Acrostic Poem

Athlete and from
Lebanon
Excellent movie is
X-Men
Durrtay the call me
Unfair are
Rules
Rollin around hangin with my friends

Letter to Mom and Dad

Alex Durr

March 31, 2011

Mom and Dad

Dear Mom and Dad:

What can 30 minutes do? I don’t understand why you lowered my curfew to 11:30 in the first place? 30 minute doesn’t change much except it makes me more upset with you. I think that my curfew should be changed back to 12:00 because you should be able to trust your own son to be safe and I am usually inside someone’s house and off the roads at night.

            You may say “nothing good happens after 12:00.” That doesn’t make sense with what I am saying because I will be home by 12:00. You may also say that I don’t communicate with you enough, but I am working on it and it wouldn’t hurt to text me first sometimes.

            I am always safe when I am out. I always drive safely when I am with my friends. I don’t speed or swerve on the roads. I also don’t go far away from home. When I go out I don’t get into trouble either. My TPing days are over, so you don’t need to worry about that. For the majority of the time I am not even on the streets.

             I always work hard for school during the week. I get good grades and I try my hardest during school, I think it should be a reward for me to stay out longer on the weekends. When I am hanging out with my friends I go to people’s houses. What could go wrong when I am inside someone’s house?  Many nights we have ping pong tournaments and play XBOX. Most of my friends have curfews of 12:00. That means that I always have to leave early. I always have to leave in the middle a ping pong tournament or a poker game.

            I understand I am your son and you have concerns for me but I think that I am old enough to handle myself and avoid bad situations. There really aren’t a lot of cars out that late and I don’t drive very far. I am willing to pitch in a little more around the house if it means I can stay out longer. I am a responsible teenager now, why would you not let me show it to you?

Sincerely,

Alex Durr

Glogster

Outside Reading Glog

http://abdurr36.glogster.com/catcher-and-the-rye/

Persuasive essay: Julius Caesar

Alex Durr            

Mr. Allam           

English II

11 March 2011             

Caesar Persuasive  Essay

                What is friendship? My fellow Romans, we all have very dear friends to us. Many of which we trust dearly. You will never really know who your true friends are until you see how they act when you are gone. True friends should show honesty and show respect.

                Although Brutus killed me for the good of Rome, He still killed me for power. Good friends would not kill their close friend just to gain power. I have been nothing but good to Brutus and he turns on me at the snap of a finger. You must choose wisely of whom you let get close to you.

                Brutus went behind my back to and was dishonest to me. I said to Brutus “Y tu, Brute”(III.i.84). I said this because I wanted to make sure he knew that I was disappointed in him. To show that I thought he was a true friend before and then he just betrayed me like that. No one should kill anyone, friend or not, just to gain power. To kill someone for pure power is just immoral and wrong. I am telling you this so that you don’t make the same mistake that I did by letting certain people to close to you.

                A real friend will show respect you for who you are. You don’t have to have to power just to gain respect. You need to be confident and caring to your friends. Many people take for granite of their friends. They treat them badly and that may be what turns that person against you. Brutus stated after he killed me “Ambition’s debt is paid”(III.i.90). Was I that ambitious? Did I not refuse crowning? How is this statement true?

                Romans, listen to me now. A true example of a good friend is our very own Antony. He stuck with me even after I was killed. He tried his hardest to convince you of the wrongs Brutus and the conspirators have committed. Please stay true to your friends Romans.

POW#4

Dear Caesar,

            Portia has been constantly bothering me and asking me questions. She says I have been staying up to late and she is worried about my health. She tried to talk to me about it but I quickly turned her down and waved her off. Am I doing the right thing by turning her away like that or should I just keep doing things how I am already? Please right back with advice.

                        Sincerely, Brutus

Dear Brutus,

            Sorry about your troubles, but to tell you the truth I have been having some problems of my own with the mistress. Calphurnia feels strongly about me skipping the crowning and staying home. If I wish to go to the crowning than I should be able to do what I want. If you have any advice please write back.

                        Your friend, Julius

POW#3

Dear Dr. Berry,

                Do you think that adding two extra days of school will really change anything? If more days were added to the end of the year you will have less time to spend with your family and friends. Teachers would likely just give students the extra time to study for finals. We should not have extra days of school because many people have already planned vacations and it would save the district money if we didn’t go to school for extra days.

                Some people might say that there should be extra days of school because of the knowledge we would gain, but in all honesty two days would probably change nothing. Our school district already goes to school longer than the national average. Back in the day would you of really wanted to go to school an extra, unnecessary two days. Many people have already made plans for those extra days of school.

                Many students have already planned vacations right after the school year is supposed to end. Families will have to cancel and change vacations due to this decision. Do you really want to put them through that much just so their child won’t miss their finals? Students are also involved in summer sport programs and camps. Will the district be able to afford to change all of those days and still meet state requirements? Changes in those dates will also conflict with hard earned vacations of students.

                If it is decided to extend school, than the district will end up losing money. A lot of the money lost should have been used for athletic programs and other camps. If that is what happens than you are going to make the athletes have to take time away from practice to raise more money than they already have. Neither students nor parents would be happy about that. You are going to have to pay all paras and custodians in the district extra just because you want to add another couple of days. Teachers get paid either way, so by adding more days that will make them like you less. How often do we have to extend school? It’s really not necessary. 

Think back to when you were a child, think back to all the excitement of summer, how excited you were. Do you want to deprive and delay this feeling form us students? The criteria has been met, and our goals are set, let us be free for summer!