Discussion notes: Smoke Signals

Here are the notes from our discussion today. I'm very interested to see what you'll write!

Homework: September 30

English 12 (B)

Write a 3-paragraph response to what we've watched in Pleasantville so far:

• Paragraph 1: Summarize
• Paragraph 2: Reader Response--what do you think of the movie so far? What do you like, what questions do you have?
• Paragraph 3: Connections--What connections can you make between this film and other texts/real world experiences?

And, read your independent book!

Honors English 11 (D)

• Write up a 1-page (20 minutes) analytical response to Smoke Signals, connected to our conversation in class today.
• Read for 15 minutes!

English 11 (F)

• Read to page 66 in True Diary
• Draw your own version of the cartoon on page 57
• Read your independent book.

Homework: September 27

Happy Homecoming weekend, everyone! Go team!

Honors English 11 (D)

• In class today, we finished watching Smoke Signals. If you weren't here, you should find it on Netflix, or come check in with me. You need to finish the movie!
• By Monday, complete the READER RESPONSE and SUMMARIZING/SYNTHESIZING section of the "Reading Notes" handout. If you need a copy of the handout, click on "Reading Notes" so you can download and print out a copy.
• Read your independent book!

English 11 (F)

• For class on Monday, read True Diary to page 53. On Monday, we'll continue the activity we started today, so make note of any Contrasts and Contradictions, Words of the Wiser, or A-ha Moments you find.
• For class on Wednesday, complete a revision of your Big Fish paragraph.
• Read your independent book!

Honors English 12 (G)

• Check yesterday's post--it has all the homework info you need!
• Don't forget to read that independent book!

Honors English 11 (A)

• Check yesterday's post--it has all the homework info you need!
• Don't forget to read that independent book!

Homework: September 26

English 11 (F)

• Read True Diary to page 43.
• Read your independent reading book!

Honors English 12 (G)

• In class today, we finished watching Pleasantville. If you weren't here, you'll need to finish watching it...check in with me if you need help accessing a copy!
• Tomorrow, we will discuss the first section of Room.
• Next Tuesday, two assignments are due:
• Complete the "Reading Notes" handout for Pleasantville. (I suggest completing this tonight.) If you need a copy of the handout, click on "Reading Notes" so you can download and print out a copy.
• Complete a one-pager for Pleasantville.
• By next Wednesday, you should have completed the second section of Room.
• Check in with me if you need help organizing your time!

Honors English 11 (A)

• In class today, we finished watching Smoke Signals. If you weren't here, you should find it on Netflix, or come check in with me. You need to finish the movie!
• By next Tuesday, complete the READER RESPONSE and SUMMARIZING/SYNTHESIZING section of the "Reading Notes" handout. If you need a copy of the handout, click on "Reading Notes" so you can download and print out a copy.
• Read your independent book!

English 12 (B)

• Today, we watched the first 20 minutes of Pleasantville, up to the point where the beautiful Reese Witherspoon sees the dreamy Paul Walker for the first time. 
• Your homework is to complete a revision of your "St. Lucy's" response.
• Read your independent book, too!

An interesting "St. Lucy's" one pager

Audrey wrote this interesting examination of Karen Russell's "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves." It does a great job of looking at the unique and complex ideas of the story. Check it out!

Homework: September 25

After you've found some leaves to jump in (check earlier post if this doesn't make sense...), complete the following:

Honors English 11 (A and D)

• Read your independent reading book! Enjoy it! Feel free to read it in a pile of leaves, if you so choose.

English 12

• Complete your response to "St. Lucy's Home"--remember, you're going to identify a purpose, and then explain how Russell shares that purpose in the story. Use our discussion today as fodder for your essay (but feel free to add in other/more information as well). The notes from class are posted below.
• Read your independent reading book!

Notes: EN12 discussion of "St. Lucy's Home"

Our conversation about "St. Lucy's" today was great! You were all very insightful, and identified some significant main ideas as well as some nuanced supporting details. It was impressive. And now, even more exciting--you get to write about it! Hooray!

A quick little video to make you happy...

...and to help you appreciate fall! Enjoy the little moments...

Homework: September 24

Honors English 11 (D)

• Complete a response to your independent reading book, using prompts from the green Core Skills sheet. You should choose 2 prompts total (from 2 different sections of the handout).
• Read your independent reading book!

English 11 (F)

• Complete your Big Fish SPA paragraph.
• Read to p. 31 in True Diary.
• Read your independent reading book!

Honors English 12 (G)

• Read Room! Remember, you should be up to p. 56 by Thursday.
• Read your independent reading book!

Homework: September 23

English 11 (F)

• Start reading The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian. Enjoy it! (You're reading the first two chapters, ending on page 14.)
• Read your independent book.

Honors English 12 (G)

• Read Room! Here's your reading schedule for the whole book:
• 9/26: “Presents” page 3-56
• 10/2: “Unlying” page 59-110
• 10/8:  “Dying” page 113-174
• 10/14: “After” page 177-280
• 10/17: “Living” page 283-361
• Read your independent book.

Honors English 11 (A)

• Complete a response to your independent reading book, using prompts from the green Core Skills sheet. You should choose 2 prompts total (from 2 different sections of the handout).
• Read your independent reading book!

English 12 (B)

• Complete the Reading Notes handout for "St. Lucy's"--skip the Summarizing section (you already did this...if you didn't, you should!), and complete the ANALYZING section. We will discuss the story on Wednesday, and you'll write about it!
• Read your independent book.

Discussion notes: Big Fish

Today in English 11 (G), we started trying to "piece together" our understandings of Big Fish. There are a lot of observations and initial ideas...we'll work to clarify, and deepen, our understanding!

Some strong responses--30 Days

After watching the episode of 30 Days where Morgan Spurlock visited the Navajo Nation, students wrote three-paragraph responses in which they summarized the episode, responded to it, and then made connections between it and our study of Sherman Alexie's texts. Here are a couple of strong responses:

Response 1:

Response 2, by Mary!

Discussion notes: "St. Lucy's"

In Honors English 12, we had an impressive conversation about Karen Russell's story "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves." Here are the notes:

Homework: September 20

It's been a long, but good, week! Enjoy the weekend, everyone...the weather's supposed to be beautiful!

Honors English 12 (G) 

• Start reading Room! You should read up to the text break on page 21.
• Then, write a response: 
• 1 paragraph summary
• 1 paragraph response
• 1 paragraph of connections ("This reminds me of...")
• Read your independent book!

English 12(B)

• Finish "St. Lucy's" and complete your sticky notes for each section.
• Complete the READER RESPONSE section of the "Reading Notes" handout
• Read your independent book!

Honors English 11 (A & D)

• Finish reading and annotating "In the Shadow of Wounded Knee"
• Read your independent reading book!

Life Lessons from Shel Silverstein

 

You all remember Shel Silverstein's poems, right? Some of them were goofy, some just downright weird. This article from the Huffington Post is a great collection of some "life lessons" from his poems...it's a fantastic use of a couple of minutes of your time to revisit the good ol' days and realize that some of those messages are still helpful today!

"How much good inside a day? Depends how good you live ’em." from "How Many, How Much" in The Light in the Attic

Homework: September 19

English 12 (B)

• Read to the end of Stage 3 in "St. Lucy's"
• On your sticky note: 
• Summarize the section in 3 sentences. Remember, focus on major events that happen, and leave out your opinion.
• Write 2 questions about the section.
• Write down 1 quotation from the section that you think is especially important.
• Read your independent book for 15 minutes!

Honors English 11 (D)

• BREATHE! (Remember...?)
• Start reading "In the Shadow of Wounded Knee." We'll take time to check in tomorrow, and you'll finish reading the article for Monday.
• Read your independent reading book!

English 11 (F)

• It's time for your final Big Fish reflection! Hooray! Use the same format you've been using to complete this assignment.
• Read your independent reading book tonight, and over the weekend. I'll see you all on Monday!

Homework: September 18

Happy half-day, everyone. Hope you can enjoy this beautiful weather! Find a nice tree outside and read your book under it (or in it!)--that's my suggestion.

Honors English 11 (A)

• Start reading "In the Shadow of Wounded Knee"--we'll talk about it Monday.
• Read your independent reading book, 15 minutes a night.

English 12 (B)

• Read "St. Lucy's" Stage 2 (the point we marked in class today)
• Read your independent reading book!

Homework: September 17

Honors English 11 (A and D)

• Pick one of the 4 poems from the Sherman Alexie packet we worked with today, and write a reaction in which you:

• • Paragraph 1: Summarize the poem
  • Paragraph 2: Respond to the poem--focus analytically on specific lines, images and ideas. Maybe talk about structure--why is the poem set up like it is?
  • Paragraph 3: Make connections among this poem and the other 3--what are some similar themes, topics, even specific language/lines in the poem? Similar structure?
• Read your independent reading book for 15 minutes!
• Make a book poster (on an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper)--print a picture of the book cover of the book you're reading, or draw a picture!

English 11 (F)

• Response to Big Fish (the section we watched today)--
• Paragraph 1=summary (remember, main points, no opinions)
• Paragraph 2=response (this is where opinions can go!)
• Paragraph 3=connections (what were you reminded of? Another text? A family story?)
• Read your book for 15 minutes!
• Make a book poster (on an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper)--print a picture of the book cover of the book you're reading, or draw a picture!

Honors English 12 (G)

• Complete "Reading Notes" handout
• Write a one-pager on "St. Lucy's"--bring it with you to class on Friday.
• Read your book for 15 minutes each night.
• Make a book poster (on an 8.5" x 11" piece of paper)--print a picture of the book cover of the book you're reading, or draw a picture!

Missing blog posts?!

So, there's something fishy going on here...on some browsers, some of the most recent blog posts aren't showing up on this main page. They do still exist, however. If you can't find a recent post, like, say, Homework: September 16, check the archive to the left of this post. You should be able to find the post you need. Hopefully this issue will go away soon!

Some questions about coming of age...

Our 12th grade English class focuses on Coming of Age literature. As we start the year, it's important for us to think about: What does Coming of Age mean?

Here are some questions/big ideas raised in some Honors English 12 initial responses:

[Insert slideshow here...]

For some reason, the slideshow is not working with this blog right now. I'll try to get it back up if I can figure out the issue!

Homework: September 16

English 11 (F)

• Response to Big Fish (the section we watched today)--
• Paragraph 1=summary (remember, main points, no opinions)
• Paragraph 2=response (this is where opinions can go!)
• Paragraph 3=connections (what were you reminded of? Another text? A family story?)
• Read your book for 15 minutes!

Honors English 12 (G)

• Finish reading "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves." Annotate your QUESTIONS, OBSERVATIONS and CONNECTIONS. 
• Read your independent reading book for 15 minutes!

Honors English 11 (A)

• Response to 30 Days
• Paragraph 1=summary (remember, main points, no opinions)
• Paragraph 2=response (this is where opinions can go!)
• Paragraph 3=connections (what were you reminded of? How does this connect to Alexie's texts?)
• Read your book for 15 minutes!

English 12 (B)

• Read "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves" until the end of Stage 1. Annotate your QUESTIONS, OBSERVATIONS and CONNECTIONS. 
• Read your independent reading book for 15 minutes each night...I'll see you on Wednesday!

Homework: September 13

Honors English 11 (A)

• Complete the Sherman Alexie article assignment.
• Read your book! You should read about 15 minutes a night--at least half an hour over the weekend. But, if you didn't read 15 minutes each night this week, then spend some more quality time with that book this weekend! 

English 12 (B)

Your poetic stylings were very impressive today, folks! Many of you shared your poems called "On Turning Eighteen," and your classmates and I were impressed with the variety, the images, the specific details, and the metaphors you used. 

• This weekend, create a final draft of your poem. You identified a line in Billy Collins's poem "On Turning Ten"...use it as a model to revise part of your poem, either by adding an inspired detail, or rephrasing something you already included. In addition, remember to consider:
• details--they really help us visualize your experience, and they help us relate. Remember how Karlee talked about playing soccer?
• your own voice--it helps us connect to you as an individual, and shows us that there's a real person writing this poem! Brenton talked about "kickin' it in pre-K," which was a much better line than, "spending time in pre-kindergarten class," right?
• comparisons--use unique comparisons to help your readers connect. You compared growing up to a roller coaster, a ferris wheel, a book with new chapters. Comparisons (metaphors, similes) really help!
• Read your book! You should read about 15 minutes a night--at least half an hour over the weekend. But, if you didn't read 15 minutes each night this week, then spend some more quality time with that book this weekend! 

Honors English 11 (D)

• Write a 1-2 page response to 30 Days (the film we finished in class today): 
• • paragraph 1, summary of the show
  • paragraph 2, response to the show (what resonates with you?)
  • paragraph 3, connections between show and Alexie texts.
• (Note--if you weren't in class today, but have Netflix, you can find the video in Season 3 of Morgan Spurlock's 30 Days series. It's called "30 Days on a Reservation."
• Read your book! You should read about 15 minutes a night--at least half an hour over the weekend. But, if you didn't read 15 minutes each night this week, then spend some more quality time with that book this weekend! Also, I won't see you on Monday, so read that night, too. Phew. SO MUCH READING! Lucky...

Homework: September 12

Honors English 11 (D)

• Read the article about Sherman Alexie and complete the handout as directed.
• Read your book for 15 minutes!

English 11 (F)

• Complete the Big Fish handout.
• Read your book for 15 minutes each night!

Honors English 12 (G)

• Read "St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves" to page 240 (stop at "Stage 4")--annotate with your QUESTIONS, OBSERVATIONS, and CONNECTIONS. You can ignore the handwritten material on the left-hand side...
• Complete a first draft of your "On Turning Eighteen" poem.
• Read your book for 15 minutes each night!

Taking it to the lab...

Alright, Seniors, you suffered through one unbearably hot day in the classroom, and you did it nobly. Though there was sweat dripping from your brows, and your faces were glistening, you hung in there to think, and discuss, and generally be studious.

I'm not going to make you do that again.

(Well, the thinking, discussing, and generally-being-studious we're going to do again. Every day. The sweating? Not so much for today.)

So, we'll be in the lab instead! Because it's pretty hard to have a discussion in the lab, you'll do it on the blog instead. You're going to write about Billy Collins's poem "On Turning Ten," and here's your prompt:

What did you notice in the poem that is especially interesting and/or significant? What is Collins saying in this poem, and how is he saying it?

Your assignment here has two parts:

1. Craft a careful response to the prompt above--make sure you include specific details from the poem and make a statement about something interesting going on in the poem. Try to look at the subtleties of the piece, and delve into language that is unique or telling. This response should be about a paragraph long, and you should post it as a comment to this post when you're done. Make sure your first name is clear. You don't have to include your last name.
2. Then, read over the comments your classmates post, and reply to one of them. Post it as a reply--that's an option under each comment. Your response should build on the original response...feel free to use language from our conversation placemats! Don't just repeat what was already said...add something new--more evidence? A different perspective? A nuanced, more subtle interpretation?

Homework: September 11

English 11 (F block)

• You have a handout titled "Purple Heart--Related Poetry." Complete that assignment--follow the directions!
• Read your book for 15 minutes.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Today, we chatted about the 5 texts we've read so far in class, and we started to define/discuss the idea of coming of age. See the post below for the notes from class today to refresh your memory. Then, write: a 1-page response: What does it mean to "come of age," do you think? What do these 5 texts all "say" about coming of age? 
• Read your book for 15 minutes!

Honors English 11 (A block)

• Read and ANNOTATE "Indian Education" by Sherman Alexie. Write notes about your QUESTIONS, OBSERVATIONS and CONNECTIONS. When you're done, write a response to the story, using the prompt "I notice..." Your response should be 1 page.
• Read your book for 15 minutes!

English 12 (B block)

• Tonight, you write a poem! Using Billy Collins's poem "On Turning Ten" as a model, you'll write a poem called "On Turning Eighteen." Give it your best effort...we'll do some editing on Friday!
• Read your book for 15 minutes.

Class discussion notes--Honors English 11 (A block)

Today in class, we started discussing the things we notice about Sherman Alexie as a writer. Even though it was super hot in the classroom, you all did a great job of thinking about the complexities of topic and style. Check out the notes below--we'll continue to consider these things as we move forward in class and study more of Alexie's work.

Class discussion notes--Honors English 12

Today, we started discussing the idea of "coming of age." We talked about some of the important qualities, or characteristics, of coming of age stories, considering the following texts:

• The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
• "This Is How I Remember It" by Betsy Kemper
• "On Turning Ten" by Billy Collins
• "The Journey" by Mary Oliver
• excerpt from Brothers and Keepers by John Edgar Wideman

Here are the notes from our discussion...we'll add to this discussion and develop our ideas as we go!

Class discussion notes--Honors English 11 (D block)

We had a discussion in English class about Sherman Alexie as a writer, considering "what" he's saying, and "how" he's saying it. Here's our initial discussion, after reading True Diary and "Superman and Me." We'll add to these ideas as we read/study more of Alexie's work.

Homework: September 10

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Complete the "4 Readings" assignment. Instructions are on the handout...make sure you follow them!
• Read your book for 15 minutes--enjoy!

Honors English 11 (A block)

• Complete the "Superman and Me" assignment. Instructions are on the handout...make sure you follow them!
• Read your book for 15 minutes--enjoy!

English 12 (B block)

• Complete the "4 Readings" assignment. Instructions are on the handout...make sure you follow them!
• Read your book for 15 minutes--enjoy!

Honors English 11 (D block)

• Read and ANNOTATE "Indian Education" by Sherman Alexie. Write notes about your QUESTIONS, OBSERVATIONS and CONNECTIONS. When you're done, write a response to the story, using the prompt "I notice..." Your response should be 1 page. 
• Read your book for 15 minutes! And enjoy it!

The Fault in Our Stars is becoming a movie!

Many of you read The Fault in Our Stars by John Green for summer reading this summer. Others are reading it right now. Maybe you're hoping to read it soon, if you can get your hands on a copy...it's a hot commodity!

It's being made into a movie that's filming now. Check out this video from John Green on location. What do you think?!

(the embedded version was wreaking havoc on my blog, it seems, so here's the link instead...)

Homework: September 9

English 12 (B block)

1. Print out your "Letter to Next Year's Teacher" and bring it with you to next class.
2. Review summer reading notes so you're ready to write on Tuesday!
3. Vocab activity--write 3 sentences about your summer, using the words we reviewed today: SUBTLE, INEVITABLE, PRUDENT
4. Make sure you read for 15 minutes!

Honors English 11 (D block)

1. Complete the handout "Superman and Me"--directions are on the sheet
2. Read for 15 minutes, and bring your book tomorrow!

English 11 (F block)

1. Complete the handout "The invisible plague of concussion"--directions are on the sheet
2. Read for 15 minutes tonight and again tomorrow night, and bring your book to class on Wednesday!

Homework: September 6

Hooray for the first week of school! And, as a result, hooray for the first weekend of the school year! Enjoy it, folks. It's looking like a pretty nice one out there.

Honors English 11 (D block)

1. Print out your "Letter to Next Year's Teacher" and bring it with you to next class.
2. Review summer reading notes so you're ready to write on Monday!
3. Vocab activity (nope, nevermind...picture day!!! We'll come back the vocab some day soon).
4. Read your book! Remember, an average of 15 minutes a day. You do NOT need to write a response. Just read, and enjoy!

English 11 (F block)

1. Print out your "Letter to Next Year's Teacher" and bring it with you to next class.
2. Review summer reading notes so you're ready to write on Monday!
3. Vocab activity (Write 3 sentences about your summer, incorporating the vocab words PRUDENT, INEVITABLE, and SUBTLE)
4. Read your book! An average of 15 minutes a day. Don't write anything about it (unless you want to!)--just read it!

Honors English 12 (G block)

1. Print out your "Letter to Next Year's Teacher" and bring it with you to next class.
2. Review summer reading notes so you're ready to write on Tuesday!
3. Vocab activity (Write 3 sentences about your summer, incorporating the vocab words PRUDENT, INEVITABLE, and SUBTLE)
4. Read your book! An average of 15 minutes a day. Don't write anything about it (unless you want to!)--just read it!

Honors English 11 (A block)

1. Print out your "Letter to Next Year's Teacher" and bring it with you to next class.
2. Review summer reading notes so you're ready to write on Tuesday!
3. Vocab activity (Write 3 sentences about your summer, incorporating the vocab words PRUDENT, PROSPEROUS, and REVERENCE)
4. Read your book! An average of 15 minutes a day. Don't write anything about it (unless you want to!)--just read it!

Homework: September 5

English 11 (F block)

• If you haven't done any of the things listed for yesterday's homework, do them!
• Additionally, read your new independent reading book for 15 minutes.
• Then, write a response to it.
• Your response should be one page, handwritten (you can type, too--1/2 a page, maybe?) Use one or more of these prompts: 
• So far, I think...
• I notice...
• I like/dislike..
• I wonder...
• Bring your independent reading book with you to school tomorrow (and every day)!
• Your SUMMER READING work is due on MONDAY. We will do an in-class writing assignment about your summer reading book (PURPLE HEART).

Honors English 12 (G block)

• If you haven't done any of the things listed for yesterday's homework, do them!
• Additionally, read your new independent reading book for 15 minutes.
• Then, write a response to it.
• Your response should be one page, handwritten (you can type, too--1/2 a page, maybe?) Use one or more of these prompts: 
• So far, I think...
• I notice...
• I like/dislike..
• I wonder...
• Bring your independent reading book with you to school tomorrow (and every day)!
• Your SUMMER READING work is due on TUESDAY. We will do an in-class writing assignment about your summer reading book (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS).

Honors English 11 (A block)

• If you haven't done any of the things listed for yesterday's homework, do them!
• Additionally, read your new independent reading book for 15 minutes.
• Then, write a response to it.
• Your response should be one page, handwritten (you can type, too--1/2 a page, maybe?) Use one or more of these prompts: 
• So far, I think...
• I notice...
• I like/dislike..
• I wonder...
• Bring your independent reading book with you to school tomorrow (and every day)!
• Your SUMMER READING work is due on TUESDAY. We will do an in-class writing assignment about your summer reading book (THE ABSOLUTELY TRUE DIARY OF A PART-TIME INDIAN).

English 12 (B block)

• If you haven't done any of the things listed for yesterday's homework, do them!
• Additionally, read your new independent reading book for 15 minutes.
• Then, write a response to it.
• Your response should be one page, handwritten (you can type, too--1/2 a page, maybe?) Use one or more of these prompts: 
• So far, I think...
• I notice...
• I like/dislike..
• I wonder...
• Your SUMMER READING work is due on MONDAY, as we discussed in class today. Bring your work with you, and be ready to write about the book (THE FAULT IN OUR STARS)!
• Make sure you bring your independent reading book with you to class.

Homework: September 4

Honors English 11 (A block)

• Get a composition notebook.
• Try to log into your online portfolio--check in with me in class tomorrow if you have questions.
• Complete your "Independent reading plan" homework assignment.
• Reread the syllabus, and have your folks read and sign.

English 12 (B block)

• Get a composition notebook.
• Try to log into your online portfolio--check in with me in class tomorrow if you have questions.
• Complete your "Independent reading plan" homework assignment.
• Reread the syllabus, and have your folks read and sign.

Honors English 11 (D block)

• If you haven't done any of the things listed for yesterday's homework, do them!
• Additionally, read your new independent reading book for 15 minutes.
• Then, write a response to it.
• Your response should be one page, handwritten (you can type, too--1/2 a page, maybe?) Use one or more of these prompts: 
• So far, I think...
• I notice...
• I like/dislike..
• I wonder...
• ALSO: We will do our summer reading writing assignment on MONDAY in class. So, your written work that goes along with your summer reading is due that day, as well. Check your summer reading pamphlet for more information. We'll talk more about this on Friday in class, but you might want to dig it out over the next few days...

Hooray for enthusiasm!

Yes. Yes, I am.

Homework: September 3

It's back to homework posts! Here's what to do tonight, due for the next class:

Honors English 11 (D block)

• Get a composition notebook.
• Try to log into your online portfolio--check in with me in class tomorrow if you have questions.
• Complete your "Independent reading plan" homework assignment.
• Reread the syllabus, and have your folks read and sign.

English 11 (F block)

• Get a composition notebook.
• Try to log into your online portfolio--check in with me in class tomorrow if you have questions.
• Complete your "Independent reading plan" homework assignment.
• Reread the syllabus, and have your folks read and sign.

Honors English 12 (G block)

• Get a composition notebook.
• Try to log into your online portfolio--check in with me in class tomorrow if you have questions.
• Complete your "Independent reading plan" homework assignment.
• Reread the syllabus, and have your folks read and sign.

It's BAAAAAACCCKKKK!

After a summer-long hiatus, this blog is back and ready for a new school year! Hip, hip, hooray! Welcome back, students, and welcome to some new and exciting English classes. Hope you're ready to READ, WRITE, THINK, and then do all of that again, over and over, all year long. It's going to be a good year.

Ahhh...fall...and books...