Babblin’ from the Bobby…………...……………..………...1 Johrdyn’s Stats and Favorite Things.……….…………...2 From the Files of the Fashionista...……..……………3&4 Leadership Matters…………………………………………...5 A.W.A.N.A. What?!: Tales from a Veteran Clubber…………………..………...6 Family Style…...………………..…………………………..7&8 Soccer Moves……………………………………………..9&10 Greenhill Girl………………………………………………….12
We were assigned to do a Strain Your Brain project (“SYB”) by Mrs. Flanagan. She gave us a sheet of paper with different ideas of what we could do for the SYB. I decided I wanted to do a magazine about me. I wanted to do it because it was different and I had never seen anyone do a magazine about themselves before. Another reason is because I am in the 4th grade now and doing a magazine about me is a way of reflecting on my growth as a young girl. The articles I have written in this magazine tell you about my transition from the Cosmos to Sting, my family, Greenhill life, my style, my favorite things, soccer, my A.W.A.N.A. Club at church, and leadership. It’ll tell you some things about me that you might not know. Hope you like it!
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Given Name
Johrdyn Cierrah Ashaki Tarpeh
Nickname
JCAT (my initials)
Birthday
February 25, 2004
Astrological Sign
Pisces
Birthstone
Amethyst
Signature Style
Twists
Weight
67 lbs
Height
4’ 5”
Nationality
American of Liberian descent
Parents
James and Tonya Tarpeh
Siblings
Sidrah Ciatta Ashaki
Other Family Members
Zimri, Chase and Captain, and Braxton
Personality
Cheerful, sensitive, and warm-hearted
Favorite Activities
Playing soccer, playing with Sidrah, and playing on my Iphone
Favorite Things
Sidrah, soccer, nail polish, clothes and shoes
Favorite Sport
Soccer
Favorite Movie
Frozen
Favorite Book
Divergent
Resides
DeSoto, Texas
Favorite Color
Blue
Favorite Food
Fettuccini Alfredo, Waffles, and Macaroni & Cheese
Favorite Instruments
Flute
Favorite Toothpaste
Colgate
Mode of Travel
Bicycle
Future?
Women’s National Soccer team and to be an Inventor/Entrepreneur
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White Sunglasses
Soft-Textured Blue Shirt
Blue Jean Jacket
Braided Yellow Belt
Yellow Shorts Green Under-Shirt
My CHOOZE SHOES!
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My parents make sure that my life is full of new experiences. I have to balance my athletic activities with educational and extra activities. All of this is to make it easier for me to develop into a leader. Over the years, my parents have exposed me to a variety of activities designed to develop my confidence and leadership skills. Whether it is Jack and Jill of America, Inc., robotics classes, space camp, computer programming, invention camps, Chinese classes, drama, modeling, speech competitions or sports – each activity has been a little puzzle piece to make up who I am today. I feel confident that I am on my way to making a positive difference in the world. This year I will be attending the United Nations and Congress for Girls. I will be trained to represent people from a variety of Countries and the United States, and make decisions as if I were a world leader. I was recently asked to deliver a speech at the groundbreaking of Greenhill’s new Performing Arts Center on behalf of the lower school. How awesome was that! I prepared for it and did my best. Based on some of my test scores I have qualified for some gifted and talented youth programs. These opportunities give me access to college level courses. Next summer I will be able to stay on a college campus while I take my courses. All of these opportunities have taught me that leadership matters. It matters to my life, and it matters to the world I hope to impact.
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I have been a member of the A.W.A.N.A. club at my church for the past seven years. A.W.A.N.A. stands for “Approved Workman Are Not Ashamed” and its like a scouting program for Christians. I have to memorize verses from the bible that are in a series of books. I have earned at least one book award every year I have been involved. I finished two books this year instead of one which is really big. I could eventually earn a SCHOLARSHIP because of my involvement with the program. At the end of the year, there is a big ceremony where they give out awards to the kids who finish at least one book. I am going to get two awards because I finished two books. I can’t wait!
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SIDRAH is my 5 year old baby sister. She is amazing and we are crazy about each other. She can have as much fun playing with someone as she does playing by herself. She loves to play with her hands and make believe they are puppets. She has two doll houses and has created her own neighborhood upstairs between the two houses. Her favorite color is red. She and I are alike in many ways and different in so many others. Lets see… she loves sugar, I’m not too crazy about sugar—unless it’s syrup. Oh yeah, I love syrup and waffles, she hates syrup and waffles. She loves candy and juice. I love water and fruit. We both love pizza. I love Mac and Cheese. She hates Mac and Cheese. She loves donuts. I hate donuts. She loves eggs and bacon. I hate eggs and love bacon. I like McDonald’s. She hates McDonald’s. She loves Chick- Fil-A. I’m not too crazy about Chick-Fil-A. We’re all over the place with our likes and dislikes. My parents go crazy trying to feed us because we are all over the map sometimes, and on a weekly basis our tastes change. I am crazy about my kid sister and enjoy being a role model and body guard for her. MY MOM is very encouraging and helps me to become a leader. She gives me different tips about being successful in life. Her favorite color is purple and she loves sneaking up on me and my sister and scaring us. She is the architect of my speeches. My dad generally writes them and then my mom and I go to work memorizing and perfecting my delivery. She pushes me to greatness and I love that about her. Its not always fun during the process, but I can never argue with the results. Whether I am memorizing my scripture verses for A.W.A.N.A. at church, or memorizing a speech for a Jack and Jill competition, her intensity level is the same. My mom was a big time track star in her day. I guess I get my athleticism from both of my parents. My speed probably comes from her — sorry Daddy.
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MY DAD is on the more athletic side of things. He encourages me on the sidelines of the soccer field and tells me to run faster, play harder, and focus. He enjoys seeing me give my all and is my #1 Fan. Or maybe my #2 fan because my mom is more vocal on the sidelines. I act like I don’t hear sometimes but I hear every word they utter on the sideline, especially her. He still plays competitive basketball and golf. He’s extremely competitive and hates to lose. He won’t even let me beat him. He says when I do beat him I’ll know that I earned it. My dad’s favorite color is green. He’s really big on movie night with the family and has a knack for scaring the bejeezus out of my sister and me when we are least expecting it. He can hide around any corner. THE BOYS are the “people with fur” in my family. Zimri, an Australian Shepard/Chow mix, was the love of my parents’ lives until I was born. He died when I was very young. Captain, an Australian Cattle Dog/German Shepard mix, was my first buddy and protector. He died a few weeks ago. Chase, a Toy Fox Terrier, and Braxton, a Pomeranian/Shih Tzu mix are with us today. I wish I could say that they are apart of some great lesson to teach Sidrah and me responsibility, but NO. Mommy calls them my “brothers”. Daddy takes care of them most of the time. They follow him around like he is their “Alpha Dog”. They are my family. They are cute. They are fun. I love animals because I learned to love them first.
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I started my soccer career as a left defender for the Dallas Cowgirls Soccer Team. Playing with the Cowgirls was my first introduction to soccer and it was love at first kick. We were a very good team that won most of our games in the first season and went undefeated in our second season. Several of our players were recruited to join the Cosmos Soccer Club following our great season. Since two of those players were the daughters of our two coaches, the Cowgirls disintegrated and we all went to the Cosmos. At the beginning with the Cosmos, I played left back until our top three players left to play with the Sting Soccer Club. I then became the full-time Center-Mid. With the Cosmos I grew as a player and began the process of, per my Dad, “transforming from an athlete playing soccer to a soccer player who happened to be a great athlete”. I enjoyed setting up the offense dribbling up the field. Occasionally I had “shots on goal” and scored my fair share. I led the team in scoring one season by attacking from the center mid position. Our team grew together and we became a force. We won two PSA League Championships and held our own as we played “Up” in our indoor leagues. As a very competitive Academy team, we routinely beat many of the area’s 4th grade Rec League teams even though we were all 3rd graders. Those games gave us a lot of confidence as we moved into our outdoor season. As time went on I began to feel that I was reaching my potential with the Cosmos and I wanted to continue to grow as a soccer player. My parents and I made the decision to move to the Sting Soccer Club. Sting is a Mega Club with tons of coaches and nutritionists - everything I need to develop my potential further. What gave me the confidence to make the jump was my performance at Sting’s Elite Training Academy for its top players. I went against many of their top players in different drills and I did very well. My dad said I dominated. After that, Sting offered me my choice of its top 04 teams. I worked out with one of the top 04 teams and found a home there. Some of our former Cosmos players were there, and I like the coach and their playing style. Also, they had just lost their Center-Mid to Liverpool Rase so the stage was set for me! Playing with Sting is very different. It’s definitely soccer soccer soccer all the time. We work on drills for passing, shooting and dribbling and then we work some more. I enjoy pushing myself to excellence. I love it! We do many different warm-up routines and stretches that really get us ready to play. I had to get used to this “All Soccer” intensity level with Sting. I basically moved from the #52 ranked team (Cosmos) playing in the Silver Division, to the #5 ranked team (Sting) playing against all top 10 teams in the Gold Division. It is a step up the ladder of success for me but I will admit, I do miss my friends on the Cosmos. We had lots of laughs and fun during practices. It is fun to see them around school.
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Soccer Style
I love Mercurial soccer balls and cleats. I have a size 5 mercurial soccer ball that is purple and orange. I used to wear mercurial cleats in every color until I hurt my heel. It could not have come at a worse time. I had just scored my first goal since joining Sting. My teammate blasted the goalie and the ball bounced back to me after the save. I pushed it from my left to my right and then pushed it past the goalie with my right. Goooaaalllll! Just as I turned to run down field …BANG! My foot began throbbing in pain. I told my coach and he pulled me out of the game. He looked at my shoes and he told me that it was because the shoes I was wearing were too big for me and the way the shoes were made, they wouldn’t be able to fit my foot correctly. I told my dad and he took me to Soccer World and I picked up a pair of black and white Adidas Copas that were made out of kangaroo skin. When I get some good wear out of them, they will mold around my foot to only fit me. My feet stopped hurting when I started wearing them. I HIGHLY recommend these shoes.
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With Sting we are now preparing for Select qualifying this summer. We have several tournaments lined up and have just played several big games against top 10 teams. These girls are fast and physical on this level. My speed still gives me an edge but I have to keep working on my game to stay ahead. I’m excited about what is to come in soccer for me. I will push myself to see how good I can be and see where it goes from there. Stay tuned for future updates.
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Greenhill is very different from my old school, Merrywood, where we did not have all of the opportunities that I have at Greenhill. I love Greenhill. I have learned so much from being here. In science I have learned how to identify trees based on their leaves, I have made bridges out of KNEX tools, written letters to the government, and so many more fun things. I want to continue growing at Greenhill. The campus is beautiful and is a good environment for me to grow in. It has everything I need to grow into a solid student and athlete. My first few years I have had some great teachers: 1st Grade – Ms. Deborah Winfield (Henry) 2nd Grade- Ms. Barbara Gelsomino 3rd Grade – Mrs. Paula Hall 4th Grade – Mrs. Laura Flanagan
I am looking forward to what Middle School has to offer.
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MADE IN THE USA