Thursday, December 11, 2014

Making Hampton High School Better


If I were to be told to present to you a speech on how necessary making Hampton High School a better place is crucial, I would decline in the nicest way possible. Why? I would decline because you wouldn’t listen to me. You would probably do one of the following: talk, text, call me every name in the book or even “boo” me. All the while watching my lips move but not have the ability to comprehend what flows from them. But I wouldn’t knock you for doing the previously listed because you’ve done it to me but I wouldn’t knock you for it because I understand why you do it to me. You do it to our teachers. So, why wouldn’t you do it to me? It isn’t like you would have more respect for me than you do for them, right? All I would do is bore you. I would stand up and deliver, too few of you, what would be known as the most deliberate speech you’ve ever heard from me. But to the majority of you, it would be like any other speech; a waste of time and pointless. In which both of those adjectives have been used, by some, to describe school.

  So, I have decided to start my speech off with an attention seeker. A point that will really get under your skin and bother you because I know you. I know that sometimes you have to add another flame to a gigantic fire. I know that you know that you don’t know everything. I know that you will never change. I know because I have attended the same school as you since the 3rd grade. And for eight years, I’ve witnessed your reactions to authority and school. So now I have put myself in your shoes. In fact, if I were to be delivering a speech to you, I would tell you that we all have to become one functioning system, we all need to inherit respect and we all need to put ourselves first in order to make Hampton High School an even better place. I would then go on to elaborate on my key points. Like, we all have to work together. This consist of us learning how to respect ourselves and others properly, putting ourselves first, and taking the precautions necessary for teamwork.  Work as a team. Not only seek guidance for yourself but guide others to the light as well. Become one accord with each other. Establish trust amongst everyone. Grow together. Establish new tradition. Then I would throw in a fancy quote, like, “Treat others how you would like to be treated.” Followed by:  Respect everyone. This includes yourself and others. Maybe I would even get around to explaining how I am not contradicting myself by talking about teamwork and then getting into putting ourselves first. For instance, I would say, put yourself first. Know yourself. Try your best. Then I would give you a quote like, “Stand up for what you believe in even if you stand alone.”  But then after all of that, I would conclude my speech, with a paragraph, by summing up everything I just covered in less than a paragraph. That’s when you would look at me and clap because it’s the polite thing to do. Even though you heard nothing I said, you knew nothing about anything I said, nor do you care about anything I said.
But I wouldn’t deliver this speech to you or any speech of that matter because it has all been told to you before. You just have yet to apply it. But who’s to say you really know how?

 

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Dress for Success

Cierra Chaney 
Mr. Melton and Mr. Kingsley
Honors American Lit. & Comp.
12 September 2014
Dress for Success
School is a place in which children spend the most of their daily lives. Children attend school for at least six hours a day. In school they enhance their brains, build relationships with their teachers and spend time with their friends. Although some kids tend to like school, some children think of school as a prison. Even though it appears that school is all about rules and guidelines, that isn't the case. School is an environment that should be challenging but calm and fun. So, why don't children really see school as an enjoyable place? 
Well, when a school is first established there has to be certain guidelines that are set up. These guidelines include the dress code as well. After students hear the words "dress" and "code" forming a phrase, their interests are diminished. But this can change! Instead of saying "Dress Code," we would replace the words with "Dress for Success." This is a catchy phrase that doesn't sound as threatening. But how would changing the name help gain the attention of students?
Show up, show out: Students love a little competition! So, why not indulge in their wants? Let's hit two birds with one stone. There would be a fashion show that we would set up each week. The students who are actively abiding by the “Dress for Success” policy will have a choice to be a part. But those who choose not to abide will not be active participants. It would allow the students to proudly flaunt their outstanding choices. This would be a great way to put the spark on how enjoyable school should be. So, what would implementing a fashion show do to influence the students positively?
Administrators and teachers want their students to want to have to choose school. Setting up a successful fashion show each week will help to influence their fashion choices through their ambitions. It will also improve their attendance and, over time, their grades as well. Students would subsequently start showing up. When students start to show up and actually show interest in their school, they become more focused and they begin to demonstrate improvements through their grades. But what would this program really help?
 Children are continuously growing and making decisions. This dress code policy will help shape their plans for their future endeavors. Our "Dress for Success" policy will leave no child behind. Our motto? Successful fashion, Successful choices.