I saw this video on TED talks just today, and I thought I'd share it with all of you guys~

The girl in the video Candy Chang talked about a project she started in her neighborhood, and this is

a before-I-die blackboard. Here's the link to the video:

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/candy_chang_before_i_die_i_want_to.html

and the website for this project is posted below:

http://beforeidie.cc/

I personally really liked the idea of the project, so tell me what you think~

Open Letter to 12th Grade Students

From the Desk of Mrs. Green, inspired while watching you respond to Nora Mathews:

Dear Twelfth Grade Student,

I am watching you watch our guest speaker, and as she responds to a question about college essays, you suddenly perk up, lean forward, strain to hear. As if what she is about to say will be the answer- the one you are waiting for, the one that tells you the secret. Well, boys and girls, I am here to report that there is no secret; there is no answer.

For so many of you, your “here there be dragons” space is college, but the real  "dragon" seems to be the college application process. Suddenly, your writing is going out to an unknown. It is sailing off, past the unchartered territory, and you are only hoping the dragon's breath doesn't burn it up. You may believe that if you send out that essay, and it is burned to a crisp, then all has been for naught, as if the entire life you have lived thus far has been solely for this: for the moment when you find out if you were good-enough, smart-enough, engaged-enough, talented-enough, involved-enough, unique-enough, what-they-want enough for (insert Dream College here). Well, I am here to say ENOUGH. 

You are going to be okay, even you get rejected. Where you go to college is just another mark on your map, but it is not the end of the road. Once you are there, you will look at your map again and realize that you fought through that only to find more unchartered waters ahead. You will be in college, or you will be doing something else, and either way you will be learning.

Because that is what you really want, isn't it. 

Isn't that what this is all about? Isn't it supposed to be about education? Education should not be the process by which we are judged; it should be the process through which we learn. And we learn through experience. You will step out of this school, and you will be in dragon territory, but you will discover that you are actually equipped with exactly what you need to survive and to thrive. You will have fun; you will be challenged; you will laugh; you will cry; you will fall in love; you will get hurt; but most of all, you will be learning. It will be your college experience. (At the least, it will give you fodder for your writing and for your art.)

Where you go to college will work out. Trust your efforts; write your best essays to show off who you are. You are enough. With any luck, you will have reached far enough that you will be rejected by a few places. Savor that rejection- it means you believed enough in yourself. I remember my rejection letters well.

Next year is unchartered territory, but the only guarantee is you will be there… And then you will be heading somewhere else.

As Nora said, just look up and trust the stars. 

Love,

Mrs. Green

Scholastic Awards

Hi!

So next Thursday is our first review meeting. Before that it would probably be a good idea to explain the award that Tapestry won!

The 2011-2012 Tapestry staff won first place in the Scholastic Awards. The criteria is made up of five total categories. Within those categories are anywhere from six to twelve subcategories. The main categories and the scores were:

Content Coverage: 360/400
Organization: 115/200
Design: 135/150
Presentation: 180/180
Creativity: 60/70

Last year's edition excelled in presentation but left something to be desired in organization. The 2012-2013 staff has a lot to live up to. In terms of specific goals, this year's staff obviously should strive to raise all scores and maintain presentation. Specifically creativity is very much within reach, especially when considering the talent in this school. Points in organization were lost through a dysfunctional table of contents and lack of publication data and intent of the magazine. Hopefully 2012-2013 group can fulfill these goals!

Get to know your staff: Juliet Millard

I made up some questions and took some from others :)

1. Favorite thing about Tapestry: Tapestry is fun, expressive, and creative. I think its amazing that FC has a club that offers all of that. Of course I also love all the people, and Mrs. Green too!!

2. Role in Tapestry: Manuscript Tutor/Apprentice

3. Favorite Movie: Parent Trap

4. Favorite Book: The Hunger Games, and the entire Harry Potter Series

5. Favorite Writer: Of course, J.K. Rowling and Suzanne Collins, but I've recently discovered John Green and love him!

6. Last Concert: Justin Bieber :)

7. If I could travel anywhere: Greece

8. Favorite Season: Fall

9. Summer Job: If babysitting counts, then definitely babysitting!

10. Coffee or Tea: Neither. I really only drink milk and water. haha

11. Favorite Food: Pasta

12. Favorite Color: Purple

13. Interestes/Hobbies: Music, music, music- Singing, Piano, Flute

14. Last movie I saw: The Dark Knight Rises

15. Little Known Fact: I'm half English