Hi

Hi everyone I was just wondering how everyone is?!
Okay bye
Maddie

Hello!

Hello people!!!!!!! How is everyone? Mr. Lawrence, I hope that you are doing well! I've got a slight problem, or should I say problemo. See, now whenever I try to sign in, it's all in spanish. And I'm confused. So if you know how to fix this, I would appreciate some info. Aidios! I think...
Emma

New Accafe Video's out!

Hi all, New Accafe video's out.

We have 2 new videos.

The Plan and The Party

You might have to watch our beginning videos first before you watch these so it will make sense.

Just go to www.youtube.com/accafe to see our videos.

Here they are.

The Plan:

http://youtube.com/watch?v=9wbF6rg7oyw

The Party:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E4BDsGF6iU

See you all at school.

Will

Yes, go nuts! Post all you want. I have sent invitations to everyone who gave me their email...

Can we post yet?

Hey Mr. Lawrence,

Just wondering if we can post yet.

If I wasn't aloud to post I'll delete this.

Will

I need your email!

If you give me your email, I can send you an invitation to be an "author" for the blog, so you can add your own posts . . . I sent one to Maddie because I had her email...

DEAR SEVENTH GRADE,

I am sorry I did not do a better job speaking to you about you before leaving.

I am honestly not kidding or exaggerating when I say that this is the best 7th Grade I have ever worked with. It is not even a fair contest; you are so far ahead of the second place class. What separates your grade from all of the others is your spirit. The greasers and socs costume idea was great, and you put it together very quickly. That is my experience with you. You have great ideas; you show energy and humor and kindness every day. I have enough experience with 7th graders to know that you also went out of your way to be kind to me—Mr. Lawrence— specifically. I noticed that from the first day. You had no way of knowing me from two years ago when you were at the other end of the building as 5th graders. If you saw me last year, I must have been just some former teacher you did not know. Yet, when I returned this year, you were kind and friendly and energetic toward me. I also noticed that when a class became too loud or wasn’t listening that you corrected one another as a way of showing respect for me.

This still amazes me. This took courage, strength, patience, and maturity. I wish I had been able to thank you in person. I am tremendously grateful to you for being so kind to me. I am honored and proud to know you.

I know that not everyone understood my teaching style. My number one goal was for you to enjoy English. I want you to enjoy reading and writing so you will do it forever. (The quotation stuck to the board above my desk explains this perspective another way.) Journals were about communicating that you have wonderful stories to tell, that your lives are important right now. I tried to make good writers little Allendale celebrities. The world takes good writers very seriously.

If I look at everything I have learned in my life, my advice to you is this:

1. Be good to other people. Nothing else matters. Money means nothing. Neither does fame. Add goodness to the planet by being kind to other living things—cats and plants included—and you will have lived well.

2. Don’t ever give up.

I will try to follow my own advice; I will use your example as inspiration.

I will never forget the goodness you added to my life.

Sincerely,

J.Law

To My 8th Period 7th Graders,

I greatly appreciated the energy and enthusiasm you brought to class. You deserve more of the credit for the laughter we shared. I enjoyed the time we spent together. I hope you did notice that I am serious about good reading and good writing. There are so many great stories worth reading and worth writing. Many of the things you enjoy most in life—t.v., movies, music, books—were created by writers. There is no reason you cannot become one of those writers some day.

I hope you noticed that I respect you greatly as individuals. I let Krystal be Krystal, Sonya be Sonya, Brian be Brian … etc. I did not try to force you to be one type of person. (Hey, I even let Krystal be Billy.) Don’t wait until two weeks before graduation in 12th grade to notice that there are many great and funny and talented people in your grade. They don’t always have to look like you and dress like you, for you to joke and laugh and enjoy life together.

Please be kind to the substitute and be kind to me in my absence.

To My First Period Seventh Graders,

Thank you. You made my day every day. We laughed AND made progress every day. You arrived with energy and good humor and you left the same way. My only regret is that we didn’t do more; I should have answered more fake phonecalls during class from Ian’s mom and Mr. Hertrick, I should have asked my doctor for other prescription pills for things like outlines and homework too, we should have gone to Liquid together more often—not just on Ladies’ Night (although, boy, the drink specials are really good on Ladies’ Night, right?), we should have listened to the radio more often. We should have had Omar imitate things like water fountains and fire earlier in the year.

Pps. The substitute is really great. She is nice and very smart. You will like her. I had not met her yet when I saw you on Friday.