2 November - End of the Quarter!

AP Language

Really good time today in AP Language to round out the week. We focused on Chapter 6, which is really the beginning of the end of the novel. I appreciated your engagement in the discussion and in the close reading. I'm especially impressed by the depth that you went into on our last passage - it was just two sentences! As we hit the back half of the novel, consider the major ideas that you're seeing and the arguments that Fitzgerald is making about this world, these people, and this society.

For the weekend, you should be sure that any final resubmissions are in. Remember that I need your rubric to rescore your project. If absolutely necessary, you can send me a photo of the rubric. I should have all grades updated by the end of the week. If you are interested in reassessing on your writing, there is an opportunity to do that today - Thursday - after school. If you can't make this, we may have a time slot on Tuesday, this is TBA.

Feel free to read ahead into the rest of the novel this weekend, focus on your project, or take a bit of a break if you're all caught up. I'll be out on Wednesday, so pay attention to Schoology for your lesson and listen for the substitute's instructions. All the best!

7 September - End of the Week

AP Language

Welcome to Unit 2! Throughout this unit we will focus on analyzing different definitions of America. We started to do this today in class as we worked through Thomas Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence" and applied reading structures to enhance our understanding. I was very happy with the engagement in the room and the attention to detail that we brought to our task today. Keep in mind that audience is one of the most important factors when analyzing a text. The audience, and remember there can be many, is for whom the author creates a text, so it's important to see how choices are made for them.

We got our first feedback today on the tone quiz. Remember that you'll get multiple grades for assessments based on how many skills are being assessed at the time. Also, keep in mind that there are routes to reassess on your skills to show growth and development toward mastery. Here are your routes:

• Reading Comprehension: Complete a DIDLS annotation of your selected text for What's the Situation? You'll need to analyze at least two paragraphs of text.
• Reading Interpretation: Complete a tone analysis of the opening of your selected text for What's the Situation? You'll need to define the tone and then write an analysis of how the author conveys that tone in the text. Use the sentence structures from today's class and our feedback to help you do this. 

Next class we will be taking our FCPS Reading Inventory test. Please have your computers, remember it doesn't count for a grade, it's just a way to see where you are at the beginning of the year. We'll also get into feedback on our Benchmark Examination. If you are missing part of the Benchmark, please see me to schedule a make-up time.

Off to Thanksgiving Break - Blue Day

AP Language

Today was our day to finish our work and conversation on The Great Gatsby. We focused on conclusions and arguments - it's important to notice how Fitzgerald is completing the novel by making his various points clear to us as an audience. There are so many messages in this novel - consider the ones that you understand the most thoroughly. You don't have to understand everything, but you need to understand something and thoroughly.

We finished class by focusing on our motif trackers. These should be mostly complete when we return to school so that you can complete your visual and the questions at the back of the tracker. We also have vocabulary due the week that we return. The week we return is for summatives and wrapping up the unit. We'll soon move on to Unit 4 and The Crucible.

Note that if you were not in class for the writing day, then you'll need to come on 11/30 to complete your double timed write. If you are not satisfied with your writing scores there will be a reassessment option. Enjoy Thanksgiving. There's no work assigned, but if you are behind then you should get caught up.

AP Research

Easy day today in AP Research land. We took a quick assessment to check our ethical practices and alignment to our guiding principals of beneficence and non-maleficence. The rest of our class time was given over to preparing for our IRB meetings.

Remember that all of your documents to support your research proposal should be completed by the week of December 5th. The IRB will meet, review proposals, and then give approvals and/or edits. Remember the principal of alignment between the steps of your proposal. Check your surveys for bias and leading questions. Working with your peers is great during this time as they will often see your blindspots.

Enjoy Thanksgiving! I hope that it's a restful and relaxing time! Eat lots of pie!!

1 November - AP Language and AP Research

AP Language

We had a big conversation today in AP Language that we needed to have. Stop waiting to start the class and get going. It's not going to get any better with avoidance. I am here for you, but you have to do. You have to produce and you have to show. If you are planning to reassess your project for Quarter 1, please let me know via email so that I can prepare.

Today's class focused on Carnegie and his ideas about wealth, power, and charity in America of the 1890's. We reviewed concepts like logos, pathos, ethos, the rhetorical triangle, and the argument structure. I liked seeing your conversations and your disagreements about some of the ideas. It's important to make connections back to Fitzgerald as we read outside texts. Consider purpose, commonalities, and contrasts. 

Next class we're looking at Chapters 4 and 5. Focus on conflict and especially time. Read, annotate, and pay attention to the idea of truth and how it comes out in the text. Update your motif tracker and collect your vocabulary. As always, I look forward to seeing your thoughts.

AP Research

AP Research was wrapping up today with first presentations. We'll finish those on Thursday for the six who didn't present. One of the best things about days like today is seeing you all celebrate each other. Focus on getting comfortable at the board, speaking with confidence, and being sure of what you know. All of these practices will help us to do this.

Tonight focus on writing. You have everything that you need to start crafting your introduction and literature review. Use the files posted today as well as your sample papers, Body of Knowledge, and existing work. You have everything you need, you just need to put it together differently.

I look forward to seeing your next steps. Unit 3 starts on Monday the 7th. Check your messages for your recording.

Beginning Week 17 - 12 January

AP Language

Today's class was a focus on narrowing our scope and focus for our investigation in order to determine a clear and specific focus. This allows us to create a research question which can be answered and explored thoroughly in the few (5-7) pages that we have for this assignment. Keep in mind that this is a recursive process, meaning it builds on itself, as you keep working with source material, you'll likely keep narrowing and refining your process.

Final research questions are due at the end of the week. Please resubmit on Google Classroom and ensure the whole document is complete including the final two spaces for your revised question and your DADS argument. Don't forget to complete the FRQ practice for Unit 3 on AP Classroom. This is a great chance to test your skills and align yourself to the examination. 

Begin to find your sources and collect your findings. We'll spend next class working with source material and beginning the building of our outlines/sourcepacks.

English 10

Today was our kickoff to our final three classes of the quarter and semester. Today we took a brief grammar quiz before moving on to view the film and consider our task ahead as media critics. By the end of today, make sure that you submit your viewing guide with your notes from your viewing. Remember that you only need to watch about thirty minutes to complete the viewing guide.

Next class we'll focus on writing our media critiques before we prepare for our SOL essays. The SOL essay will happen on the last day of the quarter and be our final score for the quarter. We'll look at the prompt and prepare on Thursday so that you're ready to write.

At this time, it's important that you submit any and all missing assignments. If you have a few, focus on those that are worth the most points to have the best outcome for your investment. Let me know what I can do to help you.

Homework for Monday - 2/10/2020 - A Day

AP Research

Today was our working day to kick-off the week. Our major task for this week is to complete the Body of Knowledge Source Analysis. Please use the form that is in the assignment or the form given to you in class. You may complete either a hard copy version or an electronic version for your score. Hopefully by studying one of your sources in depth, you will get a better understanding of how to construct elements of your own academic paper. Consider how they show their data and how that data is made clear for a reader. How does the language they use lead to an understanding for the reader?

By the end of this week you should be ready with a new draft or a revised draft of your Introduction/Lit Review and Method section. We'll be doing another run of peer editing next week!

Russian I

Today in class we began to learn our adjectives and the rules for working with them. Remember that adjectives must agree with their nouns by gender and by case. We started to learn the way that we make these changes today - especially focused on nominative and genitive case. From there we moved to arts and crafts - coloring and writing about our creations. Continue to study your new vocabulary tonight (colors) and complete the exercises in your textbook - Chapter 2, Exercise 2 and 4. Focus on being able to identify cases in this work, vocabulary, and gender.

Advanced Russian

Today was a day focused on Anna Karenina and our first attempts at quizzes. Remember the main takeaway from our conversation today - you have to remember the point of view of the speaker as they talk. Also remember that in a Russian brain, a person can only go one place at a time - it doesn't matter if they go other places.


You have the chance to redo your quizzes all this week and the beginning of next. Focus on your verb cards and your cases. Studying and learning these are the majority of your homework. We'll do some writing next class on Anna and her verbs of motion before learning some new verbs and vocabulary.

Homework for A Day Students - 15 January - End of Quarter 2

AP Research

It's the end of the semester and we've crossed a big bridge today with our first peer editing conferences on our academic papers. I hope that you were able to get good feedback from your classmates related to the work that you have already done. Remember to make edits, update, but always keep what you have done.

I've posted the newest reflection - the final one for this semester. It relies on the peer editing work that you did today, so be sure to reflect using the comments from your classmates.

I'll be looking over your PREP folders this weekend for your final check. Be sure that your task log, conferences, reflections, and assessment task drafts folders are updated. You should also have everything from the first check. Other than that, it's time to be mining for data. Collect, group, analyze, consider, and work! The more you do, the better it is!

Russian I

Today in class we finished watching The Irony of Fate, and we built sentences using our cases about the actions in the film. Remember that next class you'll have your final quiz on cases! It'll be very similar to your first quiz. Focus on the jobs of the cases and the endings, a lot of you did great with this work today in class.


Remember that next class is the last class of the quarter. If you have any rubles or Falcon Feathers for extra credit, be sure to have them.

Advanced Russian

Today we launched into a new unit on verbs of motion. Today we focused on learning some of the theory related to verbs of motion like uni versus multidirectional; A, B, and C actions; and the new stem (t-d). Tonight, focus on learning these new words and vocabulary.

We have some reading tonight to help with the new work. Read the five dialogues that I gave you and find the verbs of motion. Consider if they are A, B, or C type actions. Where are the related grammar points?


Be ready for test corrections on Friday and the end of the quarter/semester!

Weekend Work - A Day - 9 January

AP Research

It was a writing day for our introductions and lit reviews today. I hope that you were able to generate content and spend time locking in some of the preliminary work - a really important task as we get ready to collect, analyze, and organize data in order to answer our questions.

Into this weekend we have several things to accomplish. First, the fifteenth reflection has been posted for you. Additionally, you should continue to update your PREP folder as you are working. Log your tasks. Note your progress. Update your communication.


Next week is the last week of the quarter. We will have a lesson from College Board on the academic paper before more time for writing. The last day of the quarter will be a peer editing workshop. I think that it will be a productive day for us all.

Russian I

Today in class we learned our fifth case declensions - the instrumental case. Remember that this case is used with the word "with" in Russian. It's used to say how the action got done, what was used to complete it, and it's also used with greetings related to holidays. We did a quick practice activity before going on to our movie.


Over the weekend you have a worksheet like our warm-up today. Look at the English sentences and determine which case would be needed. Think about the different case jobs we've learned! This is a great practice for you.

Advanced Russian

Today in class we had our reassessment on numbers, time, and also on complex sentences with который - all important skills for our exam next week. After our reassessment time we had a chance to work through the various expressions that Russians use to talk about time. I know that it's confusing, but if you try to see that each preposition has a particular job, that helps to clarify it.


I've given you a lot of exercises and guides to help you through this unit. Review and prepare this weekend for the exam. You'll have the exam on Monday and a chance to make corrections on Friday.

Homework for A-Day - 16 December

It's the last week of school this decade! Be sure that you're completing your major milestones so that your break can be restful and relaxing!

AP Research

Today in class we had our first POD viewing session - Big Hero 6 and Cultural Hybridization. I think that watching the POD helps to really demystify the experience and the task that we have ahead of us. With the fire drill, we didn't have enough time for individual work, but that will find us on Wednesday.

On Google Classroom I posted the slides for today's class. The most important slide is probably the final slide where I outline what I'll be looking for in your PREP folders. Be sure that if you have any edits for your project that you have made them. Wednesday will be a day for working. Be prepared!

Russian I

Today in class we did a lot of case review today in order to understand how the cases are used and how to change words to show the cases.


Be sure that this week you are working to complete your work related to learning the cases. You'll have a small quiz on these on Friday. There's also always vocabulary to study and review. There are also exercises to help you with your studying. Remember that you can't do all of the second exercise - avoid talking about playing!

Advanced Russian

Today was a class for reviewing key grammar and vocabulary skills related to our most recent quiz. I hope that the review of the topics was helpful, the notes are posted. Remember that if you need additional support you can make quiz corrections and also check the exercises that you were given today.

Tonight focus on completing your projects and having them submitted before Wednesday's presentations. Russian III and IV only have FIVE MINUTES to present. You have your rubric, be sure to be prepared.


Friday is our New Year celebration! Be ready to have some fun and bring snacks if you'd like.

Homework for the Weekend - 8 November - A Day

AP Research

Today we had our workday on our proposals as well as time to finish our conferences related to where we are so far. As you are working this weekend it's important to finish your DRAFT proposals. Remember that all work related to your proposals (including surveys, interview questions, consent forms) should be in your PROPOSAL FOLDER so that you can easily share with Dr. Spencer for review.


The newest reflection question is posted in Google Classroom, as are the slides. Enjoy the long weekend! Be sure that you are documenting all of the work that you are doing in your PREP folders and in the documents.

Russian I

Today in class we had an assessment on verbs and conjugation as well as a bit of vocabulary. From what I saw, I think that a lot of you need to spend time with your vocabulary lists this weekend. Make a way to study the words. Write them. Say them. Use them when you can! Try to listen to Russian music and catch these words when they're used by others. The more you use these words, the better you'll remember them.

Next week we're getting into the really difficult part of Russian grammar. It's going to require some memorization. Be sure that you are studying and reviewing every night. Remember that if you didn't finish your project today in class that it should be done ASAP and turned in on Google Classroom.

Advanced Russian

This weekend gives you a great opportunity to get working on your projects and to review anything that was difficult from the quiz we took today in class. I'll have these back to you next week - after that you can resubmit what you would like.

For the projects, remember that we have different projects for the different groups. Russian II students should find a text (I recommend a song, poem, or short story) and then analyze different examples of aspect being used. You'll pull out sentences and then analyze how aspect is being used and why. This is paired with a small artistic component. Share the text with me for points!

Russian III and IV - You get to make a presentation on any choice of Russian culture. Maybe you like science, maybe it's fashion or art or music. Whatever your interest is - that what you should explore for us. The goal is about a five minute presentation in a mixture of English and Russian.


The vocabulary for this weekend is NUMBERS! Russian II should learn from zero to twenty. Russian III should learn up to 1,000. Russian IV can go to 1,000,000. Next week we're focusing in on numbers since it's a place where we can all work together for a bit!

Homework for the Weekend - A Day - 19 September

AP Research

Good work today with giving, receiving, and processing feedback. I'm really happy to see the direction in which you all are moving as well as the support you are lending to your colleagues. Keep this spirit moving.

Over the weekend you should continue to build your BoK and revise your question. Continue to reflect and use the feedback of your peers. Additionally, you have an assignment due on Sunday - Your Source List. This is the first check, so you should have about 25-30 sources. Remember that these are categorized. You should submit a document with your sources (APA format) and their category.

Outside of that there's the Reflection 3/4. Remember to practice writing with sources by using them in your reflections. Get into good habits; it'll pay off later.

Russian I

Today in class we did a lot! We spoke and used our greetings and we also reviewed our work on formality rules in Russian. Then we spent some time exploring different areas of Moscow for our culture projects. Remember that you'll have one more day to work on these in class before they're due.

Over the weekend you should work with your new vocabulary and finish your most recent exercise packet. You should also check on anything that is missing in the gradebook. We'll finish this first unit pretty soon and move into some real grammar!

Advanced Russian

Today we did a bit of everything - we wrote, we listened, we researched Moscow sky scrapers, and then did some work on cases and grammar. All of this is good for us as we keep moving forward. As a reminder you'll have one more class session to work on the projects. They'll be due after that. We'll also be writing this weekend as we revise our stories about our buildings. Remember to write and think about where you're activating cases. Conjugate verbs. Use your notes. Ask if you need help!

I also want you to focus on the new exercise which mixes verbs and cases. Focus on a particular case and use this weekend as a chance to get ahead. We'll keep moving forward next week. Finish your story and have it ready to turn in!

Homework for A-Day: 17 September

AP Research

Today in class we had a quiz and then it was on to independent work after a review of the plagiarism and falsification statement and policy for this class. Tonight you should be moving forward with your work on revising your research question and refining it further. Using our handouts from last class, build it stronger and better. Look at those elements of effective research question and the bullseye. Build up. Have your new question written out so that you can get feedback next class.

Russian I

Today was a great day! We spoke some Russian and got to know our region of Moscow a bit further. Then we did a lot of great work learning about the rules of formality in Russian. All of this is great to use as we move forward.

Tonight you need to be sure that you have finished your handwriting packets and turned those in. You should be learning your new vocabulary. Use it and the work we did today in class to complete the exercises in the packet. You do not have to complete exercise ten at the end of the set.

We'll review our alphabet quizzes next class. If you want to retake it or put rubles on it, let me know!

Advanced Russian

Tonight for homework we have a case review. Russian II - Tell me what cases we need and where we need them in the sentences. Russian III and IV - Tell me the cases we need and the endings we need!

Outside of this we need to keep focusing on verbs and stems - the review work today was key for that. Learn what the stem does! Learn when it does that. It's important that you know these groups so that you know how to work with verbs when you meet them. The retake will be available after Wednesday - let me know when you're ready for it.

Don't forget to write a bit about your building. The past, the present, and the future.

Homework for B-Day Students - 16 September

AP Literature

Today we began really getting into the weeds as it applies to writing about literature. It's important to make sure that our thesis is always Debatable, Analytical, Defensible and Specific (it needs to have DADS). This gives us a lot of the tasks that we have to do in our explanation. Be sure to review our writing notes in the context of your outlines and the comments you were given. Begin to revise - but realize that we are using the outlines as the start of our major project work.

Additionally, for tonight you should be sure to continue working on college essays if these were not submitted today in class, reading the next section of "Bartleby" (to paragraph 166), and work on vocabulary cards. You have five cards from Melville due by the end of the week.

AP Research

Today we had a big class as we understood the elements needed to move from little r to BIG R research. It's a good day in the neighborhood. At this time you should be actively reviewing your work to include all of the elements of an effective research question. Be sure to use the template to reform and refocus your problem statement. The BoK is essential in this - you need it for a lot of the revised problem statement.

Don't forget the second reflection in your PREP as well as the preparation for this week. We have a CRAAP quiz next class and speed dating for research questions on Friday!

Homework for B-Day - Weekend - 3 May

AP Seminar

Well - that's it. We're finished with our preparation and now it just remains to do the task. Over the weekend, relax and prepare. I think that a lot of your time will be better spent preparing for other exams since there is only so much you can do when you don't know what you'll be asked to read.

I look forward to wishing you all well on Tuesday morning!

Advanced Russian

We are slogging through our work with complex sentences and который - remember as we learned in class today the ideas related to replacing, not changing the first sentence, and always checking the preposition location.

Over the weekend you should focus on completing your work related to который - Combine the sentences. Translate. Learn your vocabulary. We'll also have quiz 11.1 on Tuesday. Know the uses of short versus long form and the key vocabulary for the quiz which we reviewed last class.

Do not forget that any and all reassessments from last unit are due on Friday, May 10th.

Russian I

Today in class we had our first of two days for research related to our Russian holiday projects. Remember that the first portion of this assignment is just finding the information. The second part of the assignment is where you'll have the fun. Part of holidays is to celebrate. So, you'll be deciding on how we will celebrate the holiday in class. Will we have a parade? Sing a song? Watch a video? Make ribbons? There are many ways to make this interactive. As you do your research, consider how you will make this interactive for your classmates.

Following this we learned how to form REGULAR plurals in the nominative case. To practice the process, work through exercise 3.1 - identify the part of speech, hard/soft/spelling rule, and make the appropriate change to move it from singular to plural.

Homework for the Weekend - B Day Students

AP Seminar

Over the weekend it's really all about the IWA and the outline. It's time to put it together, to keep researching, and to keep writing. Remember that the more that you write, and the more content that you generate, the easier it is to move through the editing and refining process.

Be sure that you are using the rubric, the sample documents, and the activities we complete in class to help you with all of this. I'm available a lot during class and outside of class for anything that you need. Remember to use me as you need me.

Russian II/III

Today in class we had our vocabulary quiz on Unit 7 and Unit 9. I'll have these scored and back to you on Monday. If you would like to resubmit the quiz, please study and review this weekend and see me next week. Over the weekend it would be a good idea to review your PowerSchool and to complete any missing assignments or to budget your rubles that you may have for extra credit on low scoring assignments.

I'll be collecting your viewing guides on the film on Monday. They should be completed. The film is available on YouTube if you need to go back and watch anything.

Russian I

This class looked a lot like Advanced Russian today. We took a quiz and then we watched more of our film - Служебный Роман - to complete part one. Your viewing guides are due on Monday. They should be complete. Remember to add the final paragraph response and answer in at least an ACES paragraph:

Who is your most or least favorite character in the film? Why do you have that opinion of them?

It would also be a good idea to complete the drafts of your floor plan paragraphs this weekend. We'll have some time on Monday to write, but really the writing should be mostly revising.

Back At It - 4 January - B Day Homework

Welcome back everyone! Now we begin the long march toward longer and warmer days! Remember that we still have a bit more than half of the year to go - plenty of time to make significant changes, if needed, and to see them come to fruition.

AP Seminar

Today in class we spent some time checking in with each other, doing any editing that was necessary based on our discoveries through winter break, and then we kept moving forward. Remember that your next big check-in date is on the 14th of January. On this date I'll be collecting an annotated bibliography from you about your lens/perspective. Remember to use the documents which you have already received in order to be successful. I am more than happy to offer editing or assistance as you are working.

Advanced Russian

We began new units today focused on verbs of motion in Russian. We focused on the first major verb, to go by foot, and our two related questions - Where to? Where from?

As always, begin to review and study your vocabulary now. Though we're focused in just the first verb, be able to use other vocabulary with this verb including but not limited to the prepositions and the different destinations or modes of transit you may have. For homework, we have some exercises to complete related to the new verbs. Be sure to fill in the blanks in the dialogue. Remember to think about your A, B, C actions as you look at what is happening. Be sure to also answer the questions fully as you use your verbs.

For your unit exams, you have until 1/18 to complete your reassessments. I would recommend coming over several sessions and going section by section to improve your standing. If you have edits or projects to submit, those need to be in by the 11th.

Russian I

Today we spent time with our word of the day - TO SEE - and then used that word to work with the accusative case. From there, we wandered through a few different Russian cities in order to create sentences about what we see in those various Russian cities.

For homework tonight, complete the exercise with the sentence starters. Go through the sentence and put the items that you see, write, read, receive, or whatever in the proper case (make the changes to the ends of the words as needed). Once you've finished this, go through the exercise on identifying cases in English. Mark the underlined portion with a letter N (nominative), A (accusative), or P (prepositional).

Also, you have until the 11th to turn in or resubmit any project work. You have until the 18th to see me about test corrections.

Homework for Winter Break - B Day - 20 December 2018

AP Seminar

Over our holiday break I think that it is so important that you all keep moving forward with your team work, but also begin to transition into your IRR work as well. Use the Unit Plan to know what will be assessed, when it will be assessed, and what the general process is.

On Google Classroom I've given you two packs of IRR and Scoring Commentaries. The rubric is also located with the scoring commentary. As you begin to craft and work through the IRR process be sure to use your previous work as well as all of the materials provided to us by College Board to be successful on our first performance task.

Advanced Russian

Come inside. Please. Come inside. Ask questions. Do what you need to do in order to close the gaps. Do something to make yourselves better than you were the previous days. Take advantage of what I'm giving you.

In this spirit, do what you need to do over break in order to close those gaps. I think that vocabulary is a big place to spend your time. We also have some of you missing projects. Those should be submitted as soon as possible.

Outside of this there is the Olympiada preparation (see the folder posted on Google Classroom). There is also our Chapter Preview. Chapter 6 is for Russian II and Chapter 10 is for Russian III. We are all going to be moving in to Verbs of Motion (time to talk about taking things and people and ourselves to different places)!

Russian I

Today we began our next long process which is the learning and understanding of cases in the Russian language. Cases are a way of organizing a language and explaining what job a word has in a sentence. This requires us to understand a lot of grammatical vocabulary and terms, so I'll be teaching you a lot about grammar, in general, through this unit. We are starting with the Accusative Case since it is very easy to manage and learn.

Take the paper that I gave you and complete the required exercises. Put the words in the accusative case. Make the change to the endings. Be able to translate, if you can.

Additionally, be ready for your reassessment. Go back to our slides in Google Classroom and be able to conjugate verbs and use possessives. Spend time with your vocabulary to be able to learn it. It takes time, so put it in.

B-Day Homework for the Weekend - 14 December

And finally, a regular day!

AP Seminar

Off to Performance Task 1. Today we met our teammates, started to group brainstorm, and then we created College Board accounts and joined my AP Seminar classroom. If you had trouble be sure that you have the school correct Charles E Jordan Senior High School. If that doesn't work, call them and set up your access over the phone.

On Tuesday we'll have a full day related to research and refining questions. Be prepared for that and use your folders to collaborate!

Advanced Russian

Next class we will have our final general review for the exam on Thursday. I am also available outside of class to check over your writing before you submit your projects on Thursday as well.

I've put in scores for today's speaking and presentation. If you are unsatisfied with your score, please come see me outside of class for improvement.

Over the weekend check in on the final exercises in Chapter Five or Eight to review key concepts. Next class we will have a vocabulary reassessment - it would be a great idea to use your previous quizzes to prepare for this.

Russian I

Next class we will have our unit exam. We have now reviewed all of our necessary skills and information. The test will also count as a reassessment, so I will go back and change quiz scores based on your work.

A few of you did not submit your project on time. If the project is not yet graded, be sure to share or submit via Google Classroom. I'll take another look this weekend. If you have submitted it, then the project was scored. I made marks in your work to direct you at mistakes - please correct the project (spelling/grammar) and resubmit it for me to rescore it.

Continue to study and prepare for your examination on Tuesday. If you are missing any assignments, those need to be turned in at the beginning of class on Tuesday to be scored.

Snow Day #2 and the Russian III Field Trip

Hey All -

I've heard that there have been a lot of power outages in the area. I hope that everyone is able to stay safe and warm; as always, your health and safety are first priority. If you aren't able to accomplish some of your work because of issues with electricity/Internet, please let me know.

Hopefully we'll be back to school on Wednesday. I've seen that some AP English III students have submitted their synthesis writing; please do that if it is ready for me to read. I'll have scores uploaded tomorrow and comments too.

Russian III - Be aware that the trip has been postponed until the Spring. I'll be listening to your spoken presentations in two classes to be assessed. In the next class we'll be doing our dry run. Russian II - I'll also be looking at your visuals. You'll be explaining it in English.

AP Seminar's IWA scores are nearly complete. Remember that there will be a reassessment opportunity. I would suggest that if you want to ask specific questions related to your grade, please do. We can start that resubmission process a bit earlier. I would say that with those of you who have earned lower scores (below middle) did not produce an actual IWA in that it was not presenting an argument with clear limitations, implications, or objections. These papers tended to rely on summary of source material as opposed to synthesizing and applying source material toward the explanation of an argument. As of now, the scores are raw scores - they'll be converted to a scaled score once the scale is determined.

Russian I - I did not see completed projects from everyone. Those that I saw have been scored. Again, feel free to begin reassessing based on scores and feedback. You'll want to unsubmit and then resubmit. Please email me when you've finished this work. Do not use translators at all. Simply perform the task/sentences that you have been asked for. Everything else is coming very soon!

I've also graded the English IV work on A Doll's House - Make sure that you have a clear ACES response and that your work reflects the grammar rules that we have focused on especially related to punctuation and capitalization. If you can, finish and submit the rest of your projects.

Homework for the Weekend - B Day - 7 December

Keep an eye on the weather and any possible cancellations. Remember that we'll come back to an A day since today is a B day.

AP Seminar

Today in class after we finished the Oral Defense questions we went back to reviewing the instructions for Performance Task 1. Then, there was a discussion around scope and focus as it relates to research questions. After this, we discussed limitations and implications and how these can be used to further refine a solution.

Over the weekend your main task is to finish your brainstorming and pre-research. You'll be coming in to class on Tuesday (hopefully) to meet your team and begin to determine your topic/question/means of inquiry. Be ready to collaborate and work fast to accomplish your tasks for Performance Task 1.

Advanced Russian


Today in class we participated in a self-reflection and peer editing for our projects on the month of December. Remember the requirements are on our checklist. The idea is to present a variety of sentences to accomplish your goals related to talking about time. Russian II and III students should complete their calendar and paragraph about the month of December. Russian III students then also have the paragraph about A and B days and a vacation day.

After that it was on to our research projects! We'll be doing a dry run of the presentations next class as a practice.

For the weekend, it's important that you finish your projects on December as a means to prepare for your reassessment. You also have your study guides for the final test on this unit. Look through the chapters, the exercises, and the vocabulary. If you need additional help, I am here to help.

Your unit exam will be on Monday the 17th. Prepare!

Russian I

Today in class we played the first few rounds of our review game to review our possession words as well as our verb conjugations. We were able to get through the first verb before going to the media center to submit our projects. Remember that if your project is not complete today, then you'll be losing some points for work ethic when it is turned in.

Over the weekend you should focus on studying and reviewing for our final test on this information. The test will be on Thursday and the reassessment will be on Tuesday. Be ready to show that you know how to conjugate verbs!