our names and we decorated it with designs, drawings, and words. When I was making it I mumbled, “ I should add a background.” Then I completely forgot. When it was hung up on my locker I mumbled to myself “ Why didn’t I add a background?” At lunch/recess I have enjoyed sitting, talking, and playing with my friends. This year we earned the privilege to sit with our friends in different classes. This week has been great and I am so excited for the year to come.

Although this week was fun there are many other experiences I am looking forward to in the upcoming year. This year we get to have many fun experiences including hotdog field day. During hotdog field day we get to experience a field day with hotdogs! We also have a school halloween party. I am also looking forward to the volleyball game. During the volleyball game the teachers play against the kids in volleyball. The rest of the school watches to see who wins. I am really excited for our field trips. One of our field trips is curling with our school P.E. teacher, Mr. Borgia. Over the years we have learned all about curling and practiced in P.E. class. This year we get to go to a curling rink and play! We also get to have a writing unit on comics. I am looking forward to this because I am really interested in writing comics. In fifth grade you do a big research project called Capstone. Capstone is the big end of fifth grade research project. Since this is our last year in Heathcote, we get a ceremony because we finished elementary school. This ceremony is really special because this is our last year in Heathcote. Also, when you are in fifth grade you receive a book filled with your best memories and experiences over the years. You get the opportunity to go around to your old teachers, classmates, and friends so they can sign your yearbook. I am sure this year will be fun packed and I am excited for the new experiences middle school will give me.

Overall, the first week of school was a pretty good experience for me. While the first week had some challenges, we did some really fun projects also. Whether you have already experienced fifth grade or did not yet, I bet your experiences have not been the same… a 10/10! I hope the rest of fifth grade is also a 10/10!

Blog Post #3 AmRev!

Posted on June 18, 2024 by myaghoobzadeh32

Yes, relieved is the word. I’m well, relieved! I walked out of that room relieved and came in thinking I will be relieved when I walk out of it. I enjoyed making my movie most. I loved adding in the pictures! Also knowing that all those hours I put into it were for something when I shared my project. It was most challenging to cut off clips, they were too long! If I had to give advice to future fourth graders I would say, it’s all worth it. During the project I put so much time and effort into it. I was questioning myself, is it really worth it? I mean, hours for a couple minutes? When I heard the applause it answered my question, it was all worth it.

Passion Project [Drawing]

Posted on June 14, 2024 by myaghoobzadeh32

I chose drawing as my passion project. I chose drawing because I really have a passion for drawing, I draw all the time, I even draw on my schoolwork! When I go to my after school art class I come with excitement, and I look forward to it every week. Drawing brings me joy so when my teachers mentioned the passion project it just, well, clicked. I chose a slideshow for my project. I chose this because I haven’t done much slideshows this year so I was like, it’s my perfect opportunity! It was easier and more enjoyable to work on something I was compassionate about because I was really interested in my topic. If we did this project again I think I should change the way I spoke, I spoke too quietly. Also I think there should be a limit to the slides because I got bored with some other people’s slideshows because they were too long. Overall I think it was a great opportunity to share your passion with your peers.

Blog Post #1–AmRev!

Posted on May 16, 2024 by myaghoobzadeh32

I wonder how I might have felt if one day I was part of great Britain and the next day I’d have to choose a side. When I first started my pre research I knew what I didn’t want to do but not exactly what I did. Then I tried researching something that spoke to me, and then, bam, it clicked. I chose something that changed all of our lives, the declaration of independence. This year in fourth grade we are doing our Causes of the American Revolution project. I used all different sources to find my research including Britannica Online School Edition, Explora, Pebble Go, Pebble Go Next, Epic, True Flix, Fact cite, World Book Kids, Ducksters, and Brainpop. I also used books. No, it wasn’t challenging finding information but eventually when I looked at all the sources and I didn’t know what to do next, that’s when my teachers recommended some books for me and then I was ready to start a narrative. If I could go back to the beginning of the project I think I would change the way I researched and organized my information. I have to admit I couldn’t even read my own research! I had research all over the place, and I didn’t have enough room to fit all my research. If I used another piece of paper for my research I probably would have read my research better, so I probably would have used more research for my narrative. As we move into the next phase of the project I’m feeling excited to see where my project will take me.

Life Has Pros And Cons

Posted on January 29, 2024 by myaghoobzadeh32

Many people don’t realize that life has pros and cons. They think one thing is either good or bad and cannot be both but I’ve come to realize that nothing can be black or white, everything is gray. What you need to know is that everything in life is gray. Sort of like life is not one thing or another it is good and bad. I have experienced this when I do different activities, when I moved, and even when I get hurt! All these have pros and cons.

First, let’s talk about doing different activities. Activities have pros and cons. Examples of this are rides, sports, a thing within your hobby, your hobby, and maybe even playing with friends. Another example of this is, once I went to Disney World… The first ride I went on was Space Mountain. I got on the roller coaster with a mix of scared and excited but when the ride started everything became pitch black so you did not know what was ahead of you. It was going so fast I was yelling,”Daddy! Daddy! I don’t like it!” Then, just like that it ended. I was smiling when I got off saying, “Best. Ride. Ever.!” Space Mountain was not all great and not all bad.

As I said, moving has pros and cons. It’s sad to say goodbye, but fun to say hello! New friends, new houses, new schools, new teams, new places, and maybe even new traditions all have pros and cons. None of these is all good or all bad, they are all mixed. For instance, when my parents said we were moving I was SO sad. [ I even kissed the walls of my apartment.] I felt SO connected to it like I thought I would never leave it… but, then the day came. Now when I look back at it I now I notice moving is not too bad and there is good and bad in it. Sure, I miss the apartment and sure, it’s not all good here either but that’s how life works, life has pros and cons.

Another example of life having pros and cons is getting hurt. I know what you are thinking, “No no, that’s not true.” But, believe me on this one, getting hurt does have pros and cons. Scraping a knee, getting a cut, getting stitches, getting a virus, and more. Which one of these is all good or all bad? None, they are all mixed! All of these have a little good and a little bad. One time, my parents were going to meet their friends. They were getting ready to leave when I thought of a question to ask them. I had socks on. At that time, I was in a phase where I skipped everywhere so I skipped to go ask them that question. Then, BOOM! I slipped and fell. I had to go get stitches. This taught me never to skip with socks on again, just walk. So down the drain goes that phase! Sure it was bad, I got hurt! But I learned my lesson so I bet it won’t happen again.

Often people say one thing is bad and another thing is all good, like they don’t see the good in things. Instead, people shouldn’t say that, they need to learn that life has pros and cons. Life includes activities, moving, getting hurt, and more.

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