It has certainly been an unforgettable year. There are so many memories with friends, teachers, assignments, and people I barely know. Who knew that the dreaded first year of junior high would pass so quickly? Who knew that at the end of it, I would miss it... after just one day of absence? Every single day has been memorable at ICS, and I really hope that I'm not the only one who has come down with a mild case of nostalgia. In IS with Mr. Elliott, I remember staying up until 2 in the morning before his last test, finishing notes. I remember all the laughs we had during movies and how we only got through about 10 minutes a day. "Ploog" and "glassier" bring tears to my eyes. The main speaker leaving the tour guide behind and then meeting up with him after he's walked for 8 days. All these all memories I cherish and I really do romanticize... Most of the tears I shed because of this class are forgotten. Only the beautiful snapshots of the past do I forever keep in my heart. In biology with Mr. McFaul, I remember having "bio" as one of the top words I posted on facebook, and "notes" just below that. Those notes I procrastinated on, those showcases known so notoriously around the school. All of those class periods we all just wasted because we were cracking jokes are all imprinted into my brain. Those times where he would stare at us in disbelief, his hilarious attempts at sarcasm, EVERYTHING from this class makes me smile and miss ICS that much more. In art with Mr. Rayder, I remember when he took my art work and kept it for about 2 months, and I was so scared to ask him where it went. When I finally asked him, he said he had to take a picture of it to put on next year's rubric and power point. I cherish the sheer moment of joy when he asked me if I would leave my art in his class so he could use it as an example for period 5 art. I will always smile when I think of the jokes he made about us, the stories about people misusing the materials, and Mr. Mallet. In math with Mrs. Henry, I remember passing notes through whiteboards with friends and Mrs. Henry catching us and we didn't even care. I'm forever grateful for this free period where I could just sleep and still almost get 100% in her class. In Spanish with Sra. Di-Tolla, I remember making faces behind her back and complaining about her class and her style so loudly that the whole class could hear, but she wouldn't. I remember Bob Esponja and her singing songs to us like we were two years old. But most of all, in tribute to Devon, I remember Little Daddy and his hilarious video. :) In humanities with Ms. Packer, I remember the first day of school where she looked so intimidating and she gave us homework... that I got a B- on. I recall the time when the class was in shock because she told us we could no longer use to be verbs. And then again when she said we couldn't use linking or to have verbs. I remember the sentences she made, the jokes she cracked, the red shoes, the awkward moments, and the exchanged glances between her and myself. As I look back onto this year, I do believe my mild case of nostalgia has become stronger, and I know that based on the ontogenetic metaphor, I have grown from just a child to an adolescent, and I've become more Apollonian and yet also more Dionysian, balancing these vital dualities. ICS, I will miss you so much, and I'm ready for an intense year ahead of me.
