The Boy and his Grades

ONCE, THERE WAS A BOY NAMED CLYDE PEMBROKE. HE ALWAYS WANTED ATTENTION IN CLASS. HE PLAYED AROUND, NOT PAYING ATTENTION. HE WOULD EAT CANDY AND ALSO CHEW GUM. HE AT LEAST GOT 2 REFERRALS A WEEK FOR NOT PAYING ATTENTION AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS HE DID.

ONE DAY, HE FINALLY WENT TO HIS LOCKER AND GOT EVERY BOOK OUT, AND TOOK THEM TO HIS CLASSES, WHICH HE NEVER DID. IT REALLY DIDN'T DO HIM ANY GOOD, BECAUSE HE DIDN'T OPEN A SINGLE BOOK.

IN READING,THEY WERE REVIEWING FOR A MAJOR TEST GRADE. HIS TEST HAD ABOUT 20 VOCABULARY WORDS, AND THEN ABOUT 20 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS. THE VOCABULARY WORDS WERE SO EASY A SECOND GRADER COULD DO THEM.

CLYDE WANTED TO PASS SIXTH GRADE REALLY BAD. I DON'T KNOW HOW HE PASSED TO GET TO SIXTH GRADE. I GUESS HIS TEACHERS DIDN'T WANT HIM AS A STUDENT ANYMORE.

ON HIS TEST, HE MISSED EVERY LAST ONE OF THE QUESTIONS. IT WAS EASY TO BELIEVE. THAT DAY THE TEACHER GAVE HIM A CHANCE TO STUDY AND TAKE THE TEST OVER. HE WASTED A CHANCE AND DIDN'T EVEN STUDY. HE COULD HAVE STUDIED AND TAKEN THE TEST OVER AND MADE A 10%, BUT IT WOULD BE BETTER THAN A 0%. INSTEAD HE JUST TOLD HIS TEACHER THAT HE DIDN'T STUDY. SO WHAT GOOD WOULD IT DO?

THE TEACHER HAD HAD ENOUGH OF THIS. SO, SHE MASHED THE CALL BUTTON AND ASKED THE PRINCIPLE, MRS. DEAN TO COME DOWN. SHE DID AND SHE ASKED, "WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?" THE TEACHER SAID, "CAN YOU PLEASE TAKE HIM OUT AND HE WILL TELL YOU." "OH YES," SAID MRS. DEAN. SHE TOOK HIM OUT AND HE TOLD HER THAT HE JUST DOESN'T PAY ATTENTION. "WHY?" MRS. DEAN ASKED.

SO WHILE THEY WERE HAVING A CONVERSATION THE TEACHER WAS GOING TO GIVE HIM A REFERRAL. SHE DID NOT BECAUSE SHE FELT SORRY FOR CLYDE, BECAUSE HE SAID THAT IT ALSO HAD TO DO WITH HIS FAMILY. SHE ASKED HIM IF HE NEEDED TO TALK TO THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR. HE SAID, "YES PLEASE." SO, HE WENT UP THERE AND THEY TALKED UNTIL SCHOOL WAS OVER.

HE CAME BACK THE NEXT SCHOOL DAY PREPARED TO TAKE THE TEST. THE TEACHER SAID THAT HE COULD. HE MADE AN 80% ON IT. IT CAME TO THE END OF THE YEAR, HE MADE ALL F'S ON HIS REPORT CARD EXCEPT ONE C AVERAGE. HE STAYED BACK, BUT PASSED THE NEXT YEAR. HE CONTINUED TO PASS ALL OF HIS GRADES, AND HE EVEN WENT TO COLLEGE FOR 4 YEARS. NOW, HE IS A WONDERFUL MANAGER OF A BANK.

MORAL: LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP

BY: MANDI FREEMAN
TEACHER: MS. RICE
SCHOOL: WOODMONT MIDDLE SCHOOL 6TH GRADE, 2001