9 June - Happy LDOC Grey Day!

English 10

Happy LDOC Grey Day! I hope that you have found moments to enjoy in our year together. I know that I have. I'm looking forward to seeing your final tasks for the year come through in your portfolio reflections on the year. If you've already submitted the tasks, check any feedback and resubmit. Portfolios will continue to be accepted through until the final exam date next week.

Any last tasks for our Persepolis unit are due today. No extensions can be granted on this. I gave out a study guide for your final exam next week. Be sure that if you were not in class that you see the list posted in the folder. You'll want to know this information for next week's test!

1 June

English 10

Pretty simple day today to end our unit on Persepolis. We took our time to finish writing our stories and to complete any final tasks left from our study of Persepolis. Keep in mind that no work for this unit will be scored if it's turned in after Friday.

If everything is complete, then it's time to move on to the portfolios. The Global Portfolio is pretty simple. I'd do that first. The Skills Portfolio is a bit of a beast. Review the instructions and start to look for artifacts. I'll be in the room with you more next week to help you put that together.

Have a great weekend! I'm looking forward to finishing my training and getting into my new job. I'm also looking forward to reading your comics when I get my breaks.

25 May - Ending the Year in English 10

English 10

Pretty great day in English 10 today, a few bumps in the road, but we got to where we needed to go. Today we finished reading Persepolis and understood some of the main lessons that this book is conveying to us. Lessons about life, growing up, trust, and change are all contained in this book. I loved seeing how engaged so many of you were. I think the test next class should be a breeze for a lot of you.

Over the weekend, prepare for that test. Review your notes and your study guide. Check today's recording. If you have any missing assignments, you should submit them this weekend. I will update grades as soon as you submit your work. Prioritize the writing assignments, as they are worth a lot of grades.

Next class we'll take our test, and then have time to finish up with vocabulary and comic book projects. Remember that all work for Quarter 4 and this unit is due on June 1.

23 May

English 10

We had a conversation at the beginning of class that I hope you all will take with you moving forward to the last few classes of the year. Your quarter four gradebook is going to close on June 1. Everything will need to be submitted by that point. All major assignments will be due by that day. If you have missing assignments, they need to be submitted.

Today's class focused on reading the next to last group of chapters in Persepolis. We'll finish the book in class on Thursday and review for the test on the book. You'll have the test after the long weekend, so you should have plenty of time to study and prepare. We'll finish up the comic books next week as well. I'm excited to see your stories and your final work for English 10.

I'll start posting all of the instructions for the final portfolios soon. The classes on June 5, 7, and 9 are devoted to constructing these two assignments. 

19 May - Out Playing Nurse

I hope that all of you had a good and productive day in class with the substitute. Be sure that if you missed class that you review the resources on Schoology and get caught up for the time. Remember that we don't have many days left for the quarter. Soon we'll just be focused on Final Exams. 

Submit items on Schoology as needed and please reach out with any questions. Have a great weekend!

17 May

English 10

Solid day in English 10 as we read two more chapters of Persepolis and continued to track Marji's development to adulthood. We ended our day by focusing on our memoir assignments and brainstorming key moments in our life that we can turn into a graphic novel. Remember that with this assignment the goal is to focus on ONE important moment. Think about the book we're reading, right? She's really telling us about major moments, not about everything. Try to do the same.

Next class we'll finish up with our movie tasks. Be ready to do a bit of writing. Remember that if you have any missing assignments (vocabulary, paragraphs, videos) that those assignments are due by May 30. No work will be accepted after May 30 except for the final examination and portfolio.

15 May - Kicking off the Week

English 10

We had a strange day today with the Biology SOL and the long second period, so we watched a movie. I hope that you enjoyed watching Persepolis. I really love watching this film and seeing the way in which the comic book is turned into an animated film. You'll be writing a review of the film soon, so I hope that you were able to develop a strong opinion and find evidence to support that opinion.

Next class we'll return to the book. We've got a few chapters left to read and study, and then we'll finish up with our major project - our own comic book. Looking forward to next time!

AP Language

Today was the day for the Style Writing reassessment of skill. To complete this, we wrote two letters - one to me and one to Trevor Packer (mister bigshot at College Board). You reflected on your experience with the exam, with class, and gave me some words of wisdom. This is always one of my most favorite assignments to read. You should see the scores change in SIS throughout the week as I review your letters.

Remember that this week is the end of the Choice Board and Quarter 4. We'll be starting our Bridge Assignment on Friday, and that's technically a final examination task. Be sure that you have completed all items and have had your conferences. If you need additional time, please reach out. I'll be sending progress reports next week as a summation of the course.

10 May - Getting Ahead Since I'm Out

I'll be out the rest of this week for medical appointments and some self-care, so I'm getting ahead on posts for the week.

AP Language

Today's class was about reflecting, settling up some business, and then moving forward to close out the quarter. If you were absent today, be sure that you complete the Reading Inventory before 15 May.

We opened class with the form that's linked on Schoology to note our very raw takes on the AP Examination yesterday. Your honesty and candor in your responses are so helpful for us as we improve this class for next year's students. We'll be asking for a lot of feedback over the next few weeks. 

After that we got into business. The Reading Inventory is the last one of these this year. I asked you to do it at the beginning of the year, and now we're doing it again to track our growth and progress. After that, it's time for conferences and choice board items. Be sure that you are ready to close out your choice board and thus your Q4 grade next week. All items should be in and conferences should be had.

6th Period - I'm out on Thursday. The substitute teacher will give you a document for your to do list and instructions on how to access everything. Please also do the Substitute Form linked on Schoology since I'm out.

I'm also out on Friday. So be sure to check for updates and tasks on Schoology. You do have your Style Writing reassessment on Friday; complete that during class on Friday.

AP Research

We keep on continuing along here in AP Research to get through our final classes to our exam. We had a pretty full class today, so we reviewed the expectations and options for the Final Choice Board. Remember to choose two artifacts to complete, submit on Schoology, and prepare to present ONE on May 31 for our final examination day.

Next class I'll be out. Please complete the Substitute Day Form. It's linked down below. Use time on Friday to complete Choice Board Items. Be respectful of the substitute and the space, as always.

English 10

Today's class is a very easy class to round out the week. You've got a substitute today, since I'm out meeting with my cancer doctors and my care team. Everything is looking good, so we just need to confirm that. Today you've got two things to take care of. Follow the instructions on the TO DO list from the substitute. 

Complete your Final Reading Inventory from the link on Schoology. Log-in with your FCPS ID and your password. Do your best. I'll see the results in my system. Once that's done, get Persepolis and complete your reading and study of the next two chapters.

Don't forget to do the Substitute Form on Schoology.

9 May - Victory Day

English 10

Great days continue in English 10. Next class I won't be here with you, so be sure to follow the substitute's instructions. It's an easy day you have to end the week. Today in class we read another two chapters of Persepolis, continued to track Marji's changes and developments, and then ended by looking at our final project for this book.

Be sure that if you have missing assignments that those are turned in here - there's not a lot of time left in this unit or in the fourth quarter, really. We'll be finishing up the book next week, getting into our project, and once we finish, we'll take a look at another corner of the Middle East before closing out the whole unit.

Check in on Thursday to Schoology to review your tasks and access your Reading Test.

AP Language

I certainly hope that all of you felt prepared for today's examination. I'm looking forward to seeing the results when you all do in July. We'll be reflecting on the exam in the next few classes. Focus on completing Choice Board items for our conferences. 

Remember that I'll be out on Thursday and Friday, of this week, so we will have time all next week to complete conferences and raise scores in SiS in light of new artifacts of skill.

5 May - 12 Lessons Left to Finals!

English 10

End of the week in English 10 and we got to a good stopping point in Persepolis with Uncle Anoosh and his impact on Marji. We also hit a major turning point with the nation of Iran as well, the start of the war with Iraq. We had a great review of key moments and focused in strongly on the idea of symbolism. We ended class by building the start of our study guide for our test on this book. 

The final part of class was our Membean vocabulary test for Quarter 4. Remember that we'll have two of these. You can also submit your vocabulary bookmark to get a bonus grade fo vocabulary. If you have any missing assignments, get those turned in. I'll be sending home progress reports on Tuesday.

Have a great weekend!

3 May - Where's Spring?

English 10

Rainy and chilly Wednesday. Ugh. Where is spring? I want us to have more outside classes and reading time. Oh well. Today we opened our class by looking at two suras from The Qur'an to understand more about Islam and Muslim values and culture. This is a great thing for us to do to understand more about the characters and lives we see in Persepolis. 

From there, we went into our chapter study for today's class. We discussed "The Party" and "The Heroes" and the arrival of a new, important character. Be aware that we're hitting the mid-point of our book! We should be done with it by mid-May. We'll take our test on the book and then look at our final projects. After that, it's the final examination portfolios.

If you are missing your writing assignment or any other assignments, be sure to get those in ASAP. See last class's recording to review the steps to the writing assignment. You've got an outline, sample paragraph, and great earlier activities to help you.

1 May

Happy May Day!

English 10

Today in English 10 was our day for writing. We found an important panel from Persepolis and analyzed elements of language and art to show how Marjane Satrapi is creating meaning in the text about the situation in Iran, herself, and the citizens of the country. I'm looking forward to reading and reviewing your responses. If you were absent, please see me for a Lion Time pass so that we can complete this together OR complete it at home if you feel able.

Next class we'll take a bit of a side quest with our reading and look at the Qur'an. We'll also take a look at our next few chapters of Persepolis to understand the way in which the revolution is progressing in the country. Don't forget that we will have a vocabulary test on Friday. Get in some Membean training to prepare! After today, we just have 13 more classes until final exams. Stay ready! Stay woke!

27 April

English 10

Absolutely wonderful day in English 10 today. I love watching you all read and engage with our memoir, Persepolis. It's a great book that tells a really fantastic story. We'll continue to learn more about Marji, Iran, and Islam as we work through the novel. Next class we'll take a bit of a pause and begin our first writing assignment for the quarter. We did a bit of practice for this today as we broke down a panel from "The Letter". We ended class with some independent time to finish up any missing or needed assignments - remember you'll have a vocabulary test next week! Thanks for a great discussion and class. 

AP Language

Today was a holding pattern for us as we didn't have class yesterday with the SOL. We were working through completing choice board items and conferencing to show growth and development of skills. I loved the conversations we were having today and the growth that you were showing me. We're going to keep in this holding pattern for the next few classes. Keep completing your tasks. Show me your improvements. Let's complete conferences during Lion Time or after school. 

25 April

English 10

Kinda a strange day because of the assembly this morning. Second period, we didn't really have class today. We'll get regrouped on Thursday and complete the majority of our lesson from today. We'll also have our end of year grammar test on Thursday through NoRedInk. It's just a completion grade, so don't stress on your accuracy, just do your best.

In ESOL English 10 we were able to have class which was great. We took time to read, getting caught up or ahead, and then looked at our upcoming writing assignment. We'll complete this assignment next week on Monday.

The EdPuzzle has been put in the gradebook as a zero if it is missing, be sure to get that taken care of before your next graded assignment.

20 April

English 10

Today's class focused on Chapters 3 and 4 of Persepolis. We learned more about the Satrapi family, their background, and the history of the country. Note the way that the author, Marjane Satrapi, is making parallel the way that we're learning her family history and her country's history. We also previewed and outlined our writing assignment for next week.

If you are missing the EdPuzzle assignment or need to get caught up on reading, please do so this weekend. Let me know if you have any questions!

18 April

English 10

I was very glad to be back with you all today. I'm still going through some challenges, but they're reaching some closure, and that helps with healing. Thank you for a really great class today. We began our reading of Persepolis by analyzing and reading Chapters One and Two. We'll study a few chapters every day of class. I was glad to see everyone reading and enjoying the story. The whole book is in two parts, but we're just reading Part One.

We focused today on characters and conflicts. We also dipped our toes into allusions since the book is filled with them - mostly history and culture from Iran. 

Be sure that you've completed the EdPuzzle on Iran. If you need a code, it's ficrova - I'll be checking EdPuzzle again and updating grades. Next week we'll have a grammar test, so be ready with some NoRedInk practice. See you Thursday for another round!

13 April - Still Gone, End of the Week/Quarter

I'm very sorry to be away from you all on the last day of the quarter. I appreciate that I have seen a lot of things get turned in. I'm grading and giving feedback as you complete items. Here are a few quick reminders for the long weekend.

AP Language

Be sure to submit your final assignment for this unit. Your grades will be resetting pretty soon once we finish the scoring of the practice AP Examination. If you have missed any or part of the practice exam, please see me next week to get that settled. The best times would be Wednesday after school or Thursday at Lion Time. Juniors won't have Lion Time on Tuesday because of required programming.

AP Research

We'll have one final working day and then begin our presentations. I'll schedule those with you on Monday. Use this last weekend well! You'll be getting your first AP Exam out of the way, and then we'll move on to reflecting on the year and having some fun before graduation.

English 10

Today is our first day of Quarter 4 and our unit on graphic novels and Middle Eastern literature. We're going to start by diving in with our country of focus and our type of literature to focus on. If you didn't finish the assignment today in class, please do so by the next time I see you. Go to EdPuzzle, log in with your FCPSSchools account, and find your assignment. You can always redo this if you'd like. We'll start reading our book from Iran next class, so knowing this information about the country will help you to better understand the book.

11 April - Grey Day Returns

English 10

Welcome back y'all. It's time for the back half of the year. It's a quick push to the end, but I'm sure we'll finish strongly and with style. Today's class was a class for us as we needed it to be. We were able to revise or complete assignments and complete grades to see where we stand at the end of the year. If you have anything left to resubmit or complete, be sure that it is in by Thursday so that I can finalize grades on Friday.

On Thursday we'll be starting our last content based unit of the year. We're studying literature and culture from the Middle East. I'm excited for this unit and the chances that we'll have to tell our own stories to end our year together.

31 March - Happy Spring Break!

English 10

Timed Writing Day! Timed Writing Day! 

Today was an easy way to end the quarter and our unit on Latin America as we completed our Latin American Letter. We completed our mini-research project and wrote a letter to a leader in Latin America about a problem facing their country. I hope that you appreciated this chance to learn a bit more and explore issues in our world. I'll be reading and reviewing your work after I return from my trip, so you'll come back to updated scores, and we'll finalize grades for the quarter.

There is, of course, no work over the break. If you are missing work and want to get caught up, please do so. Membean and NoRedInk are open for practice. I'd suggest doing what I like to do, read a good book :) I have plenty of suggestions.

I'll look forward to seeing you when I'm back from South Korea and sharing stories. Our last unit of the year will be on The Middle East. Get ready to finish in style and with strength!

29 March - It's Wednesday!

English 10

Easy day for the middle of the week in English 10 today. We took time to review our previous work on writing, set a goal for this last writing assignment of the quarter, read a letter by a great American woman, and then took our vocabulary test for the end of the quarter. 

Next class we'll be writing our final letter for the third quarter. Remember that you'll get the better of the two grades, so improvement or maintaining mastery is the goal. You'll be able to use your research, your planning, and other resources that you've acquired from class. That will take us to Spring Break! When we return, we'll start in on our last unit of the year - the Middle East!