Ben, in today’s chapters (35 & 36) we will find out if Natalie gets back into the Marinoff school or not. Based on how Natalie has changed since the last time she was there, do you think she will get back in or not? (Your response should use specific evidence from the text.)
Today, with everyone having a cell phone nearby, it is hard to imagine a time when a building only had one phone that everyone shared. Near the end of today’s reading we find the Flanagan’s having a big celebration dinner after Natalie had a good interview day at the Marinoff School. Though the food sounds good, they are probably all (with the probable exception of Natalie) feeling anxious as they wait to hear Mrs. Caconi coming to tell them that there is a phone call for them. That phone call will deliver the news about whether Natalie is back in the school or not. What is your prediction?
The message delivered on the phone may not be the most important message that Moose hears that day. His mother’s comments to him earlier in the day are probably more important. What did she tell him?
The issue of Natalie’s age gets resolved today. Moose forces the issue. It was a hard thing for him to do. What event caused him to talk to his Mom? How is getting Natalie’s mom to acknowledge that she is really 16 important for Natalie?
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Phone Call
Posted by Mr. Z at 6:48 AM
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I think that Natalie may get into the Marinoff School. Look at the list of reasons she was told to leave:
She was “too involved”
Natalie wasn’t “Working out”
Natalie was unresponsive
And she screamed at 5:15.
For the unresponsive part, look a few chapters back at moose’s comment:
“She seems to be more there”
That comment obviously means she is responsive. Number 3 on the list was she was unresponsive, so she has changed.
The reason she was screaming was because her buttons were taken away. If she goes, the same thing is going to happen. So I do think she might get in, but she won’t stay in.
Before I read the chapters I did not think that Natalie would get back into the Marinoff school. After being pressed by Mrs. Flanagan, Mr. Purdy explained that the reason Natalie was being asked to leave was that she had a screaming fit one morning (after her buttons were taken away). The girls dorm was close to the neighbors and they had complained about her early morning tantrum. That reason made me think it was not a very good school. It also made me feel Mr. Purdy was only referring Mrs. Flanagan to Mrs. Kelly to get the Flanagan’s out of his office. I thought he was giving them false hope, and there was really nothing they could do to get Natalie back into the school. He had already made up his mind about her.
Though Natalie seemed to have made a lot of progress, I did not see any way that they could convince Mr. Purdy that the screaming fits were in the past.
(I am a bit puzzled by all the progress Natalie has made. The book is not helping me to figure out if the progress is because of Mrs. Kelly or Moose and his friends.)
Look at all the progress Nat has made. She's using pronouns and expressing her feelings, something unheard of at the beginning of the text. This goes to Ben's evidence that "She seems to be more there." She also doesn't need her buttons all the time and she wants contact with other kids, like for her birthday party. I'm with you, Mister Z, that the book isn't giving much explanation of how it's happening, but even Moose comments on how much more "normal" his sister is. Maybe a lot of it has to do with her being treated normally.
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