Casting a play

We just cast the spring musical, "High School Musical, Jr." by David Simpatico.  We had two days of auditions, two hours a piece, and we had over fifty students who auditioned.  What I realized through this process is that most kids these days don't know how to audition for a play or a show.  They don't read the directions about how to do it, so they come to the audition completely unprepared.  Well, let me teach you all how to prepare yourself for an audition for a musical.

First of all, check the website, and familiarize yourself with the music and story of the play.  Check out all the characters, and choose some that you think you might want to audition for.  If you can, watch a version of the show on youtube, and listen and study the songs from the show.  Prepare a song that you know will show your voice and will show the directors what you can do, range, emotions, preparation, diction, pitch, and expression.  Make sure you know the song cold before you go into the audition.  If it requires accompaniment, bring the score with you, or bring a karaoke accompaniment.  Study the "sides" if they are offered on-line.  If not, take a moment before you begin to read your part and study what is happening at that point in the play, and what your attitude and emotions need to be.  Smile, and sing confidently, and warm up before you go in, if you can, even in the bathroom for a few moments. 

When you are cast, be grateful that you were chosen among all the other people for that part.  Make a commitment to something bigger than yourself and your ego.  Every year many students are disappointed with the parts they get, and they up and quit before the first rehearsal.  In all the plays and shows I have been in in all these many years, I would never in a million years question the director's choices on casting their shows.  I don't know where this arrogance comes from, but I am unfamiliar with it, and it irks me and truly worries me for the next generation's possibilities for success in the world.  I am hoping someone reads this blog, and learns from this and thinks about the success of the whole production, instead of always about themselves. 

Last Day of School Before Christmas Vacation..another complaint

I am very annoyed at the amount of competition that has descended upon this school in the last few months.  The teachers have taken over "Spirit Week" for the week before Holiday Break, and all of a sudden it is one competition after another.  You are supposed to bring in a picture of yourself when you were a baby so the kids and teachers can guess who it is.  I have no baby pictures of me because I don't know what happened to them as my mother is gone.  I don't like this, it makes the teachers seem too familiar, and lacks professionalism.

 I don't like these other competitions either, the "best door decoration" is another one of the competitions.  Why isn't it enough for people to be happy in the season and to add some color and joy to their doors, instead of making it mine's better than yours and so forth.  I think this is contributing to the angst, anxiety, lack of compassion, anger, lack of a sense of community or caring towards others.

But the thing that has bothered me the most in the last few weeks is the fact that they have summarily done away with the Holiday Concert during the morning of the last day of school before Holiday break.  I am so sad about this, it has been such a tradition for years at this school.  Instead, there will be a "pie in the face" contest, and there will be some people running around in Grinch costumes, and there will be some loud yelling and screaming, in the name of "school culture".  This smacks of a lack of vision on the one hand and a lack of leadership on the other.  Does no one realize that the holidays should be sacred?  I am all for making school culture a priority, but it comes from an organic and quiet place, not a lot of people making jokes about "flash mobs" during the chorus songs.  Not appropriate, not funny, and really cruel. 

I remember fondly, and will for a long time coming, the days when the last day before the Christmas break began with advisories giving gifts to each other, and a team breakfast.  Then we listened to the Choral Singers from YHS as they strolled through the halls singing Christmas carols to all of us.  Right after that we all gathered in the gymnasium where the jazz band was first playing, then the choruses all sang a number a piece, and then the bands all played pieces.  We had the ugly sweater contest, and that was fun, but controlled.  We all went off to lunch and recesses after that, and in the afternoon we watched a quiet movie, or we decorated our gingerbread houses or we read stories about the holidays to the children as they dreamed of already being home for the holidays and playing with their siblings, and toys and making cookies to leave out for Santa Claus that night before Christmas.  Where are you Christmas?  Where did you go? Why have you stolen our tradition??

 This is how I feel, and I hope someone actually reads this and thinks about what they have done to destroy the last beautiful tradition that we had in this school.  Amen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7J3XG0ZRcdU

A Minor Frustration

I understand the importance of connecting curriculum to "real life".  I understand how essential it is that students become immersed and engaged in what you need them to do, and that if they are engaged they will be more successful in your class.  I get that, and I work really hard to make sure I have really amazing, varied ideas for curriculum, and I am always looking for ways to make what I do better. 

Here's what I am frustrated about.  I sang an old American folk song with the students last week, and we talked about the meaning of the song.  It is about two people who are somehow separated for whatever reason and can't be together anymore.  The person singing the song is really sad about the person who has left.  What I have them do is write a letter to a person that they have known that is no longer here, or that they rarely see, or who has died, or who they argued with and no longer talk to.

It seems to me that this is an organic, hands-on, life-affirming, real life assignment that will teach students how to communicate their feelings about one another.  All of a sudden, I have had several students ask me "Why are we doing this?"  I thought this was a music class?  Why are we writing in music class?  I am sorry, but it seems to me, you need to talk about music and write about music, and figure out how music relates to the outside world so that you can be a kinder, gentler, more compassionate, sensitive, strong, thoughtful person.  I am tired of swimming upstream in this particular case, and I am sick of being questioned at every turn.  I will leave you to think on this and to think about what Plate said about music:

Teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly, music, for the patterns and all the arts are the keys to learning. Plato.

I rest my case.

Grade F- A Tragedy

Grade F

A Tragedy

The scar. It burnt. Badly.

Ian woke up in a cold, cold, sweat. What was he supposed to be doing again? *sighs* “I guess I should take my 9:00 Injection,” Ian said. Ian pressed a button on a device implanted in his wrist and IT Made a hissing sound. He walked downstairs (Techno music plays as he looks out window at NYC in 2084.) “Morning Dad,” Ian said. “Morning, kiddo! Looks like Someone got up on the wrong side of the sleeping grid! What’s on your mind?” Dad asked. Dad worked for the earth’s government, so he wanted to get to work, as he might get a raise this week. “I’ve got to go, but i’ve got something for you for your birthday.” he said. They went into the back room and his dad gave him a package. When he opened it, it was a hoverboard! “Your grandfather made it when he was a kid, then passed it on to me. I’ve had it ever since, and figured it’s about time I give it to you”. Said dad. “Wow! Thank you so much, Dad!” exclaimed Ian. “alright, alright, i guess i need to go. See ya!” “See ya!”. “All right, I’m tired. Guess i’ll go back to bed.” Ian said, sounding worn out.

↠

Ian woke back up at 2:30 p.m. He pressed the button on his wrist again and got out of bed. He checked the time on his wrist. “Hey, I should meet jay after school. They get out in a half an hour.” He reminded himself. Ian walks to the door that  drops out into thousands of feet of thin air and jumps out, landing on his hoverboard. Starts singing “Beautiful new york”. IAn arrived at the school at 2:55, right before they let the kids out. “UH-OH” Ian murmured to himself. A stampede of kids bolts out the door, barely missing ian. “WOah! Screamed ian, yelling in surprise. THe last person out the door was jay, his best friend. He had no implants, brown hair with streaks of blonde and tanned, rough skin. He was wearing a worn shirt that said: “can’t touch this” with a picture of a guy doing a backflip. Ian was very surprised to see jay coming out the door last, as he usually was the first one gone, beating everyone out with his extremely fast running speed due to all of the exercise he got running around his block every morning. “Hey Jay. What’s up?” Ian asked. “Nothing...” he replied. “Dude, you’re a really bad liar. WHat happened? DId you get detention or something?” Ian questioned. “NO...I...I...my dad… got demoted to grade D.” jay said. “OH my… I’m so sorry.” mumbled Ian, almost speechless. He couldn’t believe this was happening. He felt light-headed. “Dude, are you ok?” asked Jay. Ian could barely hear anything though. Everything started blurring together. It was nausea, unconsciousness and a coma combined. The last thing ian remembered hearing was jay scream and feeling himself hit the ground. Hard.

↠

Ian woke up again at 3:01 in the morning, lying in his bed. HE was trying to remember something, but he still felt a little bit off.  He thought he remembered something about a rat bite in grade D and someone… That’s it! IT was Jay! Jay was the one who was bitten by the rat in grade D! And… and… oh no. How long had he been asleep? He checked his wrist… 3 days later?! And jay was in… grade F. (Solo: my best friend is probably dead!). Ian decided this wouldn’t stand. He couldn’t put up with this any longer. Throwing his leather jacket and jeans, he stepped out of his bedroom, Tiptoed down the stairs quietly, and left his apartment through the window, flying into the night air, making a beeline towards central tower, the tallest building in the world, where his dad worked. After a few minutes, ian arrived at the ground floor in which he talked to the secretary, (having known her well), and walked into the elevator leading to the top floor 600 miles up, which housed the main reactor, the power source for everything government operated. The doors opened and ian stepped out, walking into the penthouse meeting room. Barging in, Ian shouted at the top of his lungs, over anything else: ”This ends NOw!” feeling surreal. Things were becoming pixelated. He fingered his grandfather’s supercharged quantum grenade, the last thing he made before he was killed and gave to ian to finish what he started and end this once and for all. Ian was getting light-headed again. He couldn’t feel his arms, his feet, his brain, but it didn’t matter anymore. This would end with him and the generator. He didn’t care about the guards behind him. He didn’t care about his implant dose warning. He didn’t care about himself. He would end this for the people captured by the government. the mindless drones who were forced to slave their lives away to stay alive. But most of all he would end tis for jay. Ian broke the glass. He threw himself forward. He pushed in the bomb and pulled the pin. And then, There was a flash of light.

↠

Some people said that the 13 year-old who saved the world was a vigilante. A lay around playboy. An implanted, gifted lucky child. But he was so much more. He was passionate. He had a cause worth fighting for. He knew what he wanted, and he wanted it badly. He strived for it. He worked for it. But most of all, over everything else, Ian polaski did it for everyone else who didn’t have a voice. Ian was the voice for the voiceless, and he died to earn that title.

Yet Another Opera Story for your Amusement and Enjoyment before the Thanksgiving Holiday!!

Once, there was a forest full of plants and animals. They all lived peacefully and safely in the protection of the forest until, one day, a storm hit.  During the storm, trees fell causing birds to fly from their nests and  animals scurrying out of their dens and caves. The winds traveled to desserts,  fields,  oceans and valleys and all the animals were driven out except for one.

A small brown feathered chick slowly opens its eye and find itself lying on a beach. It slowly stands up looking around confused. The land is somehow gone looking dull and lifeless. The chick walked  sloppily and slowly, one foot after the other. The chick let out a small chirp, there is no answer. It chirps louder then, again and agian and agian but there is still no answer.

The chick gathers sticks and a big leaf.  Then, the chick, ties the sticks together in a square like shape with one left over stick in the middle. The chick then ties a leaf onto the square to make a raft.  Then pushes it to the edge of the water and happily hops on and pushes off sailing out into the sea. After many days and nights, the chick comes across an island and it docks it’s boat there.

The chick begins to explore the Island. It  was a large rain forest with no animals in sight as the chick continued deeper into the forest. The chick comes across a small cave. It peaks in, carefully.  The chick is startled by  a deer like animal with bright green fur. The chick hesitates but then proceeds into the cave with a small, ‘hello?’. The deer creature turns around and meets the chick’s eyes. It’s eyes are  black and glossy .

The creature replies, ‘ who are you? And what are you?’

The chick looks down at its self realizing it was un sure of who it was and most of all what it was. So the chick replied with,

‘I am a um I uh’,  the chick thought and said ‘I am a bat’

…….’A bat? what’s that?’ said the deer like creature.

‘Well, I do not know’ said the chick.

‘You must have a name’, said the creature.

‘Um, no’,  replied the chick.

‘Oh’, said the creature, disappointed.

‘Well my name is Fern’,  said the green creature. ‘Is there anything I can do while you're here in my cave? and if there isn't … please, get out!’,  said the green creature softly .

The chick replied, ‘I am lost and alone. I have no friends or family left, because a storm hit my home’  said the chick sadly.

Oh dear,you can stay here for the night if you would like and I can bring you to the village in the morning,¨ Furn replied kindly

¨oh yes!”said the chick happily.

The next morning Furn gently nudged the chick and said

¨wake up we need to get to the village¨the two step outside.the chick stood in amazement now seeing that the cave was on a cliff looking over a village made of green,

They hurry down the stone steps on the side of the cliff to the village as many animals came running towards them as Furn push the aside and started to speak

¨now everyone this is um uh a bat …………..¨

¨No! that´s not a bat said a small creature with a bushy tail it´s um that stuff you use for cooking,mamma you know what it is! The black and brown speckled stuff!

You mean pepper darling,said a bigger version of the small one

Yeah!

WE SHALL CALL IT PEPPER said Furn loudly.all the animals whispered in excitement .

Very well,everyone to the atatorim[song]come on letś  go the animals make a path through the crowd,ah ha here is one said Furn you can stay here she opened the door revealing a small bed and night stand with a stove.well that's that said Furn as she turned and left shutting the door behind her.Pepper sat on the bed bored then started to look around in the nightstand drawer he found a small leather bag and a rope along with an apple.Night came and all the animals went to sleep,

Pepper woke up to the sound of screams from the animals she ran to the door and opened the door their towering over the village was a giant black spider  it ran towards the creature with the bushy tail Pepper had seen

yesterday, and picked up the small animal  in its teeth and ran Pepper bust out the door running towards the lion and jumped and with that jump it flew all the way on top of the lions head to the lions surprise he dropped the small animal  as the mother came running to catch her,Pepper jumped off as the lion ran into the woods.the big creature thanked Pepper, and the smaller one jumped with excitement,

oh by the way said the big creature with a bushy tail,my name is lavender and this is mozart.As evening came all the animals came together to celebrate Pepper.

Just then a giant comes through the door holding a cake and shouts ¨YOUR A WIZARD HARRY,oh sorry wrong house uh yeah uh I waz neva tere um bye¨

All the animals could hear was crickets until Pepper finally asked who was that?

Oh that was just hagrid don´t worry he won’t eat you but the other giants will,said furn crazy things happen in the forbidden forest……………..

7/11

9/11 in an alternate universe..an opera plot by Nick..check it out..I cannot believe this young man is only in the 6th grade! Way to go!

7/11

This story is based on 9/11 but this time it is in a different universe.

John lump has always been crazy, people say it was because of his dad drinking all the time.Or his best friend dying in a floating car accident.  Anyway ever since he has been an unpredictable crazy maniac.

George

My name George Gorge I am 16, and  I  have lived in a weird old foster home  since I was three because my parent ran away  from home.I have only had one best friend in my whole entire life 4 years ago, and his life was just like  mine, But the only thing was that he couldn’t deal with it. Eventually he began to have depression. And just a few years later His foster family took a trip to California. But it turns out they were moving. I heard from Greg again just a few months ago he sounded like he had it all figured out.But ever since I moved to six schools because of bullying, and my parents are crooks because the are low on money and food.

Well that was George, Now Benjamin.

Benjamin

Hello my name is Benjamin I am 15, and lived all around the world with my wonderful parents.I am currently living in the city that never sleeps New York. I have heard from the grapevine that someone is on the loose and has killed over 15 and injured 50 people in the notsob marathon because of a landmine.   Anyways my father has a big meeting at the Leemond Brothers.It could be a big break for him, and we might actually stay here for a while.But the only bad thing is I have to go to this dump school called staten island tech. I have already had one day and I  am teaching the the teacher. At least my birthday is coming soon and if I don’t get the black, white and glossy pink lamborghini my life is over.

Now John Lump

John Lump

Hi my name is John lump,I am am a perfectly good guy.And  wasn’t me who planted the landmine there it was Tom Trump I swear. Just so everyone knows I  pay my monthly mortgage I pay my taxes. I am an ordinary 37 old guy. But Tom Trump, he  bombed notsob because he was weak  he had nothing and nobody. He was a nobody.  But then he soon came to regret it.He felt bad bad about his mistakes. And feels like a new person with a bigger and better heart.Or that is what he wants you think!

Storytime

John lump. now everyone thinks tom  trump did it and they have no idea what is coming next ha ha ha ha .

Benjamin. The second day of school was worse than the first.But something  did come up in the news that Tom Trump did it and not John lump. I don’t care about that nonsense.

George.Apparently there is a new kid that is smarter than the teacher.I saw him in the hall today but he looked like he had a bad day and needed a break.

The next day

John lump

My plan is set tonight  I am going to be a employee at one niwt towers. Place the explosive in the lab room,bank,  and  cafeteria. And  at 1:43 it will go boom boom right into leemond brothers.

Benjamin

Today is the day my dad  has the biggest meeting of his life and Tom Trump can’t do anything about it because he is in jail. I feel like today is a good day I got put into  college classes  for every single subject. Let's hope I don’t have to teach the teacher again.

George

Today at school I ran  into Benjamin and today he had a smile on his face.so I said hello. He said back back in a joyful tone.

“ where are you next block” I said

“Chemistry” he answered

“wait we do not have a chemistry” I said

“I know I hop on a train with a few others to Columbia University”

“Wow you must be very smart”

“Affirmative” he said back

“Well have a great day”I said while walking away

`I walked it to the door that said language arts and sat down to the chair that was closest to the door.

Benjamin

I believe i just made my first friend his name is george, A raggy old fellow I might add but nice.I thought about this on the train and if  my father was getting ready for his meeting . i told him to reschedule for 1:30  Am so  I can see him for a few hours until he has to go to his meeting. The meeting will probably last 15 minutes.

John lump

5 minutes to the explosion and  I am am getting worried. There is  a couple  thoughts coming in my head like what will be the consequence or what did those innocent people do to me and why did I have kill them.Butterflies start to flutter in my stomach. I don’t think I deal with all of this pressure it is off.

Beniganim

My dad just left for the meeting and I hope nothing bad happens to him when he is 13 minutes into the meeting.I asked george if he wanted to come pick up my dad when he is done.

George

The new kid ben  just asked if I wanted to come pick his dad up at this meeting which is odd because that isn’t really fun, but what would I know I haven't had any friends in years.

Benjamin

“Great what a parking spot right in front of the niwt towers” I said

“ ya I guess” george replied

Then what followed was a trail of awkward silence, But the BOOm! The cops were there in seconds.

“The left tower  is heading toward where my dad’s meeting is held” I said calmly

“ why are you not freaking out   your dad could die!”george said  crazily

“I don’t know maybe because he never listens to me or doesn’t pay attention to me” I said back

“ wait did- did you do this”george said scared.

“Why yes, yes  I did”I said back.

“Why would you do that,”George said

“Because he never wanted me, I have been on one side of   house for all of my life so he doesn’t have to see me, talk to me , and listen to me. He even played a butler to dad things like go to soccer games or just have fun”I said sadly.

“ But that doesn’t give you a reason to kill the man, I mean you're lucky that even have a dad at all” George returned.

“You are right, what am I doing.I just killed my father,”I said sobbing

“And you are going to have to live with, But you can still be a great man,” george said kindly

“ wow you really are a great friend, goodbye George gorge forever”he said strongly when it really hurt. I opened the door, put my hands behind my head and told a policeman every thing.I got into the car.And lived life as a strong man in prison.

The Magic Part of Life

This opera story really shows an understanding of the idea of conflict, rising action, climax and resolution.  Thank you Summer!

The Magic Part of Life

It was Alice’s last day of school. It was probably the worst one yet. Her parents got divorced the week before. Her house was a train wreak. With 2 older brothers, it was hard to control the house. Alice’s mom had a hard time getting food on the table for 3 kids. It was time for her to get a new husband. She was talking to Alice when she brought it up.

She said that her working was hard enough, but with 3 kids, she’s in trouble. It was up to Alice and her brothers to find her mom the perfect husband.

She went and told her brothers the news. They were happy for their mom, but it was going to be hard to find the perfect match. They put their mother on as many dating sites as they could. In the next 20 minutes, they had at least 10 people from each site asking if she wanted to go on a date. They started cheering.

They made appointments to fool their mom it was to see a doctor she liked. She believed it and they wheeled her to the taxi.

When they got there, there was a handsome grown man with big muscles you could see through his shirt. He looked nice and caring. He had a big smile with clean, white teeth. He brought flowers and chocolate. We kissed mom goodbye and headed into the taxi.

When we got home, we all high fived each other. The boys were so excited.

We were in bed by 8:30. I couldn’t fall asleep. I was up when mom got home. She came to check on me and I pretended to sleep. I was sleeping by 11:30.

In the morning, we asked my mom how it went. She said it wasn’t as she expected. She also said he was flirting with her, a lot. But she liked him a lot, too. I could tell. I mean, I’m her daughter. We told her that if she wanted to try to find a better doctor. She said sure.

We went into my room and ran to the computer. We looked and saw that 25 other guys wanted to date her. They all were excited. They saw so many other guys that lived in like 15 other countries. We said no to all of them. Then, Bradley pointed to a guy. We were all happy with his choice.

We texted back saying that our mom wanted to go on a date with him.

He said great. What day.

We told him next week on Tuesday.

He replied ok sounds good.

Mom called up to us saying if you want dessert come now.

Downstairs we ate as fast as a cheetah could run. After we were done eating, we told mom we found an awesome doctor.

She said great. When can I meet him?

Next week on Tuesday. We replied.

Ok!

On Monday, we went shopping!! I got a couple of shirts and jeans. My mom got this fancy dress. I asked her why she got it. She just told me she was going on a date after we got back. I didn’t know what to say. She’s going on an actual date! I couldn’t wait to tell my brothers, but then I noticed that she will fall in love with all those guys.

After we got home, I went and told my brothers that we had to cancel the other dates. They agreed. We cancel all the other dates. We just need our mom to be happy.

She got back at like 11ish. I stayed up all night until she got home. I was exhausted the next morning. I got up early too. I asked how it went. She said it was the best time she’d ever had. I felt good for her.

My brothers woke up and mom made us eggs and bacon. Then she asked us when her appointment was. We forgot to tell her! My brothers looked at me wide eyed. I have to tell her. You appointment got canceled mom, I said. Ok good cause I’ve got another date today. Al is taking me out to dinner.

I was so glad we canceled the dates. I think my brothers were too. I was talking to them in my room and Bradley told me that he didn’t want a new dad. He was upset. I thought they would be happy. Todd said the same thing. I told them why they got divorced and they were devastated. My parents didn’t get divorced, my dad died. It was a hard to tell them.

I left my room afterwards. I went down to mom and told her to have fun on her date. I also asked her if I can go to the neighbors house. Meredith hasn’t been to our house in awhile. I think she was at camp for the last couple of weeks. I hope she’s back. I really need to talk to her.

I run over to her house as fast as I could run and rung the doorbell. Please be there, please be there, I was thinking to myself. The door opened with Meredith’s mom right in front of me. She was talking to me for a long time. I finally said is Meredith home? Meredith’s mom said she’s in her room. I run up the stairs, into Meredith’s room with her sitting in her nice and comfy chair, reading a book. I told her about what has happened. How my mom decided to start dating again. And how I told my brothers about my parents.

The good part about neighbors is that they keep secrets.

A couple months later…

My mom and this Al guy has been dating for 12 months, A WHOLE YEAR! I’m glad that they have, but my family is different. My brothers aren’t as loud as they used to and my mom is so calm. When we met Al, he was a nice dude. Then when he started becoming family, we hated him. He was screaming at us all the time. When we do something bad, I probably don’t want to tell you… We all want him out. This month has been the worst month ever. Al asked my mom to marry her! That’s crazy. I really don’t want him in our house. The marriage is in six months. This is so not fair! We don’t even have a say. I have to go wedding dress shopping now. I’m excited to go there, but not for the marriage. I want my mom to marry someone different. We tried now all we can do is try to be happy, for mom.

At the wedding…

We look everywhere and see people and more people. I am starting to like Al just a little bit. But I will never call him dad. That’s the thing. When people get married, the kid can choose what they say about the second mom or dad, They could say there name or say mom or dad. The ceremony is going on right now and I’m the flower girl. I can’t even walk I’m so tired. My mom took me out last night and we didn’t get back till midnight. When I get to my spot next to where my mom will stand, I can’t watch. I need to tell her. When she gets to her spot, i tell her. I go up to her ear and say, Please don’t marry him. He’s so mean to us. He curses at us. Please I say Please. Mom turns to look at us and when they say I do, she says I don’t. And stands up for us she says no and that means go away and don’t talk to my kid like that ever again. That was my real mom.

New Opera Story

YES! It is that time again, our stories that could be operas are coming in fast and furiously.  Here is one for the books!!

There is a boy who is twelve years old.  His name is Duke, and he lives with his parents in California.  HIs parents names are Mr. and Mrs Cody.  Mrs. Cody is a school teacher for eighth grade and Mr. Cody is a lawyer in Sacramento.  Mr. Cody is working on a big case.  He won the case and the person went to jail.  Twelve years later, he escaped from  jail and targeted Mr. Cody’s family.  He was at work, and a got a phone call and it was heavy breathing on the phone.  Mrs. Cody picked up the phone, the next night and the criminal also said nothing, but scared her.  

The next afternoon  Duke was walking home from school and he had a bad feeling someone was watching him and waiting for him, and he started running home from school.  When he came through the door Mrs. Cody asked Duke why are you panting? He said, “It feels like someone was following me and I got scared.”  Later on in the afternoon, Mr. Cody came home from work and they turned on the television.  On the news, it said that this criminal, whose name by the way was Rocky, had escaped from jail, and left a note in his cell saying, “I’m gonna get that prosecutor!”

Mr and Mrs. Cody started to put the pieces of this puzzle together, and then in the middle of the night, the doorbell rang and Mr Cody was woken up and he ran downstairs to answer it.  At the door was Rocky.  He pulled out a gun and shot Mr. Cody.  She heard the gunshot and rushed to Duke’s room and told him to run out the back door to the neighbor’s house and call 911.  Duke goes to the neighbors and calls 911, but by then it was too late…

“That’s all I remember from that night, but I am fourteen now and I must move on.”  he said.  He is now in a group foster home, an orphanage, but he has had some problems there.  Other kids have been bullying him, like Robert, Joseph and Ted.  He is working on an escape plan and studying all the doors and the guards and how they work together with timing.  At seven pm, the doors lock, and if you touch the doors or the windows there will be an alarm that goes off.  But Duke got around all the guards and locks and alarms.  One night, in the middle of the night, he finally escaped and ran into the woods and found a shed that looked abandoned with a beat up bed but what a miracle, there was a basketball hoop!  For the past year he has been practicing basketball with this old hoop.  It turns out, he is really talented.  By then he is fifteen, and he is entering street tournaments.  He shows his stuff in these tournaments and his skills.  

Since he was ten he was a hard worker and always helped around the yard. When he was fifteen he found a landscaping job where he could make a lot of money. With his money he joined a basketball league for sixteen and seventeen year olds which he had to try out for. He made the team because they thought he was so good. When he was playing he broke records for the league and he was the youngest on the team.  For the next couple of years he just better and better and broke even more records. His team was in the championship game and he got a buzzer beater to win the championship. After the game, his coach got a call from the Golden State Warriors head coach.

He said, “ I want an interview with one of your players.”

The coach said, “ which one?”

The Warriors coach said, “I want an interview with your player, Duke.”

Duke agreed to interview with the coach. During the interview the coach said, “You can’t be on the team yet because you are only seventeen, but next year, when you are eighteen you can try out for the team.  

During the next year he was working hard to make the team.  He couldn’t wait until he was eighteen and finally he was. He called up the Warriors coach and asked when tryouts were. He told him in a week. He did his tryouts and the coach said, “I’ll give you a call.”

Days have passed and he still hasn’t got a call. At that moment he did get the call and the coach said he made the team.  He had many years of success in the NBA and in all those games he was thinking about his mom and dad.

Good Questions and good answers for The Magic Flute

It is that time again, we have many questions and answers about the Magic Flute, and I would like to share some of them again as my blog entry for this week.
Question #1:

Why did the Queen send her daughter to                             murder Sarastro instead of doing it herself?

Answer #1:

I believe that the Queen sent her daughter to murder Sarastro because the Queen doesn’t care as much about her daughter’s fate as she does her own. I also think this because if the queen was sent to Jail she wouldn’t be queen anymore and a Queen is more important than a princess.

Question #2: 

What is the climax of the story?

I believe that the climax of the story is when the Queen gives Pamina, her daughter, a dagger and tells her to kill Sarastro. I think this because there are a few events leading up to this moment like when they say that Sarastro has enslaved Pamina. Also, There is part of a resolution afterwards solving the problem at hand. This shows up when Pamina decides that she won’t kill Sarastro and Sarastro says he won’t retaliate or punish her mother.

Question #3
What Was the Problem in the Story?

The problem of the story is that Pamino has been captured and that Tamino and Papageno have to go through  tests to see if they were worthy enough of the princess's love.

Question #4
What Was the Resolution in the story?

The resolution was that Tamino and Papageno passed the tests, Papageno and Papagena start making Family plans, and The Queens ends up in a dark hole.

#5

Is it Right for The queen to promise marriage for her daughter without Pamina’s approval.

I would say that is not right to promise marriage for anyone other than yourself. I think this because you are supposed to marry someone because you love them not because they look pretty in a picture. Also, Pamina might not want to marry Tamino, but her mom already told him that they would get married.

#6

Was it right for the Queen to have Pamino do her dirty work?

I believe that it isn’t right because Pamino is a nice and young girl who doesn’t want to disobey her mother, but also knows that Sarastro didn’t do anything to deserve to be slaughtered. This put Pamino in a bad position as she felt that it would be wrong to kill a good man.

#7

Why would Pamina care so much about her mother when she, The Queen of Darkness, is so evil and mean?

Pamina most likely cares for her mother because her mother raised her as a child and she has spent so much time around her.

#8 Was Pamina unhappy when she was with Sarastro.

I believe that Pamina was actually happy when she was with Sarastro because he was a fatherly figure towards her. Also, Sarastro was no trying to kidnap her, he was trying to give her a better life, after all he is a resemblance of peace.

		#9: Was the Evil Queen Deserving of her punishment?

I feel that the Queen was deserving of her punishment because she was unkind to her slaves/laborers and she was too hard on her daughter.

#10) Did the ending bring closure?

I feel that the ending brings the listener or reader closer because the Queen gets what she deserves and the people that went through hardships had something good happen to them.