Student Essays

Here is a selection of essays written as class assignments. Students should appreciate seeing what sort of writing gets the highest marks and maybe they will be inspired to repeat the electrifying words of Tom Waits at the start of his musical career – “I can do that.” There is lots of room left on my server for more entries, so please polish up something you are proud of and e-mail it on over. This page has room for both personal essays and essays of literary interpretation.

“Skills That May Not Necessarily Pay the Bills” by Lindsay Skabar.
Lindsay is a grade 12 student preparing to graduate in 2003. She demonstrates here a relaxed but effective use of classification.
“Don’t Bug Me” by Patty O’Byrne
Patti is a grade 12 student graduating in June 2000. She wrote this piece (unedited) in under an hour for the APEF exam.
“My Kosher Quest” by Jenny Alexander
Jenny is a grade 12 student set to graduate in June 2000. Here is a deftly handled narrative essay about childhood and more.
“How to Be A Jerk” by Peter Davidson
Peter is a grade 12 student at ARHS set to graduate in June 2000. Here, the master shares his secrets in a tongue-in-cheek process essay.
The Theme of Death in Katherine Mansfield’s “The Garden Party” by Sabrina Pittoello
Sabrina is a grade 10 student at ARHS. Here is a model for a good literary essay.
“A Modest Proposal For the Funding of Education” by Michael Milner
Michael, no stranger to irony, wrote this swift piece as a grade 12 student in 1999.
“Visions at the Donut Shop” by Evan Wilson
Evan wrote this as a grade 12 student in 1999.
“Sources of Sympathy for Pip in Great Expectations” by Patricia Cove (’01)
Patricia effectively demonstrates all the elements that go into a successful “research” paper using MLA documentation.
“Marlow’s Humanity” by Patti O’Byrne
Patti provides a fine model essay using MLA in-text documentation.