Homework for A Day - 31 August 2016

Russian II-IV

Tonight keep working on your five verbs.  Tonight you should be able to find the stem for each of your five verbs.  Practice writing out the process by which the stem joins with the ending to create the infinitive.  Show if it is addition or truncation.  Use your glossaries to find the stems and the verbs.

Russian I

Make sure that you are continuing to work through your handwriting packets.  You should complete the second and third pages tonight.  Keep reading!

English II

If you haven't turned in your forms, try to get them in to me on Friday.  Be sure that you think about our key vocabulary for the unit - you'll see it again on Friday.  Keep in mind ideas like inhumanity, genocide, prefixes, suffixes, and morphemes.  We'll keep learning more on Friday and start our film study.

Homework for 30 August - B Day Kids

Hello B-Day Students!  Welcome back!  It was great getting to know you and to start working with you for the year.  Please see the reminders below for your work tonight.

AP English III

Tonight we have two things to complete to prepare for our next class.  First, make sure that you have reviewed In Cold Blood - section one "The Last to See Them Alive".  As you are reviewing, consider your annotations.  You may see something that you missed before, mark it now.  Secondly, we have our article by Joan Didion called "On Keeping a Notebook" which is found at this link.


Please read the article. Take notes on paper or print the article and annotate it. Be sure to organize your notes by paragraph numbers. As you read, consider the questions we discussed at the end of class today:
1. Why does Didon write? Why does Capote write? Are their goals similar or different? How?

2. Does art have to be true? Can there be numerous kinds of truths?

Outside of this - have your parent contact form and your honor code pledge.

English II

Don't forget to complete your parent contact form and to get your supplies for this class.  After that, 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 Thursday's class.

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.

English II Final Grades

I have uploaded all of the final grades for English II with three exceptions - you three still have an INC (incomplete) because I'm waiting on the state to finish your exam grading.  I'm very sorry about this.  You may receive a report card which says INC for your grade, in that case you should refer to PowerSchool for the update or contact the school for the updated grade.

This is likely going to be my final post for the year - it's been a good one.  I'm looking forward to the summer and to next year.  Enjoy the summer, read a lot!

Final Grades Complete

Everyone except for students in English II will now find their final grades for the year posted in PowerSchool.  I have finalized grades for all classes except for English II - I am waiting on EOC scores and will likely have them uploaded by Monday or Tuesday next week.

Final Grades - 3B

I have grades complete for AP English III (3B) and for (2B) since we had some late exams.  If you would like to know where you fall for the year, please let me know.

English II Students - You have your EOCs beginning on Monday morning.  4A students will test Monday morning in room 212.  Be on time for your exam.  4B students will test on Tuesday morning in the Media Center.  Again, be on time.  Make-up exams will be held on Wednesday, but taking a make-up exam will severely delay your final scores.

Enjoy the last weekend of school!

Final Grades - 3A

I have finished grades for Russian I.  If you would like to know where you fell for the year, please let me know.

Final Grades - 2B

I have grades finalized for Russian II/III and AP English III (2B).  Please see me if you would like to know your final standing in the class.

Final Grades

I have final grades calculated for Russian 2/3. I won't be able to enter them until the 8th of June in PowerSchool, but if you'd like you can see me before or after school. 

Exams Upcoming

Russian II/III Students

Your exam will be held on Tuesday morning at 7:30 in my classroom.  Please make sure that you are on time and prepared for the exam. 

If you have any textbooks or class materials, please bring them.

Exams Have Begun!

Please follow the exam schedule and ask if you don't know where or when to be.  At this point, grades have been finalized for the fourth quarter with a few exceptions.  Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Reminders for B-Day Students: LDOC - 5/25/2016

And with that the school year has come to a close.  Thanks for a great finish today.  Remember that if you are exempt from my final exam (AP English III) then you are essentially done for the year.  If you would like to come to the review and take the exam, it can only help you.

If you are not exempt from the exam I expect to see you at the review session.  I also expect to see all English II students at the review since none of you are exempt from state testing.

Homework for A-Day Classes - LDOC - 5/24/2016

English II

We're all done!  Remember that we have our review session and our EOC still ahead.  Our review session will fall on June 3rd at 11:32.  Our EOC will be on Monday, June 6th at 7:30 in room 212.

Russian I

We're all done too!  Our final review session will fall on June 1 at 11:32 and our exam will be on June 2nd at 7:30.  You will have listening, reading, writing, and speaking along with your grammar questions and tasks.

Remember to keep your practice up over the summer, especially for those of you who are exempt.

Russian II/III

And we are done too!  Yay for your work and accomplishment today in our talk show.  Our review session will be on May 31st at 11:32 and the exam will follow on the next day at 7:30.

B-Day Homework and Reminders - 23 May 2016

English II

To those of you who have missing assignments or would like to revise your essays for a new grade, please make sure that anything you still have gets turned in next class - Wednesday, the 25th of May.  This is the day that we will finish everything for class including: Escape from Sobibor and your viewing guide for the film, our EOC review game, and a few quick reminders for the end of the year.

None of you are exempt from my final exam - so you should all be at my review session.

AP English III

Next class we will be having our character cafe - please make sure that you have your character study sheet complete.  You may drop off food and props and costumes in the morning - just make sure that it is in a bag and that your bag is labeled with your name.

I'll be finalizing exemptions and all of that next class so if you need to know, you should ask.

Homework for the Weekend - A Day - 20 May 2016

There is only one more A day left in the year before we begin examinations!

Russian I

This weekend you should spend your time reviewing verbs.  You have your verb charts to go over regular verb conjugation.  Work through your Russian I verb list and complete the conjugations that go along with the verbs.  Also, remember the cases that pair with the verb to create whole sentences.

We'll continue to look at these on Tuesday and do some more practice with them then.

Be reminded that since Tuesday is the last day of class any retakes or submissions of missing work or completing missing quizzes due to absence is Tuesday.  That is your last chance.

Russian II/III

Over the weekend you should spend time preparing for our talk show on Tuesday.  Make sure that you have your costume, your props, your introduction to your character and any notes that you may have made to help you with the speaking.

Also, make sure to answer the questions which Myah is preparing for you.  Those questions and answers will be a very useful tool to prepare yourself for Tuesday.

Be reminded that since Tuesday is the last day of class any retakes or submissions of missing work or completing missing quizzes due to absence is Tuesday.  That is your last chance.

English II

Remember that you all will start with me on Tuesday.  We're going in reverse order that day.  On Tuesday we will finish our website presentations and then go on to finishing Escape from Sobibor and our viewing guides on the film.

Be reminded that since Tuesday is the last day of class any retakes or submissions of missing work or completing missing work due to absence is Tuesday.  That is your last chance.  Some of you have missed a lot of class recently - please finish strong.  We'll go over our exam schedule on Tuesday.

Homework for B-Day Students: Weekend Edition - 19 May 2016

There are only two B-days left in the regular school year!  Yay!  So exciting!

AP English III

Have fun this weekend - that's your homework.  On Monday we'll finish up with Flannery O'Connor, sign up for our food items for our character cafe on Wednesday and round out the year with course evaluations.

English II

If you have any missing assignments or need to take this weekend to finish your website project it is important that you settle that work no later than Wednesday.  Monday will be the day that we will finish our presentations and get back to watching Escape from Sobibor.  On Wednesday we'll finish the film, play some review games, and round out the year.

Homework for A Day Classes - 18 May 2016

Russian I/II/III

You all have your assessments next class to prepare for.  Hopefully after today's class you are feeling ready for them.  Here are some quick questions to ask yourself to check your preparation:

Russian III Students:

• Can you identify the different endings for participles and use those endings to indicate the voice and tense of the participle?
• Can you recognize the verbal root to the participle?
• Do you know how to find the antecedent for a participle?
• Can you rewrite a participial phrase as a который phrase?

Russian II Students:

• Do you know when you should use a double negative expression versus a singular negative expression?
• Where do prepositions go when working with negative expressions?
• Do you know the difference between не and ни?

Russian I Students:

• Can you identify your parts of speech in Russian?
• Can you identify genders for these parts of speech in Russian?
• Do you know which words are irregular plural words?
• Can you form the plural from the singular in the nominative case?
• Do you remember what your conjunctions are and what they mean?

These quizzes will be your final assessment before the Final Examination (except for your speaking assignment for Russian II/III).  Make sure that you show your best on this.

English II:

For our final two classes we will be presenting our research projects and then watching a film to finish our study of the Holocaust and genocides.  Pay attention to the reminders below as your are finishing your websites tonight.  Remember - everyone should be ready to present next class, even if your website isn't perfect.  

Homework for B-Day Students: 17 May 2016

AP English III

Tonight you all need to work on two things at the same time - the work which will finish out our year.  First, you have your compare and contrast assignment on Mean Girls and The Crucible.  Remember that you are focusing on a motif and then elucidating that motif using evidence related to characters or conflicts.  Recall that you have to be making a clear insight about our society related to this motif.  Prove and relate that point!

Further, we also know our final day of class will be on the 25th of May.  You'll have your Character Cafe this day.  Bring in your snack/party item as well as your costume for our day.  You also have your entry ticket to the party which is your completed "Character Bone Structure" activity sheet.  The answers on this sheet should be based on the text in which the character is found or the author him/herself.

English II

We have our website presentations beginning next class.  Half of you will present on Thursday and the following half will present on Monday to finish our year.  Please make sure that you have used the rubric to prepare your final product.

The key things to remember are:

• you must have at least two focus paragraphs for your website
• you must deal with the other questions/pages - if you can't find information, address that fact and move on
• your must have at least one photo per page
• you must cite where your information has come from
• you should have an introduction to your website on the home page
• you can have notecards for your presentation

This is your final major grade of the year - make it count!

Homework for Monday - 16 May 2016 - A Day Students

English II

Hopefully with our workshop today in class you all were able to finish a good chunk of work on your websites.  Make sure that by the end of the weekend you have really:

1.  finished and uploaded your two focus paragraphs with parenthetical citations
2.  finished your citation page
3.  uploaded an image for each page

Tonight - please finish the Elie Wiesel writing and stay focused on his use of subjective and objective language. Remember as you read that you should find at least one objective example and one subjective example per page.  Remember that as we discussed in class, some paragraphs can have a mix of objective and subjective language - remember to think about the difference between facts and feelings.

We will start website presentations on Friday.  It is important that you finish everything by then.

Russian I/II/III

You'll be having quizzes on Friday.  Make sure that you are all preparing yourselves based on the grammar ahead of you on your quiz.  Here is a brief outline:

• Russian I - plurals in the nominative case and conjunctions
• Russian II - using double negatives in Russian
• Russian III - recognizing and being able to analyze participles in Russian

We've been spending a lot of time on all of these goals recently, so hopefully you are feeling prepared.  I also spent time going over what you are missing (if anything) at this point in the year.  Remember that I won't take any late work past the last day of class which is Monday, the 24th of May.