Beginning of Week Two - Phase Two // 13 April 2020

Good morning everyone! Welcome to Week Two. Today is technically a holiday for Durham Public Schools, so I will not be available today. I will be on my regular schedule for the rest of this week. I have posted the assignments for the week in Google Classroom today and will have everything returned to you by the end of the day tomorrow if there is something waiting for my eyes. For now, let's look at the summary of our week.

AP Research: Complete Week 1 (if needed). Finish paper (original timeline). Review final section guide. Meet with me for final review. Submit paper.

AP English Lit: AP Exam Review Packet - Annotations, Outlines, Responses. Submit one essay to be scored and commented upon.

Russian 1: Begin Chapter Three. Learn about adverbs and how to use and form them. Complete DuoLingo lessons for support.

Russian 2: Begin Chapter Seven. Focus on learning plurals in all cases. Focus on the difficulty of genitive plural (tons of irregularities/exceptions).

Russian 3: Begin Chapter Nine. Using modals and imperatives to tell people what to do. Focus on aspect and how aspect choice leads to mood and emotional connotation. Videos to support.

Russian 4: Begin Chapter Twelve. Final Chapter! Learn about verbs of positioning and placement. Review conjugations.

Remember that we still have AP Examinations (Research, Literature, Advanced Russian) to prepare for and tasks to do in order to keep sharp. I am here to continue to support and help you no matter what it is that you may need right now. Please reach out. I also wanted to say a quick thing about grades.

Seniors - Any work that you submit can be added to your S1 grade. This grade will be used to determine your GPA and class rank for final transcripts this year. You will get a PC19 (Pass due to COVID-19) for the Spring Semester as long as you are passing the class in Q3. If you submit work right now I can add points to S1 or Q3 if you are not already passing Q3. The maximum number of points is TEN.

Underclassmen - Since you are not graduating this year, you will remain focused on your Q3 grade. Any work that you complete right now can be applied to your Q3 grade in order to raise your GPA/Class Rank for the year and earn a credit for the class. Again, the maximum number of points is TEN.

AP Classroom - AP LIT

AP Literature

If you did not complete the Unit 1 MCQ I have unlocked it again for you. Please complete this ASAP so that we can enter accurate Unit 1 Examination scores. I know that many of you have seen a drop in your score, this will be balanced by the project as the project and Unit Exam are worth approximately equal amounts of points.

We'll review the timed writings and feedback in the coming days as we prepare for the next ones.

Homework for B-Day - 12 September

Durham Public Schools has officially closed on Thursday and Friday. The notes and announcements here are meant to prepare you for your next class. A-Day Students - The notes and reminders in the previous post should be ready when we return. Stay safe and secure during the storm!

AP Seminar

Today we took our terms quiz on important ideas from the Course and Exam Description - we covered several of these in class via a presentation and you were able to encounter others during our work with the QUEST framework. If you felt unprepared, study and review so that when you are reassessed on this content in your later examination, you will be more ready. Then we moved on to understanding how to RAVEN something and why this is a helpful tool.

You should accomplish the following tasks before next class. First, go back to your work with sources and online resources that we did on Monday. Look at one of your sources through RAVEN. What does the RAVEN model help you to understand. You may find it helpful to go to Google Classroom and use the blank sheet. Second, read the article called "Is Google Making Us Stupid" and annotate it. Consider the ideas around perspectives, questions, and thinking as you read this.

Advanced Russian

As I said in class, we will have an assessment on verbs, stems, and conjugation shortly after we return from the storm. To help you prepare, I have the following suggestions for you.

1. Work through your verb cards and the sheet with your exemplar verb for each stem. Have a good understanding of how to work through conjugation in past/non-past and the idiosyncrasies of each stem.
2. Review Exercise 8Г on page 170. Can you do this work? Can you develop those forms from the given information?
3. Review the verbs in Chapters One through Four. Know their meaning, the stem, and the conjugations.

Russian I

We know all of the alphabet except for a few letters, so hopefully you'll be able to complete all of the handwriting packet with a few small exceptions. I gave each of you a list of cognate words today in class as we were leaving. Be sure that you spend time this weekend practicing with your reading, spelling, and writing. Hopefully you will all see that you can already read words in Russian. 

We will have an alphabet quiz very soon! Be sure that you are prepared for this assessment. Don't forget to use YouTube and DuoLingo as you are studying and reviewing!

Opening the Year - 2018-2019

Hello Parents and Students! Below is some important information to be aware of as we start our classes. Please see the notes below about each document.

Parent/Student Information Sheet

This is the same as the paper version which will be sent home on the first day of class. Please complete this online version or paper version for my records. If you complete an online version, please return the paper version with the student's name filled out and actual signatures at the bottom.

Google Classroom

Outside of this classroom blog I will be posting a lot in our Google Classroom space. This is a wonderful place to go if you have missed class or if you have missed something in class. Handouts, class notes, and other important resources will be posted here. Use the codes below for your specific class to gain access. Remember to join class using your DPS Google Account (first_last@dpsnc.net) and your DPS password (the same you use to access computers on campus).

AP English III: t86rhds

English IV: bu7bl

AP Seminar: tzooce

Russian I: 662ysix

Advanced Russian (II/III): df3adf

Homework for B Day Students - 1 May 2018

Happy Holiday Students! Today is the 1st of May - The Holiday of Spring and Labor in Russia. Make sure that you celebrate this holiday by spending some time outside. Tomorrow I'll be dressed as a Russian peasant to celebrate. Here are your notes and reminders for tonight.

English IV

Keep working on your novel projects kids! Remember that we're cutting project four so that we can focus on project three, which is the most important project to prepare for the final one. Check on PowerSchool for any missing scores or zeroes. I think that after today most everyone is good to go on Week One work, now be sure that we keep our focus on Weeks Two and Three. Keep reading. Keep thinking. Keep working!

AP English III

We've had two really great classes focused around stories that look at family in a very different way. I especially enjoyed the ideas that we saw today that looked at the connection between characters and tone. Remember that tone is a great device to focus on as we prepare for the AP Examination.

For tonight there's no reading for class discussion, but there is reading of documents to prepare for the next part of the unit. Consider this as both a chance to brush up on our synthesizing skills as well as our abilities to "read" various types of texts. Be sure that you watch the video as well which is given on your assignment sheet and at this link. Complete the questions on the cover sheet as sentences or as bullet points.

Also, be sure that you're finishing the AP Practice Exam. I want to have everything back to you on Thursday.

Beginning the Year! Online Resources and Tools!

Welcome to the 2017-2018 Year! Below there are several online resources that you can use to get started with our classes for the year.

Parent/Student Contact Form
If you choose, please complete the contact form either on paper (delivered home by your student and handed out in class on day one) or online. Use the link below to complete the form. Remember to review the policies and procedures sheet before completing the form.

Mr. Miller's Contact Form

Google Classroom
In my classroom we will use Google Classroom to complete a lot of assignments. You'll need to use your DPS Google Account in order to access the online classroom space. You'll want to go to classroom.google.com and then use the code below to join your class.

2A - English IV - iawzp3
3A - Advanced Russian - dhvb35
4A - Russian I - 7xt5c2

2B - English IV - y0ekren
3B - AP English III - 0xpab07
4B - AP English III - 69gnon6

Remind
I also use Remind as an application to facilitate communication between parents, students, and me. Use the codes below in order to access our Remind groups. The groups are set by the classes, not the specific periods. You will want to send the code below to 81010 via text message to sign up.

English IV - @h78c2
AP English III - @7ee3eg
Russian I - @386b3a
Advanced Russian - @russii

Advanced Russian - Word Parts

Advanced Russian Students - 

Use this online resource for your Russian root work.

It doesn't have everything, but it is very extensive.

This list focuses solely on prefixes.

Homework for 12 September - B Day

English II

Tonight for homework you have the next section of our book The Boy Who Dared to read.  You'll be reading from where we stopped on page fifteen on to page twenty-seven.  As you read, take note of the reading guide and complete it.  You have work to do on the characters and then assessing the positives and negatives of Hitler's leadership in Germany.

Remember that if we have a quiz on our reading, you'll be able to use the reading guide.

AP English III

You have nothing due next class.  Everything in this post is due for Friday's class.  First, please finish the work that we began today in Google Classroom - upload the rest of your word slides and have them finalized for Friday.  Remember to use your resources - www.dictionary.com and www.etymonline.com.  You should consider yourself a bit of an expert on these words by then.  Additionally, please read and annotate Eudora Welty's "Listening".  You can find it in 50 Essays or at this link.

Next class we will begin the process of revising our essay outlines for new grades.  Be ready for some heavy lifting!

Homework for 29 August - A Day - First Day of School

Welcome back everyone!  I'm very glad to get to know you or to get to know you better as the case may be.  Please read below for reminders about class and to prepare for next class.

Russian II-IV

Tonight you need to start learning STRUCTURAL TRANSCRIPTION of the Cyrillic alphabet.  Take five verbs that you remember and write them in ST.  Account for hardness and softness.  Try to identify the root and the ending.  What is the meaning of the verb?  What cases are associated with this verb?  Pull out all that you remember!  Have this on paper for us to work from next time.

Russian I

Tonight begin to work on your handwriting.  Please complete page one of your handwriting packet.

English II

Remember our key question from today:  What happens when there is no respect in the world?  Try to consider this as a jumping off point for Wednesday's class.

For All Classes:  Please remember to complete your parent communication forms (online version below) and to get your school supplies!

Our Online Presence! 2016/2017

Hello Parents and Students!


In this class I like to maintain a large online presence.  So, I've got a few online resources for you this year and I'll put them here.  These are for all classes in the 2016-2017 school year.


All Classes


Parent Contact Form - This is the same as the paper form, so if you'd rather fill this out here, go ahead.  Please return the paper form to me and write the word ONLINE at the top.  All of the classes also have a REMIND code and a Google classroom page.


Russian I


Remind:  Text @hde6hd to 81010
Google Classroom:  Please use the code:  pk3iyno


Advanced Russian


Remind:  Text @6ebaead to 81010
Google Classroom:  Please use the code:  uybgwsg


AP English III


Remind:  Text @43e9aa to 81010
Google Classroom:  If you're in 2B, use the code:  d6xa5qr.  If you're in 3B, use the code:  ovf1nt. 


English II


Remind:  Text @bkek8 to 81010
Google Classroom:  If you're in 4B, please use the code: ymhzby.  If you're in 4A, please use the code:  mmiee2.


Special Note - For Google Classroom you need to be logged in to your DPS gmail account.  Please familiarize yourself with how to access this.  You can go to - http://www.google.com/a/dpsnc.net and use your school login and password to access this. 


Be aware that I regularly update PowerSchool with grades and progress updates.  Please stay regularly checked in with PowerSchool and let me know if you have questions about grades.

Homework for the Weekend - A Day Students - 10/3/2015

Sorry for not getting this up before now; I didn't realized that I'd forgotten.  Here are your reminders:

Students of Russian/Дорогие мои студенты русского языка!

I wanted to post a few things for you to use as you are writing your journals (Russian II/III) and working on your grammar homework and preparing for your first major quiz (Russian I).  First for II/III -

• Your homework this weekend is one double-spaced page in your journal using the phrase "Ни пуха, ни пера! К черту!".  Remember as you write to apply your knowledge of stems and the one-stem system.  I want you to edit and revise.  Read and consider - use your knowledge and your notes.
• If you need a dictionary there's this wonderful online resource from Duke - A grammatical dictionary of the Russian language.
• If you would like a reference guide for grammar you can use this - also from Duke and actually from one of the authors of our textbook.  

Russian I Students - You should continue working through the exercises on gender as well as studying your vocabulary words in chapter one.  In addition to the nouns you should know the possessive pronouns (моя, твое, его, их, наша, ваш) and the question words that we have learned in connection to the intonation patterns.  All of these things will be part of your vocabulary quiz on Thursday.  Don't forget too that you will have your project presentations on Thursday - is anyone bringing Russian food?

For all of you - here's our video about Кострома which we started in Russian II/III for the warm up - feel free to watch it to the end.  Remember our guests will be visiting in about a month!

English II:

If you didn't turn in your viewing guide from the Bulgakov film today then you will need to finish that for homework to turn in on Tuesday.  In addition, we'll be working on our projects on Tuesday before the due date and presentation on Thursday.  Feel free to work on your projects this weekend in preparation for our library workshop on Tuesday.  If you do research online, try to save the website addresses so that Ms. Ginocchio and I can show you how to complete your bibliography. 

Russian Online Resources

Russian I and Russian II

Students - The following resources will be very useful for you as we move through our study of Russian together.  Below are several links as well as information about what you will find at each of these links.  Please use them throughout the year as you find them to be needed.

Эхо Москвы
The only way to get better at a foreign language is by immersing yourself in it.  That's why I offer you this radio station.  A great practice is for you to listen to this about thirty minutes to an hour each day.  I say do it while you're working on Russian.  You won't understand much, but it'll help you with intonation, and just repetition.  You'll also find yourself understanding more as you learn more through the year.

UCLA Beginner's Russian
There are so many resources here I don't know where to start.  This is an online textbook with explanations of grammar concepts and exercises that you can use to help with your mastery of skills.  The chapters aren't the same as ours so feel free to explore through several different chapters to get what you will need.  Please ask for help using this resource if you need it.

Викисловарь
This is a great online dictionary especially for forms of words in cases.  The explanation of the words are in Russian as is most everything else on the page.  Put the word you're working with in the search box to find your declension charts or any other information you may need on a word.

Tons of Resources
This page has almost everything else from grammar to translators to games to exercises.  If you can't find it elsewhere, look here.

Yandex
This is the Russian equivalent of Google.  They have some really good tools to help out with Russian like their translator which is far better than Google's.