Tomeka had been suspended for the rest of the school year
school grounds
teenagers
commiserate
cliché
pregnant
I love you, Tomeka.
infantile
adolescent
For the first time ever, she felt something stir inside.



Tomeka had been suspended for the rest of the school year

Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Famer Bob Elliott "learned early on in sports that the guy in the black and white shirt with the whistle -- he controls you. And if you don't give him the kind of respect he should receive, he'll toss you out of there. Life sometimes is that simple." How does this quote relate to Tomeka's situation? Who are the "referees" in Tomeka's life? Why did she get "tossed out of the game"?


school grounds

School grounds across America, once considered a haven of security for teachers and students alike, have become increasingly dangerous places. Locking yourself in the house 24 hours a day is not an option, but taking some reasonable precautions is. Check out Dealing with Violence and Crime on Life's Playbook Online for tips on staying safe.


teenagers

Teenagers make excellent volunteers -- they often have lots of free time, plenty of energy and a strong desire to help others. One way you can lend a hand is by reading. Many communities have special programs through which volunteers read to children, visually impaired people or others who are too young or unable to read. For more ideas, read Literacy and Teens on Life's Playbook Online or visit Verizon READS


commiserate (pronounced kuh-MI-zuh-rayt)

Commiserate is a verb that means to feel sorrow or sympathy for someone, often because you have experienced a similar loss or defeat. In this case, Maurice Taft is determined not to have a pity party with other parents of unruly kids like Tomeka. The word descends from the Latin verb comiserari, meaning to pity.


cliché (pronounced klee-SHAY)

A cliché is any phrase, expression, idea, theme, characterization or situation that has become so overly used or commonplace that it no longer has any real meaning or impact. Maurice Taft does not want to turn into one of those many parents who "say things like 'Well, girls will be girls,' and hope that everything turns out okay." Cliché is a French word, the past participle of the verb clicher, meaning to stereotype.


pregnant (pronounced PREG-nint)

Certainly you are already familiar with the literal meaning of this word -- to be with child. But what about the figurative meaning? How can a pause be pregnant? Truth be told, there are many different meanings of the word pregnant. In this sentence, the adjective means profound or meaningful. Maurice Taft momentarily stopped speaking on purpose to allow the significance of what he had just said -- that he was no longer going to do anything about Tomeka -- truly sink in. Pregnant is derived from the Latin word praegnas, before birth.

I love you, Tomeka.

This short, simple sentence clearly illustrates the relationship among the basic parts of a sentence -- subject, predicate and direct object. The subject is the part of sentence about which something is said. In this sentence, the subject is "I". The predicate -- "love," in this case -- expresses the action of the subject. The direct object ("you") receives the action of the predicate. Important note: A sentence must have at least one subject and one predicate to express a complete thought.


infantile (pronounced IN-fin-tyl)

Infantile is an adjective meaning characteristic of an infant. Obviously, Tomeka isn't literally acting like a baby, but her dad compares her immature behavior to that of an infant crying out for attention. The word is derived from the Latin word infans, incapable of speech (not as in mute, but as in too young to speak).


adolescent (pronounced A-duhl-EH-sint)

Adolescent is both a noun and an adjective. In its noun form, it refers to a person in the period of life from puberty to maturity -- in other words, a teenager. In its adjective form, it means anything that is characteristic of an adolescent. As in this sentence, adolescent is often used in a negative sense, describing behavior that is emotionally or intellectually immature (sorry, teens!). The word descends from the Latin verb adolescere, to grow up.


For the first time ever, she felt something stir inside.

It's a miracle. After years of trying everything he could think of, Maurice Taft has finally gotten through to his daughter! Could this be the end of the arrogant, defiant, irresponsible Tomeka that we've all grown to know and . . . well, that we've all grown to know? It may be. Tomeka has experienced what Verizon Academic All-America Hall of Famer Howard Twilley has termed The Defining Moment. He says: "Everyone experiences 'defining moments' in their life. An event or decision that has the power to completely change the course of your life by your response, either yes or no. Defining moments are often important and challenging opportunities that lay bare the pathway to success." You can read more of what Howard Twilley has to say on this subject by visiting Life's Playbook Online.