Reilly W`s Blog

      Many people run into tough situations and hard times where they have had to persevere through their difficulties. In both texts, “Praying,” by Kesha, and Parrot in the Oven, by Victor Martinez, they share the idea that working hard and persevering through difficult situations will create good results. In “Praying,” Kesha figures out that she is better off without the other person who “brought her flames and put her through hell” and is stronger without him. Similarly, in Parrot in the Oven, Manny moves through and past some hard moment with his dad. In both texts, it is true that if you face your problems and defeat them, you will feel stronger and achieve more.

Themes in both texts were very similar. The idea of persevering through hard times, pushing through, not just staying stuck in those situations is present in both. Manny had to persevere and work through all the problems his dad was bringing into their family’s life, with his drinking problems and abusive behavior. In “Praying,” Kesha talks about the problems she had with someone in her life that she needed to just leave in the past. In “Praying,” it says, “And I don`t need you, I found strength I`ve never known…” She persevered through her problem with someone else to leave it in the past. In both texts, they clearly show that you need to work through your problems and move on with your life. Toward the end of each text, Kesha and Manny both persevered and aren’t suffering anymore. Kesha and Manny are both negatively affected by their problems but are able to find peace in the end.

Although both texts share the same theme, the two different texts have some differences too. In Parrot in the Oven, the main conflict for Manny is his abusive, alcoholic dad and the problems that get created from him and his behavior. But, in “Praying,” Kesha sings about a relationship with her boyfriend that tore her and her life apart.  Another difference in the texts is that Kesha actually wishes  the guy from her past to be well, while Manny seems to not really care what happens to his dad after all the problems he created. Also, in “Praying,” she tells her story and problems through her thoughts and songs, and Manny shows his readers his problems through actual dialogue and his actions. My last difference is when they resolved their problems. When Kesha resolves her problems, she faces them but is still dealing with the pain after the relationship. Manny faces his troubles too, but after his are resolved, he acts as if he doesn`t have any pain left, or if he does, it doesn`t bother him. The texts  “Praying,” and Parrot in the Oven are both different and similar in these ways.

In both texts, Victor Martinez and Kesha show the importance of dealing with your pain to rid it from your life. After you look closely at the two different texts, Manny and Kesha show that each individual needs to face their fears except everyone does it in their own way. When you have more and more pain piling up from your troubles, are you going to let it keep growing up more and more, or are you going to face it and get rid of it?

In Victor Martinez`s novel, Parrot in the Oven, the main character has a lot of problems to work through. The main character, Manny, and his family live in the U.S. in Central California. He lives with his mom, dad, older brother, and two sisters. They are all crammed in a small house in a small project. Manny feels he isn`t noticed, so he decides to join a gang. He also does this to feel a part of something. This idea though, brings up new problems in his already-difficult life that he has to work through. One of the main lessons of the story is that if you work hard and persevere through the hard times, you will feel better and achieve more.

 

In the first chapter, you can start to imagine and see hints of a theme of perseverance. In the story, Manny lives in a small house in a small project in California. His family is struggling with money. Manny has to live in a house with all his siblings, his dad, and mom, with hardly any opportunity to have his own personal time! Manny has so many dreams that can`t happen because of his family`s troubles! Manny`s dad is a huge example of someone that challenges Manny’s perseverance. In the story, his dad is as unpredictable as a wild horse. When his dad worked, he didn`t make much money for his family. Then, once he was let go from his job, the text explains that, “His dad had as much patience as you could prop on a toothpick. When he wasn`t cursing about his old job, or about anything else, you could still feel  one curse simmering there under his lips ready to boil over.” Now that his dad doesn`t have a job, his dad doesn`t even want to try to get a new job. All he wants to do is to go to the bar and spend time with his friends. Now, their family is only getting income from Magda, even though her money gets used at the bar by her dad. Manny`s mom doesn`t have a job and just scrubs the house as if she can wash her troubles away, and Bernardo, his brother, can`t hold a job. In the text, it says, “First, he was a dishwasher, then a busboy, then a parking attendant, and finally he was a patty turner for a guy who was never there for more than 10 minutes.” All of these are obstacles that Manny must persevere through with his family.

 

Due to all of this, Manny has to work hard in the chile fields in his free time to save up his own money. His family can`t help him with money, so now he has to try to do it by himself. His brother and himself were out in the fields for around two hours each time. Do you know how it`s like to be working in an open, hot field just to make only 10 -15 dollars? In the text, it says, “When the sun started scalding the back of our hands, leaving a pocket of heat crawling like a small animal inside our shirts.” In the Hernandez family, if you want something, you have to work hard to do it yourself, so that is what Manny has to do with everything!

 

Toward the middle of Martinez`s novel, you can start to see the Hernandez`s problems intensify to bigger troubles. First, Manny`s dad starts to go to the bar more often. In the text, it says, “Once he started the binge, he wouldn`t stop until every cent drained from his pockets.” So, Manny`s mom goes to the bar to tell his dad to come home and ends up embarrassing him in front of his friends, or so he says. After that, he is angry. In the text, it explains that he exclaims, “I`ll fix her.” In the novel, it describes that, “Manny`s dad pulls out his rifle from the shelf of his closet, and after checking the loader, begins searching for bullets…” Then, Manny`s dad decides to chase his wife through the neighborhood with a gun. That event leaves Manny and his family without a dad (or husband) for a time because he gets sent to jail. After she feels like she can`t live without him, Manny`s mom decides to use a lot of their few money to bail him out. This is an event that causes their family to descend deeper into more problems.

Also, during these problems, Manny is confronted with more problems from Bobby and Stinky, who sneak up on him while he is out, beat him up, and bully him. Manny has to deal with them every time he is outside while problems with his dad are happening. Manny has to persevere and work hard through these difficulties to get back to his normal life.

After many of the Hernandez`s family`s problems dissolve down to a lower, non-alarming level, Manny creates some of his own personal problems. He wants to be known and be a part of something. Manny knows only one way to do that. On the back of the book, it says, “In Manny`s neighborhood, the way to get respect is to be in a gang.” Manny wants respect from people, so he decides to join a gang. When he decides to join the gang, more serious, problems develop and cause Manny`s life to get more difficult. After his bad decision, he has to persevere through the problems he created to solve them and overcome his problems.

While some people argue that persevering through problems and working hard can provide excellence and achievement, others believe that no matter how hard you try to work through things, you will just get the same outcome. While this could be true, I believe that if you persevere through hard situations, you will feel personal pride. This book shows illustrates that point throughout the events of story. In the text, it says, “….And it was wondrous, a place I was meant to be. A place, I felt, that I had come back to after a long journey of being away. My home. ” After Manny solved and worked through his problems, he could come home to just rest without anything to worry about.

 

While Manny was sitting in his dad`s comfy chair in their living room, he just sat peacefully and looked around to take in everything he had just finished. In the text, it says, ” And I will never again see anything so wondrous…the squiggly TV, the lumpy cherub angels on the frame of the painting, the glass-top coffee table…” After all his experiences he just faced, he could finally feel at home and had gained a sense of achievement. If you persevere through difficult times, then you will feel more pride and achieve more.

 

The book that I started reading is called “Allegiant.” This book is by Veronica Roth. Its genre is fantasy or sci-fi, and it is the 3rd book in the Divergent series. This book starts out with a group called the Allegiant.They are trying to get out of the city, becuase their city is surrounded by a giant fence. Also, they are trying to get out of the city becuase the city`sonly way of governing the people was destroyed and overrun by an army of homeless and poor people called Factionless. So, the Allegiant meet with Tris and her friends to come up with a plan to sneak out of the horribly run city. Once outside, they meet up with a group called the Bureau of Genetic Welfare. They are scientists that researching the genes of many people, since very few have the perfect and correct genes. After a whole bunch of problems happen with a group of people with bad genes trying to break into the Bureau, and Tobias(Tris` Friend) helping the traitors, Tris starts to feel mad again at Tobias. She is mad because he accidentely hurt their other friend, Uriah, during the attack. Now another problem is starting in the Bureau and Tris is about to find out how to solve it!

Parrot In The Oven

It was a normal day in the summer and Manuel (Manny), the main character, was living in a small neighborhood. The neighborhood was located in the U.S., near the Mexican Border during present day. He lived with his older brother, who for some reason couldnt keep any job, his mom, who just liked to clean the house all the time, a dad who liked to be at the bar and drink more than spend time with his family, and two younger sisters who just went with the flow. If I had to live in an environment like Manuel, I wouldn`t last as long as he does!

Manuel is a every good kid at school and home. He is also mentally strong. He is strong because he has to deal with his always drunk dad that yells a lot, bullies in the neighborhood that beat him up, and go through a normal school day, all in one day. Then even more, everyday for Manuel is different. Some days he went to school and had an awesome day, but other days, he came home to a dad that yelled at him for everything. Then when he has time to do things for himself, he chooses to work in a chili pepper field to earn his own spare cash for the awesome baseball mitt he wants. He is very hard working, and perseveres through each day to get to the next!  

 

 

 

The Power of School Lunches 

People put a lot of consideration into the schools their children will attend and the classes they will take, but do they put much thought into what they put into their mouths while they are there? School lunches greatly affect the school day. They affect how students feel and how they think. School lunches are known to help fuel the mind each day, support healthy habits, and provide energy throughout the day. Research has proven that it is harder to make it through the day on an empty stomach than a full stomach. There are many reasons why students should be eating lunch every day.  

One reason why you should eat lunch is that it fuels learning, according to studies. Nutritious meals can help with concentration. Some schools even make their students take one fruit and vegetable each day. They keep your brain active and help you focus on activities and instructions throughout the school day. “School lunches can boost students’ concentration, their focus during class activities, and cognitive function,” according to the Healthy Schools Campaign website. As said in the first paragraph, a vast amount of research shows that great nutrition in school can lead to an increased amount of focus and longer attention spans. Other people agree that the nutrition of school lunches also helps improve test scores and behavior. According to many experts, it is important to eat school lunches! 

A second reason to eat lunch is that this can lead to the support of healthy habits. For some kids, school lunch time is the only time they actually eat healthy food. The food should help create habits of eating healthy at home too.  

Kweko Power, 15, was a sophomore at Oakland High School in California. She said, “When students eat healthier and better food, they get more stamina because their body doesn’t have to work as hard to process what they’re eating.” Before she knew this, she used to not eat all her lunch because she wanted to talk. Then, the rest of the day didn’t run as smoothly as it could for her.  

Therefore, school lunch is one of the most important times of the school day. Students should steer toward the healthy foods during lunch to create these healthy habits. Students should think before they eat but should definitely not skip the opportunity to fuel their energy midday.  

So, food is just food, right? Wrong! Students need nutrient-rich foods in their lunches. They contain great things like minerals, vitamins and few calories. These types of foods are what should be in school lunches. Sugar, sodium, starches, and bad fats should only make a small percentage of the foods students eat. Students need to be getting nutritious foods in their body at lunch, especially during a long and hard school day. These vitamins, minerals and nutrient-rich foods nourish your body and keep you healthy. School lunches help students do just that since they are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They also provide appropriate portions and a good balance between the food groups.  

One group of foods that needs to be consumed each day is grains. They are low-fat, high in fiber, and have complex carbohydrates. When people eat grains, the fiber helps them feel full longer and not overeat. Some foods with grains in them are oats, whole-wheat bread, and brown rice. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, school lunches now offer more whole grains than ever, because they are aligned with science based standards. Next, another food group that people should consume is fruits and vegetables. “Fruits and vegetables have little fat, and add nutrients and flavor to your diet,” said Family`s Diet Website.  Organic produce like carrots, squash, broccoli, apples, and blueberries are all nutrient-rich foods and are great to eat. The USDA recognizes the importance of fruits and vegetables because now school meals include double the amount of fruits and vegetables.  

While all these types of food are healthy, you still need to watch the number of calories you are getting with the foods too. The number of recommended calories is different for everyone. “The average adult male needs about 2,500 calories per day, and the average adult female needs about 2,000 calories each day, to keep their weight consistent,” said the USDA`s website. School lunch guidelines from the US Department of Agriculture also take all of this into consideration. 

It is important to eat enough nutrient-rich foods from all the food groups, but you should also watch the number of calories you take in each day. Eating healthy can guarantee a longer and healthier life. Choosing to eat food offered by schools during lunch can help you reach your goal of this! 

Fortunately, many schools are getting rid of soda and junk food by starting their own fruits and vegetable gardens. This was started in Massachusetts and is spreading all over the United States. You may be wondering, what does this even have to do with school lunches? 

At the start of the new school year, many schools such as Framingham High School, have started new gardens behind their schools. Brennon Ryan runs the food service department and had the idea to start the gardens to make their school lunches healthy, fresh, and without preservatives. “Everything that we grow in the garden is actually 100% used in the schools,” said Ryan. “That’s why we grow such late harvest crop plants.” One of the students there, a junior named Peter Jones, said, “Well, it’s like when you do it yourself, you see how long it actually takes for the food to grow, and it helps the students want to enjoy the food longer.” 

Their garden is as long as half a football field, and it’s one of the largest in the state. These foods produced in the gardens are used in their school lunches to make them very healthy. School gardens are popping up all over the U.S. This is a great way to make school lunches healthy, and it is what Michelle Obama was working toward. As you can see, the start of the school gardens has helped schools make their lunches healthy, save money on all of the food they would have had to buy, and makes a rewarding experience for students.  

In conclusion, students must first of all, eat school lunches! Those lunches should be nutritious and healthy. They are important because if students have a full stomach, they won`t feel hungry the whole day, and they will be able to think to their full potential. Now that Kweko Power has learned how eating lunch helps her throughout the day, she spends her time eating her lunch first, then talks! So, if you are currently a student, be sure to eat during your time that is supposed to be used to eat, and you will be on the track to healthy eating!   

 

Sources:  

http://healthyschoolscampaign.org/policy/food/ 

http://news.wgbh.org/2016/08/01/local-news/local-schools-growing-their-own-food 

http://familydoctor.org/changing-your-diet-choosing-nutrient-rich-foods/ 

http://www.healthline.com/health/lose-weight-calories#calories2 

The Power Of School Lunches 

People put a lot of consideration into the schools their children will attend and the classes they will take, but do they put much thought into what they put into their mouths while they are there? School lunches greatly affect the school day. They affect how students feel and how they think. School lunches fuel the mind each day, support healthy habits, and help provide energy throughout the day. Research has proven that it is harder to make it through the day on an empty stomach. Here are some reasons why you should be eating lunch every day.  

One reason why you should eat lunch is that it fuels learning, according to studies. Nutritious meals can help with concentration. Some schools even make their students take one fruit and vegetable each day. They keep your brain active and help you focus on activities and instructions throughout the school day. “School lunches can boost students’ concentration, their focus during class activities, and cognitive function,” according to the Healthy Schools Campaign website. As said in the first paragraph, a vast amount of research shows that great nutrition in school can lead to an increased amount of focus and longer attention spans. Other people agree that the nutrition of school lunches also help improve test scores and behavior. According to many experts, it is important to eat school lunches.  

A second reason to eat lunch is that this can lead to the support of healthy habits. For some kids, school lunch time is the only time they actually eat healthy food. The food should help create habits of eating healthy at home too.  

Therefore, school lunch is one of the most important things to happen during the school day. Students should steer toward the healthy foods during lunch to create these healthy habits. Students should think before they eat but should definitely not skip the opportunity to fuel their energy midday.  

So, food is just food, right? Wrong! Students need nutrient-rich foods in their lunches. They contain great things like minerals, vitamins and few calories. These types of foods are what should be in school lunches. Sugar, sodium, starches, and bad fats, should only make a small percentage of the foods students eat. Students need to be getting nutritious foods in their body at lunch, especially during a long and hard school day. These vitamins and minerals and nutrient-rich foods nourish your body and keep you healthy. School lunches help students do just that because they are based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. They also provide appropriate portions and a good balance between the food groups.  

One group of foods that needs to be consumed each day is grains. They are low-fat, high in fiber, and have complex carbohydrates. When people eat grains, the fiber helps them feel full longer and not overeat. Some foods with grains in them are oats, whole-wheat bread, and brown rice. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, school lunches now offer more whole grains than ever, because they are aligned with science base standards. Another food group that people should consume is fruits and vegetables. “Fruits and vegetables have little fat, and add nutrients and flavor to your diet,” said Family`s Diet Website.  Organic produce like carrots, squash, broccoli, apples, and blueberries are all nutrient-rich foods and are great to eat. The USDA recognizes the importance of fruits and vegetables because now school meals include double the amount of fruits and vegetables.  

While all these types of food are healthy, you still need to watch the number of calories you are getting with the foods too. The number of recommended calories is different for everyone. “The average adult male needs about 2,500 calories per day, and the average adult female needs about 2,000 calories each day, to keep their weight consistent,” said the USDA`s website. School lunch guidelines from the US Department of Agriculture also take all of this into consideration. 

It is important to eat enough nutrient-rich foods from all the food groups, but you should also watch the number of calories you take in each day. Eating healthy can guarantee a longer and healthier life. Choosing to eat food from school lunch can help you reach your goal of this! 

Fortunately, many schools are getting rid of soda and junk food by starting their own fruits and vegetable gardens. This was started in Massachusetts and is spreading all over the United States. You may be wondering, what does this even have to do with school lunches? 

At the start of the new school year, many schools such as Framingham High School, have started new gardens behind their schools. Brennon Ryan runs the food service department and had the idea to start the gardens to make their school lunches healthy, fresh, and without preservatives. “Everything that we grow in the garden is actually 100% used in the schools,” said Ryan. “That’s why we grow such late harvest crop plants.” One of the students there, a junior named Peter Jones, said, “Well, it’s like when you do it yourself, you see how long it actually takes for the food to grow. This makes the students want to enjoy the food longer.” 

Their garden is as long as half a football field, and it’s one of the largest in the state. These foods produced in the gardens are used in their school lunches to make them very healthy. School gardens are popping up all over the U.S. This is a great way to make school lunches healthy, and it is what Michelle Obama was working toward.  

As you can see, the start of the school gardens has helped schools make their lunches healthy, save money on all of the food they would have had to buy, and this idea makes a rewarding experience for students.  

In conclusion, students must first of all, eat school lunches! Those lunches should be nutritious and healthy. They are important because if students have a full stomach, they won`t feel hungry the whole day, and they will be able to think to their full potential. So, if you are currently a student, be sure to eat during your time that is supposed to be used to eat, and you will be on the track to healthy eating!

During Mr. Horeing`s 1st Period Language Arts Class at Blackhawk Middle School on August 24, 2017, terrible news was announced. The other 8th Grade Language Arts Teacher, Mrs. Godrey broke open the movable wall to tell the horrible news to both 8th Grade classes. The new instructional coach at Blackhawk Middle School, Mrs. Oaks, came to tell Blackhawk students that they would start to wear school  uniforms. All around the classes, there were things said like, “WHAT?! SCHOOL UNIFORMS!”, and “Noo!, it’s the end of the world!” Then, Mrs.Oaks continued to explain that the school uniforms policy would be mandatory beginning the Tuesday after Labor Day Weekend. That day would be the start of school uniforms for EVERY student in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade.

Mrs.Oaks continued to talk about the website in which students were supposed to buy their uniform. The website would give families an opportunity to purchase uniforms at a discounted price. She informed the students that once the school uniforms were shipped to their individual houses, they would need to start to wear the polos and khakis Monday-Friday.

The School Board has made this “new improvement” to help all students attending Blackhawk. In their view,  normal clothing can become distractions to other students. Also, regular clothing can be a cause for stress as students try to choose their clothing each day. If everyone would start to wear a uniform, then that could reduce the distraction and the stress of wearing normal clothes.

Even though many of the students that heard the news are angry, the uniforms will become effective this week. They are mandatory and are supposed to be worn everyday. Get prepared for this change by going to Blackhawk`s website today to purchase your uniforms!

The last book that I read before the book I am reading now was called Insurgent. It is the second book in the Divergent series and was by Veronica Roth. I liked this book because it had a lot of action parts in it and it was very exciting. It was the type of book for me that made me think of what was going to happen in the coming pages. The book I picked from the library was called Allegiant. I picked this book because it is the third book in the Divergent series and I want to read the whole series. I think it is going to be about them traveling to a new place because that was happening in the end of Insurgent book.

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