Hilltoppers (Season 2)

Chapter 23: Neon Dreams

Soundtrack:

Party Rock Anthem" - LMFAO (2011)

Turn Down for What" - DJ Snake & Lil Jon (2013)"Tik Tok" - Kesha (2009) We Found Love" - Rihanna ft. Calvin Harris (2011)"I Gotta Feeling" - The Black Eyed Peas (2009)"Dynamite" - Taio Cruz (2010)"Firework" - Katy Perry (2010)"Lean On" - Major Lazer & DJ Snake ft. MØ (2015)"24K Magic" - Bruno Mars (2016) Scream & Shout" - will.i.am ft. Britney Spears (2012)"Wake Me Up" - Avicii (2013)

It's Friday, April 5, 2019, and today is the last day of term 3, which means it's the last day of gym class. Breanna wakes up at 5:30 am. Breanna gets ready for school but decides not to put on any makeup since tonight is neon night, and she plans to do her makeup for the event later. Breanna waits for the bus on her porch around 6:30 am, ready to start the day and looking forward to the last day of gym class and the upcoming neon night event. Breanna gets on the bus at around 6:45 am and arrives at school around 7:45 am. She heads to the cafeteria to grab breakfast before starting her day. Breanna heads to homeroom, known as Durfee 360, in Mr. Gilcrest's room. As she enters the familiar classroom, she sees her classmates chatting and getting ready for the day. The atmosphere is relaxed yet buzzing with the anticipation of the last day of term 3 and the upcoming neon night event. Breanna heads to Fun Friday in Ms. Anderson's class, excited for the day's activities. The classroom is filled with her classmates, including Ezra, Jaydon, Christian, James, Jacob, Claudette, Corey, Jerry, Hayden, Aaliyah, Reilly, Nicholas, Kegan, and Michael. They all gather around, ready for a fun and engaging session to celebrate the end of term 3. They started with team-building games like charades, Pictionary, and trivia quizzes. These games not only brought out their competitive spirit but also strengthened their bonds as a class. They played upbeat music and had a mini dance party in the classroom. Breanna and her friends showed off their dance moves and had a blast grooving to their favorite tunes. Ms. Anderson organized creative projects like making collages, drawing cartoons, and writing short stories. Breanna and her classmates showcased their artistic talents and shared their creations with each other. They had a snack break with popcorn, chips, and drinks. It was a time to relax, chat, and enjoy some treats together. Breanna heads to English class with Ms. Anderson for period 2. In the class are Jaydon, Christian, Jacob, Hayden, and Corey, her classmates. They settle into their seats, ready to engage in the day's lesson and activities. Ms. Anderson started the class with creative writing prompts. Each student received a random prompt related to neon night, spring, or their favorite hobbies. They had a few minutes to write short stories or poems based on these prompts, showcasing their creativity and imagination. After the writing session, they participated in a group storytelling activity. Ms. Anderson divided them into small groups and gave each group a story starter. The groups took turns adding sentences to the story, building on each other's ideas to create imaginative and hilarious narratives. To reinforce grammar concepts in a fun way, they played grammar games like Grammar Jeopardy or Grammar Bingo. It was a lighthearted way to review their knowledge of grammar rules and improve their writing skills.  Ms. Anderson also prepared literature quizzes related to the books they had studied during the term. It was a chance to test their understanding of the texts in a playful quiz format, with prizes for the winning team. To end the class on a relaxing note, they had an interactive read-aloud session. Ms. Anderson read aloud a short story or an excerpt from a novel, and the students could ask questions or discuss the plot and characters. Breanna and Corey head to Ms. Silva's class for period 3 in room 354A. They find Claudette and Reilly already in the same class, ready for the lesson. She starts the class with a group discussion on a recent topic or current event related to their curriculum. This encourages students like Breanna, Corey, Claudette, and Reilly to share their thoughts and perspectives, fostering critical thinking and communication skills. Ms. Silva introduces a hands-on activity related to the subject they are studying. It could be a science experiment, a math problem-solving activity, or a history simulation. This interactive approach keeps the students actively involved in the learning process.  She assigns a collaborative project that requires teamwork and creativity. This could be a group presentation, a research project, or a multimedia project where students like Breanna and her classmates work together to explore a topic in-depth and present their findings to the class. Ms. Silva incorporates technology into the lesson, using educational apps, online resources, or interactive whiteboards to enhance learning. This appeals to students' digital literacy and engages them in a modern learning environment.  At the end of the lesson, Ms. Silva facilitates a class discussion and reflection. Students share what they've learned, ask questions, and discuss any challenges they encountered during the lesson. This reflection time encourages self-assessment and helps students consolidate their understanding of the material. Ms. Couto starts the class with science-themed games like Biology Bingo, Cell Crossword Puzzles, or Classification Charades. These games reinforce key concepts in a fun and engaging way. They conduct hands-on experiments related to biology topics they've studied. It could be a simple experiment with microscopes, observing plant growth, or examining biological samples. This practical approach allows students to see science in action and deepen their understanding. Ms. Couto performs interactive demonstrations or science magic tricks to illustrate scientific principles. This captivates the students' attention and makes learning biology concepts memorable and enjoyable. They work on creative projects related to biology, such as creating posters about different animal species, designing a model of a cell or ecosystem, or writing and performing a short skit about a biological process. To review previous lessons and prepare for upcoming assessments, they play review games like Jeopardy, Kahoot, or Quizlet Live. These games make revision engaging and help students reinforce their knowledge. To review previous lessons and prepare for upcoming assessments, they play review games like Jeopardy, Kahoot, or Quizlet Live. These games make revision engaging and help students reinforce their knowledge. Breanna goes and sits with her guy friends during B lunch, catching up with them and enjoying the company. They discuss various topics, share jokes, and have a good time together before returning to their afternoon classes. Breanna heads back to Ms. Couto's class after lunch to finish up some work. Once she completes her tasks, she takes a break for the rest of the class period, relaxing and perhaps chatting with her classmates. Breanna and Hayden head to history class with Mr. Gilcrest for period 5. In the class, they join Jaydon, Aaliyah, Michael, Jerry, and Corey, ready to delve into the day's history lesson and discussions. Mr. Gilcrest delivers an interactive lecture, using visuals, stories, and discussion prompts to bring history to life. He encourages students like Breanna, Hayden, Jaydon, Aaliyah, Michael, Jerry, and Corey to participate actively and ask questions. He presents primary sources such as historical documents, maps, or artifacts related to the lesson topic. Students analyze these sources, discuss their significance, and draw conclusions about historical events and perspectives. Mr. Gilcrest organizes a debate or discussion on a controversial or significant historical topic. Students take on different roles or viewpoints, engage in respectful debates, and develop critical thinking and argumentation skills. He incorporates a hands-on activity like creating timelines, designing historical posters, or conducting mock interviews with historical figures. These activities make history more tangible and memorable for the students. Mr. Gilcrest assigns group projects where students collaborate to research and present on specific aspects of the historical period they are studying. This encourages teamwork, research skills, and public speaking abilities. Towards the end of the class, Mr. Gilcrest reviews key concepts and prepares students for upcoming assessments. He may use review games or quizzes to reinforce learning and assess understanding. During the break between periods 5 and 6, Mr. Gilcrest gives the students some free time to relax and recharge. Breanna, Hayden, Jaydon, Aaliyah, Michael, Jerry, and Corey use this break to chat with friends, catch up on assignments, or simply take a breather before the next class. Breanna and Hayden, joined by Christian, head to gym class for the last day of term 3. After their gym session, Breanna catches up with Emily and Jessica, asking about their classes for the next term. She inquires if they have any elective courses or a freshman discovery class planned, showing interest in their academic schedules and future coursework. Breanna, Christian, and Hayden leave school and head to catch their bus home at 2:30 pm. Around 4 PM, Breanna starts getting ready for Neon Night. She picks out her brightest, most vibrant clothes and accessories, making sure everything will glow under the neon lights. She carefully applies her makeup, incorporating neon colors and glowing elements to complete her look for the exciting event. Then, Breanna's dad arrives to take her to Neon Night, as he offered to chaperone the event. Breanna arrives and excitedly joins her friends, taking pictures and enjoying the vibrant atmosphere. The night is filled with glowing lights, music, and laughter, making it a memorable event for everyone involved. After three hours of fun, dancing, and taking pictures, Breanna leaves Neon Night around 9 PM to head home with her dad. The event was a blast, and she's left with great memories and a bunch of photos to remember the night by. Breanna heads home and, feeling excited and happy, posts on Instagram about her amazing night at Neon Night. She shares a few of her favorite pictures, capturing the fun moments with her friends and the vibrant atmosphere of the event, adding hashtags and a heartfelt caption to commemorate the evening.