NationStates Jolt Archive

My language arts teacher has a mother that works in a Catholic private school. Apparently, those students of her mother's just do not care about the class anymore (litterally) and have been attempting to finish a 100-page book for the last couple months. These kids are in EIGHTH GRADE.
These kids apparently have an attitude that they want to go to a public high school because they think it'll be an easier ride than that of a private school.
So my L.A. teacher decided to have her kids (me and the rest of my class) write their classes a bunch of letters telling them that they're wrong, and that H.S. is harder than they think.

So I want to know if I've got an intimidating letter (one that will pass through my L.A. teacher's inspection) or what can I add to make it more intimidating.


-------------
Dear St. Mary’s 8th grader,

My name is *BLANK* (prefer to be called Kevin) and I’m a 9th grader honors student here at *BLANK* High. It looks like your just giving up in your class, as we’ve been told. To be blunt, we found it kind of pathetic that it’s taking you weeks to finish a book that’s just one hundred pages long. We also found it funny that you actually think that public high school will be a fun experience and an easy ride.
High school is not easy at all, it’s as simple as that. Your teachers don’t care how much homework you have, they’ll assign it anyway and expect it turned in when they want it turned in. Teachers have all the right to assign a massive project and have it due by the end of the week. If you don’t do a simple project, your grade drops. Problem is, its very difficult to make up that grade when you have other work raining down on you from other classes. Your grade takes a very long time to go up, but it is insanely easy for it to drop within days. I myself took a month just trying to go from a B+ to an A- in my Biology class. I barely got my A one week before our final semester grades were turned in. And a PowerPoint presentation for that class nearly cost me my grade.
Homework can be easy or hard depending on the class you find yourself in. Health class gives easy homework; Geometry gives tougher homework, and Biology stabs you in the heart several times. I don’t think I’ve gone a week without having a huge amount of homework due in for Biology. You turn in a packet of homework and get a whole new assignment due next week the same day. And some days you just get surprise homework due whenever the teacher feels like. This letter itself is homework that I’m doing right now on a really cold Saturday night at 10 p.m., due on Monday.
Since this high school is a public school, we are controlled by the government. The government decides how much money we get, and we have to make do with whatever they think is a good amount to give us. Heard about the $9 billion slashed from schools? I have to suffer the consequences of that, along with about 3,899 other kids in my school, along with the millions of other kids in public schools in California. The government also decides what we need to learn and set them as “standards” that we must learn. Nearly everything I’ve done in school is some sort of standard, even this letter is known to the school as ‘Writing Standard 2.5.’
The government and the school district constantly checks up on the students to make sure they are learning their standards. Every three months or so I have to take a District Test for Biology, every so often the District makes us take a test that includes an essay. And a couple weeks back, I had my Geometry final exam, which was another district test seeing if I knew what they wanted me to know. And around the end of the year, around April or May, we take a statewide test called the STAR test. It’s a test that nearly every student in public school takes and shows you what areas a student is strong or weak in. Takes about a week to finish all the hundreds upon hundreds of questions, all done by sitting in your seat for hours on end.
Your in private school, you have no clue how we are in public school. God is hardly ever mentioned (except in the Pledge of Allegiance everyday) in school. So be ready for that. Kids in public school are generally “academically correct” (the politically correct word for stupid, because we must be politically correct in school) and are failing their classes. So be ready to deal with people that have no clue what’s going on. Furthermore, be ready to deal with teachers that are annoying, jerky, and have no faith in their classes. It happens a lot.

Sincerely,

*BLANK*

------------

I lied a little, exaggerated a bit. It's not really 10 p.m. on Saturday, but rather noon on Saturday. Anyway, anything, anyone? Any humour to add in?

EDIT: The format isn't the same as it appears on Microsoft Word. Sue me, I don't have indented paragraphs here.

Enclose a photo of a crowbar. On the back of it, write, "If you don't shape up, your faces will be meeting my friend Mr. Crowbar here."

Enclose a photo of a crowbar. On the back of it, write, "If you don't shape up, your faces will be meeting my friend Mr. Crowbar here."
Did that in 5th grade to my "little buddy"...didn't work out too well. I had to pull my card.

Sounds about as intimidating as a trip to the toilet.

I would give it an A.

I missed the part about cleaning the toilets with your tongue as a punishment.

Sounds about as intimidating as a trip to the toilet.
You see my dilema here.

Sad thing is, this is probably the most intimidating letter that my class would send over there.

You see my dilema here.

Sad thing is, this is probably the most intimidating letter that my class would send over there.

I think it gives a good impression of how difficult high school is. Although I would shorten it myself, considering they took several weeks to read a 100 page book!

My name is *BLANK* (prefer to be called Kevin) and I’m a 9th grade honors student here at *BLANK* High. It looks like you're just giving up in your class, as we’ve been told. To be blunt, we found it kind of pathetic that it’s taking you weeks to finish a book that’s just one hundred pages long. We also found it funny that you actually think that public high school will be a fun experience and an easy ride.
High school is not easy at all, it’s as simple as that. Your teachers don’t care how much homework you have, they’ll assign it anyway and expect it turned in when they want it turned in. Teachers have all the right to assign a massive project and have it due by the end of the week. If you don’t do a simple project, your grade drops. Problem is, it's very difficult to make up that grade when you have other work raining down on you from other classes. Your grade takes a very long time to go up, but it is insanely easy for it to drop within days. I myself took a month just trying to go from a B+ to an A- in my Biology class. I barely got my A one week before our final semester grades were turned in. And a PowerPoint presentation for that class nearly cost me my grade.
Homework can be easy or hard, depending on the class you find yourself in. Health class gives easy homework; Geometry gives tougher homework, and Biology stabs you in the heart several times. I don’t think I’ve gone a week without having a huge amount of homework due in for Biology. You turn in a packet of homework and get a whole new assignment due next week the same day. And some days, you just get surprise homework due whenever the teacher feels like. This letter itself is homework that I’m doing right now on a really cold Saturday night at 10 p.m., due on Monday.
New Paragraph hereSince this high school is a public school, we are controlled by the government. The government decides how much money we get, and we have to make do with whatever they think is a good amount to give us. Heard about the $9 billion slashed from schools? I have to suffer the consequences of that, along with about 3,899 other kids in my school, along with the millions of other kids in public schools in California. The government also decides what we need to learn and sets them as “standards” that we must learn. Nearly everything I’ve done in school is some sort of standard, even this letter is known to the school as ‘Writing Standard 2.5.’
The government and the school district constantly check up on the students to make sure they are learning their standards. Every three months or so, I have to take a District Test for Biology; every so often, the District makes us take a test that includes an essay. A couple ofweeks back, I had my Geometry final exam, which was another district test seeing if I knew what they wanted me to know. Around the end of the year, around April or May, we take a statewide test called the STAR test. It’s a test that nearly every student in public school takes and shows you what areas a student is strong or weak in. Takes about a week to finish all the hundreds upon hundreds of questions, all done by sitting in your seat for hours on end.
You're in private school; you have no clue how we are in public school. God is hardly ever mentioned (except in the Pledge of Allegiance everyday) in school. So be ready for that. Kids in public school are generally “academically correct” (the politically correct word for stupid, because we must be politically correct in school) and are failing their classes. So be ready to deal with people that have no clue what’s going on. Furthermore, be ready to deal with teachers that are annoying, jerky, and have no faith in their classes. It happens a lot.

Sincerely,

I won't comment on the content, as I don't teach in California... but those are a few changes you may or may not wish to make.

Kat, I'm "academically-challenged" at the moment. What are you trying to say?

Good job, although you forgot to call them stupid spoiled brats.

Sorry, forgot that when you quote, it's italicized. I've gone back and changed the tags to bold so you can see the small edits I made.

Here,


Dear idiot.

You really think that public school is "Easier"? What dream did that come to you in? Have your teachers not explained the No Child Left Behind act whereby public schools now receive their funding based on a formula that is dependant on our marks? You think that this has motivated the school administrators to lighten up or bear down given that their salaries now depend entirely on my marks? And do you think that we have the best teachers? Or do you think we get the ones that can't find work in a private school?

So we have motivated but less competent teachers riding our asses to get them their perks. How much fun does that sound to you?

But hey, you compare. Here is my courseload:
<details>
Here is how much homework I tend to get for each course:
<overinflated details>

Hey - come on back to the public system if you like. Frankly though, all you will be doing is getting more work to do in crappier facilities. But maybe masochism is your thing.

But as long as your parents are willing to shell out the cash for a better education in better surroundings that you could care less about, can you please have them contact my parents to see if they will fund me instead? Because we wouldn't be here if we didn't have to be, and to be perfectly frank the fact that you are pissing away an opportunity that we would be thrilled to have is really only likely to get your ass handed to you on the playground.

Twit.

Here,


Dear idiot.

You really think that public school is "Easier"? What dream did that come to you in? Have your teachers not explained the No Child Left Behind act whereby public schools now receive their funding based on a formula that is dependant on our marks? You think that this has motivated the school administrators to lighten up or bear down given that their salaries now depend entirely on my marks? And do you think that we have the best teachers? Or do you think we get the ones that can't find work in a private school?

So we have motivated but less competent teachers riding our asses to get them their perks. How much fun does that sound to you?

But hey, you compare. Here is my courseload:
<details>
Here is how much homework I tend to get for each course:
<overinflated details>

Hey - come on back to the public system if you like. Frankly though, all you will be doing is getting more work to do in crappier facilities. But maybe masochism is your thing.

But as long as your parents are willing to shell out the cash for a better education in better surroundings that you could care less about, can you please have them contact my parents to see if they will fund me instead? Because we wouldn't be here if we didn't have to be, and to be perfectly frank the fact that you are pissing away an opportunity that we would be thrilled to have is really only likely to get your ass handed to you on the playground.

Twit.
The first was good, but I like this one better. :p

highschool in general is a joke.

seriously.

Heh, at the school I'm at now I'm usually up 'til 3am doing hwk. It sucks. In England's everything in Nationalised so you know exactly what is needed but this idea everything is at the whim of the teacher it's nuts. I'm doing Multivarible Calculus and Advanced Topics AP, some of the content this year he hasn't taught for 15yrs....just 'cos he felt like it. Current %age of Multiv. calc. in course = 5%.

Enclose a photo of a crowbar. On the back of it, write, "If you don't shape up, your faces will be meeting my friend Mr. Crowbar here."

i'm with you. also, maybe pull a 'Big Lebowski' and send them a human toe or something.

oh, and i remember reading 300 page books in under a week when i was in grade 5, what the hell is wrong with these kids?

oh, and i remember reading 300 page books in under a week when i was in grade 5, what the hell is wrong with these kids?
Sadly, trying to find anyone under 25 who's well-read and publicly educated these days is like hunting for leprechauns.
Books aren't competing well with movies, music and video games for their deomographic.
But for all of you kids here on NS who actually enjoy reading, just think of the pickings you'll have available in the job market once you're ou there! ;)

*snip*
But as long as your parents are willing to shell out the cash for a better education in better surroundings that you could care less about, can you please have them contact my parents to see if they will fund me instead? Because we wouldn't be here if we didn't have to be, and to be perfectly frank the fact that you are pissing away an opportunity that we would be thrilled to have is really only likely to get your ass handed to you on the playground.

Twit.
COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT! Goddamnit, I really hate it when people use that expression wrong! IF YOU COULD CARE LESS, YOU ARE STILL CARING!!

-Think about it for a moment!
Quote stolen shamelessly.

Sadly, trying to find anyone under 25 who's well-read and publicly educated these days is like hunting for leprechauns.
Books aren't competing well with movies, music and video games for their deomographic.
But for all of you kids here on NS who actually enjoy reading, just think of the pickings you'll have available in the job market once you're ou there! ;)
i'm 21. i went to publis school...

as did all of my friends, many of whom are avid readers.

of course i went to school in canada... so perhaps our schools are a bit better.

COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT! Goddamnit, I really hate it when people use that expression wrong! IF YOU COULD CARE LESS, YOU ARE STILL CARING!!

-Think about it for a moment!
Quote stolen shamelessly.
???

Loosen up guy, you're not even a native speaker. :)

of course i went to school in canada... so perhaps our schools are a bit better.
That could have something to do with it! :D

COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT! Goddamnit, I really hate it when people use that expression wrong! IF YOU COULD CARE LESS, YOU ARE STILL CARING!!

-Think about it for a moment!
Quote stolen shamelessly.

Could not care less about actually.

Apostraphes are for the most part colloquiallisms.

oh, and i remember reading 300 page books in under a week when i was in grade 5, what the hell is wrong with these kids?
I need to read books of 300 pages in one day for school..., but that's because I always start too late. :p

???

Loosen up guy, you're not even a native speaker. :)
yeah, but that doesn't take away the fact that I'm bloody right :rolleyes:

COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT! Goddamnit, I really hate it when people use that expression wrong! IF YOU COULD CARE LESS, YOU ARE STILL CARING!!

-Think about it for a moment!
Quote stolen shamelessly.


The fact that the way an expression is used in current colloquial speech doesn't meet you grammatical standards is of no interest to me. I grew up when the expression was "couldn't care less", and have modified my usage to mirror the current slang.


You don't like slang? You want to apply proper grammar to slang?


Too bad - it exists. Suck it up and deal with it. Trying to "correct" it just makes you sound foolish.

Kat: Oh wow, thanks. Corrections have been made.

Zepp: Added the last paragraph to be my own last paragraph

But as long as your parents are willing to shell out the cash for a better education in better surroundings that you could care less about, can you please have them contact my parents to see if they will fund me instead? Because we wouldn't be here if we didn't have to be, and to be perfectly frank the fact that you are throwing away an opportunity that we would be thrilled to have is really only likely to have yourself isolated in high school.

Brilliant, I love it. Hopefully I'll be allowed to put it in my final draft, seeing as how this is America and everything.

WiNA: oh, snaps! [/exaggerated black ghetto accent, if that even exists]

Zepp's reply: now now...let's not hijack the thread...

Your in private school, you have no clue how we are in public school. God is hardly ever mentioned (except in the Pledge of Allegiance everyday) in school.
Well, having gone to Catholic school myself, the whole God angle probably doesn't matter to half of the students. Parents would tend to do the whole private school thing because they want their kids to get a better education, and kids in Catholic school where I'm from (Granted this is Canada, and Catholic schools aren't private) don't necessarily give a damn about the religious aspect... so that may not really help the cause, because you have to understand some of those kids are actually going to be thanking their lucky stars that they won't have to put up with religion every step of the way while they're in school.

Well, having gone to Catholic school myself, the whole God angle probably doesn't matter to half of the students. Parents would tend to do the whole private school thing because they want their kids to get a better education, and kids in Catholic school where I'm from (Granted this is Canada, and Catholic schools aren't private) don't necessarily give a damn about the religious aspect... so that may not really help the cause, because you have to understand some of those kids are actually going to be thanking their lucky stars that they won't have to put up with religion every step of the way while they're in school.
How about "God can't help you here!" ?

yeah, but that doesn't take away the fact that I'm bloody right :rolleyes:
In an obsest kind of way... :rolleyes:

Letters won't work. So the whole Scared Straight thing. Have them visit a public school. Threaten to make one of the boys your girlfriend then sell him for a pack of ciggaretts.

And do you think that we have the best teachers? Or do you think we get the ones that can't find work in a private school?

So we have motivated but less competent teachers riding our asses to get them their perks. How much fun does that sound to you?

Um, sorry -- at least where I am from, public school teachers need two degrees and get both better pay and benefits than private school teachers.

The pay by a private is better....but the workload for that money is more. My dad has to do train duties, supper parties, at least two activity trips per year, debating, model UN, Youth Parliament, science talks, lunch/study duty etc etc.