The freshmen in Miss Ramirez’s English class have almost completed their most arduous journey yet: the research paper. After weeks of plugging away at articles, notecards, and outlines, the end is in sight for these first-year high schoolers.

The freshmen research paper, which is due April 27, has been a complex process for the freshmen. Beginning in the first days of March students began choosing their topics. Their topics had to be focused on an issue that impacts teenagers today. The students chose from a wide variety of available topics: from sleep and exercise to mental health and racism. After deciding on a topic, students began in earnest to conduct research by reading articles and collecting data using notecards. As the process continued, the students completed an outline and began to strenuously write their first paragraphs.

Now, almost two months later, the freshmen are adding the finishing touches to their papers by adding their introductions and conclusions and fine-tuning their formatting. On their impressive journey towards completion of the research paper, the ninth graders have held fast and worked intensely.

As the year begins to wrap up the ninth-graders will embark on their final journey in Miss Ramirez’s freshmen English class as they begin reading the classic novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding.