139 MA Imagine that you are preparing for a trip. You plan to be away from your home for a year. In addition to clothing and personal care items, you can take one additional thing. What would you take and why? Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

If I were to leave my home for a year, there is one thing I definitely would take with me: my cell phone. With my cell phone, I could call my friends or family if I ever was lonely, needed advice, or just wanted to talk.

If I were away from home for a year, I would be very lonely, especially in the beginning before I made friends. If I could call my mother and father, I would hear their familiar voices and I would not feel so lonely. Hearing my friends’ voices would also help me overcome my sadness.

I’ve never been on my own so there are many things I am not familiar with. I’ve never opened a bank account, got a driver’s license, or made my own food. If I had to cook chicken or something, I could call up my mother and she could tell me how to make dinner.

Sometimes, I may just want to talk in my own language. With my cell phone, I could call my friends and tell them about my new life. This would make them jealous of me. I would call them a lot so they could hear all the wonderful things I am doing.

For me a cell phone is a necessity. I would need it anytime I was lonely, anytime I needed to do something I didn’t know how to do, and anytime I just wanted to talk. Of course, the phone bill will be sent to my parents.

140 MA When students move to a new school, they sometimes face problems. How can schools help these students with their problems? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your answer.

Students moving into a new community and attending a new school can face a lot of problems. Their biggest worry is usually fitting in. The school counselor, the school’s administration and the students’ teachers can all help the students come through this experience successfully. They can engage other students to become involved with the new students, too.

New students in a school need to feel like part of the school community as quickly as possible. A school administrator should begin by giving students a complete orientation to their new school. They should take them on a tour of the school and show them the classrooms, gym, computer lab, band room, and cafeteria. They should tell them about the history of the school, its academic achievements, and its athletic and debating teams. The administrator can talk to the students about what’s expected of them in the classroom and what rules the school has.

The school counselor should talk to the students what they’re most interested in studying. If these are older students, the counselor can ask them about career interests. If these are younger students, the counselor can ask them about their favorite subjects at their old school. The counselor can tell the students about all the extracurricular activities there are at the school. For example, the school might offer things like sports, art, music, and working on a school newspaper.

The teachers have the most important job when it comes to new students. It’s up to them to help the students meet other students in class. They can also help them learn how classes are conducted in their new school. They can encourage other students to make friends with new people and help them learn the system. Since they’re with the students the most, they can keep an eye on them and make sure they’re adapting well.

Both the adults and the other students need to help new students feel a part of their new school. It’s not easy, but it pays off with happier, more successful students in the end.