The video on the prepschool was very thought inspiring. I could see how difficult it was for Joe and at the same time I feel that she knew that she desired something more than she could ever acheive by staying in her home situation. I feel that she saw a great oppertunity and took it. She made a conscious decision to sacrafice something to get to where she wanted to be.

I went to a middle school where I was the minority. I did not feel I had to change to fit in. I figured that if the students did not like me for who I was then I would not be friends with them. It took a while, but I finally gained their respect and did not have to compromise myself. Jo could have stayed exactly who she was and still made friends.

Joe may not have been as miserable as she sounded when being interviewed. I think she was probably told the video was about those who were awarded scholarships, were the minorities in this school and how they adapted. People always seem to want to hear the struggles and negative things. I am sure there were a lot of positive experiences for her to remain there all four years. It would be hard to live with a group of people for months and not create some type of bond.

I admire Joe for going to the prep school to try and better her future. I will admit that she went through alot to get where she is today, but is it worth it in her eyes? I believe her answer to that question is yes. I also know that Joe had the oppurtunity to leave the prep school, but stayed and dealt with her problems. Way to go Joe!

I do not think Jo went into Groton's really knowing she would end up being caught between her world and theirs. I do think, however, that she quickly came to realize that was the case and she resented it. I think she eventually came to terms with it and realized she was there for a greater purpose other than fitting in or else she would have given up and left.

I think Joe went to that school and was surprised at how much she let it change her. She chose to wear "white" clothes and leech on to them. That got her nowhere and I think she realized, with alot of self pity, that right or wrong there are social barriers. I think everyone should be treated equally but there are places where that is not going to happen. All we can do is try to change it, and hopefully one day we will, as teachers.

I am glad that I went to public school, but after watching Harry Potter, I think it might have been fun. I have seen alot of movies about private schools including "School Ties" and "Dead Poets Society" and I have loved them. I think the students enjoy the freedom. I believe I will keep my son close to home. I have confidence in public schools.

I said it in class, and I will say it again... I don't believe that every student in the prep school was against Jo. I'm sure that many could see that she had a lot to offer and would like to take her up on it.

Yes, clearly it took great courage for Joe to stay at that school but I do believe that some of her problems were of her own creation. People are so complicated .

I don't think that I can agree that Jo created her own problems....perhaps she interpreted them as problems rather than challenges because of her minority status. I think she was in a really sad position. Once her head became clear, she knew that she really couldn't belong-fully-to either world. That must have been a really sad realization.

Sometimes people can push people away just by the way they act. Joe didn't really come off in the film as a social butterfly. Part of being friends is being open to making friends. She appeared to have a chip on her shoulder through the entire film because she was a minority.
Maybe she was so bothered by the fact that she was different than most of the other kids, that she created a self-perceived paranoia about how the other students saw her. They really may not have seen her as that different. She didn't smile at many of them. I never saw her approach any of them to start a conversation. She stepped up to speak in the assembly and immediately stepped back. She didn't even smile or seem happy making the announcement.