Naheen

toc = My Journal =

Water Issues
I Like. I Wish. I Wonder

Mrs. Denion taught us Woodward students many facts about water pollution.I like how she told us descriptively about what happens if you pollute or litter. She also told us that she went to many trash pick ups.

Long Walk to Water
If the government decided to make the country an one-religion country and not a free country, then there would be fighting everywhere. There are Christians, Jews, Muslims, and many more people in the world.

Refugee assignment
I think that the people in refugee camp should be given money to help make houses, grocery, and every thing that is needed to live. Also, I think that we should transport some of the Syrians and give them a home. There are about two billion Syrians at a refugee camp. They want to be safe so they go to refugee camp. We should also donate old clothing that don't fit us anymore and donate caned food items. The kids at camp should have something to do during the day so we should build a playground and also we should give clean water and not make the people in the refugee camp drink dirty water.

Wonder
1/21/14- When I was in second grade, people thought I was weird because I was very clumsy. I used to stumble upon small things, fall and injure myself. I felt weird because I was laughed at when my parents and cousins would talk about it. I used to always drop water on the dinner table at restaurants, slipping on the stairs, and regularly drop things around the house. I was never able to catch a ball without falling when playing. These things made my family and friends laugh and made me feel weird. I am much better now and the weird feeling had disappeared.

Ordinary:
1/21/14 August thinks that he is ordinary but people's reaction after taking a look at him makes him feel not ordinary. It seems that something is wrong with the way he looks and makes people stare at him or comment. He wants to feel ordinary like no one notices him if he is walking down the street or when playing in the playground. His inside feels ordinary, he does things that ordinary people do but his appearance doesn't look normal. I also stare at people who have some kind of scar or who are with special needs and do not look like ordinary people. I can imagine now how people like August feel when I am staring at them. We should give them space and treat them like they are ordinary humans.

The Grand Tour
1/23/14 Auggie's tour mates were surprised that Auggie was taking a science elective. Usually people with disabilities cannot perform like ordinary human beings. They are always looked upon and thought of having some kind of deficiency. I would have been surprised to see Auggie in science elective too because I have the impression of people with disability having less mental intelligence and are physically challenged. I am changing my views after reading this chapter and the book "Out of my Mind", which contradicts the statement that people with disability cannot perform like or better than normal humans. They have some kind of talent that outshines them and they can efficiently and intelligently do things as normal human beings.

First day of School
1/27/14 Mrs. Petosa, the teacher, was unaware of the character of Darth Sidious in Star Wars. If she had known, she would have been able to relate August appearance to him as that was Julian's point when he asked the question to Jack. The Character of Darth Sidious, in the movie, gets burnt and his face get deformed and melted. Julian tried to make August uncomfortable here and if the teacher had known, she could have taken some kind of action, a talk with Julian or some kind of detention.

Chapter 17
Mr. Browne: Mr. Browne is funny, frank and has a totally different way of teaching. He involves children to take active part in discussion. This was his first year at the school along with August. August finds him really cool. I would like to have Mr. Browne as I really liked his open discussion aspect. He reminds me of my experience with Mr. Key in 5th grade. He is fun, friendly and kids find him cool. I like the friendliness part would love to have him teach me. I also like that he has percepts every month, similar to core essential word of the month at Woodward.

Jack Will
1/29/14 Up till now, August and Jack were getting along very well, until Auggie heard Jack saying him being August's companion only because the principal had asked him too. Auggie's feelings were shattered to pieces. He was taking their friendship real. At this point, Jack Will just hurt someone's feelings without even knowing it. I would be hurting right now if I was August. I didn't like Jack's behavior at this point and can compare him with Julian. Jack later on found out his mistake, tried to mend the crack he had created in their campanionship and stood up for Auggie when Julian was being rude to him on the tour. The other person on the tour who was actually kind to August was Charlotte.

Part 2
1/31/14

Via - Galaxy is changing
Via thinks that Sun is August, center of the attraction and mom, dad and herself are the planets orbiting and supporting August physically and emotionally. The only thing that doesn't think that way is the dog, daisy, because he thinks every human being's face looks very similar, just like pale and flat moon. Via's has been very supportive of this family situation and August's illness. Her parents have been missing many of her soccer games, plays at school, helping with homework, etc., because they have been busy with her brother's special needs either at therapy or surgery. Via knows that she has to accommodate herself in this situation and not complain because it is nothing compared to what her brother is dealing with i.e. pain, surgery etc. Via thinks that the galaxy is changing because up to now Auggie was home schooled and his life revolved just around his mom, dad and her sister. August has started going to school and there are kids who have started noticing his deformed face and making him uncomfortable. So in Via's point of view, more people have entered their galaxy and things are changing.

Via's normal speech
1/31/14 Via was really concerned about August not going to school and hiding the ugly truth about Jack Will from his parents. Via tried to convince him about not being bullying by kids like Jack and Julian. In normal life, there are good days and bad days, treat this as one of his bad days and move on. If he decides not to go back, the bully's have won there battle, and the people who is hurt most loses. She wants him to stand up, be strong, face this problem with courage, ignore the fact that he knows what his friend said about him. He can either not talk to them forever or pretend to be their friend, but not be their actual friend.

Summer
2/03/14

Summer is another fifth grade student who happened to sit next to August on the first day at lnch and gets introduced to whom she thought was the weirdest looking kid she had ever seen. Summer, di sit next to August because she felt sorry for him but after a couple of weeks, she stopped thinking that way. She was actually enjoying his company. She didn't like the way kids were making a big deal about her hanging out too much with August. When she found out about the so called " Plague" thing ( if anyone touches August accidentally, they have thirty second to wash their hands or use a sanitizer, otherwise they will be included in this Plague), it made her upset and she thought of it as a dumb act. In school, 5th graders have started to date and make groups which she did not approve of. She gets invited to a Halloween party by Savannah, which turned out to be an offer to be Julian's girlfriend and August's friendship. She called her mother and left the party immediately to enjoy the parade and to stay out of the dating trend. She had to lie to Savannah about a stomach bug for leaving her party and also to send a message to Julian that she had a crush on someone else to get them off her back. Summer and August have been spending time together to work on their Egyptian project and enjoying it. Their parents also meet. Summer's mother's first meet with August which began a little awkwardly because her mother had no idea that August's face was so bad. It also made her react in front of him. Summer was quick enough to tell her mother to straighten up and it is not appropriate.

Summer had lost her dad and did confide in August that she misses him a lot and that souls will return to universe again in another form. August talked about his disease to Summer. Summer kept her promise August of not telling anyone about what Jack did to him. But when Jack insisted, she just gave him a hint about " bleeding scream". She has been a very good friend to August and Mr. Tushman had not asked her too.

Jack Will
2/04/14 Hypocrite is a person who is a pretender or a deceiver. The reason Jack is calling himself a hypocrite is because he was aware that it was August first day at school, kids have been staring at him because they have seen him for the first time and still he leaves him alone at lunch time. Another thing is that he had been hanging out with him in a the morning classes and wanted some free time away from him.

** Justin **
I learned just by reading about Justin is that at such an early age, he has a passion for playing the fiddle. He is part of a Zydeco

band (that play Cajun dance music).

The reason that the author has a role for Justin - Via's boyfriend because that is the normal trend of high school girls to have a

boyfriend. According to the description in the book about Via, she is pretty and beautiful. Girls her age, with looks usually start

dating in High school.

Justin
2/5/14

In my violin class, the performing sheets have music notes that look like lower case letters of the alphabet. The author wants to describe his chapter in lower case to show his love for music and link his thoughts in writing. He doesn't talk to much and is really shy. His character is important because he is Via's boyfriend and he also has something to do with August. Via's family is like a second family to Justin because his parents are divorced and when people see that he is hanging out with August, everyone will stare and he will be noticed and embarrassed along with Via.

Miranda
2/10/14

Answer # 1. After completing Miranda's part in the book, her role is very important as she plays Via's best friend and considers Auggie as her brother. She loves August and takes care of him. She has always made sure that August didn't feel left out.

Answer # 2. Miranda feels safer at Via's house because of their family, she thinks highly of her parents as they are always welcoming. She is lacking that kind of family atmosphere at her own house as her parents are divorced and involved in their lives. Her family is like a second home for her and makes her feel comfortable.

Answer # 3. Over the summer, Via and Miranda kind of fell out of touch. Ella and Miranda got back together but didn't call Via. Now Via and Miranda barely talk to each other. On the day of the play, Miranda pretends to be sick and Via takes the role of Emily Gibbs because she also auditioned foe their part. Miranda also say Via's family and wanted her to take the role as she was her understudy. Via and Miranda will definitely be friends again after the show ends and when Miranda will answer Via's question on pretending to be sick and giving her the role.

Connection: My cousin is my best friend and I feel the same way when I go to her house. Her parents(my aunt) is always welcoming me the minute I step though the doorway. We both also like acting and taking parts in community plays.