Final Check in Letter

Good Bye for Now to You My Friend
Dear Ms. Priester,

I know this is a check in letter but I felt like giving it a title. The significance of the title is from a T.V show that I used to watch when I was younger called Out of the Box. At the end of the show, the two hosts would sing a song, which I do not know the name of, but the song would start out with “Goodbye, for now, to you my friend”. The meaning of the song was to have a proper way of saying goodbye to all the viewers but, let them now that it is not the last time they will “see each other”, that this goodbye they are saying is just temporary. So, in my letter I will be expressing how being in English 9 and 10 has helped me and changed me.
       In all of my Language Arts courses throughout middle school have not been supportive at all. I can remember how each teacher had at least six classes with about forty students in each class. This made it hard for each one of my teachers to be able to focus on my needs. For example, in eighth grade I lived in Hemet temporarily and attended the middle school Diamond Valley. At that school I had a language arts teacher named Ms. Laura (I think), who to me was a complete wreck. She would have us do work out of a handbook in to a journal she gave us at the beginning of the year. Before class would begin, she would make us line up outside to prove to her we did our homework. What I and many other students did was either show her someone else’s journal (since it was just a check, mark or no mark) or show her an old entry in our journal. So, since it wasn’t a big deal whether or not I did my homework I never paid attention in class and slacked off. Also, as a foster youth that is what is expected of me and back then I really didn’t even care about what anyone thought. Especially since bullies feel the need to always pick on someone that was the motto I was taught. When I came to SPA as a freshman, you opened my eyes about many things. I could no longer get away with slacking off or I would be put on the spot about living in a cardboard box. I learned a lot about grammar and now love correcting people. I noticed how my writing skills from freshman year pretty much sucked. The papers I would write were horrible and for some reason I still received an A or a B (or my paper would be forgotten about and not graded). Now, as a sophomore my skills have greatly improved. For example, when we have an essay many of peers ask me to peer edit their paper because they know I will do an extraordinary job (many upperclassmen have asked for my help as well).
        Some skills I have learned throughout the two years in your class are to have better responsibilities, set realistic and hard goals that make me want to actually achieve them, and never give up even when life seems pointless. This class has made me more determined, confident, and a perfectionist (which could also be a bad thing). Now, I know to never settle for anything less than I am worth. You have always been there when I needed someone to talk to and lean on. I know that I can always come to you with any problem I have. You gave me plenty of advice that was hard for me to put in to action but eventually did and in the end it was what was best for me. I always want to maintain a good grade in all my English classes. I know that any career choice I choose is going to require for me to communicate with other people. So no matter what proper English is required in life. I don’t want to sound or be thought of how many people believe I should be as a foster youth.
               So, in conclusion thank you Ms. Priester for everything and hopefully I get a good grade on this letter as well.

Sincerely

Jessica Galkoski