Friday, 3 June 2016

Malaika- The Cat Ate My gym suit- Travel Tracer

For this meeting I was travel tracer...:
This part of the story starts at her home, it starts where her mom wakes her up telling her to get out of bed quickly to go shopping for Nancy's Party.
Next they go to the shopping mall, they have to go past the normal section into the "chubbies" area, which makes Marcy feel embarrassed. They then go to a jewelry store where Marcy buys  a necklace, a ring and earrings.
After that she goes to Nancy's house before the party. She goes back home after to get ready and practice her dancing.
The next day, the story starts at her house, she then takes Stuart to the park because her parents went out and she has to babysit him, and then back home for lunch, then her parents come home. Marcy gets ready for the party. Joel comes to pick her up. Next they go to Nancy's house for the party she talks to Joel for a while, she learns about his mother and father splitting up and what happened. She also learns that Joel likes her only as a friend and no more than that. Then Joel brings her back home,
The next morning, starts at her house, where Nancy calls her to complain that her parents found guys throwing up in her backyard. Then they went to visit her paternal grandmother.
Next day starts at her house then she goes to a shopping plaza with Joel and then she goes back home.
Next day starts at her house, then later on in the afternoon they go to the hearing of ms.finney, where she wins but decides to resign, they go back home.


Wednesday, 1 June 2016

The Cat Ate My Gymsuit- Paula Danziger: Discussion Director

For this Literacy Circles Meeting, I was the discussion director. Here are my questions:

1. Why do you think that the author ended the book this way?
My answer: I think that the author ended the book this way because no one's life can be perfect, not even a book character's.
Other answers: I think the author ended the book this way, because this book is mainly autobiographical, and Marcy represents the author, Paula Danizger, and this is her true story. I also think that the message of the book is not 'be thin!', and 'thin is great', but be confident in yourself, no matter your body size and shape.

2. Why do you think Ms. Finney resigned? What would you do if you were her?
My answer: I think that Ms. Finney resigned so she wouldn't create any other complications for her students and the principal. I also think she resigned because if she came back to her job, it would be really hard for her to get back to her normal life as she created a massive problem for the school, and people wouldn't accept her again.
Other answers: I think that Ms. Finney resigned so she wouldn't make any problems for Marcy, and her friends, and so she wouldn't upset the parents who argued so strongly to try and get her fired.

3. Why do you think Joel rejected Marcy?
My answer: I think Joel rejected Mary because he really didn't like her, and didn't really want to be around her.
Other answers: I think that Joel liked Marcy, but is 13 years old and doesn't want a girlfriend. I think that they will date in the future.

4. What do you think Marcy would be like in the future?
My answer: I think Marcy would grow up to try and inspire younger girls to accept their body, and not be upset that they are different to other people. I also think that she could be a writer or a teacher, inspired by Ms. Finney because she is creative, and very opinionated.
Other answers: I think Marcy will be a sad, old, homeless person because she is very ungrateful, and doesn't want to accept help from anyone, even if she desperately needs it.

Monday, 16 May 2016

The Cat ate my Gym Suit - Malaika - Summarizer

Marcy Tells her mom about the Nancy's party and her mom convinces Marcy to go shopping to get her a dress. The dad gets annoyed because he thinks Marcy is growing up to fast, but then he gets annoyed because he thinks Stuart is not growing fast enough, so then Marcy is confused. Marcy then has to go to school while she is at school she gets called into the principals office. Inside the principals office she see's that her mom and Stuart are already inside as well as Nancy's mom and two other people that she later learns are Joel's dad and Robert's mother. Mr.Stone tells them that he knows about their plot to undermine the school, and how their behavior has become unacceptable. The students defend themselves, and the parents support them, apart from Robert's mother, who agrees completely with Mr.Stone and thinks they should be punished. They end up being suspended. They all meet up at Marcy's house where they decided to try help Ms. Finney, Robert's mother ends up walking right out because she is annoyed that the other parents don't agree that the children deserve being suspended and should be punished. The children decide to use the time out of school to study. Later when her dad comes back home from work he gets mad because he thinks that Marcy should just shut up and mind her own business, He says that she deserved being suspended and is bad. Then her mom and her get mad at her dad, and Marcy cries and goes to her bed, she dreams that while she is at Nancy's party she will trip and fall and be embarrassed.

Monday, 9 May 2016

Discussion Director- Isidora

My job this six-day rotation was Discussion Director.

  1. How did you feel when Joel asked Marcy to the party?I felt good, because Marcy is changing so much from the beginning of the book. She's even going to a party with Joel.
Alannah: I felt bad because I think Joel doesn't really like her.
Malaika: Me too, because I think Joel only wants to go as friends but Marcy obviously doesn't. She's going to be heartbroken.
Jelena: I agree
Mia: Me too. She's going to be so heartbroken!
2.Why do you think the children like Ms. Finney  so much? She's different than the other teachers and has a different approach to students. She teaches them in an interesting way they are not used to.
Alannah: She's different than any other teacher they ever had. She's all about expressing yourself and communicating through writing.
Jelena: Ms. Finney is always saying things like: "Express yourself through the paper! Write what you feel deep inside!"
Malaika: Yeah, that's true!
Me: I do think it sounds a bit weird, but I think this is going to help a lot in Marcy's situation.
Mia: She's just so caring and teaches in a different way that the kids like.
3.  What would your parents say if you were boycotting against firing your teacher? My parents would most probably support me. I asked my mom and she said that, if it's a good teacher and the students want he to teach them, she would support me and let me stand up to the principal.
Malaika: My mom would really be shocked and my dad would just laugh and tell me it's okay, I can get on with it.
Mia: Same here. My parents would just laugh and tell me it's okay.
Jelena: My parents too.
Alannah: They'd probably laugh and not believe me but at the end, they'd support me.
4. If you were a kid in Marcy's school, what would you think of her? I'd think she's a bit too quiet,  but nice overall.
Alannah: I do not find her nice. I'd think she's mean to everybody.
me: No, she's not.
Alannah: She ignores people only because she thinks they won't like her! If somebody walks up to he and says "Hi!" she's going to ignore them.
Mia: I don't like her at all. She really has too many problems and doesn't know how to solve them. She thinks she's fat and ugly and won't even do anything about it! And she's fat, so her dad yells at her, so her mom gives her ice cream which makes her even more fat. It's a repeating cycle which Marcy has to learn how to stop.
Jelena and Malaika: I agree. 

Friday, 6 May 2016

The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger - Connector

Literature Circles-Connector
Alannah Thornley

1. Ms. Finney is like Ms. Edmunds in Bridge to Terabithia, they are both kind, caring, free spirited, and each have their own creative and innovative ways of teaching. They both help their students to try their hardest and teachers like them really help the students start to enjoy school. They are also extremely young ( very early 20's ) and very pretty.

2. When Joel asks Marcy to the dance to the dance it reminded me of when our school held a dance in the Black Box, and many different people asked other to that dance. Marcy states in the book that when Joel asked her out she felt "uneasy, and confused as to whether Joel actually liked her or it was a dare, or he just means it as friends". Malaika said that this is how everybody feels when people they really really really really like asks them out.

3. In the book Marcy is very insecure about her body and the way she believes people perceive the way she dresses, the way she acts, and her family. There are many different people everywhere that believe that no one will ever like them if they have imperfections, which is a complete lie. People like others regardless of their clothing, looks, and family. 

Malaika-illustrator-the cat ate my gym suit.




For this meeting I was the illustrator and I drew this image. This picture is of Marcy, Joel, Nancy and Robert, when they are at Nancy's house and they decide to make a plan off things they could do to help save Ms. Finney, I think this is an important scene in the book because it shows how much they really care about Ms. Finney and the things they would all do for her. It also shows that they don't care how risky their plan is or what the consequences might be, and that their main goal is to help Ms. Finney win, and come back to teach them. 

The Cat Ate My Gymsuit by Paula Danziger - Literary Luminary

Literary Luminary - Literature Circles
Alannah Thornley

I was Literary Luminary for last week's Literature Circles and these are the paragraphs I chose:

1. Pg. 26 paragraph 2: I chose this paragraph because I think it show why Marcy is so insecure about her body, and it shows why she feels the need to push everyone away ( she believes they will hurt her feeling ). I think this paragraph is really important to the story, as it helps develop Marcy's character, and shows what is going on in her house.

2. Pg. 30 paragraph 2-3: I think this shows how Marcy is really stubborn and how she will never back down from what she believes. This also shows how much her mother genuinely cares about her and how she is willing to stand up to an abusive husband just for Marcy. This paragraph also shows you that Marcy's brother, Stuart and Marcy's Mother are the glue that keep the family together, and helps make amends after a big fight.

3. Pg. 38 paragraph 5: I chose this paragraph because I think this paragraph is crucial to the story because it is the paragraph that Ms. Finney gets fired in. This is very important to the story because this makes Marcy upset because she doesn't believe that Ms. Finney should have lost her job, so Marcy decides ( with her friends ) that she should stand up for Ms. Finney and get her back her job in the school where the students think she belongs.

4. Pg. 45 paragraph 1: I chose this paragraph because I believe it shows more about Marcy's character. She is really mean to the people around her, even her own Mother like it is shown in this paragraph. I think she is mean because she is really hurt by what her Father shouts at her every single day and it breaks her heart.

5. Pg. 52 only paragraph: I think this paragraph is very important to the story because it shows that family loves each other no matter how much messed-up stuff happens between them.