Language Arts Student of the Year: 2018
“If you are a dancer, leap in!” she wrote on the first day in Honors English. I’ve read quite a bit about her passion for dance, but I’ve yet to see her do it. So, Cassie Bowers, if you would, dance up here so I can tell everyone why the Language Arts Spotlight shines on you.
We dealt with metaphors a lot this year. Here are some to describe Cassie: She is a calm ocean on the outside, all quiet confidence and grace. On the inside roars a Force Ten hurricane of meticulous organization, diligent attention to detail, and the driving ambition to live up to the highest expectations. The lightning flashes of merriment or dismay in her ocean-colored eyes only suggest what lies beneath the peaceful surface.
In her own words: “I am the type of girl who loves to be sarcastic…it’s a bonus if the teacher enjoys sarcasm as much as I do.” I knew we were going to get along when I read that. More recently, she reflected, “At the beginning of 9th grade, I became less shy and louder I guess.” [?!?] In order to be loud-ER, you first have to be loud, and she never was, but her performance spoke for itself right from the start, and the message was always clear: She gets it! Cassie was one of a small handful of students with straight A’s in Honors English this year, and the only one who never needed extra credit or extra time to do it. (Which didn’t stop her from completing the extra credit assignments, just in case.) After a hectic week of AP testing, she came in during Intervention to take the year-end Word Cells test, and she was the only one in her class to get 100%.
Dutiful students like Cassie are easy to overlook, but I couldn’t overlook her obvious talent for all things literate. She draws attention to herself not with a constantly-raised hand but with the quiet excellence of her work and her perseverance with novels like A Tale of Two Cities and Jane Eyre, which drove many of her classmates to Spark Note Purgatory. And I like the personal philosophy that comes through in her reflections on literature: “Reading requires you to be engaged…it is necessary to hear different opinions to have a diverse society.”
Not only is Cassie Bowers academically brilliant, but she also has a passion for challenge and a caring spirit that the world needs more of. I am honored when she comes to my room for Intervention, even if it is only to study for her AP Geography test. And, speaking of AP classes, if you really want to see those eyes flash, ask her about that four-hour AP French test!
So, young dancer, take your own advice: “…leap in! Let your ideas run wild and be carefree, for we have an audience, and they want to see! Arabesque in! Pirouette in!” I’m glad you danced into my classroom this year!
We dealt with metaphors a lot this year. Here are some to describe Cassie: She is a calm ocean on the outside, all quiet confidence and grace. On the inside roars a Force Ten hurricane of meticulous organization, diligent attention to detail, and the driving ambition to live up to the highest expectations. The lightning flashes of merriment or dismay in her ocean-colored eyes only suggest what lies beneath the peaceful surface.
In her own words: “I am the type of girl who loves to be sarcastic…it’s a bonus if the teacher enjoys sarcasm as much as I do.” I knew we were going to get along when I read that. More recently, she reflected, “At the beginning of 9th grade, I became less shy and louder I guess.” [?!?] In order to be loud-ER, you first have to be loud, and she never was, but her performance spoke for itself right from the start, and the message was always clear: She gets it! Cassie was one of a small handful of students with straight A’s in Honors English this year, and the only one who never needed extra credit or extra time to do it. (Which didn’t stop her from completing the extra credit assignments, just in case.) After a hectic week of AP testing, she came in during Intervention to take the year-end Word Cells test, and she was the only one in her class to get 100%.
Dutiful students like Cassie are easy to overlook, but I couldn’t overlook her obvious talent for all things literate. She draws attention to herself not with a constantly-raised hand but with the quiet excellence of her work and her perseverance with novels like A Tale of Two Cities and Jane Eyre, which drove many of her classmates to Spark Note Purgatory. And I like the personal philosophy that comes through in her reflections on literature: “Reading requires you to be engaged…it is necessary to hear different opinions to have a diverse society.”
Not only is Cassie Bowers academically brilliant, but she also has a passion for challenge and a caring spirit that the world needs more of. I am honored when she comes to my room for Intervention, even if it is only to study for her AP Geography test. And, speaking of AP classes, if you really want to see those eyes flash, ask her about that four-hour AP French test!
So, young dancer, take your own advice: “…leap in! Let your ideas run wild and be carefree, for we have an audience, and they want to see! Arabesque in! Pirouette in!” I’m glad you danced into my classroom this year!
posted by MRT at 7:30 PM
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