Go to the choir concert!

Ninth graders watched clips of Shakespeare in Love and Romeo and Juliet.  Monday, while you have a substitute, you will watch another version of Romeo and Juliet.  Be good!

Juniors acted Act III of Macbeth.  Monday, you will watch Macbeth - enjoy!  Be good!

Bottom line - how you conduct yourself when you have a substitute speaks volumes about your character.

"I need; therefore I imagine." Carlos Fuentes

Ninth graders took a practice vocabulary test, read Romeo and Juliet, and received the following homework assignment:  write any of the following with the first ten words from the second Romeo and Juliet list:  (i) ten compound sentences or smiles; (ii) a cartoon; (iii) a story; or (iv) a poem.  Due tomorrow.

Juniors read Act 2 of Macbeth.  We will act Act 3 tomorrow.  For a few points, wear a costume or bring a prop reflective of some salient action in Act 3. 

Test this!

Ninth graders wrote and read R&J today.  Tomorrow we are back in our room, and we will continue to read R&J.

Juniors took the AP test today.  Please bring your copy of Macbeth tomorrow.

Exam Eve

Ninth graders had a good class today!  I read some of your wonderful cartoons on the document camera, and then we read R&J.  Good times.  Tomorrow your homework is to create a cartoon with words 11-20.

Remember that we meet in room 116 tomorrow!!

Juniors - what can I say?  You will do great tomorrow - just do your best, which is pretty marvelous.  Please do not stay up late studying, and don't hang out with crazy people who insist on quizzing you on the meaning of rhetorical devices.  BTW, the elimination for the finals of DWTS airs tonight.  There are worse ways to spend your time.

Can't wait to return to Macbeth!

It's a polygamous squirrel!

Ninth graders got a seating chart, completed a warm-up, received a homework assignment, and read R&J.  Homework for tomorrow is a cartoon/comic strip with the first ten words from the Romeo and Juliet list.

Juniors wrote a synthesis essay.  Please bring your questions about the test to class tomorrow, so that we can review one ... last ... time.  Start sleeping (at home).

The answers to your sample set of questions are on the following link:

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap-english-course-description.pdf.

You may swing by my room today or tomorrow for the other answers.

Have a great day!

Be good to your mothers this weekend

Ninth graders read Romeo and Juliet.  No homework this weekend.

Juniors reviewed for the AP test. Please practice some aspect of the test this weekend.  I will later post the answers to the multiple choice packets.

Be good!

Good luck, APushers!

Ninth grade read Romeo and Juliet, quite well if I do say so.  Please remember that tomorrow your poem with ten vocabulary words is due.

Juniors received three multiple choice packets and reviewed footnotes. Scintillating.

See you tomorrow.

Go Where the Wild Things Are - RIP Maurice Sendak

Ninth graders started Romeo and Juliet today.  A pair of star-crossed lovers, indeed.  Homework for Friday is to write a poem with the first ten vocabulary words, which are:  adjacent, afflict, augment, beseech, brawl, constrain, cunning, defiance, endure, envious.

Juniors practice their multiple choice questions today.  I will be at school tomorrow starting about 8:00. Please swing by and practice if you would like.  Of course, you may also make up any missing work at that time. 

Have a great day and read a Sendak book in honor of a departed artist.

Testing Tuesday

No ninth graders today:(.  Tomorrow we will start Romeo and Juliet.  What could be better?

Juniors did M/C practice today.  Same activity, different packet tomorrow.  Friday we will review.  Monday we will write a synthesis essay.  Tuesday we will review.

If you would like me to help you in any way this week, especially tomorrow and Thursday mornings, please e-mail me, let me know what you need and when you will be here.

Good luck! 

The day of the penultimate essay

Ninth graders took a vocabulary test today.  Wednesday we start Romeo and Juliet!!!!!

Juniors wrote an essay!  I will be at school tomorrow morning for anyone who would like to confer with me about their writing.  Wednesday morning I will have a review session if there is interest, and Thursday morning I will be available for any questions that you may have.

I will also hold a review session next Monday after school. If you would like another one at another time, please let me know.

Tomorrow and Wednesday - multiple choice!  Friday is review day!

TGIF

Ninth graders - what can I say?  I love you guys, but we didn't have our best day today - BINGO ran amuck!  I am sure that you will redeem yourself on Monday's test.  You will need to know ALL of the words on your K Boy Vocabulary sheet.  I will copy the sheet onto a blog entry when I get home this evening so that you will have the words just in case.  STUDY  YOUR  WORDS!!!!!

Juniors wrote a synthesis essay.  Monday (May 7th) you will write a persuasive essay, and Tuesday-Wednesday (May 8th-9th) you will complete a College Board M/C style packet.  We will review on Thursday (May 10th) and probably on Friday (May 11th). 

FYI - several of you have asked me about recommendations for next year.  I honestly don't know what next year will be like, but I suspect that I will have my hands full.  I also suspect that communicating about recommendations via e-mail could prove to be problematic.  Having said that, if you would like me to write you a recommendation, please e-mail me next fall.  I cannot make any promises at all; I would be happy to consider your requests, however, only after I scope out what my responsibilities will be at my new school.  I will also not write any recommendations over the summer.  I tried that one summer, only to see my time off gobbled up by recs and other stuff.

Have a great weekend!

"No legacy is so rich as honesty" Billy Shakespeare

Ninth graders presented their vocabulary cartoons today, completed two vocabulary puzzles, and read an article from the Wall Street Journal.  You will have a puzzle quiz tomorrow.  DEANGELO - WHERE WERE YOU TODAY?

Passive voice was learned by juniors.  We also discussed briefly yesterday's essay prompt and delved into the scintillating topic of footnotes.  No after school session today.  Tomorrow?  yes! 

Also tomorrow you will write a synthesis.  You may start writing before the bell rings, if you would like to do so.

Addendum for juniors

Juniors, please let me know if you would be interested in an after-school practice session on Thursday (tomorrow).  I will be here today and Friday after school for sure.

Also, please let me know if you are free any of the mornings next week (AP exam and STAAR week).  I would like to be available for extra help on at least one of those mornings, but I would like to know your schedules for planning purposes.

Merci

"The time is always right to do what is right" MLK

Ninth graders learned 14 new words today and received a new homework assignment, which is to create a cartoon with 10 of the new words in at least five illustrated panels.  The words from which to choose are as follows:  maverick, contrite, paternalistic, abject, capitulate, enigma, panacea, augment, voracious, succumb, enervate, implacable, mire, recapitulate.

Juniors wrote a ... rhetorical analysis.  Homework (daily plan for intellectual enlightenment for the AP English Language Exam) is due tomorrow.

"Ethics is nothing else but reverence for life."  Albert Schweitzer

"Don't make the world worse."

Ninth graders finished their tests and learned about South Africa.  Tomorrow we will have a quiz on South Africa on which you may use your notes.

Juniors read an article from the WSJ and review rhetorical analyses.  Tomorrow?  A rhetorical analysis!  Homework for Thursday?  Submit a written plan for the AP Englush Language Exam.  The link to the WSJ article is copied below:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304811304577366332400453796.html?mod=googlenews_wsj

All for now!