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Concluding Remarks

Dear Readers,

            I hope you enjoyed reading this month’s Zine and that you were able to take something from it.  Life truly is a marvelous ride and ever moment should be lived to the fullest. 

            In next month’s issue, I will be giving tips on cruises, another silly story from my life, and an interview with one of the Make-A-Wish foundation’s public relations workers.  It will truly be a fantastic issue so you don’t want to miss out!  If you have any suggestions for future articles, or any comments feel free to email me at lifeisfun@gmail.com or send and old fashioned letter to 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney, South Carolina 29055.  Your mountain is waiting!

                                                                                            With Love,

Jessica

 

Call-to-Action

Text-In-Context Preface

            For my text-in-context, I decided to argue for year-round schooling, and urge my readers to attend school board meetings to voice their opinions.  I have been in many school systems as my family moved a lot, but I never attended a year-round school.  At traditional school systems, I spent the first month (at least) of every year reviewing what I had learned the year before, as a lot of this had been lost over the summer.  I hope by reading my paper, you will at least gain an appreciation, or respect, for year-round school systems and become active in your local school board meetings.

Continuous Education

            Since kindergarten, I have attended three elementary schools, one middle school, and four high schools across six different school districts.  At each school, I experienced different curriculums, teaching methods, and grading scales.  However, none of these districts used the year-round school system.  In fact, the majority of schools in the United States are based on a traditional system; less than four percent of schools are on a year-round system (Lehrer 2001).  Schools that use a year-round system “rearrange the school schedule into several instructional time blocks separated by shorter and more frequent vacation breaks.” (Worsnop 1996).  In other words, students essentially attend the same number of school days, but they do not have a three month summer break.  Instead, students are given three one-month breaks throughout the year.  In many instances these breaks are given in October, April, and during one of the summer months (June-August). Not only is it proven the year-round system shows improved test scores, but it also provides more realistic and spread out vacations, and increases knowledge and skill retention among students.

            As it becomes more prominent that year-round school systems provide better for students, it is up to us – parents, teachers, administrators, students, and all others invested in this cause – to bring about this change.  Many have already formed or joined grassroot groups, groups which provide service or a voice for a cause, in support of year-round school.  By creating such a group within communities, people have the ability to voice their concerns, opinions, and suggestions to the school board, other local administration, and the community as a whole.  However, one is also able to voice his or her support for a cause, in this case the implementation of a year-round school system, to the school board simply at a school board meeting.  These meetings are open to the public, and during the meeting, there is opportunity for community members to have a voice. It is by joining or forming a grassroot group, or by simply attending school board meetings and suggesting your ideas, that year-round schooling will be implemented.  Without community support, most school systems will simply stay with the traditional system.     

            On October 16, 2005 my sister was in the hospital giving birth to my first nephew, Richard Mendez Ybarra Jr.  At the time I was 13 and despite our 8 year age difference, my sister, Nicki, and I have always been extremely close.  Nicki was enlisted in the United States Navy at the time and was stationed in Norfolk, Virginia, which was an eight hour drive from my home in Troy, West Virginia.  For the past two weeks, I had talked to my sister on the phone every night.  She filled me in on all the silly details of her day and how she and my future nephew were doing, and told me how much she wished I, and the rest of my family, could be there for everything.  However, we were all still in school at the time so it was impossible for us to visit.

 So, on October 16, 2005, I sat anxiously in algebra staring at the hands on the clock moving more slowly than ever before.  I heard each tick of the second hand and the sound seemed to reverberate throughout the entire classroom.  Finally at 11:27 am, the bell rang through the hallways.  Second period had just ended which signaled the beginning of lunch hour. I met my older sisters in the stairwell and we raced to our school’s office and begged the secretaries to let us use the phone.  We all huddled around the phone as our parents told us our nephew had been born.  Despite a few complications, our sister and baby Ricky were now doing well and we could call Nicki later when we got home.  We left for class elated, but wishing we could be with our older sister and holding our baby nephew.

            Fast forward five years, and Nicki was seven and a half months pregnant with her second child.  Ricky Jr., now in kindergarten, was elated to have a little brother on the way; every time I talked to him on the phone he would tell me how he was going to teach Logan (his future little brother) how to read, and play games, and how they were going to share all their toys.  As Ricky’s elementary school is on a year-round school system, he had all of October off to spend with his parents and help pick out toys for his little brother and help paint the baby’s room.  A month and a half later, he had another three weeks off for Christmas break, so he was out of school for the birth of Logan, his baby brother.  Looking back, I am envious of Ricky and wish I had attended a school that used the year-round system, as I would then have been able to be with my sister for the birth of my first nephew.

            Due to breaks from school being more spread out in a year-round school system, students will no longer be losing as much information over the course of the year.  Jennifer Fisher, a first grade teach at for a year-round elementary school, agrees wholeheartedly with this concept.  In reference to what Ms. Fisher deemed the “summer hangover” in traditional systems, “You really have to spend so much time getting them back into the frame of mind of school. They're not even thinking about school. ... It was very frustrating.” (Bruce 2009).  Students will no longer have to spend the first month or so of school reviewing what they learned the previous year; this knowledge will not have had a chance to be forgotten. 

            Because there is the possibility of a much higher retention rate of the information learned in class, students will also have to opportunity to score much higher on standardized tests.  Regardless of whether or not one agrees with the concept of standardized tests, it is quite evident the United States is performing poorly on an international scale.  On an internationally administered test, known as the OECD, administered in 2006, the U.S. was ranked 25^th out of 30 countries on the math portion of the test.  In 2009 on the overall test, 24 of 34 countries scored better than the United States (Hechinger 2010).  Surely, our nation’s school systems are lacking and not preparing its students for the world ahead of them; this is quite possibly due to the three month break from June to August.  

            Memories of childhood summers often bring about feelings of freedom and excitement.  It was a time when one was free to play outside all day, live in swimming pools, and camp out in the backyard.  Many feel that by installing a year-round school system, children will lose the opportunity to make such memories and truly enjoy the excitement of summer.  However, this is by no means an accurate assumption.  In a year round system, it is true summer break is considerably shorter, but students still have a one month break during this time.  In one month, many wondrous adventures can be had and memories made without losing the vast amount a student would lose over a traditional summer.  The other two months children typically have off are given as a one month break in the fall (typically October), and another month break in the spring.  Not only can families spend time together in the summer, but they can perhaps go camping in the spring or on another trip in the fall.  So although students may not have a three month summer break, they still have the same amount of time off throughout the year.

            Another difficulty with year round school systems is the multi-track system.  In this system, there are multiple “tracks” or schedules that groups of students rotate through.  Due to this, groups are on breaks at different times throughout the school year (Newland 2000).  In this system, if there are multiple children in a family, each child could potentially be assigned to a different track.  This would make it extremely difficult when taking family vacations.  However, to solve this problem, there is the one-track system.  Due to the structure of this system, all students are on the same schedule and have the same breaks.  By only employing the one-track, year-round school system, there would be no conflicts with households that contain multiple students. 

            The traditional school system, including a three month summer break, was once extremely necessary in United States history.  Students were given summers off from school as this was the time of year when they would be needed to help on their family’s farm.  However, this is no longer the case as in today’s society the majority of students do not live on farms.  Therefore, it is much more important to focus on the education of United States students, an area which is very weak on an international scale.  It is imperative school systems begin to implement a year round schedule in order to improve knowledge retention, test scores, and overall academic success.  This will only happen if we fight for it as parents, students, teachers, and community members.  Going to one’s local school board is the best way to voice your opinions and fight for this cause.  The school board is the direct connection to school systems, and it is they who make decisions concerning the school.  However, there are also grassroot groups one can join, or start, to help support this cause as well.  A grassroot group is any group that addresses the needs of members, or a community, or that supports any local cause, and is strictly run by volunteers. (Scheier 1992).  Our children’s education is relying on us to stand up and fight for them. 

          

Works Cited

Bruce, Mary and De Nies, Yunji. “Back to School Already? Year-Round Programs in Full Swing”.  ABC World News.  ABC News Internet Ventures. 9 August 2009. Web. 4 April 2011

Hechinger, John. “U.S. Teens Lag as China Soars on International Test”.  Bloomberg. Bloomberg L.P.  7 December 2010. Web. 5 April 2011

Lehrer, Jim. “Going to School Year-Round”. News hour Extra. Macneil-Lehrer Productions. 8 August 2001. Web. 29 March 2011

Newland, Christopher. “Academics, the Year-Round Calendar, and the Color of the School Buses”.  Offspring. June 2000. Web. 5 April 2011

Scheir, Ivan. “Working With Grassroot Groups”.  The New Volunteerism Project. 1992. Web. 29 March 2011

Worsnop, R. L. “Year-round schools.” CQ Researcher, Vol. 6, pg. 433-456. 17 May 1996. Web. 29 March 2011

Stakeholders Section

1.      Sophie Andrews:

a.       For year-round school systems

b.      Current elementary school teacher

c.        Has taught at all levels, and at both traditional and year-round schools

d.      Currently teaches at a year-round school

2.      Luke Carter:

a.       In the middle, but more for year-round schooling

b.       Has 3 children in year round schools

c.       Loves being outdoors and taking family trips

d.      Enjoys the spread out breaks in a year-round system

3.      Jake Easton:

a.       In the middle, but more against year-round schooling

b.      High school student

c.       Athlete, on honor roll, and class president

d.      Works during the summer break to earn money for college

4.      Ami Watson:

a.       Very against year-round school systems

b.       Owner of local pool/water park

c.       Large part of income relies on children having summers off

d.      Very nostalgic about summers

Collage

Text-In-Context

Text-In-Context Preface

            As I child, Dr. Seuss’s silly rhymes, fantastical characters, and vibrant colors enthralled me; as a college student, his stories and poems often provide inspiration.  His poem, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” is one of these stories.  This piece encourages readers to reach for their dreams, but to also expect things will not always go your way.  This piece also was greatly influenced by the historical events happening while it was written as well as by Dr. Seuss’s childhood.  I hope you enjoy this analysis and perhaps find a little inspiration in this poem as well.          

Reaching for the Stars

(workshopped)

Introduction

            “Today is your day!  Your mountain is waiting.  So… get on your way!”  These are the closing lines to Dr. Seuss’s “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”.  From a child’s perspective, these lines contain simply nonsensical words and the pages are full of bright colors and silly looking animals that you can’t help but enjoy.  From a high-school senior, and college freshman’s, point of view however, this poem holds a whole new meaning. It tells how in life you may not always be on top, but it also provides encouragement when tasks seem daunting and tells the reader’s they can achieve their dreams and the world is at their fingertips.

            Dr. Seuss was one of the greatest children’s authors and poets of all time; his stories brought joy to many, regardless of age, gender, or nationality.  His stories contained fantastical words, brightly colored characters, encouragement, and lessons from which all could learn. “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” is only one of these such masterpieces.  However, this poem was not simply a story created from the midst of Dr. Seuss’s brilliant imagination.  Throughout the years surrounding 1990 –the year this poem was published– many dreams and accomplishments were being realized worldwide, perhaps influencing the theme of chasing one’s dream found within the lines of this piece.  The inspiration for this poem seems to have started much earlier than this however, in Dr. Seuss’s childhood. The environment he grew up in closely mirrors the bubbling streams, tall trees, and bright blue sky often found within his works.  Built upon the influences of both historical and personal events, Dr. Seuss’s, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go” encourages its readers to make this world his/her own, despite the discouragements it sometimes contains.  This piece was indeed one of Seuss’s finest and only through taking a deeper look at its context does one truly appreciated its wonders.

Author Section

            Dr. Seuss, born Theodor Seuss Geisel, was one of the most famous authors and poets of all time.  His stories brought laughter and joy to many children and provided fascinating books for those just learning to read.  These stories were also enjoyed by adults however; their brightly colored characters and fantastical words were thrilling and the plot within the books often held moral or political points understood by an older audience.  One of his pieces, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” tells of how one should start living his or her life, work towards their dreams, yet not be too discouraged if he or she does not always finish on top.

            Dr. Seuss’s childhood greatly influenced his writing.  He gives much of the credit for his work to his mother, who chanted silly rhymes to him as a child.  Perhaps it was due to this he developed a natural ability to write peculiar poems and children’s books.  The atmosphere he lived in as a child inspired many of the settings for his stories.  From the flowing streams, to the wildflowers, to the whispering breezes, these aspects of nature became staples in many of his stories.  Seuss lived a comfortable, but not luxurious, life as a child, and grew up in an average family.  He worked hard for his goals and eventually accomplished them; in doing so, he practiced the advice he gives to his readers in “Oh, the Places You’ll Go.”

            As a college student, Theodor Seuss Geisel worked on his university’s magazine, creating cartoons and comics.  It was during this time he began using the name Dr. Seuss; Seuss being his middle name and mother’s maiden name.  (Dr. Seuss, National Memorial, 2002-2004) Throughout college, his doodles started to become a much larger aspect of his life, until he eventually decided to become an artist.  He worked mostly with advertising and magazines until his first children’s book, And to Think I Saw it on Mulberry Street, was finally published.  From there, his career took off with other books and poems such as The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, and “Oh, the Place You’ll Go”.  (2002-2004) Dr. Seuss quickly became a beloved children’s author and his stories and characters brought delight to many.

Historical Context    

From the mid-1980’s thru 1990, great accomplishments were occurring throughout the world.  Over this time span, the scientific community was quite literally “reaching for the stars” in its endeavors.  In 1988 the Discovery was launched, being the first space shuttle to be launched after the 1986 Challenger catastrophe; in 1990, the space telescope Hubble was launched (Villard 2010).   Space exploration was an extremely prevalent aspect of the scientific community’s undertakings and discoveries during this time period.  Sending individuals and telescopes into the unknown environment of outer space truly is an incredible accomplishment and a prime example of achieving dreams and goals. 

            Throughout these years, many important events were occurring that affected individuals on a more personal level as well.  One of the greatest events to take place during this time period was the fall of the Berlin Wall.  One of U.S. President Ronald Reagan’s most famous quotes, “Tear down this wall!” was stated during a speech in which he pleaded for the wall to be destroyed.  (Ratnesar 2007)  On November 9, 1989, his desire became fulfilled.  The wall that had for years separated families, friends, and neighbors was finally demolished and freedom surrounding this structure was finally found. Not only did this affect most Germans, but also individuals across the world. 

            On an even more individual level, public icons were also achieving incredible goals.  Hulk Hogan, a well-known wrestler, rose to fame during this time period, becoming almost a celebrity.  Not only did he accomplish several goals despite whatever trials he encountered, but he also became a role model for many.  Also during this period, the first Nintendo was created.  Although it seems slightly trivial, this achievement greatly changed the advancement of technology, specifically in gaming systems.  This creation was felt throughout many households and individuals of all ages were affected by this invention.  From a worldwide scale, to individual athletes/cultural icons, to everyday households, this period of time contained many examples of dreams being realized and mountains being conquered.  

            These accomplishments are only a few of the incredible tasks and goals being attained during this time period. These moments in history truly provide inspiration for the theme of reaching one’s dreams and making the world your own.  However, great trials and difficulties also came with the realization of these dreams.  Each person involved in these endeavors surely sacrificed copious amounts of time and effort.  This is part of the message Dr. Seuss tried to convey in his poem “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”; great accomplishments cannot be obtained without difficulties.  In his poem he writes, “I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.”  Whether it was overcoming the crash of the Challenger, the literal obstacle of the Berlin Wall, or losing a wrestling match, each of these events contained trials and difficulties.  However, it is through these trials that individuals become strengthened and make the realizations of one’s dreams that much more satisfying.  

Analysis of Text

Dr. Seuss’s “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”, holds many messages for its readers.  Throughout the poem, one will find words of encouragement and inspiration for reaching one’s goals.  Even within the opening stanza, this can be found when Dr. Seuss states, “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great Places! You’re off and away!”  However, this poem does not give the reader a sense of infallibility.  It also explains that one might not always finish first, or on top, but it is okay.  In the lines, “I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you” the realities of life can be found.  Across the stanzas of this poem, the reader gains confidence to be himself or herself, and to reach for the dreams they dream.  One also learns to anticipate trials and fumbles as plans do not also work out as expected.

The placement of the stanzas plays a major role in this text.  Dr. Seuss writes a few stanzas of encouragement and optimism, and then a few containing a more realist tone.  This prevents the reader from obtaining an unrealistic view of life, while still showing them they can achieve their goals and conquer trials.  However, Dr. Seuss both opens and closes the poem with encouraging stanzas.  This is to introduce the idea that dreams can come true, and to end the poem on an optimistic tone, leaving the reader with a feeling of determination and excitement for the possibilities of the future.

“Oh, the Places You’ll Go” is a poem individuals of all age have enjoyed and found inspiration from.  Many times, life’s events and trials can weigh one down; Dr. Seuss provides an answer for times such as these within this poem.  The lines “And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too” provide encouragement to simply “go with the flow”.  These lines also suggest that it is these trials and events shape individuals and help them to grow and develop.  Whereas these lines are most likely to be better understood by an older audience, there are many lines and aspects of this poem that can be focused on a younger reader as well.  Dr. Seuss, with lines such as “You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high!” excites his younger readers for the future by using nonsensical words and sensory words. As a whole, this poem can be enjoyed by individuals of all ages, from kindergarteners, to their grandparents.

The style of writing applied within “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” adds greatly to its content, overall meaning, and how it reaches its audience.  The use of extremely vivid words, such as “prickle-ly” and “flip-flapping”, draws the reader in and makes him or her feel as if they are actually in one of Seuss’s extraordinary cities.  The fantastical words within the lines of this poem also provide a fantasy or fairytale-like feeling and make the reader feel as if anything is possible.  For among the land of Dr. Seuss, one can accomplish anything he or she sets her mind on.  Although there is not set rhyming pattern used in the poem, many of the words rhyme which makes the poem almost into a playful song.  Overall, the writing style used by Dr. Seuss here adds greatly to the meaning of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go; the versatility of the words, interpretations, and “pictures” within this poem draw in many readers.

Conclusion

“Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting. So…get on your way!”  The closing words to “Oh, the Places You’ll Go” summarize the main theme of this poem quite well.  Today can become whatever one wants it to be, and life is waiting so it should be lived to the fullest every second.  The idea that one should seize the day and reach for his or her dreams is the main idea Dr. Seuss conveys in this poem.  Through the use of rhymes and eccentric words, he draws his readers in and excites them for the possibilities of the future.  This excitement is extremely contagious regardless of the age of the reader, as one is never too old to starting living his or her dreams. 

The analysis of this text through a study of the historical events surrounding the publication of this poem as well as Dr. Seuss’s childhood has truly provided valuable insight into this poem.  It can truly be seen that both of these aspects influenced the content and message within this great piece.  However, there is still much more that can be learned from further study of “Oh, the Places You’ll Go”.  Future studies of this poem should be sure to take into account how Dr. Seuss’s education and any writing classes/experiences he had influenced the style in which this poem, as well as the rest of his pieces, were written.  Through this, it would become more evident as to why he chose to write with such vibrant and fantastical words; this would only further its reader’s understanding of this piece.

Dr. Seuss’s childhood influenced this piece remarkably, from the settings and vibrant images, to the rhymes that mirror the chants his mother recited to him as a child.  This only adds to the story as it adds a personal level to the words and the reader almost has a connection to Dr. Seuss.  However, his childhood was not the only influence for this piece; many of the world events during the time of its publication were real-life examples of the theme of this story.  From the fall of the Berlin Wall, to the launching of space shuttles and telescopes, to even Hulk Hogan’s rise to fame, dreams were being achieved worldwide.  This is proof that Dr. Seuss’s words and advice rings true and should be taken. So, in the words of the great Dr. Seuss, “Your Mountain is waiting. So get on your way!” (Seuss 1990)

Works Cited

Dr. Seuss, National Memorial. Dr. Seuss Enterprises. 2002-2004. Web. 5 March 2011

Ratnesar, Romesh. “20 Years After ‘Tear Down This Wall’”. TIME. Time Inc. 11 June 2007. Web. 4 March 2011

Villar, Ray. “Hubble’s 20 Year Odyssey”. Discovery News. 23 April 2010. Web. 4 March 2011