Mrs.Tanikawa is out sick and they have asked me to step in as principal for the day. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I would love to be a part of. I understand she has a very difficult job however, here are some of the challenges I would tackle. As the principal, I would first reward students with PBIS points that are representing a great student body such as the three R’s “ Respect, Responsibility and results.” I say this because, we have an amazing system that is already built and working for us but some teachers forget and don’t use it as often. Secondly, I would negotiate with the PTA to take into consideration an outdoor elective class in gardening. This elective will teach you to examine concepts in healthy and organic food, plant identification, and landscaping tools. In addition, this class will help by adding a touch of greenery around the school. Overall, I think this elective will help students to participate and appreciate our school. Thirdly and fourthly, I would request our district office to add more lunch tables around the 7th and 8th grade areas. I indicate this because every day I see many groups running to the lunch tables and arguing over a table. In addition, I see many 7th graders having to either sit on the concrete or go to the 6th-grade area which is not designated for them. Additionally, I would negotiate for a study nook that has nice lounges, tables, charging stations and best of all shade from the sun. This study nook will be open any time during school hours. I think that this project will be very successful because during lunch I observe that many students do homework, so this will not only upgrade our school but will help many students succeed with their education. Last but not least for students who are failing, I would provide a mandatory everyday before or after-school tutoring program for those groups of students. As, a result this will help the students succeed in school, will help our wonderful teachers working hard to help them and also this will raise our school’s rating in academic progress. 

Hi, my name is Charlie, I have a twin sister named Dixie and we are the dancing D’Amelio. The story I’m about to tell you will blow ur mind. It was just another day in the life of a social media influencer, I woke my sister up, we got changed, and decided that we were fed up and just needed a break from all the media drama. Dixie, we are leaving. “Where,” she said, “Somewhere” I replied back, but first lets go on our daily Dunkin’. Once we were done getting our drinks, we drove home as fast as we could to grab our adventure essentials. Me and my sister packed many things such as our phones, a tripod, and food/water. As we were jogging we caught up on many things, these few moments filled me with joy. We were talking so much that we did not notice we entered a forest with a beautiful river. My sister asked me, “Charlie do u wanna take a TikTok in the river over there?” I replied with an exciting “Yes.” The dance we chose was the Renegade. It felt like we danced forever and more importantly, we had so much fun along the way! It all felt surreal and I wonder why we haven’t gotten away as often as we should. I and my sister learned that it’s sometimes good to take a break to refresh our mind from the crazy world of TikTok.

In November, I read the book Top Story By Kelly Yang. Top Story is a realistic fiction book about a young girl named Mia Tang and how she went through challenges in her daily life at the Tribune writing camp located in Chinatown, San Francisco. It is filled with a rich history and hilarious aunties and uncles. Throughout the book, she experiences many challenges. One of these challenges is that Mia’s camp is full of older kids, who all seem to have famous relatives, fancy laptops, and significant connections. Can she compete with just her pen and her passion? In addition, she is developing a giant crush on her friend Jason. Will she have the guts to tell him, or will she be too scared and hide? Even though she goes through many challenges, she perseveres through them. Even for the best writers, it’s not that easy to find the right words. But if anyone can write a Top Story, it’s Mia Tang.

I enjoyed the book as the characters felt real. Mia had realistic struggles that not only made me connect with the story but also helped me engage with it, making me read more and want to find out what happens next. Not only that, but Kelly Yang did a phenomenal job describing Mia’s feelings, whether she is happy or sad. The characters change throughout the story, and Kelly Yang does an excellent job portraying their changes.

Mia was my favorite character, and I say this because she was determined and hardworking. Mia grew as a character in many ways. Even though Mia has always been determined in her previous books, she shined in this book. One example is since she is the youngest in her camp, all the teachers look down on her. Their actions force Mia to work harder and impress them to make a name for herself. In addition, this shows she is being determined. Another way I love Mia is from a quote on page 278, where she states, “Work hard, play hard, and always know your worth. This quote means never to give up and always know who you are.

My favorite quote from the book is on page 291. Mia States, ” It wasn’t the tools that mattered. It was my courage and character. ” I like this quote because she stays positive at the tribune camp. She may not have a fancy laptop, famous people in her family, or connections, but she is resilient and has a kind heart that will get her through anything in life. Also, this is a compelling way to end the story because she looks back and sees how far she has gotten without any help and just a pen and her passion.