NJ ASK paragraph

     This year in school we prepared for the NJASK for a long time. This really paid off during the NJASK. I thought it was a lot easier than last year, especially on the English portion of the test. Last year, I wasn't sure if I was writing well or not. But this year, I found it a lot more simple to write an essay. I also knew more about writing an open-ended. Last year, my teacher did not teach us how to write one. I used to just write only and few sentences, like two or three. Now, I write an entire page. For persuasive essays, I learned how to add a statistic and a counterargument. I used to leave those two things out, but now I make sure I don't. During school I practiced reading a passage and answering multiple choice questions. The passage came along with an open-ended, too. This prepared me for what the test was going to be like. In conclusion, the practice that we did before the NJASK was very helpful. It made me feel familar with the test, and ensured that the NJASK was easy.

Jessica and Danny's Surprise

Jessica and her younger brother Danny sat on their living room couch watching TV.  They were trying to think of a good way to surprise their mom for her birthday.

“We have to think of something. Mom’s birthday is tomorrow!” Jessica said.

“Maybe we could buy Mom those earrings she wanted at the store,” suggested Danny. “Or the necklace she liked.”

“We can’t afford the necklace or the earrings,” Jessica pointed out. “And we gave her jewelry last year.”.

“What about baking Mom a cake? She’ll never suspect that we’d do that.” Danny said.

Jessica liked that idea. “That’s a good idea! And we have cake mix in the cabinet, too!” she exclaimed.

The next day Jessica and Danny walked home from school as quickly as possible. .

          “I’m happy we thought of something to do for Mom,” said Danny. “By the way, you know how to make a cake, right?”

          “Of course I do,” answered Jessica. “As long as we have all the ingredients, it’s easy.”

“We have to hurry,” said Danny. “Mom’s going to come home from work soon.”

“You’re right. Go get out a pot and the cake mix.” demanded Jessica.

Danny looked a little annoyed, but he did what he was told. 

Jessica glanced at the directions on the back of the package. She took out the vegetable oil and the measuring cup.  Danny took the measuring cup and filled it with water.

         

          “And the last ingredient is eggs,” said Jessica. “I’ll go get them.”

          Jessica looked in the refrigerator.

          “Danny, I don’t think we have any eggs in here!”

          “Are you sure?” he answered. “You said we had everything we needed!”

          “Wait, didn’t Mom make a cake for Grandpa for his anniversary last week?” remembered Jessica.

          “Yeah, she did! Now what do we do?” asked Danny.

          “I’ll call Grandma,” Jessica said. “She can help us.”

         

Jessica and Danny called their grandparents but there was no answer.

          “The only one else to call is Aunt Emily.” said Danny.

Aunt Emily lived near them, and usually helped them with their problems.

“We can just walk to her house. It will take too long to call.” Jessica said as she walked out the door.

When arriving at Aunt Emily’s house, Jessica and Danny quickly explained the story about how they ran out of ingredients.

          “Yes, I have eggs and I can help you,” Aunt Emily replied. “I’ll give you a ride home so it takes you quicker to finish the cake.”

          When they arrived at their house Jessica and Danny were relieved when they didn’t see Mom’s car parked outside.

          Aunt Emily gave Jessica the eggs.

          “Thanks, Aunt Emily!” they replied in unison.

          Aunt Emily drove away and Jessica and Danny ran inside. Danny cracked the eggs and stirred up the cake mix. Finally, they put the cake in the oven.

          Suddenly, they heard the door open.

          “I’m home!” Mom called. “Why is it so hot in here? Is something in the oven?”

After hesitating, Jessica and Danny quickly explained what had happened.

          “Thank you for wanting to surprise me,” said Mom.

          “It’s not really a surprise anymore,” Danny pointed out.

          “But we still have the cake, and it will be done soon,” said Jessica.

          Soon the cake was done, and Mom liked her cake even though  it hadn’t been a surprise.

     When being persistent, many lessons can be learned. The Japanese proverb "Fall down seven times, stand up eight." demonstrates this concept. No matter how many timees you have failed, you should try to achieve your goal again. Many opportunities will be presented to you if you are determined to achieve your goal.
     As a six year old, it was very difficult for me to learn how to ride my bicycle. It seemed like my parents were trying to teach me forever. Although it wasn't that fun learning to ride a bike, I always insisted on practicing for hours. After several months, I was riding my bike well, and all of the time I put into riding my bike had paid off. This practice not only resulted in me being able to ride a bicycle, it also taught me the value of being persistent. Now I realize that was the most important lesson that I had learned. Persistance doesn't just apply when learning a skill, it also is essential in society.
     Sending a man to the moon has always been a major accomplishment. However, it wasn't as easy as it seems to be. Sending someone to the moon took a lot of persistance. It took over 50 attempts, and many years to accomplish. Finally, NASA declared they would put someone on the moon by 1970. By July of 1970, this goal was reached. When achieving one's goal, persistance is always needed.
     According to Napoleon Bonaparte, "Impossible is a word only to be found in the dictionary of fools." With determination and when thinking positive, nothing is impossible. Whether it is learning to ride a bike, or sending someone to the moon, it can be accomplished.  In conclusion, with persistence, anything can be achieved.

No Homework

    Over the years, homework has been quite a debatable topic with children and teachers. Recently, there has been a proposal made by the Edison Board of Education enforcing no homework for student K-12. This is indeed a wise decision, it's advantages outweighing it negatives. It is in the favorable decision of the Edison students to not be required to have homework because it provides them more time to be outside, homework is too time-consuming, and is unhealthy.
    Adults often complain when their children spend too much time indoors. This will not be a problem if the no-homework policy is enforced. Studies show that when students have less homework, they are more likely to be outdoors. Too much time indoors is more of a problem in the winter when it gets dark out earlier. When students have homework, it takes most students about an hour to do. When it darker earlier, it is too late to go outside. Opponents of no homework claim students will spend more time playing video games, rather than going outside. Fortunately, studies show the majority students will spend time outside when it's a nice day. If the policy of no homework is used, it will be a decrease in students who stay inside on nice  days.
     Most families rush to get everything done after school. If students do not have homework after school, it will save families a lot of time. Since most students balance school as well extracirricular activities, parents have to rush to get them to the place they are supposed to be. If the students don't have homework, it will save them the time it takes to get ready, too. The opposition will claim that students will still be rushing without homework. However, there will be a noticeably longer time period between school and activities, and that will cause less rushing. Time will not be an issue if there is no homework.
     In society, health is also a large issue. Many students are tired in the morning because they go to bed too late. This issue is often caused by homework. When students have a large amount of homework, they tend to procratinate and do it last at the latest possible time. This causes stress and anxiety in students. If there is no homework, these issues will be elliminated. Opponents of this policy claim that students stay up late for other reason- not homework. Yet studies show the most popular reason why students stay up late in fact is homework. Health issues that include students being tired will be excluded if the no homework policy is confirmed.
      It's in the best interest of the students to enforce the no-homework policy. Because this policy causes students to be outside more and provides more time after school, it has many beneficial outcomes. Also, homework causes health issues. In conclusion, having a no-homework policy can ensure students have time to participate in activities after school without homework occupying all of their free-time.

FCAs Lauren Cassella
1.Supporting details March 31, 2011
2.Parallel structure English 6-1
3.Sophisticated vocabulary School Uniforms



Dear Superintendent DiMuzio:

“When we lose the right to be different, we lose the privilege to be free.” (Charles Evan Hughes) Freedom should be valued, for it is a big privilege. Currently, many schools require students K-12 to wear school uniforms. The Board of Education is considering making uniforms mandatory for all students. If passed, they will be necessary for the upcoming school year. The outcome of requiring school uniforms has many disadvantages. It is in the favorable choice of the school board to not be required to wear school uniforms because they are expensive, students won’t be able to express themselves through clothing, and they do not make schools any safer than they currently are.
On the surface, buying only a few uniform seems less costly. However, students will want to keep up with the latest trends outside of school. After school ends, they will immediately change into typical clothes. Typical clothes are also for other days, such as weekends, so parents will actually be buying their children two sets of clothes to wear. School uniforms are more expensive because they are more elaborate than ordinary clothes. Advocates of school uniforms claim that since students are wearing uniforms to school, they won’t need many other clothes. Yet for in the summer, and for extracurricular activities, students will need other apparel as well.
When students have the privilege to dress in the clothes of their choice, they feel more motivated to learn because of their self-image. Students dressing in the clothes they choose to is an outlet to creativity. Proponents of school uniforms claim children’s style is too distracting. Yet self expression teaches creativity to the students. When students are able to express themselves, it makes learning less difficult. Dressing as they choose to also gets students used to making their own decisions, which prepares them for adulthood. Being allowed to choose which clothing to wear helps foster creativity and decision-making.
The lack of uniforms doesn’t have to jeopardize safety. In fact, casual clothing can be just as safe as uniforms. Schools can still have rules and restrictions, even though school uniforms aren’t mandatory. For example, to prevent intruders, schools can provide student IDs. This will ensure that each students belongs to the school they are attending. Schools can also create a policy that excludes baggy clothing or any apparel that is inappropriate for school. People who prefer school uniforms claim that intruders can easily blend in to the school they are trespassing when every student is wearing something different. Unfortunately, no studies prove school uniforms reduce the crime rate in schools. Restricting children’s choice of clothing is no the only way to ensure safety in a school setting.
The result of uniforms becoming mandatory has its shortcomings. The lack of them due to their exorbitant price will save student’s families money. Wearing casual or ordinary clothes to school also promotes self-expression and creativity. Lastly, school uniforms don’t make schools any safer than they already are. Requiring school uniforms would not be a wise decision and shouldn’t be enforced due to the economic impact as well many other disadvantages which will affect our society.
Sincerely,
Lauren Cassella

 Boardroom Essay

Did you know the average American consumes 50 pounds of cookies each year? Clearly, cookies, along with other snacks, are an important part of a typical day. The Automatic Snack Machine is the easy way to ensure you’ll always have a snack within reach. This miraculous product makes baked goods, pizza, cotton candy and more with a touch of a button.

Firstly, the Automatic Snack Machine isn’t just an ordinary vending machine. It makes baked goods such as cupcakes in a fraction of the time it takes to make them in an oven. Vending machines only sell packaged snacks, but the Automatic Snack Machine makes treats you’ll never see in any other machine. The Automatic Snack Machine is also small and portable. It can be taken in your car, which is perfect for long road trips when the consumer is hungry. This product is safe for everyone, so customers of all ages will be able to enjoy this remarkable machine.

Secondly, the Automatic Snack Machine saves the consumer money. It’s less expensive than an oven or microwave, which can cost up to thousands of dollars. The Automatic Snack Machine is nearly ten times cheaper than any oven or microwave. Not only does this product save the customer from buying an oven or microwave, it also eliminates the need to buy supplies needed for baking. No longer will the consumer be needed to purchase pots, pans, or bowls to bake. They can also eliminate buying ingredients for baking. The Automatic Snack Machine ensures you will never have to purchase ingredients, supplies, or expensive ovens again.

Thirdly, the automatic Snack Machine is durable and is able to withstand any climate. It is water-proof, so any accident, such as dropping this product in the sink, will not damage the machine. Each purchase of the Automatic Snack Machine includes a free decorative cover. This cover is guaranteed to protect the machine, and is guaranteed not to scratch. If anything happens to the Automatic Snack Machine, and the consumer is not satisfied, there is a two year warranty. So if the customer loses this product in the first two years, a new one will come in the mail addresses to them. If the consumer is not satisfied with the Automatic Snack Machine overall, there is a money-back guarantee for the first thirty days.

Lastly, the snacks made by the Automatic Snack Machine are healthier than store-made snacks. 50% of the foods made by the Automatic Snack Machine are fat-free. Even consumers who are dieting can enjoy the delicious snacks made by the Automatic Snack Machine. The snacks made do not include any artificial flavors or ingredients, unlike most of the products sold in super markets. This product even comes in a “Diabetic Friendly” vender. Items made from this version are sugar-free. Studies show 8% of people in the US have diabetes.  Even customers who are diabetic can enjoy the scrumptious taste of treats from the Automatic Snack Machine.

The Automatic Snack Machine is the easy way to ensure you’ll always have a snack within reach on any occasion. This product saves you time as well as money. It is convenient for all consumers, and is more durable than other products. With its two year warranty, and it’s thirty day money-back guarantee, you’ll know you made the right decision. To resolve the issue of time consuming ways to make a snack, the Automatic Snack Machine it the smart and easy way to make a change.

Reflection On Commercial

I liked making the commercial for a lot of reasons. One reason is because it was funny. Our commercial was very unique, too. For example, we made our product edible, and everyone in our class was able to have a "Fun, Fun Fishy".  Lastly, our commercial was convincing. A commercial is supposed to be persuasive, and I think we met the standards of doing so. I feel I am good at persuading an audience and memorizing lines. Our commercial used some persuasive techniques like adding a statistic and a slogan. A strategy I would like to try next time is celebrity appeal. I feel like that would of made my commercial stronger. The part of the writing process I enjoyed the most is writing the script. I enjoyed writing the script because we were able to make it as funny as we wanted it to be, as long as it included everything it needed. My goals for the next time I write are to include celebrity appeal. I mentioned this before, but I feel it's very important to include it because it attracts more people to buy your product. I also think next time I should bring more props into the commercial like a notebook instead of drawing on the back  of my script. In conclusion, making the commercial was very fun and interesting. Our performance was good overall, yet there is always room for improvement.

     When advertising a product, the time shapes the audience. For example, if you advertise your product at ten o'clock at night, your audience will probably be mostly adults. However, if you show your ad on tv right after the three o'clock news, your audience usually consists of people of a variety of ages.
     If my product, The Automatic Snack Machine, is advertised after the three o'clock news, many different people will be watching.The news is watched by a range of people; many adults, senior citizens, stay at home moms, and even kids watch the news to see whats going on. All of these people will find The Automatic Snack Machine useful. For example, my product is used for making snacks and baked goods quickly. This will be good for people who are unable to cook, don't know how, or don't have the time. This product will be very convenient for them.  Also, some younger children aren't allowed to use the stove or microwave without adult supervision because of safety hazards. The Automatic Snack Machine will allow them to get their own snacks. Senior citizens who live alone may not want to cook full meals for  just themselves. They might want an individual snack or baked good.
     In conclusion, after the three o'clock news is the perfect time to advertise  The Automatic Snack Machine.  The audience that is watching the three o'clock news is the same target audience for my  product.

     Since Coca Cola has been manufactured, it has been a big hit with commercials and advertisements. The ad I choose shows a polar bear drinking Coca Cola. I like this advertisement because it uses a polar bear for its campaign. The polar bear symbolizes a frosty, cold envirornment, and the Coca Cola bottle symbolizes a frosty, cold drink. When incorporating animals in an advertisements, the animals start to remind people of things. For example, whenever I see a polar bear, I think of Coca Cola. Animals make products more memorable, especially when they are consistantly in the ad. In ads, many people  like to see symbolism, which this one includes. I also like this ad because it's simple. It doesn't include a lot of words like some ads do. This ad only says, "Always Coca Cola". When I see this picture, I feel like drinking an ice- cold Coca Cola. Without including many words, this ad is very convincing.

     One thing that I didn't like about this advertisement was the lack of showing the product. The Coca Cola bottle is barely in the picture. The polar bear takes up way more of the picture than the actual product that they are advertising. When advertising anything, you should make the item you are trying to sell more noticable than anything else in the picture. The reason is because the other things in the picture may become more distracting. When you first look at this ad, the first thing you see is the polar bear, not the Coca Cola you are advertising.

     When making an ad, you must make sure to convince the viewers of the product convinced to buy the product. In conclusion, when using the right tehcniques, you can make a successful advertisement.

Throughout the college and career unit, I have learned many things. For starters, not only did I learn what a resume was, I learned how to put together one. I also learned what a letter of recomendation is, which I hadn't known before.  I  expirienced  what a job interview will be like, giving me an idea of what mine in the future might be similar to. This taught me a lesson about being responsible enough to not lose my things because we had to keep our stuff in a folder for a few weeks. We had to research a college, and that gave me an idea of which one I'd like to attend. Your college has to offer your major, so you can't just pick any random one. I learned how to make a good impression on your job interviewer, too. I never knew how important it was to answer the interviewers question in the right way.
The college and career unit has taught me responsibility, how to make a good impression, and how to research and put in a lot of though into picking your college and major.

Someone I Look Up To

 Someone I look up to is my mom. One of the reasons is because she is a certified special education teacher. She is hard working and likes her job. She went to Kean University and has her Masters degree in Educational Psychology. My mother is in school again online to become a behaivor analyst. She works full-time and sometimes works with kids at night. She also works with troubled families who have problems. Even though she does all of this, she makes  time for other things outside of work like going to my soccer or basketball games. We do a lot of other things with the family like game night and going to the movies, too. This year, my mom planned a vacation to Florida for family and I. She always makes the holidays special for us, especially Christmas.
My mom has taught me by her own example the value of hard work, education, and to continue to learn  something new everyday.

Technology : Positive or Negative?

Technology effects your everyday life in many ways. Some of the effects technology are positive, but some are negative.
In some ways technology has positive effects on your life. An example of this is when you use it to look up research on the computer. This is very convenient because you don't have to look up the information in books. Some students prefer using technology to get information because it is easier, and other students just don't have the time to get books from the library. When you research things thoroughly on the internet, then it is a good tool. However, if you are just going to skim the information, you can be misled or not understand the material fully. Whn students do reasearch on the internet, they tend to only look at the first few searches that come up. Depending on how they search for  the information, they may be missing imprtant information about the topic. The internet can be a great tool isf used properly. It has the most up to date information, rather than books that may be outdated. Lastly, the internet gives students access to information that they might not otherwise have.
In conclusion, technology can be positive and negative. If used the right way, it is the most state of the art way to obtain information.

Welcome to our Class, Ms. Carroll!

Hi! My name is Lauren Cassella, but you can call me Lauren. I came from James Monroe Elementary School. Outside of school I like playing sports like soccer and basketball. I like middle school because if you don't like a teacher, you are only with them one period unlike in elementary school where you are with them the entire day. I like both reading and writing in English, but I find reading to be easier.What I don't like about english is when the whole class reads the same book. The reason I don't like this is because sometimes you don't like the book your class is reading. My strengths are reading books quickly and writing stories. However, I usually do better with writing and reading if I am interested in the topic. My weaknesses are writing essays about boring topics.
Now, I should explain our english class. First, we look at the wipe-off board in the front of the classroom at where it say "Do Now".  Under "Do Now" its lists the activities to do soon as we enter the classroom, which usually consists taking the papers from the round table and completing a gramer sheet. We have writing the first  period of english. At 12:30 we go to break. After break ends, we start the second period of english, reading. I find reading our independent reading books and writing stories about topics we choose fun. Although I think that is fun, I don't think writing essays are fun in any way.

My Career Goals

Even as a kid, you can still think about your career in the future. For as long as I can remember,I've wanted to be a veterinarian. I would like to treat animals who are sick or have diseases. I've always liked collecting stuffed animals and pretending I was their doctor since I was very young. I have experience taking care of pets since I have had many cats in the past and still have four cats to this day. Last year, one of my favorite cats got very sick. There were many trips to the vet's office. During that period of time I got to see what a vet actually does. There were many animals in the office each time we went. I saw all the different treatments that the vet tried with our cat and how he cared for all the animals that came into his office. This made me want to be a veterinarian even more than before. The only thing that makes me hesitate about becoming a vet is that when our cat finally died it was very sad.

My mother and father both went to Kean College. Kean is now a university and a pretty tough school. Some of the programs are very difficult to get accepted into. I think I would be able to go there for a bachelors degree and then transfer to another school that specializes in veterinarian subjects. I like that it is close to home. Someone I know from the neighborhood goes there. I was talking to her and she said that she lives there on campus but likes that she is able to come home anytime she wants. I would like to choose a school that is close to home.

When I finally graduate, I would like to work in New Jersey. I am not sure where yet. Again, the reason I would want to stay in New Jersey is because I am very close with my family and would always want to be near them. I would probably want to live close to where my job is located so I would not have to spend a lot of time travelling.

Since I have always loved animals, being a veterinarian is a job that suits me. Even though I am only eleven, I can begin preparing for my future. If I can continue to get good grades in school, it will help me to get accepted to the college that I choose.

The beginning of a new year is a time to set attainable goals for self-improvement. In 2011, I have set the goal to clean my room on a more frequent basis. Usually, I wait until my room is completely a mess to clean it, or just not clean in at all and wait for my mom to do so. The reason I will start to clean my room on a daily basis is so that when my friends come over we actually will be able to do stuff in my room without having to retreat to my basement to have space to do the activities. For this to happen, I will have to start cleaning my room as soon as it gets messy. For example, if my clothes are on the floor, I’ll put them in the laundry room immediately. By accomplishing this goal, I will ensure a cleaner, better year!

Lauren Cassella