Sunday, June 5, 2011

Seven Speaks...Final Thoughts For Next Year's Seventh Grade

Students,

What a year we've had!  Among other things, you have written 25 blog posts - quite an accomplishment!  Now, for blog #26: your final post of the year.  Your last blog assignment is to leave words of wisdom, advice, and general parting reflections on your seventh grade experience for next year's rising class.  Your thoughts will be the first thing my new students read next year when I introduce them to the blog.   

Here are some guidelines to keep in mind for your final commentary:

**Think in terms of things you would have liked to have known before entering seventh grade. **
  • What valuable lessons did you learn along the way that you can pass on to others?
  • What are “the essentials” that every seventh grader should know?
Topics of discussions can be related to academics, stress, adjustment from sixth grade, clubs and extracurricular activities, time management, homework, assessments and projects, reading logs and 100 Book Challenge, friendships, Heifer, Take Flight, etc.

**As always, please use complete sentences and proofread for CUPS before posting.  Compose your commentary in a google doc to make sure you do not lose your work and have ample room to edit!

If you discuss particular classes and teachers, please do so with respect, humor, and goodwill.  If your commentary is not respectful, I will not post it.

I've enjoyed getting to know each and every one of you this year.  Reading your writing on this blog, as well as your formal essays and assignments, was often the best part of my week. 

Come visit me next year.  You know where to find me.  And have a wonderful summer.  I hope it includes an adventure, or two, and as many good books as you can get your hands on!




53 comments:

  1. Valuable lessons that I have learned this year are......Always Do Your Homework,
    Ask for help when you need it. Participate and Stay on Tr. Rich’s Good Side. I have also learned that when I needed help on something the teachers would always be understanding and find some type of way to get me that help. Other valuable lessons that I’ve learned are keep track of your grades because when you do find out what your grades are at the last minute it will be very hard to bring them back up. The essentials that the upcoming seventh graders should know are to know what you are doing in Tr. Rich’s MPS class you need to remember your sixth grade skills such as solving equations. Also in that class you should read the vocabulary sheet that he gives out to keep up on what Tr. Rich is talking about. More essentials are for science class be ready to talk and study lots of topics that you haven’t really talked about. Finally in Language Arts be ready to become authors and poets.
    For me seventh grade was FUN and exciting because lots of things happened to make it fun. Such as writing my own book and getting it published. Also when my grades weren’t as high as I thought they were so I tried my best to bring them up by coming up for recess to do work and doing my work in class and get as much done as possible.

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  2. I think that this year was very fun in many ways, for instance new friends, new teachers and lots more. Since this year was very important I took the advantage on office hours and staying after school to work on things. Some valuable lessons that I can pass on to others are that if you do all your work when you get home and then do what you want you will have more time to your self. I think another thing that I can pass on is do your homework because there is a 100% chance that there will be homework hour and you do not want to waste your Friday afternoon. And you should pourable start the year off good and get on the teacher’s good side and then they wont yell at you as much. Some essentials are to work had because even if you don’t know the work you will have a better chance of getting a good trying than you slaking off and doing nothing.

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  3. Dear future 7th graders,

    Some words of wisdom that I have are to try your best. If your struggling and need help don’t be afraid to ask for help. You can be more successful by speaking up then if you don’t. Another word I have is try to turn in your homework on time. If you don’t turn it in on time, most of the time you’ll forget and get homework hour. You don’t want to get homework hour unless you really need it. If not it’s a waste of your Friday afternoon. If you get a bad grade of your 1st trimester or second trimester you can always turn it around. Don’t forget that 7th grade is the grade that depends it you got to high school or not. So you want to stay out of trouble and try to have the best year as far as grades. Looking back on the year if I could have improved on anything it would be turn my homework in on time. Mainly because it leads to homework hour which I wish I had less of. I would also have liked to be a reader. I’m a good reader, the thing is I don’t like to read. Show high schools how good you are at all aspects. Some essentials that you should know are to try your best and don’t give up. That’s an essential for basically every grade your going into. I could have done more reading logs and actually try to complete the 100 book challenge like I know I can. I could have tried to cut down on the amount of stress I have. I could have also managed my time better than I did. I could have done better this year and I’m looking forward to doing better next year.

    Sincerely,

    Matthew G

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  4. I learned that 7th grade is the most important grade of the year. I also learned that 7th grade is a hard year for some students. One thing I can pass on is that some of the work we do is really hard. You’ll probably may not even understand the work your doing, and sometimes the work your going to do is going to be really easy.

    Every 7th grader should know that they have to stay positive on succeeding their work. One class that was challenging for me was science class. The hardest part was to think of good project to do in your unit. Another class that was challenging was social studies. It was challenging because the projects we do and the major project we did was a three month project people and you can possibly go to a state competition.

    One thing you have to try to avoid is homework hour. If you cannot hand in your homework the day its do, try to hand it in the next day to get 80% on your homework. Its better to hand it in late than never. Do you know if you do not hand something in and you get a zero, you can drop a letter grade? That would not be good if your grade is not all that perfect.

    One more piece of advice is to try and do your best in 7th grade because it can get you into a good high school and collage and you can be a successful person.

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  5. There are a lot of things I wish I knew before I went into seven grade. First I think information on NHD day would have been helpful. In my computer class a lot of people projects wasn’t successful. If you want a good and strong project you should pick people in your group. You shouldn’t pick anybody that will goof off or keep you off topic. You should also work at home so you can get ahead. Another thing I would have like to know is how to study. Some people don’t need to study, but I’m a person that needs to. When in class you should take notes in class, that way you’ll be ready to go over everything that you learned in class.

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  6. One thing I learned that I will pass to the future 7th graders are do homework because nothing is worse than homework hour. To get you through the year all you have to do is keep yourself together and do not let stress get to you. We had some great trips this year. I went to Heifer farm and found out it is more fun than what I have heard from the 8th graders. I also went to Ecuador with the Take Flight Program. That was lots of fun. It was a difficult process, but once you make it and you are on the airplane, you will think the process was a piece of cake.

    Essentials you need to live through the seventh are to have control and if having trouble in a class go to office hours. This is the year you have to do best in because the High Schools look at this grade. No matter how fun recess is, you have to do well in this grade. Also you need try harder on stuff like science fair and NHD project because if you win, that will go on your record and it will help you get into better high schools. Do not stress or else you will get white hairs at an early age.

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  7. Dear soon to be 7th graders I'm here to teach you valuable lessons that you will need along the way.

    1) Do not get homework hour. Your just messing up your Friday and report card.Also don't go every Friday cause teacher rich is going to get irked and tired of you.
    2) When a teacher calls on you. Don't say huh or what cause that shows you are not paying attention.
    3) Get good grades. Cause this is the most important year of them all.

    The essentials you need is to have good grades, follow directions, study, and, do the right thing


    like spike lee.

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  8. Dontae
    What i learned this year is not to give up because this is the year that all high schools look at you trimester so you can not give up you need to do your best to get in a good high school to learn more what you should now is how hard to do work because it’s hard because sometimes you might do 3 or 2 projects at 1 time and you have to work hard to get them done to get a passing grade to keep your grade up in 7 grade you need to be really organised because you might have 3 to 4 home works every day so you need to be ready some clubs are fun in seventh grade reading logs are just the same read to steps every day and if you don't you lose points and if you need help get the help you need by asking the teacher don’’t cheat because some teacher will notice and you will go on

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  9. One valuable lessons I have learned is to always do your homework and to never copy off someone because you can get you and the person you copied off of in trouble.One valuable lesson I learned is that to do your reading log because if not you can still get an homework hour.

    One thing that every seventh grader should know is not to get in trouble in Tr.Rich class and every seventh grader should go on the heifer trip because its lots of fun and you’ll get to learn new things as well.Another thing all seven graders should know is to always pay attention in Tr.Rich class,to always raise your hand if not then your hear a long speech coming your way.

    Every seventh grader should be organized,you have to start planing your future for when you leave I.C.S. Also every seventh grader should try to have fun make new friends and try to cherish your time here cause your not going to be here for much longer.

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  10. Kenan" Its All About Fourtune" ButlerJune 6, 2011 at 7:37 AM

    1. We learned about Chinese discoveries.
    2. Lots of homework.
    3. Blogs every week.
    4. Having to read 2 steps every night.
    5. Writing projects.
    6. Time to get ready for high school.

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  11. Hello future 7Th graders. 7Th grade is one of your most important years of your life. You get to experience a lot of fun subjects but also a lot of school work. You get privileges and disadvantages to other grades. you get to move class to class without any teacher telling you were and how to go. Your schedules are different. You get 7 classes. You get Arabic and fitness and movement and s.e.i and computer class. In seventh grade they separate the seventh grade in 2 groups. One group goes with 6Th grades in lunch and the others with 8Th graders. One of the favorites trips to 7Th graders is heifer international. It’s a trip organized by tr,Lynn every year. It’s a 3 day trip. I don’t know if i can tell what happened but it’s a cool experience. Take a flight is a trip to some were in another country for one week over spring brake. This year was Ecuador. I signed up, but i didn’t got accepted to go because I've travel before. I heard it was fun. I learned many things in 7Th grade. In 7Th grade is when they prepare you to go to high school. Don’t get a lot of buddy rooms or Saturdays school or any detention because it can hold you down to go to a decent high school.

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  12. Along the way a valuable lesson I learned that you have to work hard to get good grades. Also Tr.Rich’s class really challenging so I’m going to give you some tips:

    1. While Tr.Rich is talking DO NOT talk.

    2. Read the directions before you ask for help.

    3. Also answer questions with a good explanation and you’ll get a piece of candy.

    Another thing I learned along the way in seventh grade was that there are lots of projects that you need to take serious. A valuable lesson I realized that I should have attended to more after school activities. One last thing do your very best in the seventh grade because high schools look at your grades in this year the most. Some social advice is to choose your friends wisely and focus on your school work.

    An essential that every seventh grader should know is their basic math skills and they should also know their TAGS because in ELA you’ll be using TAGS a lot.

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  13. Dear incoming 7th graders,
    What you need to know is that 7th grade can be tough but you’ll make it through. 7th grade has exciting opportunities like Take Flight, Heifer and Outward Bound, just to name a few. Take those chances because you may never get that chance again. Also if you apply and make it into Take Flight or other extra-curricular activities, that will go on you high school resume. Some essentials that you will need, is to stay true to your real friends, make more friends, and make good grades. The teachers are hard on you because they say that this is the year and the grades, that the high school people will look at. You will hear that over and over and over again, it will be stuck in your head after this year is done! You will get much more homework than last year. You will probably feel stress as you start the year but you will get over it. The teachers... I can’t say anything horrible about them because they are probably reading this....(Teacher Lacey)... no, I’m kidding they are fun when they are not teaching. Anyway, have fun and be your self,
    Dillon

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  14. A few highlights I agree with:

    "Don't be afraid to ask for help" and "Be yourself" - excellent advice!

    Keep it coming 7th grade, and take your time on being specific. What surprised you most socially or academically this year, and what does it take to make it through smiling?

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  15. Dear 6th going on 7th graders,

    I think the most important thing you will have to learn is time management and turning in your homework. Time management and homework most of the time go hand in hand. If you can’t mange your time you probably won’t get your homework done which will lower your grade. If you try and learn it won’t take long before you get the hang of it. But it won’t just come to you, you have to apply yourself. Another thing is, the pressure you will get about high school. At first everyone gets terrified thinking bout what if I fail and things like that. But if you already a good student you won’t have a problem.

    Essentials all 7th graders should know is that if you relax and be yourself. People will make fun of you they will annoy you, I bet you already know but if you just be yourself there will always be someone to catch you when you fall. And for the heads up 7th grade ROCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!


    Sincerely, Naomi
    A former 7th grader.

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  16. I think that 7th grade is the most important year and if you get good grades this year and you are transferring to another school. They are going to look at your grades and trust me there's nothing worse than being rejected by a school. But I did get into the school and I am not coming here next year. Also I know you guys have to go to homework hour but don't get it when you are in 7th grade because it is worse.

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  17. ADVICE FOR THE FUTURE 7TH GRADERS

    For those dear little future 7th graders, I will hope your 7th grade years will be enjoyable like mine. Things you should about 7th grade. If you have the opportunity to do the take flight program you should apply. From my experience it was really fun. You should go on the heifer trip to that was a bundle of fun and laughs.

    My advice prepare for a lot of projects, and all kids of reports. Be aware most of your projects might be due in the same week.

    Some thing you should learn... is to memorize your schedule, because if you're late to class you might be in some serious trouble. Always bring back up pencils and pens, I learned people have a tendency to take your stuff. Keep your comments to yourself. Mayor outburst is a dangerous thing to do in the middle of class.

    Be aware, you will have to read in English and Spanish.It starts out being hard but you get used to it. Loosing your homework or not turning it in is bad for your grade big time. They will split you up at lunch time. So half of will eat with the 6th graders half of you will eat with the 8th graders. This is the time ware you find out who your really friends are. Group work will really stress you out.

    Always: Be yourself don't let anyone tell you who you are. Pay attention in class. Enjoy your school year

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  18. Hello 7th graders! Some advice that I would give you for this year 2012 is be prepared for the home works and amount of projects you have to complete. Usually once your finished a project in one class, you start a new project like 3 days after or even the next day. There are projects for at least every class. Spanish, Social studies, English, Science, and even math! The projects should be easy to complete... if you play attention in class and try to get extra help during 5th or 6th period if you can. Yeah, you’ll probably not want or go for 5th or 6th period because I know no one really wants to miss their recess and lunch. Now every each and one of you should know that even the person you really hate, or the class you don’t like to pay attention too, you have to be good. I’m serious. Getting ex spelled or suspend can affect your high school record. Same with your grades. This year you should really try to get A’s and B's with the exception of one C. (If you know what high-school you’re going to go to). I’m warning you that the drama and school work can give a whole lot fo stress. So try to avoid big crowds. I’m not saying like to not have any friends. But if you know some one if about to fight. Don’t get involved. You might get in trouble or accused for bring there. Just one more thing, girls, be careful because guys can be a problem sometimes. Have a awesome, rocking, great, totally good year!

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  19. In seventh grade I learned that being responsible is a big part of being successful. I’m now going to say something that you have herd before about seventh grade, and you will here it agen, but seventh grade is the most important year, as far as high school goes. You should not be stressed out, or scared, just....don’t do any thing to stupid.
    I’m not aloud to tell you much about heifer, but as long as you go in to it with a positive attitude, you will come out with a good experience. I went on take flight, and it was tons of fun. I really think that you (who ever you are) should apply, the only thing is that you have to have good grades on your report card, and no “needs improvement” on you citizenship grades.

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  20. In this whole year of seventh grade I have gone up and down a slippery slope of not being on task and I have saved myself but I'm telling you this so you won’t have to. when you first enter the seventh grade advisory and see all your Friends”s and meet your teacher which you may or may not know, try not to start of badly. Be yourself as much as possible so your teachers get to know you, but also be respectful and treat them as they are adults. some knuckle down more than others so don”t think that if you have the same behavior in every class your going to get away with it. Stress is the worst but its a major thing that all of us go through in this grade. the hardest class is probably math problem solving and English language arts. they give so much homework, but try your best to complete all of your assignments and be as diligent as possible. you learn so many new words. and the core books well that’s for you to decide if they are good or not. all in all seventh grade is fun. but in order to keep yourself afloat in these deep seventh grade waters you have to avoid the drama! Yeah sure boys/girl are apart of life as a teenager but they can lead you astray. So it’s okay to like someone or whatever the knew slang for it is but don't let it take up your mind. also your cell phone is major distraction filled with letters and friends and what not. it is awesome to talk to them but if your doing homework get at least one page done before you move on to clicking buttons, cause chances are that you wont get a problem done for every message you send. If you don’t understand something ask the teacher. Seventh grade has this little perk of if you have a private question you don't have to say it out loud in front of the whole class, so you get to avoid the dreaded GROAAAAAAAANNNNNN!!! that we all hate so much. If you are someone who tends to comprehend things very well, try not to be cocky because the teachers I don’t know if they’ve noticed it yet but kids tend to not want to participate if they think a different student has a better answer all the time and it makes making friends a hint harder. Don’t half do anything! try your best on every homework assignment project and essay you are given cause in the end it will end up well in your grades. Seventh grade gets better and more fun as you move along with it so just hang in there you’ll get a break.

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  21. Dear Future 7th Graders,
    There are a lot of important things to know about 7th grade. Like for one it is a REALLY important year because this is the year that the high schools are gonna be looking for good students. The classes are gonna be a bit challenging at first, then really challenging along the way like with projects back to back and homework just about every night so be prepare for that. Some of our projects are fun and most are big. Like the science fair, book reports, interviews and many other things. The teachers in 7th grade are very different than the ones in 6th even though some are the same. Certain teachers don't like certain things, for example
    - Maestra Lindsay hates gum
    - Tr. Lacey is really strict about turning in things
    - Do not EVER talk when Tr. Rich talks because thats like asking to get yelled at
    Somethings that you should do is to always ask for help when you need it,Its only helping you, and just be whoever you are because its pointless to be who you are not. We have had some good trips. Like 2 are Heifer international,and take flight. Try never to get in fights or major trouble because consequences are severe. Do what you can to succeed like turn in homework, do good class work, make up assignments when needed, and most important of all, MAKE 7TH GRADE MEMORABLE FOR THE BETTER!!!!!
    Love your 7th, soon to be 8th grade buddy
    NYLA

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  22. Well for you little sixth graders, be prepared. These teachers are crazy (sike!) As you go on in life it doesn't get easier, especially in the seventh grade. This next year will be the most important year of your middle school life. The only to thing you need to worry about is your attitude and your grades. If you have a good attitude toward the teachers they won’t yell at you and you won’t get in trouble with the teachers.

    Now, I did learn something this year, the teachers are going to go hard you. It’s going to be a tough ride. But if we can get through it, so can ya’ll.


    • Ok, there going to be a lot of stress.
    • Going from sixth to seventh can be a hassle. You’ll survive though.
    • There are a lot less club choices, so you’ll probably just wind up going home.
    • After school, you’ll probably have a lot of homework.
    • You’re going to have a lot of projects.
    • As usual, you’re going to have the 100 book challenge. You’re going to have to read in English and in Spanish.
    • Heifer was great. Especially Pudge the dog.

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  23. During my eighth year at Independence Charter School, (seventh grade) I learned that it’s alright to ask for help if you need it, because you end up regretting it if you don’t. You should also definitely use office hours if necessary, because getting your work done and maintaining your grade is a lot easier than getting your grade up from a bad one. Stress would be a big problem if you get bad grades and don’t do your work, and you SHOULD be worried, because seventh grade is the most important year of school. I was actually excited when I got to seventh grade, because I knew that you would get more club and after-school choices! Managing your homework is hard though, because I always say, “Yeah, I’ll do it later,” or “Don’t worry, Mom, I’ll do it.” By the time I get to it, I’m staying up as late as four in the morning to do it! That was mid-year, and a very stressful time for me. Projects get a little bit more exciting, because I’m happy to see my grade. I work hard on projects, and I learned to not leave it until the last minute.
    Reading is a little bit annoying, because I know of some friends that got homework hour for not reading, and that could get to be a big pain if you read but forget to get your parents to sign it. One thing I will warn you about - Friendships are created in seventh grade, and broken up. Even friends with whom you expect to stay friends with forever - they ditch you and forget about you. Beware of that... Heifer was more fun than the fifth grade camping trip BY FAR. I enjoyed it so much! I really want to go back!
    Always keep your core books with you, and DO NOT lose them, unless you want to pay $5-$20! I had to pay for a book an it was really annoying. Keep a pencil with you no matter what, because it’s really stressful to not have something to write with!
    Wish you guys all the best :) Good luck!

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  24. As I went throughout the year I learned many things that were good & bad. When your in Tr. Rich’s class never ever under any circumstances talk while he is talking. Never pack up too early for class because some teachers will make you stay a little while after the bell rings without giving you a late slip. Always turn your homework in on time, because if you don’t your grade drops lower & lower. If you don’t understand something, the teachers will help at your lunch/recess and/or you can come after school. Always pay attention in all your classes because the teachers find away too link up all the information they give you in your classes.

    If you don’t give your homework in the 1st day, then the 2nd day you don’t give it in then its “Homework Hour”. You always get 1 project each trimester from every major class. If you get a low grade on 1 of them you can always ask the teacher for extra credit to bring your grade up. Most definitely when you go to Heifer, your milking something but its not a cow. Always try the application for “Take Flight”, it sounded like a great adventure from what my peers tell me. When you leave 7th grade you’ll feel like a brand new person, because you should have learned a lot of things & been places & seen things.

    When you get to 7th grade you also find out who your true friends are. Who is your acquaintances and who is your friends. In some point in every persons life they are going to need you for something.

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  25. What I learned is that if you want to pass 7th grade you have to stay focused in every subject.Especially in Tr.Rich class at times he can be mean and at other times he can be enjoyable.On projects you should be sure to turn everything in on time to receive full credit,same thing on your homework.Some teachers give way to much homework so get it done ASAP.

    What every 7th grader will need is the basics you learned last year.Also you will need studies habits because you will take a lot of test.In Tr.Lacey will have you read books ad some good books such as,ABC,ROT,and AVI.Tr.Rich will be hard on you but don’t be intimidated by him,he only does that so that you can do better next time around.

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  26. ok so I'm going to be really simple with this because i know that you’ve heard this at least 10 million times. 7th grade is the most important year EVER so you have to do all your homework even if its hard keeping up with everything being in 7th grade personally I thought it was going to be easy but then i found out how much homework you get in just a week I’ll sum it up for you well you get 12 steps to read a week 6 Spanish 6 English (if your in immersion) then 4 pages of math from each class depending the teacher then for tr.rich don’t for get his poi’s that would be a major mistake and read your vocab. weekly but that’s still not all home work you have a weekly blog post and in Lindsay's class if you have her she sometimes gives computer homework oh and I'm for getting Andy's or social studies if you get maestro Chris u get lots of homework but if your lucky like me you’ll get Andy and he gives homework like every other week. ok now socially well it’s good to have friends and all but friends are not the priority but the main problem especially the girls and sometimes the boys even though there’s PDA it doesn't mean that you won’t go out with someone just don’t let your boyfriend or girlfriend get in the way of your school work because school is how you get a future and your so called boyfriend or girlfriend is either for a month or for the year but it’s not for the rest of your life so don’t get caught up in it.finally extra curricular stuff it’s fun to do but you shouldn't do it if u have to catch up on school work I'll tell you from experience that drexel physics is super fun especially at the end and i heard that Arabic club is fun too o and all your specials are fun as long as you don’t get an attitude with none of the teachers I'm sure you’ve had teacher tony already and teacher Joe (his class is awesome) but I'm not totally sure that you’ve had Arabic teacher Tarek is a cool teacher as long as you don’t get on his bad side the work is easy so its not that hard and i don’t know if it’s because my class was his favorite or not but he let us have 10 minutes of free time on the computer every class some times it wasn’t on the computer but we always had free time. well that’s all the advice i have for you guys i hope you like at least some of 7th grade i know i liked a little good luck! =)

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  27. Some advice I want to give to you children, is to do your homework! There is nothing worse than staying in school on your own free time Friday. If you need help with some thing in your classes or in your home work, like Tr, Lacey said "Don't be afraid to ask for help" is the best thing you can do. My seventh grade year was very fun in so many ways, like we did little walks around the school wit Tr. Andy, learning about communities, and how glass was made and stuff like that. With Tr. Lynn each student in 7th grade made like a recyclable project so we can help the earth, and at least I had fun doing my project. With all the Teachers we had fun so I'm telling that you will never get board in 7th grade.

    Some things I recommend you do to is try your best, don't slack off just because you think something is going to be easy or something like that. Also go to office hours, the teachers always help you with whatever you need. Thats all I got to say for you to do good in 7th grade.

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  28. Some valuable lessons that I could pass on is that you are responsible for yourself so don`t give excuses about how you missed this homework because the teacher did not give it to you. Also to not copy because one`s mistake can have an impact on you even if it`s right, you cheated.
    I had to learn the hard way to get your homework done because it can lean on your grade.
    The essentials that every 7th grader should know is that you have to know if you want help then you have to ask for you can`t just assume that the teacher knows how every student learns, sometimes.Just for every sixth grader coming in to seventh grade like it`s going to be easy well, it`s not. Don`t get yourself in too much trouble because it can impact on which high school you go to.Don`t be late too much times because then the people who look at you will take it as a consistency and maybe double-guess on choosing you for their school.

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  29. The valuable lesson I want to pass on is to work hard. Harder than previous years. I say this because this is the year high schools look at the most and picks you to go to their school. I also this the the seventh grade year is the most stressful since you aren’t the youngest grade in the 3rd floor and yet not the oldest. Also since this year is tough and challenging with the outward bound teamwork trip and the Heifer organization trip to experience what others go through on a daily basis. I also this that this year can open up to be a great experience to encounter. I think the essentials every seventh grade should know is not to waste Tr. Rich’s time because as I experience it will cost you at the end of the year. Also don’t upset Tr Lacey as well because she is very impatient and wants to teach as best as she can. But most of all be responsible. Turn homework in on time and set aside time for reading and other work...including projects since they are a major percent of your grade. And take risks and chances. By this I mean to apply for whatever opportunity you come across. I say this because this is a burden I carry for not applying to the Take Flight program. Finally respect everyone even if you don’t really like them and again work hard!

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  30. Daniel "MANN" LaMar-HardawayJune 6, 2011 at 11:10 AM

    Some valuable lessons about being a seventh grader is to make sure you do your very best. Seventh grade is the grade where high school looks at closely. That’s why you must make sure your prepared for every class, your focused, and your not distracting others from their education. Also you should make sure that you turn in your homework, it’s a big percent of your grade. Either on time or late, you have to try to turn it in. This is probably the most important thing you need to know, “FOLLOW DIRECTIONS, AND READ THINGS CAREFULLY.” You don’t want to know how many times our teachers had to tell us to read carefully and follow directions, you heard that phrase more than you heard the grade question, “What role does diversity play in the story of our world.”

    Some essentials a seventh grader should know is things like when your homework is due, and due dates for projects. You have to be mindful of your peers and whether the things you do effect you or your peers. You have to think about the things you do and respect your fellow teachers and peers. Just be an ICS citizen.

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  31. I learned that 7th grade is the most important year to determine what high school you will get into. I also learned alot of valuable information that will help me to succeed in the future. I will pass on to others that if you do not study for quiz’s, and test you will not get the grades you wished for on your test. The essentials you will need for this year is you must be prepared for any task big or small. You have to try really hard to keep your grades at a acceptable place. If you have late homework for any teachers you should go to their office hours. Even when the teachers don’t tell you to come to office hours and you know that you have trouble with something you should go. Don’t be scared to ask questions during class if you don’t understand something. During class if the teacher let you seat yourselves you should sit some where, where you can pay attention. You should always know that teachers are here for you so use them wisely meaning ask questions, answer questions, going to office hours,etc.

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  32. Excellent, Daniel. I think we do say "follow directions, and read carefully," more than we say our grade's essential question! Very funny.

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  33. Dear seventh graders new and old to I.C.S,
    Things to prepare for:
    The things that I could have known about I.C.S is what their expectations were and the ground rules of the school, I was new in seventh grade and I missed out on kindergarten to sixth grade at I.C.S so I didn't know the learning as well as I do now.
    The things you should really work hard on is studying, and do all your assignments and turn them in on the day their do, also don't be afraid to ask your teachers for help with anything that you don’t understand or you would like a better understanding of.
    If you find out that your not doing so good or you wanna do better in a certain subject you should ask your teacher if there is anything you can do to boost your grade up.Don’t always try to hang out with your friends in class and work with them in groups unless you know you know your gonna get work done.DON’T EVER GET HOMEWORK HOUR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Things to look forward to:
    The Dance
    Heifer Trip
    Field Day
    Graduation
    Dear seventh graders new and old to I.C.S,
    Things to prepare for:
    The things that I could have known about I.C.S is what their expectations were and the ground rules of the school, I was new in seventh grade and I missed out on kindergarten to sixth grade at I.C.S so I didn't know the learning as well as I do now.
    The things you should really work hard on is studying, and do all your assignments and turn them in on the day their do, also don't be afraid to ask your teachers for help with anything that you don’t understand or you would like a better understanding of.
    If you find out that your not doing so good or you wanna do better in a certain subject you should ask your teacher if there is anything you can do to boost your grade up.Don’t always try to hang out with your friends in class and work with them in groups unless you know you know your gonna get work done.DON’T EVER GET HOMEWORK HOUR !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Things to look forward to:
    The Dance
    Heifer Trip
    Field Day
    Graduation

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  34. Hi new seventh graders. Seventh grade can be hard, but if you work hard, you will always get something in return. The teachers are really nice. The trips you go on are really cool. There will be some new subjects that you are going to learn and you will more homework than you’re used. If you pay attention in class, you will find that the homework can be easy. Always make sure you bring your homework in on time and don’t fall behind. Remember, seventh grade can be your best grade yet.

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  35. ell alot of things have changed over the past 8 years I have attended ics the kindergartners don't even take naps anymore.I would have liked to known that we had to sign out to go to the bathroom and only go 2 times.I was just so used to just raising my hands and just go as many times as I wanted.The lesson that I learned was to never pick your best friends to do a project with Specifically NHD National History Day .l learned from experience if you pick your best friends to do a project you will do more talking then working.You should pick someone that you hardly worked with Here are the possibilities you make new friends and you also have a good project and you learn new things.The essentials that the incoming 7th graders need to know to me personally stay out of alot of drama and pick a portion of friends to hangout with because if you hang out with a bunch of people the “he say she say” stuff will start.7th grade changed my whole experience of eight grade you have to be a hard worker to achieve you have to set goals for your self and don't think that everything will be easy because you have challenges and obstacles to pass by.And now this year they have started this homework hour stuff so you have to be on your A game.If your not a wilderness person you wont like heifer.Now as far as reading goes I have learned my lesson You have to read If you don't you wont get any stickers lol! and that counts as homework and reading is a major part of school that's maybe 1 of the first thing you learned when you started school.So Good luck Incoming 7th graders.



    Sincerely,

    Your almost Eight grader Asiah.

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  36. Dear future 7th grader,


    It’s harder than a six grade level English language arts. The stress that you can get is all the stories that you will have to write in the seventh grade and to avoid getting homework hour just turn in your homework. This class was actual challenging because I had to try keep up with story deadlines. The blog was the most difficult because sometimes you wont have an Internet to access at all times during a blog post. Science also was hard because the projects were new and you had to use your mind to create visual displays. Math get harder using 2-sided equations and finding points on a line that you will have to make yourself. During the 7th grade you will go to nice trip for spring break if you have good grades you can go on a trip to Equators
    When you coming to the seventh grade you need to be prepared for something new the things that you do are different and the project you have to be ready for and people start changing during 7th grade getting taller and other stuff but you have to stay focus 24/7 during school as a kid you might think going to school is a torture but then you realize that school actual helps you and you’ll have to stay on top of your homework or you will end up in homework hour.

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  37. Dear Soon to be 7th grade,

    7th grade is a really fun grade,some value lessons are that you try your best all year because you want to get into a great high so you can become something with your life.The teachers are caring and they want to see you be successful.There a lot of fun trips to look forward in the 7th grade.......Heifer is a trip where you go to Massachusetts .Homework is sometimes hard if you don’t understand something ask a teacher because they want you to go to the 8th grade …....smart.7th grade is like you have your future in your hands ,so if you play around all the time you are throwing your future away.English LA will involve alot of homework but enough time to complete it,its give out of the kindest of Tr.Lacey heart.And if you don’t study for your quizzes and tests you will get a bad grade so study for ALL your tests and quizzes.

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  38. Dear Future Seven Graders of 2011-2012,

    Some valuable lessons I learned this year what goes away in some sort of way it comes back. I also learned you should treat the way you want to be treated through out the school year. Things you would need to know for seventh grade is math and writing are the most important materials you will use in life. Necessary things are the way you arrange your time to do homework and projects and etc. Your grades are based on how you do your homework and the way you participate in class. Some if you get alot of home work you get stress out most of the time and some you can’t even sleep or think. Most of the week you have to do at least 14 steps of reading each week.
    You will go to heifer which is a farm were you will learn how other people live in the world. Take a flight this year was based on going to ECUADOR and learn the way the learn and live and to also have fun and meet new people. I WISH YOU GOOD LUCK AND HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR 2011-2012 SCHOOL YEAR AS A 7TH GRADER

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  39. Dear Future Seventh Graders,

    I must say that this year was CRAZY. From my dreadful marathon of missing assignments, to the fun of hanging out in Ecuador. This year had its ups and downs. In the beginning of the year, I was excited to hear that we were going to Outward Bound. Unfortunately, it rained and rained and we were FREEZING! A while after that trip, I discovered that we could apply to go to Ecuador. At first, it was as if my parents wanted me to go more than I did. They gave me that constant pressure of “write it well or you can’t go” or “you can’t write an answer that everyone else is going to write.” The interview wasn’t so bad. It was very casual, thank God. After I read the email that I was going, you wouldn’t believe how happy I was. I screamed and jumped up and down, and even cried. Yes, I cried like a baby. Then I was furious to hear that my parents were informed that before I was. We began to go to meetings every Friday and we were supposed to get to know each other better.
    During the trip, we climbed up Cotopaxi, took a boat through Cotopachi, Ziplined through Mindo, and walked down the Equator. This trip didn’t just give us new experiences, but it brought us closer together. I barely spoke to Rasheed during this trip and now we’re constantly making fun of each other as if we were brother and sister. I became closer to the friends I already had, and also made new friends with Carmen, Mateo, Marco, Gabriela, Kerrly, Diego, Nicole, Samantha, Genesis, and Michelle from the school we visited. It was an amazing opportunity and I hope a lot of people apply! Recently, we went on the Heifer trip. It was fun taking care of the animals and discovering new things (like that it was possible to milk a camel). I was actually upset that I was placed in Poland (you’ll understand what I mean when you go). The long bus ride was fun, just make sure you don’t sit TOO close to the bathroom.
    I can’t stress to you how important this year is. Yes, it will be fun, but you have to work for it. Here are some wise pieces of advice:

    * NEVER talk or write while Tr. Rich is talking
    * Remember to bring your reading log EVERY DAY. It would be so stupid if you wasted your Friday ‘cuz you forgot to bring it in.
    * MAKE SURE Tr. Lynn doesn’t lose your homework. She’ll give you HW hour for it.
    * And NEVER FORGET EVER. Ever. Ever. Ever. HAVE FUN. Make the best of it. Don’t mope around. You’re only making it worse for yourself.



    Have a great year!
    Future Former Seventh Grader,
    Danielle H.

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  40. Some things that I would’ve have liked to know before entering seventh grade are what teachers I was going to have, how strict they were going to be, and how many estimated projects we were going to have in all subjects. I learned a lot of social life skills that will guide me in life. Some of the social skills are that you won’t like everybody in life but you’ll have to work with them anyway, sometimes you’ll have to humble yourself to people and teachers because you won’t always get the last word. The most important things that seventh graders should know is that is the most important year of middle school and how to problem solve with people you do and don’t like. Things you will have to adjust to when you get to seventh grade are setting your priorities from want you want and don’t want to do meaning putting your homework and other school work first before going outside to play ball. Heifer was a true experience that I and you will never forget it will truly have you thinking about how good I have it compared to other people. The most important classes you will have is Math and English because the skills you will learn will guide you to a better job and education. These two important subjects will be with you all through life. The Ecuador trip will be earned with good grades and behavior but the trip is optional and during spring break.

    Last Blog Post :-))

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  41. Final Blog Post:


    Classes:

    I didn’t realy like T.r Elaine class,it was hard. Arabic was cool because we learn different languages and we had free time to go on the computer for
    free times.



    Adjustment from 6th grade (what was different?):

    More suport in diffrent clases and more teachers.This year we did more science.
    In 6th grade we had did more activities.


    Reading 100 Book challenge:
    We had more reading of testing.

    Clubs:
    In september I did basketball club. I had fun. I did math tutoring after school with Tr. Elaine. That helped me in math class.



    Homework:
    I think i got too much homework this year. I finished my assignments this year on time. I like doing math homework for Tr. Elaine and Tr. Rich.


    Tests and Projects:
    The test I had this year were hard.

    Advice you would give incoming 7th graders next year:
    Always keep on going. Be confident in class. If they ask you a question just be prepared to answer what the question is. Tr. Elaine tests you can use the book to study for the test. This will help you be successful in passing the test.

    Derrick H.

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  42. The valuable lessons I learned this year was how I met new friends, new teachers and new stuff this year. I learned how to adapt in the new environment and try to know each other more. I learned how to adapt with new friends, even though it was hard because I’m too shy. Only they really being nice to me and help me to get close to them. I really thanked them. I learned new lessons from each subject that I didn’t know before. I learned how to ask teachers for help if I’m in troubled in subjects, which I didn’t do a lot years before. I also learned in 7th grade to work harder for every subject to get good grades. And I did reach some of the goals I wanted. The essentials that every 7th grade should know is the basic of every subjects and try work hard on every subject (put our best effort). Don’t ever give up if our first try failed, instead try again, and work even harder. If we did reached our goal, don’t be proud, but keep on going, until you get it again and again, for years, and until you reached your true dream, your final goal, which what you wanted to be.

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  43. Dear developing 7th graders,

    One thing that you're going to be sick of hearing, but need to know is 7th grade is the most important year. It plays a big role in determining what highschool you go to. So, you should try your very best to do all your homework and exceed expectations. If you're a good, trustworthy, student then when you mess up the teachers might cut you some slack. Another thing that you should try to drill in your head is the teachers are there to help you. Never be afraid to ask for help. If you don't understand something then ask for help or go to office hours.

    One thing I wish I knew before entering 7th grade is how hard NHD (National History Day) projects were going to be. There is no room for slaking off if you want a good grade on your project. I suggest that you pick people that will work hard to be in your group instead of friends.
    Be ready to turn your writer's skills to full blast because you're going to be doing a lot of writing in Language Arts. In Math Problem Solving (MPS) make sure you give DETAILED explanations on your POIs. POIs are quiz grades and they can kill you. Also make sure you read and follow directions carefully. Your work would more than likely be much better if don't procrastinate. Waiting until the last minute gives you less time to put thought into your work. I always procrastinate but I'm working on stopping. I know it's hard trying to stop a bad habit but everyone should have something to work towards. You should make a goal, that you can actually achieve and really work towards reaching it.

    Sincerely,
    Aaliyah Henry

    *Remember, teachers want to see you succeed and achieve high standards, so don't get mad when they try to push you to your limits. You should encourage teachers to push you so you're better prepared for highschool.

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  44. What I would have like to know when going into the seventh grade is to know how to conquer the skill on how to turn in my homework on time. I realize that I had problems turning in my homework for language arts or science and them two always use to switch from a c to a b and that’s why I always had one c on my report card so I wish I would have known to conquer the skill of turning in my homework on time. One valuable lessons I can pass on to others is to take good pride in doing projects for seventh grade and remembering not to look at your project so much for information basically try to study all your information over night and then when presenting your project summarize all the information.

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  45. A valuable lesson I would like to pass on is the homework hours. This is a lesson because if anyone doesn't turn in there homework then they will have a homework hour. If they don't come then they will have a Saturday school. One essential part I would say is the 100 book challenge. This is essential because no matter what grade you are in you will always read.Also for homework you will always get homework because it will help you later on in life.

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  46. Some 7th words of wisdom is to always to try your best and keep up on your work.People say that its hard but its not when you have cool friends there to support you.Keep notes and pay attention when you learn new things.I wish I had READ more to get my vocabulary up.Keep my grades up for high school.You wouldn’t want to get left back. Keep notes on how to write better and be creative with your writing. Have fun in the seventh grade.

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  47. A valued lesson that I learned in this grade is that from the beggining of the year you have to keep your grades up.Because it is always hard to bring up after a long time of not doing any thing about them and not caring until you see how important your grades actually are for the high school that you go to. Some high schools aren’t the best and they are very diffrent than the school that we go to . The high school that you go to also affects the college and what type’s of jobs you will get hired.

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  48. What valuable lessons did you learn along the way that you can pass on to others?I learned how to text with out any one seeing me. Sleeping with out getting caught and team work on test. I was just playing but any way what I learned along the way is that I can pass on is that I learned how to blog an write a book. What are “the essentials” that every seventh grader should know? The essentials that every seventh grader should know. is to turn your homework in on time so that you can get your whole grade

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  49. Its always going to be 1 word you will always hear high school. You are going to go crazy if you keep hearing it. The 1 variable lesson you are going to learn is how to keep your head up because 7th grade is something , your family teacher put so much on to get you at a great expat ions and at some points its going to get hard but keep your head and never look down.

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  50. I learned that 7Th grade was not as easy and fun as it seems when i was in 6Th grade. I also learned that u have to take on more responsibilities.I also learned how to control myself getting straight to work. I mess up sometimes but my behavior is better than last year. Every seventh grader should know always to turn is ALWAYS HAND IN YOUR HOMEWORK.

    Another thing every seventh grader should know is to never ever talk in Teacher Rich's class. If you do he will embarrass you in front of the whole class. But Teacher Rich can be fun at times. For example he will tell you how u never hand in home work and how your grade average is horrible and how behind you are in his class. Tr Rich is the most fun teacher in seventh grade he sometimes gives us candy if we use a math vocabulary word.

    Teacher Elaine is also a fun teacher. She makes up the most craziest songs and dances ever. I think when i turn 20 she will be one of the teachers i will remember the most. She doesn't give a lot of homework.Her test are a piece of cake only if u pay attention.
    Everything about 7th grade was fun fun and more fun. 7th grade has been one of my favorite years so far.

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  51. Valuable lessons I've learned this year are...( I've learned a lot)
    - Don't copy off of someone else for hw
    - Always know when tests are and when projects are due for each class
    - Don't be shy to ask questions and speak up if you're confused
    - Skipping recess a couple of times wouldn't hurt if you have to go to office hours
    I could go on and on... and on about the valuable lessons I've learned but there's enough on this page alone from other 7th graders. The essentials that every 7th grader should know...
    You should really consider Take Flight. It's a really fun trip and you'll do a lot of fun things there. Since you're not going to Ecuador I can't tell you what they are, but I assure you most of them will be fun.
    Try to stay away from drama. 7th grade will be a lot less stressful if you stay away from drama.
    Always have in the back of your mind that this year is really important and determines which high school you go to. And the quality of the high school you go to. Take next year seriously.

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  52. Valuable lessons I learned was that you have a lot of more trips and homework and projects in 7th grade. In 7th grade you will take a trip Rutland, Massachusetts to Heifer and you will have to help animals, and you won’t be able to take a shower for those three days and you will eat tasteless food. Also you will Take a Flight to somewhere. Also there’s a lot of homework and one of them is 100 Book Challenge and reading logs so you will have to read however many steps. In 7th you have to read 2 steps on certain nights. In seventh grade you have to do your homework because in seventh grade you can get homework hour.

    The essentials that every seventh grader should have is to always do your homework. You’re going to have a bunch of it. You should meet the teachers before you have them yo see how strict they are. Don’t think that teachers will always be nice because they change throughout the year. U might not like a lot of teachers and in 7th grade teachers are strict and gets on your nerves they be too hype and exaggerate over stuff that’s not that serious. SO good luck in 7th grade future 7th graders. :)

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  53. Daniela (this is late)June 15, 2011 at 2:18 PM

    First thing is first academics and that includes homework, assessments and projects, reading logs and 100 Book Challenge and of course the trip to Heifer. All of these involve studying and preparing, and the first thing i had to learn and prepare for, which i still am even though I'm going to be in 8th grade when you read this, is HOMEWORK. The main thing about homework is to turn it in on time and usually you will have one day or one night to work on it depending your schedule. If you don’t understand please don’t commit the same mistake I did which was to go to recess and not to office hours. The truth is it can sometimes be a life saver if you want to get good grades for high school, and if your one of does kids that say “of i don’t care about high school” you better be lying unless you want to be one of those people who sleep outside because they can’t pay rent or buy a house. Another part of academics is ASSESSMENTS AND PROJECTS. Now this I would be really disappointed if i found out that any of you read this one and turned in more than half the projects late or even less than half. The truth is that if you ever turn one of these late they can really harm your grade and i really don’t think you want that. Reading logs and 100 book challenge now for those i don’t have to say much because you already did those in Spanish in 6th grade and I'm not sure if you did them in English and of course they are a grade so if i were you i would read just a helpful thought. Now the thing that most educational is HEIFER which by the way is in Massachusetts. I say that it’s the most important thing because it basically is part of science class so enjoy it for tr.Lynn. This can probably be a life saver for some of you guys so just follow it and you can pass 7th grade.

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