Homework for 7 November - A Day

Remember that with tomorrow being Election Day there is no school.  Our next A Day will be on Thursday.  Also, remember to remind your parents (and anyone else you know over 18) to vote.  You can all volunteer to get out the vote!

Advanced Russian

On Thursday you'll be having a vocabulary quiz.  It won't focus at all on grammar, just the spelling and meaning of your new words.  Be prepared for this!

Russian I

You have five poems to begin reading and studying.  Practice regularly and develop your fluency.  All of the poems can be found on YouTube which will definitely help your speaking go up!  Also, remember to prepare for your reassessment on verb conjugation.  Play with your dominoes!!!

English II

Next class we will have our unit examination on Holocaust narratives and conformity.  Make sure that you are studying your notes and your study guides to prepare.  Also, you'll need to bring in your copy of The Boy Who Dared - I'll be collecting those next class.

Homework for A Day Students - 1 November 2016

Advanced Russian:

Tonight read over the section of the textbook that covers your new grammar for the beginning of the unit.  For Russian II this really just covers page 209.  Remember that you want to be reviewing and studying your nominative case and genitive case endings.  Don't forget your vocabulary.

For Russian III we have the information on modal expressions which is covered on pages 364-369.  You should focus on the usage of the dative and nominative cases in this section as well as the use of the verb "to be".  You also have vocabulary.

For Russian IV there's the information on verbs of positioning.  This is covered on 501-504.  Remember to study your conjugations of the new verbs - there are some weird stems there.  Did I mention your vocabulary work?

Russian I:

You have a quiz next class on verbs and conjugation.  Remember our study guide that we created.  Focus on your chapter one verbs and notes.  Hopefully the constant practice has helped you to determine what to do with a verb and how to do it to form the present tense in Russian.

English II:

You need to finish reading The Boy Who Dared and complete your questions to prepare for our final exam on this first unit.  Make sure that you are ready for your exam which will be happening next week.

Homework for the Weekend - 28 October - B Day

English II

We almost finished Hotel Rwanda today.  There's only a few minutes left, so we'll finish that up on Wednesday.  Also, don't forget that you have your reading in The Boy Who Dared.  Please read the pages on your comprehension questions (to the end of the book) and answer your questions as notes.  These will be very helpful for you as we prepare for our final exam on this first unit.

AP English III

One of your biggest things to work on this weekend is the rhetorical analysis for your group websites.  Remember that you need to first thoroughly annotate and read your piece looking for the author's argument and the means by which they accomplish and prove that argument.  It's best to organize around rhetorical/literary devices.  Sketch out your outline and start drafting.  You and your groups should have rough drafts complete by Friday of next week!

In terms of reading The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn make sure that you have thoroughly read and annotated the section up to Chapter Twenty-Four.  We'll work through that section on Wednesday's class and deal with the section up to Chapter Twenty-Eight on Friday.  Basically, we're shifting the reading down a day - please make sure that you are caught up, or even ahead!

Lastly, remember what I said moving forward.  This is a new experience, being in AP English, if you're doing it the same way you always have; that's just not going to cut it.

Homework for the Weekend - A Day Students - 27 October

Advanced Russian

Today we had our quarterly exam.  I'll have the grades posted as soon as I can for you so that you can see how you've ended the quarter.  Over the weekend, focus on your new vocabulary.  Learn your nouns and be ready for an upcoming vocabulary quiz!

Russian I

After today's class you now know everything there is to know about conjugating verbs (for the time being).  Keep applying this knowledge and practicing.  There are a few exercises in your textbooks on verbs that you can do for extra practice if you need it.  Over the weekend, you should study and practice your verbs in advance of a quiz on Thursday.  Here's a good online exercise with conjugations!

English II

Keep moving forward in your reading of The Boy Who Dared.  Remember that you need to finish the questions and the reading by Thursday, the 3rd of November in advance of our unit exam.

Homework for B Day Students - 26 October 2016

AP English III

For Friday's class you should be read and annotated through to the end of Chapter Twenty-Four.  In this section you meet two important characters to put on your front covers and they will bring out a lot of satire in the next few sections of the book.  Watch them carefully!

Further, you and your partner should have finished your cartoon today and on Friday you and your partner will present it to the class.  Before your presentation, however, your cartoon will be analyzed - maybe your classmates will be able to figure it out.

Lastly, you should have finished your group contract for Friday and in it clearly state what it is that you will be analyzing in this project.  You should have that "text" with you on Friday so that we can begin to do the work of analyzing and building your individual rhetorical analyses.

English II

Keep on keepin' on with your work in The Boy Who Dared.  Next class we'll be hopefully finishing up with Anne Frank and our study of Hotel Rwanda before we start working on our first essay assignment!  Keep up with your reading so that you are ready for what is coming next (unit test).

Homework for A-Day Students: 25 October 2016

English II

Your homework that you received today isn't actually due until next week.  Over the next few days you should finish reading The Boy Who Dared on your own.  As you read, answer the questions to take notes on your reading.  You will be having our unit exam quickly after that.

Next class we will keep moving forward with Anne Frank and we will have our presentations of our skits.

Russian I

You have your new vocabulary list to start learning and now you can work with these words.  With the exception of the verbs that end in ся and the verb писать you need to create a conjugation chart and conjugate these verbs.  Apply your knowledge!

Russian II-IV

Next class you will have your quarter exam.  Be prepared.  Feel free to ask for extra help that you may need!

Homework for B-Day Students: 24 October 2016

AP English III

If you have any questions about the website project your first step is to see if the MOCK-UP PROJECT SITE has the answer.  The link is available in Google Classroom and it's also here.  We're really trying to not have a lot of paper with this project, welcome to the twenty-first century, y'all.  By Friday your group should have the empty frames set up on your site as well as complete the group contract.  We'll start putting in content on Friday, so be ready for that.  You need to state in your contract what each person's role is, i.e. what you will be analyzing for this project (Huck Finn excerpt, modern essay from McGraw-Hill reader, static visual, and non-static visual).

For Wednesday we have the reading of David Sedaris's "Me Talk Pretty One Day".  This article is in 50 Essays and it is available at this link.  As you read, annotate heavily.  Notice how Sedaris creates humor in his writing.  He's funny; you should laugh.

For Friday you have reading in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Read and annotate to the end of Chapter Twenty Four.

English II

You have your final assignment with The Boy Who Dared.  Read to the end of the book and complete the comprehension questions while you read.  You have to finish the book by next Wednesday.  So you can average about five or six pages a day, you'll finish in no time!

Homework for B Day Students - 18 October 2016

Tomorrow we have the PLAN (for all tenth graders) test as well as the PSAT (for some juniors).  Good luck on your tests tomorrow!  Make sure you know where you're going.  If you're testing, you will only have fourth period.

AP English III

Today in class you received your timed writings as well as your justice essays.  What Ms. McCormick and I found is that many of you have difficulties in your writing which translate into both assignments.  You cannot resubmit the AP Timed Writing; however, you can resubmit the justice essay.  If you are going to continue to work on it, remember that any resubmissions are due on Monday.

For tonight, make sure that you have read and annotated to the end of Chapter Sixteen in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.  Also, check in with your vocabulary bookmarks.  Remember that this space is for you to record words that aren't a part of your regular vocabulary.  Anything that you would like to hold on to here is good.

English II

Next class we will be presenting our skits to review this section of the book.  Make sure that you have your scripts and that you have read through it a few times.  Know the role that you have in your group and be ready to present it.

Also, if you have any missing assignments or assignments that you would like to resubmit for the quarter, please do that ASAP.  Your last day to turn in anything to be regraded is Monday.

Homework for B-Day Students: 10 October 2016

English II

Your homework is the same as the previous post.  Be studying your vocabulary and review The Boy Who Dared so that you are familiar on everything up to page sixty-seven (this includes everything we reviewed today).

If you didn't do the research on KRISTALLNACHT on youtube, make sure to finish that tonight and turn in your research cards next class.

AP English III

Next class you will have your first AP Timed Writing.  It will be an argumentative prompt.  There is a way to study for this type of assessment - and I'll list that for you below.  Ms. McCormick and I are really looking at how well you can construct and prove an argument.  How well have you learned all that we have taught you this quarter about writing.  To prepare you should:

1. Review your bootcamp notes - especially related to your Rules for Good Writing and your Arguments.
2. Take a look at the AP rubric that outlines a level 9, 8, 7 and so forth.  Make a checklist of what you need to do to get a level nine.  If you fall a bit short, you may end up at an eight.
3. Remember how to prove and explain your argument from your evidence.  It's important to have the evidence paired with convincing explanation.
4. Review the sample prompt we annotated as well as the student samples.

On Friday we have our next chunk of reading due.  Be prepared for that.  If you didn't do well on today's annotation check, learn from your mistakes and stop procrastinating on your reading.  Maybe next time we'll have an annotation check and a reading quiz.  Why not?

Homework for the Weekend - October 7

English II

Remember to be studying your vocabulary: parts of speech, suffixes, and definitions.  You have your vocabulary list from the coloring activity and the  mad lib activity to help you study.  We'll be testing on these soon.

Also make sure you're caught up in The Boy Who Dared.  You should have read and be familiar with at least up to page 67.

AP English III

You need to read and annotate Huck Finn chapters 7-12 for Monday.  We'll be having a graded discussion, so you'll need good annotations and thoughts about the chapters to participate and get a good grade.

Don't forget to talk to Mr. Miller or Ms. McCormick about setting up a time to do a resubmit on your Quest, if you feel so inclined. The grading period ends October 28.

Have a good weekend!

Homework for All Classes - A and B Day - 10/4/2016

I was out yesterday celebrating the New Year (5777) so I didn't post this - here you are!

Russian I, II, III, IV

Next class we have reassessments (alphabet/phonics/vocabulary OR one stem verb system) as well as dialogue presentations.  Be ready for those.  If you're in Russian III or IV, you don't have a dialogue to present, but you have to listen and understand and transcript.

English II

Make sure that if you are missing anything (mostly it's the vocabulary assignment) that you get that done and turned in ASAP because we are going to be doing a lot with vocabulary over the next few classes.  Also, bring your books to class every day!

AP English III

Your papers are due next class.  Make sure that your packet is complete and that you have all of the supporting documentation in the packet.  For Monday, you have your next section of reading in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Chapters Seven through Twelve.  Take the work that we did today in class and make sure that your annotations for Chapters One through Six are complete and thorough.

Special Note for AP - Remember that your argument/thesis is now DEBATABLE.  This means you have to deal with and refute the counter argument at some point in the body of your essay.  Don't forget this very important step!

Homework for the Weekend - B Day - 30 September 2016

L'shana tova!  Happy New Year!  

AP English III

Over the weekend you should be working on two things:  First, you need to read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, chapters one through six.  As you read, annotate.  Remember to add to your covers and investigate elements of humor and satire as well as repeated ideas.  Continue to focus on characters - their development and their conflicts.  Considering our discussion today around language and identity could also be helpful.

Second, we have your final drafts to begin developing.  Use the rubric you received today as well as the feedback from your conference to revise.  If you need/would like me or Ms. McCormick to look at your paper, let us know.  Come in for a conference before Wednesday afternoon.  Once Wednesday gets here we won't be talking about these papers with you.  Your final draft and the supporting documents will be collected on Thursday.

English II

Make sure that you are to page fifty-five in The Boy Who Dared for Tuesday's class.  We'll be getting back to Helmuth.  Hopefully our discussion on Dr. King over the last few classes gives you a lot to think about to connect these two men and times in history.

Homework for A Day Students - 29 September 2016

Russian II, III, and IV

This weekend you should all spend time reviewing your new grammar that we have been learning over the past few days and familiarizing yourself with your cases.  We'll continue to review next week.  Additionally, you should be spending time preparing yourself for your resubmission of your one stem verb quizzes next week.

Russian I

Over the weekend continue to work on your vocabulary and your dialogues.  Practice reading aloud and speaking with proper stress.  You and your team can create a Google Doc and share it between yourselves to finish your scripts if you need to.

Remember that you also have written homework to do - on the back of the dialogues we studied you should write more of your own, filling in the blanks.  Do the work on your own paper.  Use your handwriting.  Remember to explain how the one dialogue would be different if you were speaking to a different person.

English II

If you have any missing assignments that didn't get in today you need to turn those in as soon as possible - we only have a few weeks left in the first quarter.  Also, we will be getting back to The Boy Who Dared next week.  Make sure that you have read through to page fifty-five and that you have completed your reading guide for the first part of the book.

B-Day Homework: 20 September 2016

English II

Wonderful job today everyone!  Great writing!  Great thinking!  Great discussing!  Keep it going.  Tonight you should start reading in The Boy Who Dared to page fifty-five.  We will begin working on the book more next week.  This reading will be due on Wednesday.

AP English III

If you did not submit your resubmission of your outline today, please get that in ASAP so that we can get you your feedback.  On Thursday, we will begin working on rough drafts and developing introduction paragraphs.  On Monday, you will have your assessment on In Cold Blood as well as the pieces by Didion, Welty, and Erickson.  You'll want to bring your copy of In Cold Blood if you need your annotations checked or re-checked.

This assessment is going to focus on the rhetorical triangle and the rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos, pathos) with each of the texts we have studied in this introductory unit.  We will discuss more on Thursday to prepare you.

Lastly, we'll be starting Huck Finn next week - you may want to get yourself a copy sooner rather than later.

B-Day Homework - Weekend Edition - 16 September 2016

English II

No official homework this weekend, but do spend time thinking about our final question today related to breaking the law in order to do the right thing.  Do you know anyone who has done this?  Maybe in your social life or in history?  Why would someone do this?  Will we see Helmuth do this later?  Think and ask - and remember to keep reviewing the work we do in class every day!

AP English III

Every one should be submitting a new outline on Tuesday to me and Ms. McCormick that shows how you are already progressing as a writer.  Make sure to take our commentary into account as you are making your changes.  Many of you had great ideas and great evidence, you were just presenting it in a way that didn't go far enough or didn't connect clearly to a main idea.

If you need help, please see one of us on Monday.  Everyone should have something new to turn in on Tuesday - if you need additional time, that works, but make sure that you have something new so that we know you are working forward in good faith.

Also, we will soon be starting our study of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - you may want to get your copy now to give time for shipping.  You can get any edition of the text you would like, but make sure that it is unabridged and complete.

Homework for A-Day: 13 September 2016

English II

Given what Ms. McCormick and I saw today about reading outside of class, I think that we're going to follow through on Thursday about making sure that everyone has read.  Tonight you need to read from page twenty-seven to forty-one.  You'll want to pay attention to how things are changing for Helmuth and for Germany as a whole.  Take notes as you read - write things down as you notice these changes.

Remember to keep drawing what you say about the characters and events by tying your ideas back to what the book actually says.

Russian I

On Thursday I'll be handing back your handwriting packets and we'll spend some time looking at a few places where we need some improvement (hooked letters are a bother).  Don't forget that we'll have our first quiz on Monday which will cover the sounds of the alphabet and handwriting.

Tonight, you should keep practicing your reading and writing with our new vocabulary words.  You have words which are useful for names and around school as well as phrases.  Write each one at least once on your handout or in your notes (or both).  Mark stresses.  Read.  Use the words with your family and friends.  Add a Russian keyboard on your phones!  Listen to Russian music on Spotify and read the titles.  Use the Russian you're learning.

Advanced Russian

We started moving on to the new topics to cover in this unit (reviewing our last unit for Russian III and IV) and getting our new vocabulary together.  Tonight, we've got a few things to do with our vocabulary and with the new grammar.

Russian IV - Read the passages and hunt for participles.  Use the ending chart to organize them by types.  Work backwards.  What are the verbs?  What are the который phrases?  What do these things mean?  Where are cases?  Also, start reading Толстой - check out the first few pages.

Russian III - Complete the exercises on reflexive pronouns.  Remember to write out the sentences to practice fully with the grammar.  Translate and understand what is being said.  What cases are being used?  You may find it helpful to diagram the sentences and find the subject when using reflexive pronouns.

Russian II - Complete the verb work we started looking at today if you did not finish it already.  Also the exercise B which we nearly finished reviewing today.

All Classes II-IV - With your new vocabulary you will see verbs and their stems identified.  Hopefully now you are able to fully make sense of what the glossary is telling you.  Work with four new verbs, try to work with four different stems.  Do what we have been doing with our examples - What's the stem?  What are the endings?  How do mutations come into effect, if at all?  What is the meaning of the verb?  What are some cases we use with this?