A Middle Schooler's Guide to Believing in Their Self

   Hey everybody! I know that it has been over month since I have published a post. Since school has started, I have had SO much homework, and I haven't had a lot of time to write. But, after many weeks, I finally have some time to write! You may have read the title and said," Oh great, this is going to be a supper cheesy post," but please, don't leave before you read this, because I really think that believing that you can do something is that first step to success in anything!
   Here is just a little back story before I tell you why believing in your self is so important. If you know me, you know that last year, in seventh grade, I decided to try out for the cross country running team. My parents were very surprised because back then, I hated running. But after I tried cross country, I loved it, and I did the entire season of it! I ended up getting 7th place in our district championship. Then, in the spring, I did track and field, and loved that, too! I was undefeated in the 400 meter dash. Not trying to brag,  7th grade girls(my team last year), 8th grade girls, 7th grade boys, and 8th grade boys, were undefeated in the 4 by 100m and 4 by 400m relay. My school ended up winning our district track and field championship, and we got to give the huge trophy to our principal.
  So back to why believing in your self is so important, here is a little story, from a few weeks ago, that made me realize that believing is so vital to success.
   I drove to the first XC meet of my 8th grade season with a few 8th graders from my school. We arrived at the meet, and all the teams were warming up, getting ready to running. I raced in the third event. I watched all the 7th grade girls and boys run their race with my teammates. There are only 5 8th grade girls, just enough for our scores to count. All of us were there that day.   When it was finally time for us to race the mostly flat, 1.5 mile course, My teammates and I made our way to the start line. It is always very crowded at the start, and we have to get into our team lines. The adrenaline started to pump though my blood as the start of the race neared. The course is very confusing because there are so many turns, and many people last year went the wrong way. Some people around me were very nervous about going the wrong way. Some of them even said,"I won't go the wrong way, I'll just follow the people in front of me, because I am never in front." When they said that, I was surprised because they are pretty fast runners.
   We waited in our line for what felt like FOREVER, then, the starter came out and announced the rules. The few seconds between, "Runners, take your mark," and the siren always seems SO the long! Finally, the siren went off, and everyone darted ahead. I sprinted right out of the gate to avoid getting cut of by other runners. On the first 400 meters, the top 15 were formed. Two of the runners were girls that I have run with, and recognized. They are great runners and are hard to compete with.
   After a few minutes or running on the strange, twisty course, many girls slowed down from running too fast at the start and some I watched start walking right in front of me. The two girls who I had run with before were easily 150 meters in front of me. I was starting to think that I wasn't going to get to them, but then, I said to myself, "Come on Sydney, you are almost there!" I immediately picked up the pace, and by the time I got to the last 400 meters on the track, I was right up with the leaders. I passed third place, then second, and finally, first. But only just, for a while, we were neck and neck. I felt like I was going to die, and I am not exaggerating! I pushed ahead, running as fast as I could, the finish line growing nearer, and the girl becoming farther and farther behind me.
   I won the race that day. A race with no less than 112 8th grade girls  My team got 4th over all. I won because I believed I could, and I did. If you believe that you can do something, you can do it!
   Again, sorry I haven't written in so long! How is middle school going for you? If you have any questions, email me or comment below!

Last days of summer: My Scrap Book

   From Thursday until Sunday afternoon, last week, I have been in Catalina Island. For my sister, Grace, who is going into 6th grade, it was her last four days of summer(not me though, I have another week :b). We had so much fun, and we made the most of the last few days of summer. Here are some pictures! :b

The streets were lined with golf carts instead of cars because it costs lots of money and takes tons of time to get a car shipped to the island. 

These are what the street signs looked like. Some of them say the name of stores on the particular street.

These are some beachy themed signs that I found in a store. Very cute!

Here is a picture from a store that does there own embroidery! It is stitching a picture of Catalina Island. It tells you how may minutes left to stitch and how many stitches have been done. I watched this thing stitch for five minutes and it is SO cool!

This is a picture of the Lloyd's ice cream parlor. It has been there for a long time and, in my opinion, has the best ice cream in town! My sister LOVES ice cream, so she took a silly picture with the giant ice cream sundae!

 All the boats parked in the water, with a nice sunset in the background.

 You can only just see the outline of some deer! I was kind of dark, so you can't see them too well...

 But you can see this one! It walked right up to me and licked some grass out of my hand!

The Casino(actually a movie theater) in the city we stayed in, Avalon.

This is my sister sitting in the arch of the Wrigley Memorial in Avalon. She is such a dare devil!

 There were many painted Bison in the city of Avalon because Catalina is home to many Bison! Sadly, I didn't see any real ones! :)

Here's another one!

   We left Catalina on Sunday, and afterwards, I was very tired! I always thought that was very strange because vacations, for the most part, are supposed to be relaxing! We did a little hiking, a lot of snorkeling and went parasailing to 800 feet!! We saw lots of Garibaldi and sting rays too! Overall, it was a get trip and it was so much fun to do it with my family!
   My sister has only gone back to school for two days, and I already miss having her around! Now, I don't have anyone to hang out with in the morning and I am a little board:(. So, enjoy your siblings during the summer, because when school starts, you will be very busy and won't have a lot of time to hang out with them.
  Enjoy the rest of your summer and have fun with your siblings! Thanks for reading!

New Middle Schoolers

   I know no one wants to say it, but school is starting soon! And if you just promoted from sixth grade, in my school district, you will be going into seventh grade. The first year of middle school. Leaving the small world of elementary school behind and going to a new place. Middle school. On your first day, the classes and buildings may seem scary, but as you start to get used to the routine of moving classes and all the people, you will see that middle school isn't scary, it is actually fun! You may think that I am crazy, but I liked the new learning environment, new friends, and the new teachers. I had gone to the same school from kindergarten to sixth grade, and when I promoted from sixth grade to seventh, I was ready for something new.

   The first day is hard. You meet your new teachers(make a good first impression here!) which isn't very hard but one, you don't know some of the people in your classes and two, you have no idea where to meet your friends for lunch or what their classes are! I have a tip for this that will make lunch times SO much easier! Be prepared and talk to your friends before the first day of school about where you are going to meet(see my Lunch In Middle School Doesn't Be Scary post for more details) so you don't have to stress about it during class.
   Another point that is VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY important about middle school is to be nice to EVERYONE! Your never know, the girl who sits next to you in Spanish might be your future best friend! I know, it can be extremely hard to be nice to people who are rude, mean, or just super annoying, but you don't know what the person might be going through!
   Lastly, if you want to be SUPER successful in middle school, be organized! Use dividers, folders, and binders to keep all your nice and neat(see my post about organization and binders for visuals and other binder details)!
   That is my post about starting middle school! Thank you for reading and have fun in middle school!

   I also want to hear your questions about middle school! Don't be shy! Click that comment button and ask away! I would love to hear what you have to say! So If you have any questions about middle school, comment!
   Also, if you like this blog and you want to know when a new blog post has come out, follow my blog! Thanks again for reading!

The Pokemon GO! craze!

   This month, a new game called Pokemon GO was released onto iPhones and Androids. It is a game were you can catch, train, and evolve your very own Pokemon. This game has become very popular, and has only been out for a few days. I looked it up on YouTube, and a lot of people who have been using and making videos about the app, and saying that it has been their dream to catch Pokemon in the real world. I myself have this app and in this post, I will be telling you about the app.

Learning to Play and Tips

   After you set up the game, you will see that there are three new Pokemon nearby. Squirtle, Charmander, and Bulbasaur(and there is also a way that you can Pikachu, but you will have to look that up). Once you select the one that you want to catch, your phone will change to camera mode and in the lower center of the screen. When the colored circle in the middle of the Pokemon is as small as it can get, swipe up to throw the Poke Ball. The smaller the colored circle is, the more XP you will get for the throw. If you swirl your finger on the Poke Ball, you will make it spin. If you make the ball spin and throw it while it is still spinning, you will throw a curve ball, which will earn you more XP. 

Catching Pokemon

   When catching a Pokemon, there are a few things you will need to know:

• Different elements of Pokemon will be found in different terrain(ex. Water Pokemon are found near the ocean or other bodies of water. Not pools though, I have tried it and sadly, no water Pokemon:( ).
• Pokemon will have a different colored ring around them depending on their catch difficulty. Easy catches have green rings, the hardest catches have a red ring, and the catches that are in the middle are yellow. Rings can also be in between green and yellow and yellow and red, it really depends on the Pokemon and the Combat Power that it has.
• The more rare the Pokemon is, the harder it is to catch.
• When throwing a Poke Ball or waiting for a Poke Ball to lock, try to stand still and focus on your throw and the Poke Ball.
• If you are past a certain level, you have access to raspberries. Raspberries can be used in higher level Pokemon to make them easier to catch. 
• There are some places that certain Pokemon can only be found in. It is sort of like a spawner(ex. There is a Pidgey spawner near my house. I know this because there are A LOT of pidgeys!)
• There are four different types of Poke Balls. Poke Balls, Great Balls, Ultra Balls, and Master Balls.

Poke Stops and Gyms
   Another feature in Pokemon GO is Poke Stops. You can get Poke Balls, potions, eggs, and revives from spinning the circular picture on a Poke Stop.
   You can battle other Pokemon in gyms. You can defeat gyms that belong to other teams and take it for your team, or you can leave one of your Pokemon to help protect your teams gym.

Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed this post! If you have any ideas for a new post, comment below! Any questions about middle school! Comment below!

Here is the link to my other blog:
The Gravity Falls Explorer

Summer Family Trip!

   For the past four years, my family has gone to Illinois to visit my dad's family. While we are there, we rent a lake house and my uncle brings his boat out so all the kids(and some adults) can go tubing, water skiing, and knee boarding. We had our yearly trip a few weeks ago and it was a blast! We even went fishing on my uncle's boat and near the dock. Here are some pictures from the lake:

 Early morning at the lake. It was already around 75 degrees Fahrenheit.  

 Chillin' by the lake with my cousins.

 Creepy the Stuffed Beaver.

 Another sunny, hot day!

Pano of the dock.

   Another cool thing that we did that we can't do in California is catch fireflies! There are so many there and it is amazing to watch them light up in the dark! They are very strange looking bugs. When you catch them, they look like lean beetles.

   Although all the activities were very fun, the most important thing about the trip was making memories with friends and family. I know, it sounds REALLY corny, but it is true! You never know what will happen so, when you visit family from out of town(or family comes to visit you) try to make the most of the time you have together.
   I have told you about my trip, I want to here about yours! Please comment about your summer and any blog ideas are appreciated! Please share this blog with your friends, and don't be afraid to ask questions about middle school, or any of my other blog posts!
NOTICE: I have just started another blog about the animated mystery show, Gravity Falls! If you are interested, here is the link to it
http://thegravityfallsexplorer.blogspot.com 

Gravity Falls Fan? Here are some cute craft Ideas!

My friend an I are HUGE fans of the animated show, Gravity Falls. Today, we decided that it would be fun to make some Gravity Falls crafts! Here are the crafts that we did!

Here are clay models of Mabel, Dipper(who's real name is actually Michael!), and Waddles. Made from polymer clay.

This is the author's(Ford's) first journal. Made from an old journal covered with red-painted paper. I used tin foil for the hand, the corners, and the eye glass. On the back of the journal, there is the circle of symbols that can be used to defeat Bill.

These are Dipper(aka Michael) and Mabel balloon dolls. They are made of one or two balloons, brown, rough yarn, and fabric. Dipper has a large magnifying glass, and Mabel has her signature grapelling hook!

Yearbooks

   As the year is winding down, and summer nears, teachers pass out the YEARBOOKS. And most people get them autographed by their friends and teachers. I have a few tips about writing in year books.

   First, I would recommend not writing HAGS(abbreviation for Have A Great Summer) on someone's yearbook. I say this because it might feel like, to the person receiving the yearbook autograph, that you didn't take the time to write a nice note. Especially if you are good friends with that person. So take the time to write your friends a nice note before school is out.

   Second, try to write your name, or note, in your neatest hand writing. This person is likely going to keep their yearbook forever(and that's a long time) and you don't want the person to not be able to read your name. You want them to remember you. Write neat in other's yearbooks!

   Third, don't write mean or inappropriate things in others yearbooks. Then, that is how that person will remember you, as a mean or inappropriate person. You want that year to be a good memory for everyone, so be nice in yearbooks!

   Fourth, if someone asks you to sign their yearbook or ask to sign yours, ALWAYS SAY YES! No matter who it is. Just be nice. Even if it the girl who stole your sandwich or the guy who picks his nose.
   So this year, be yearbook smart!

Summer Fun!

   Summer is finally here! That means only a few weeks left of school and you are done! Hopefully, you have tons of things planned for the summer, but some days when you have nothing planned, you may get bored. Here are a few easy things you can do at your house to spice up a boring summer day:

• Make a new dessert recipe(challenge: Don't use the stove OR oven)
• Start writing a book
• Start reading a new book
• Find a craft in your closet or look up some fun ones on the internet
• Go through your closet and find old stuff that you haven't seen in YEARS!
• Clean out your closet and give the hand-me-downs to your siblings
• Make a movie
• Build with Legos
• Look through old year books
• Make a year book out of old photos
• Make a duct tape wallet
• Do a science experiment
• Look up random facts
• Memorize as many digits of pi as you can
• Start a blog on whatever you want
• Make a poster
• Do a neighborhood survey(ex. Hair color, car color, dogs etc)
• Make a music video
• PILLOW FORT!!!
• Scavenger hunt
• Water balloon fight
• Paint a masterpiece
• Make paper airplanes
• Learn how to make origami
• Write a poem
• Learn how to write a haiku
• Backyard Olympics(requires multiple people)
• Check out the local news
• Try to predict the weather
• Draw the shapes of the clouds
• Make a collage with magazines
• Learn to knit
• Make the most difficult math problem ever

And so much more! These are only a few ideas for things to do on a boring summer day. Now that I have told you my ideas, I want to hear about YOUR ideas? What do you do on boring summer days?

Friends in Middle School

   Kids can be mean. One second you think they are your friend, the next they are off with someone else and they are acting like you don't exist. It happened to me before. These things are called friend switches. And I know, it hurts. I needed to find some new friends who would talk to me, and accept me for who I am. And I did. I found new friend in elementary school, and some in middle school. They are the coolest people I have ever met and we can be ourselves around each other. Every day I look around at my group of friends and I feel happy because of all these wonderful people who are in my life and I appreciate them so much. They like me for me and I like them for the people they are. Friends will be ever-changing, and I found my group where I am loved for who I am.
   Middle school is such a great place to meet new people because you have so many classes! And in each class, there is a new group of people. You may have something in common with some of the people in your classes. All it can take to start a friendship is saying hi and asking their name. They may be shy and looking for someone to talk to. Reach out to them and who knows, they may become your next best friend!
   Another thing I want to say is something very important as well. This is something that I have been focusing very hard on in middle school. Surrounding myself with good people who you can be yourself around, and they can do the same. Good people are the ones you can trust and the ones that build each other up. They are there during the fun and hard times. They will always like you for the person you are. Good friends will be there for you.

Lunch in middle school doesn't have to be scary!

   The campus is sooooo big! There are so many people, you could be in a shopping mall! That is how busy middle school lunch areas can be. But it doesn't have to be that scary! Here are some steps you can take to make middle school lunch time more enjoyable:

Step #1: Talk to your friends before lunch on where you are going to meet.

Step #2: Establish a lunch spot, and sit there consistently so that you and you and your friends always know where to meet during lunch. If you don't tell your friends where you are during lunch, your friend might have to search the whole school before they find you. If you are going to change lunch spots, make sure all of your friends are notified, and know where the new meeting place is.

Step #3: Meet your friends at your new lunch spot and bon appetit!

Once you know where to meet your friends, lunch time will be a breeze, and you won't have to worry about trying to find them in the lunch time student frenzy. No more lunch time worries!

NOTICE!: IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO WRITE ABOUT, PLEASE COMMENT! I LOVE READING COMMENTS!

Why You Need Study Buddies in Middle School

   Uh, oh. You forgot to write down the math homework in your agenda! And your teacher doesn't have a website that he/she puts the class work and homework in! What are you going to do? Call your study buddy! What are study buddies? Study buddies are people in each of you classes that can help you with questions about homework and class notes. If you were absent, call your study buddy from each of the classes you missed and ask about the homework that was assigned and the class notes so that you are ready for the next time you have the classes.

  How to get study buddies Choose two or more friends from each class that you have and ask for their numbers so that if you forget the homework(or if they forget the homework) you can text each other to find out what the assignment was and GET IT DONE on time.

NOTICE!: IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO WRITE ABOUT, PLEASE COMMENT! I LOVE READING COMMENTS!

How to Email Your Middle School Teacher

When you get to middle school, you are taking your first step into being more independent. Mommy and Daddy aren’t going to email your teachers anymore, you have to do it yourself. So, in this post, I will be going over how to email your middle school teacher the right way. I learned most of these tactics from my English teacher so, when you are writing an email, make sure that it is an email that your parents would be proud of AND your English teacher would be proud of. This includes:

• Checking for spelling-Read the email over a few times to make sure that everything you said makes sense.
• NO TEXT LANGUAGE- Yes, that means no u instead of you and no thx instead of thanks.
• Make it formal-Don’t use words like “stuff” or “whatever”. Use “big kid” words and make sure you know what the words MEAN!
• Be specific-Make sure that the question you are asking is clear and well stated. If the teacher can’t understand your question, they can’t answer it!
• Use the subject box wisely-When writing the subject for your email, make sure that it is something related to the question. For example, if you had a question about the Life Science Chapter 15 homework questions #1-4, you would type in the box,”Life Science Chapter 15 homework questions #1-4,’’ so that the teacher knows when she opens the email what you have a question about.
• Include your name-State your first and last name and the period you have the class.

  Now that you know some key things that go into an email to your teacher, here is an example template that you can use for writing a perfect email:

  Dear (Teacher’s name),

Hello, this is (first and last name) from your (period #) (class name). I have (# of questions that you have) about the (homework/assignment) that was assigned (date homework was assigned). (State your question or questions)? Thank you for taking the time to read this email and answer my question(s).

Thanks,

(First and last name, period)

NOTICE!: IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO WRITE ABOUT, PLEASE COMMENT! I LOVE READING COMMENTS!

Are Agendas Important In Middle School?

The biggest difference between middle school and elementary school is the fact that you have more than one class, more than one teacher, and more than one homework assignment due at different times. In this post, I will talk about homework, priorities, and planning.

  One the first day of school, you will get something called an agenda(or you teachers will give you a supply list and you have to buy your own) and it has dates and under it, there are about 15-20 blank lines. And guess what they are for? WRITING HOMEWORK! For me, my agenda is one of the most important things in my backpack. It is a MUST HAVE for middle school. Since you have six classes, there is now way that you will remember all of the homework for each class by the end of the day, so use that agenda and write it down! Star or write in red pen the important things due the next day, big projects, and test dates. The agenda is all yours so use it to your advantage!

  When doing homework, the best way to work your way through Mt. Homework is to prioritize! Prioritize means to do the homework based on its due date(which you should be writing down in your handy-dandy agenda!). So, if your math homework is due on Thursday and that English essay is due tomorrow, do the English essay first and then, if you have time that afternoon, do the math homework.

  Last but not least, ALWAYS PLAN AHEAD! You will want to do this so on the day you have soccer practice, you are not freaking out because you haven’t started the huge science project that is due the next day! Don’t let that be you! Finish work ahead of time so you don’t have to stay up until 12 am and get no sleep.

  So, the bottom line here is that, in middle school, make sure that you have an agenda to help you plan ahead, prioritize, and get homework finish and turned in on time.

Something You May Not Know About Siblings

For those of you that have brothers and sisters, you may think that he or she is just there to bug you and get you in trouble. As much as they annoy you and say mean things, they really do love you and look up to you!

  Before I was promoted from sixth grade to seventh grade, my younger sister, who is now 11 and I went to the same school and we saw each other every day at snack recess. We liked being at the same school because we got to see each other everyday and drive from home to school and vice versa together. But when I was leaving elementary school to go to seventh grade, my sister was very sad and at the end of the ceremony, I gave her a hug and asked her, “Why are you sad?” she answered, “I just realized how much I am going to miss you when you go to middle school and I won’t get to see you at school everyday.” When she said that, I was sad that we would not see each other so much but, I knew that she loved me and that we would still see each other in the morning before school, after school, and on the weekends. Although middle school comes with much responsibility and homework, I still have time to hangout with my sister, who I myself admire and love. So next time you think that your sibling is just a buggy little nuisance, remember this!

My First Post

Hello, my name is Sydney! I am a 12 year old and I live in California. I have started, and am now ¾ of the way through 7th grade in middle school, and I know that other people out there are going through it, too. In this blog I will be talking about my life, middle school, and other important life lessons.

So, in this first blog post, I will be talking about my life experience in middle school. Now, the first thing you will need is binders. At LEAST two! My school has six classes so what I do is I have one HUGE binder that holds all of my classes except for math. Then have one 1-1 ½ inch ish(thickness may vary from school to school) binder for math. The reason why I did this is because a few of my classes don’t give homework. For example, I take a coding class as an elective(a class that is chosen by the student: art, band, reading, multimedia, and a few others) that doesn’t give homework so, now I have only 4 classes in on binder. Then, there is a P.E. program at my school so that leaves me with only 3 classes in one binder. You may be asking, “How does she fit SO many classes in one binder? Why wouldn’t you just buy 6 binders?” Well, my secret is putting file tabs in your binder and then writing the names of your classes on each one. It works very well for me and it is VERY organized!

  Another question you may have is, “Why do would you need a different binder for math and why so thick?” At my school, we have Modules, which is another word for a huge packet of around 85 pieces of paper filled with math! Yay! Plus, I have the several pages of homework(20-30 in each module) that also has to fit in the binder. Sometimes, I have two modules in my binder at a time because my math class does these things called Assignment Checks that check how well you know what is in the homework and modules. After we finish doing the Assignment Checks on a certain module, we can take the module out. That is why you might need a different binder for math.

  Thank you for reading my first blog post! I hope it helped you! Leave a comment if you have any questions about middle school and I will do my best to help answer it!-Sydney

The picture above is my math binder

The picture above is the inside of my math binder

This last picture is my big binder that holds my other 3 subjects(science, history and English).