The Summer Day
Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
For the past six years, I have rung in the New Year with friends in Vermont. It's become something of a winter tradition. We leave the day after Christmas, abandoning the leftovers, and taking only a few choice presents to the mountains where the only options are to play cards, eat, and ski. I love this time spent outdoors with friends. It gives me much needed time to recharge my batteries, reflect on the past year, and begin to dream about and set goals for the year to come. This New Year, I've been overflowing with hopes and dreams, both for myself and for all of you. Many of my goals have to do with continuing all of the hard work we started in the fall. I hope to continue to have the lively discussions that have made me excited to come to school and also read our blog. I also hope to help each and every one of you find books that you are excited to read and share. And lastly, I'm looking forward to making room for more writing in class to discover the stories within us that are waiting to be told.
In this week's blog commentary, I'd like you to write about your hopes and dreams for the New Year.
- What are your hopes and dreams for this New Year? (Be specific).
- If you could sum up your hopes and dreams in one word, which word would you choose and why?
- What gets in your way of realizing your hopes and dreams?
- Is there anything this year you hope to accomplish?
As Mary Oliver writes: "What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"
My hope is to get into Girls High. Smart because you have to have really good grades to get into a good high school such as Girls High. The fact that I gotten a one-day suspension that may stop me from going to Girls High. Also, that I don't have a lot of after school activities. I want to get all A's and B's in all my classes in each trimester.
ReplyDeleteMY hopes are to get very good grades to get into a good high school like CHAD of Carver engeriring and science. Another dream is to stop getting into so much trouble. One word:LIVE because you only have one live and we have to live it (like it's 1999). Cracking funny jokes (ha ha, crack). To get all A's and B's.
ReplyDeleteOne of my hopes and dreams for this year is to not be such a quitter. My word: POSSIBLE because when I can't get something on the first try my head gets filled with negative energy and I just end up quitting. I hope to get EXCELENT grades so I can get into a FANTASTIC highschool and get far in life.
ReplyDeletemy hope is to get A's and B's.my word is going 2 be GOD (thats a name,but it can be a word 2) i cant do anything without god,his the only 1 that can help me getting my grades up!,i know if i get good grades GOD is going 2 put me in a good highschool!
ReplyDeleteMy hopes for this year is to read more, in the past month or so I have read a lot more than usual, because I have found a wonderful book. Because of this I have realized I can read a grate deal more if I put my mind to it, and especially if I enjoy it. My word that I used in class was WILD, I am shure at first you wonder what in the world dose this have to do with reading, well I want to be a WILD and vigorous reader.
ReplyDeleteMy hope and dream is to do better in school. The word that I chose is FOCUS because if I focus in class all the time I can do better. One thing that is holding me back is that I talk to much when I am not suppose to be talking which gets me in trouble. I wish to do much better in school so I can go to a great high school.
ReplyDeleteMy hope for this New Year I will get less B’s on my report card and more A’s. Grades, is my word because I am going to work harder to make my grades better. Nothing is getting in my way of what grades I get except if I do not work hard enough. I can guarantee that someday I will get all A’s and be on high honors.
ReplyDeleteI am noticing that almost everyone is wanting their goal for this year to be "getting good grades." I have to say that I agree with that, and also because all of the seventh grade teachers are trying to scare us by saying this year counts towards your high school selection and life. So, basically, I guess what I'm trying to say is my dream for this year is to achieve high standards, and high honor. One word to describe my hopes and dreams would be: Beckoning, because I feel as if my life is coming at me and beckoning onwards, and telling me to look at life in a different way. If I can't achieve my goal of becoming a better academic student, it would be because I'm not trying hard enough. I am really looking forward to working harder, and keeping my mind set on school work. I know I can do this, because I just have to set my mind straight.
ReplyDeleteMy hope or dream is to be determined, and focused in all my aspects of life. To be sure that I am doing all that I can to achieve what I want. The one word I would be determined, I would choose that word because it's what I want to be during all of the year. The only thing getting in my way would be thinking to little of my self and thinking that I wouldn't be able to do it. Something I would like to accomplish is to be able to stop thinking so little of my self and do what I think is right without being discouraged by what I think I can't do.
ReplyDeleteDear Tr. Lacey,
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams are to complete and turn in all of my homework on time, to smile and to enjoy the little things. If I were to describe my hopes and dreams in one word it would be 'appreciate' because in my opinion, I don't think I appreciate the little things people do for me. Something that might get in the way of me achieving my goals is my personality. I don't really care what people do as long as they're not bothering me. My personality can stop me from achieving my goal of smiling and appreciating the little things people do for me. I wish to accomplish at least two of my goals. Wish me luck.
From,
Aaliyah
My hopes and dreams for this New Year are to not talk as much in school and keep up the A and B grades I have earned. If I summed up my hopes and dreams into 1 word, it would probably be “blabber”. The reason I picked this word is because I talk a lot. The things that can get in my way to accomplish my hopes and dreams are my mouth. I want to get better at soccer and ping-pong. That is what I want to accomplish.
ReplyDeleteDear Tr.lacey,
ReplyDeleteI have to opes and dreams this year. To work harder in school and to stop biting my nails. When it comes to biting my nails I only bite them when i'm board. I say to myself every year that i'm going to stop but when I first start to get board I start biting them and then I start all over. This year I would like to change that. When it comes to school I always to my very best, but I don't focus alot. Now i'm going to stay on tast and work to get good grades so I can go to a good High School. The word I have picked to represent my hopes and dreams is Persistent. I picked this word because if I stay persistant I will accomplish my hopes & dreams. What might get in my way is people telling me I can't make it. Our my jabber mouth get in the way. I hope to accomplish both my hopes & dreams.
Sydne
Dear Tr. Lacey,
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams are to bring my grade up in your class and in tr.Richs' class and also to stop eating when i'm not hungry or have nothing to do because it's just unnecessary and that's how you gain a lot of weight. If I had one word to discribe my hopes and dreams i'd say it's "focused" because these are thing that i'd really like to focus on, they're important to me. Some things that get in my way is when I get distracted by peers like with side conversations and things like that or when i'm in a store and have money that I can spend i'll buy like junk n' suff, or i'd be in the house and the food is there so in my mind it's calling me (I giggle). Something that I wanna accomplish this year is trying to be a beter person, more honest and loyal to people. Hopefully everything i wanna do happend for the best!!!
Love,
Nyla Webb :D
My hopes and dreams are to get good grades in all of my classes. Also to be to school on time and turn in my homework in on time. I want to get to go to a good highschool and be successful in life.
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams for the New Year is to stop blurting out unnecessary comments. Also I would like to control my laughter in school and save it for when I leave school. Finally most importantly and something to cheer my mom up is to go to "The Best" high school. If i could sum it up in one word it would have to be power because I have power over these things and power over what happens next. I think the main thing that gets in the way of my hopes and dreams is my video games, the internet, but mostly myself. What I really want to accomplish this year is to try to work with others more efficiently.
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams for this year is to read more hard books and to get all a and b to go to a good high school
ReplyDeletemy hopes and dreams are to be fair and read more steps for my rerading log and to have a positive attitude to my peers and teachers
ReplyDeleteDear,Tr.Lacey my hopes and dreams for the year {2011} are to take more risks and push myself to challenges that I know I may have to try hard on,also I think I need to work on my additude just a little bit.
ReplyDeleteFor 2011one of my hopes and dreams is to do more work in class. Want I need to do in class is to focus and get my work done. One of my home hope and dreams is to be a better role model for my little sister. Teach her to do the right thing.
ReplyDeletePs: to get good grades!
Dear teacher lacey
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams for this year are to bump my grades a little bit more and to also try to get on honor roll And to also read 1,000 reading steps. The thing that gets in the way of me achieving my hopes and dreams are me not staying focused and also distractions around me. My main goal is to get my grades up.
for 2011 my hopes and dreams is to get all A's and B's for the new trimester and to have a opportunity to go to Ecuador.
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and my dreams this year is make my parents happy, be a good child and student get more better grades than before, work harder than before and do the best I can to get good high school and make people around me happy(teacher,parents and friends) ,I also want to know english more, not easy to give up and just give thanks what I got and what I'll get. If I can sum up my dreams and my hopes in one word, that word will be "ACHIEVE" because I want to achieve all that dreams and hopefully I can reach all that without any trouble. But sometimes as you know that life is not perfect, there might troubles and problems will going into our way to reach our dreams and sometimes it will make us give up, but I will try to keep positive thinking in my mind and not give up easily and I will keep on going and going until I reach that dreams become true. and yes there is something that I hope to accomplish this year, and that is to work the best I can to reach all my dreams.
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams this year are to get really good grades because I want to either get into New Media Charter next year or High school of the future for high school. One word to sum it up is: work. Things getting in my way for this year are nothing.
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams for 2011 is to raise up some grades to get honor roll, to go to Ecuador, and to make better choices for school and home.
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams are to become a better athlete because last year I didn't do so well last year.My word is accomplish because I never finish anything unless its a videogame or a interesting book.
ReplyDeleteMy hope and dreams for this new year are to get honor roll all 3 trimesters. This year is so important and I don't want to dissapoint my mom. But that's not my only hope and dream this year. The big one is: WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP. Whether it's in baseball, basketball or football. I'm tired of losing. Losing isn't a good feeling and that one word to sum up all my hopes and dreams is: Success. And well, what gets in the way of me winning a championship is the competition. And what get's in the way of getting good grades is not my teachers, not the distractions with sports, it's myself. Sometimes, I don't feel like doing my homework. Sometimes, I don't feel like doing a project. And that could be the difference between a B and a C. It's not that I have to step it up, I just have to be consistent. I know I have the ability to do well. I already told you what I want to acomplish and there's nothing else.
ReplyDeleteDear Tr.Lacey
ReplyDeleteMy goals for the new year of 2011 is to be more responsible. I am going to try not to laugh at every little thing, be more focus and not get distracted easily.
Dear tr.Lacey
ReplyDeleteMy hopes abd dreams this year is to get A's and b's so I can get on honor roll. Also i would like to read mor harder books and understand the words like the deffiniton of the word. Last but not least is to start being more foucus in my subjeacts, at school.
By Sied Ali-Young
My hopes and dreams for this year are to, hand in all of my homework on time in every class. Also my other hope and dream is to, push myself to the limit and do the best of my abilitys. What might stand in my way from acomplishing my hopes and dreams is video games and other electronics. If I could choose 1 word to discribe my hopes and dreams is "ACHIEVE". I choose that word because I no I can achieve these hopes and dreams. What i want to accomplish this year is stay focus in class
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams for this year is to try to get on honor roll. Also, to take school more seriously and my work more seriously. If I could sum down my hopes and dreams into one word, it would be confidence. I picked confidence because it says a lot about achieving your goals for school and outside of school. I believe that I can achieve my hopes and dreams this year. What gets in my way is when I'm not focused on my school and the hard work that is needed for me to do.
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams for this year is to be more responsible for my things and to get good grades to get in to a good high school also to read more and and do better in my sports and to do alot better in math.
ReplyDeletemy hopes and dreams is to get good grades so that I can go to a decent grades. I also want to be a better soccer player. Maybe get a contract with a pro team like the Philadelphia union so I can leave the dreams of kids. I want to travel the world go to Mexico, meet my cousins and uncles also aunts.
ReplyDeleteSome of my hopes and dreams for 2011 is to complete all of my homework; to turn it in on time and to read more so that I can complete my reading logs. Also I would like to get high honor roll and to be nicer to people. If I could sum up my hopes and dreams for 2011 in one word I would choose the work prosper.The word prosper mines to succeed ; to thrive And or to flourish. I choose the word prosper because if I want to overcome my challenges in life and school I need to prosper to be the student and nice person I know I could be. Times, patience and myself is getting in my way of realizing my hopes and dreams. This year i hope to accomplish all of my hopes and dreams i set for myself. Lastly I plan to life my one wild and precious life to the fullest and not to regret anything i didn't do but to regret everything i didn't get to do.
ReplyDeleteMy best hopes and dreams for me is able to pass ElA and MPS(math problem solving).And hopefully when I get the chance to bump up some of my grades,I want my whole family and friends at school to watch me graduate from I.C.S
ReplyDeleteMy word to describe my hopes and dreams is "VIZUALIZE"and the reason why I chose this word is because you need to see what path is right and what path is wrong, and how you're going to Shape your life on the path.Theres only three things that stands in my way of hopes and dreams is,that I have to do my homework early as soon as possible so it would be done and out of the way.The second is that I need to study for 30 minutes a day so I can be ready for a test.And the final reason is that i need to believe in my self and others that I can do my best and be successful in my planed life ahead of me.
My hope and dreams for this year would be to get high honors on all the trimesters. Which is all A's. Some people think that getting all A's is hard but for me, I think that the key to getting all A's is to work hard and pay attention. also another hope and dream is to be more helpful around the house when I'm home. Another academic dream is to not wait for the last minute to do big projects. The word for my hopes and dreams is: ACHIEVE I think that nothing stands in my way but me and my thoughts. I sometimes think that it would okay to wait for a project until the day it is due. But then I I forget about other homework and I stay up late. And when I stay up late and don't go to bed on time, then I wake crabby and grumpy in the morning, which usually leads to a bad day. So those are my hopes and dreams for 2011.
ReplyDeleteDear Tr.Lacey,
ReplyDeleteI have two hopes and dream for this new year but only one is important. The most important one is that I want to be more organized and be able to do stuff because I’m more organize. The other one it to try to not laugh when something happens to another person, I will try but it will be hard. One word to describe my first hope and dream for 2010 would be organize because is a big part of that hope and dream. A word for my second hope and dream would be trust because people should trust me not to laugh at them when something happens. What gets in my way of my first hope and dream is that I’m not the greatest person to get organized but I’m going to try. For my second hope and dream is that I like to laugh a lot so it’s going to be a bumpy ride to get to my hope and dream. This year the one I really want to accomplish is to be more organized because then I won’t miss homework’s and my parents won’t get mad and I can go out and play games or watch television.
Sincerely,
Daniela Alfaro
Dear tr.lacey
ReplyDeleteMy hope and dreams for the new year are that I get on the honor roll again. And that I treet my little borther somewhat better because I feel that I already treat him very well. Another thing that I hope I can do thi year is be alot better to all my boy and girl friends. Another thing that I hope to do this year is just be the best friend, best borther, bet person that I can be.
I hope to someday be a professional musician. I take drum lessons and am learning to read music and play jazz. My teachers say I’m pretty good.
ReplyDeleteI did School of Rock last spring and it was, perhaps, one of the best things that ever happened to me. I played seven songs; five on drums and two on vocals. I hope to do it again this year.
I will try to continue to get good grades. I choose the word “try” to sum up, because trying your best is important to me. My mother and father always tell me to do this. They also say, nothing worth doing is easy. Keep trying, never give up.
I hope the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan end this year. These are both senseless wars that have to stop. Nothing good can happen because of them. Too many people are dying.
Sometimes homework can keep me from practicing, if I have too much at night. But nothing else stops me, I love to play.
Dear Tr. Lacey,
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams for the New Year is to get good grades at Ics and change my behavior at home and school so I can get into less trouble. And if I put my mind to it I stick to my promises I made for myself.
Dear Tr. Lacey,
ReplyDeleteMa hopes and dreams for this year are to be a better brother to my older sister, get on the honor roll, and do more steps on my reading log. I fI could sum my hopes and dreams up in one word I would choose better. I would chhose that because I want to get better at all these things. What gets in my way of my goals are distractions. I hope to do at least 500 steps in total when the school year is over.
Dear Tr.Lacey,
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and derams for the year 2011 is to bethe best I can be,also my hopes and dreams is to finish the books that I start and to turn my work on time everyday.Another one of my hopes and dreams is to put my all into things when it comes to school.The one word that sums up my hopes and dreams is SCRAWL,the meanin of the word is to do more of everything that I can do this year instead of doing half of it,and because I cannever finish anything last year.Something I want to accomplish this year is the 100 book contest,so I prove to myself that I can finish a book that I started.
My hopes and this year is to try to get high honor roll and keep on getting high grades on math homework.If I could some my hopes and dreams in one word it would be confident.I choose confident because I'm confident I will still get good grades on homework and get high honor roll.What gets in my way of not accomplishing my goal is that might forget to bring in homework ornot getting all a's.Finally I hope to accomplish my high grades on homework.
ReplyDeleteDear Tr.Lacey,
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams for 2011 is to be nicer,to stop and think before I comment on anything,also to listen to my mom more often and teachers but she is my number 1 teacher in life. Also another dream is to win more than losing in softball, because softball is a big part in my life. I want that dream because when I win I get the confident speech from my coaches and family and also to know that I am becoming more mature in softball as I grow and not only in softball but also in my self I can see I am maturing more and more every day.
Sincerely,
KR
My hopes and dreams is to get all A's and B'on my report card so i can get into a good high school and to fix my attuide and when someone tell me to do some thing just do it without no comment or talking back
ReplyDeleteLove,Monae
Dear Tr.Lacey,
ReplyDeleteMy hopes and dreams for the year 2011 is to be more mature and positive. Also I want to get on high honors next trimester without pushing myself too far. One thing that might get my way of accomplishing my hopes anad dreams is somebody that doesnt think I can try to change or mature.
Sincerely Devonne
Dear Tr.Lacey,
ReplyDeleteMy Hopes and dreams are to become better SkateBoarder. I want to learn new tricks and get to meet more SkateBoarders that could help me learn the tricks.I also want to become a better soccer player I want to play with people who I've never played with before. Lastly I want to become more in tune when I am playing my violin. These are my hopes and dreams.
If I could sum up my hopes and dreams in one word it would be determined. It would be determined because I am determined to do something new with all of my hopes and dreams.Also I am determined to reach all of my hopes and dreams.Determine seems like the right word me because it seems like a focused word. That is why determine seems like the right word for my hopes and dreams.
What gets in my way of realizing my dream is time. I do not have lot of time for SkateBoarding because I usualy do not make time for myself. Also I do not have people who really know how to play soccer around my niegborhood. So I dont get better or meet new people. Nothing stands in my way of becoming a better violin player. These are keeping me from realizing my hopes and dreams this year.
I hope to accomplish becoming a better SkateBoarder. I will try to make time to skate when the snow clears up.Also I will try to brach out and meet new people and make friends that skateboard. I will try hard to figure out how to do new tricks.This what I will try hard to accomplish.