End of the Year - Last Classes

AP Language

Here we are in our Groundhog Day rotation until the 3rd of June. Remember that since exams begin on the third, that is the last day to submit any of your work for this quarter to be scored. The most important assignments are your creative project, research poster and presentation, and your reflections. Prioritize these tasks.

As always, as you need me, ask! I'm here to support you as you push to the finish. 

English 10

It's quite the same for all of you my lovelies. We're completing our portfolios to show our skills, our knowledge, and our artifacts of our learning for the year. Once you're complete with this work, you are done for the quarter and for the year. Seventh period's exam will be on June 3. Make sure that your work is turned in my this day so that I can finalize your grade in the timeframe.

23 and 24 May

AP Language

Great day in AP Language land with our end of year character extravaganza. After this, all of our classes are working days. If you haven't submitted your first project, reflections, or vocabulary - be sure to get them in. You've got until the 3rd of June to submit any last work. Find your rubrics, overviews, and recordings to help you with the final tasks here and let me know how I can help!

English 10

It's a pretty easy time for us in English 10 as we are completing our end of year portfolios. Remember that you have two portfolios to build which will show your skills and knowledge as an English 10 student this year. Follow the instructions in the previous post in order to set up your two portfolios. Be sure that you have artifacts that complete each requirement. If you're unsure, ask for help. Remember that everything is due by June 3, so if you have any thing else that is missing, you have the chance to get it in now!

19 and 20 May

AP Language

It was a great day to get caught up for any lost time today in AP Language land. Next class we'll have our character party - don't forget to complete your form - and the final classes of the year are time for you to complete your final projects for the last unit of the year.

English 10

Today was our day to review our end of year portfolio tasks. You're building two portfolios to show your skills this year as a student - one is focused on the things that we have read and studied and one is focused on your skills as a student. 

Your Content Knowledge Portfolio should cover the units that you have been in class for. If you started from the beginning, start at Unit 1. If you came into this class late, then start when you began. Use the Previous Lessons folder on Schoology to review our previous lessons. 

The Skills Portfolio is a choice board where you are collecting artifacts to show your work as an English student. You should have an artifact for each skill. You'll need to do ONE new task. Follow the instructions in the document posted and check the recording if you need!

Remember that the final date that anything will be accepted to be scored is June 3. 

17 and 18 May

AP Language

Today was another of our independent working days to complete our novel tasks. Remember that this week you should submit your FIVE reading reflections and your first major project. If you submit the project on paper, great! Just mark the electronic space complete. 

If you were not in class, be sure to complete the Character Bone Structure Activity. I've attached it here. There are hard copies in the classroom. Once you've selected your character for the party, fill this form out as them. Complete all the questions - it's your entry ticket to the party on the 23rd.

Submit your final tasks! Finish the year in style! See you around the way!

English 10

Today was our day for our Demonstration of Learning in our Japanese art and culture unit. I was glad to see you all delving deep into the content we studied in this unit. I'm looking forward to watching your recordings, interacting with your work, and reviewing your written work. I'm always excited about days like today because it allows you to do exactly what you want to do to show your skills.

Don't forget your vocabulary or any other tasks that are hanging over you. The last four classes of our year will be focused on our End of Year Portfolio. We'll walk through the requirements to finish the year on Thursday/Friday. Be ready for a quick finish to the end! It'll be here sooner than you think!

11 and 12 May (Also the End of the Week)

I'll be out this week on Thursday and Friday for some medical appointments and personal recuperation. I'll be back on campus on Monday if you need anything.

AP Language

And here we are on the other side of the examination. We are officially OVER the hump. I hope that your letter gave you the opportunity to get your feelings about the examination out of you so that you can move on. You'll have your scores in July and then you can make next steps as you need to.

Time in class is now focused on finishing up our novel tasks. You have six classes remaining and most of them are working days for your novel tasks. Use the templates and the resources provided to help you complete your work. I'm looking forward to a strong finish with all of you!

English 10

Today was our day to finish Spirited Away and our viewing guides on the film. As I watch the movie, I'm struck by how many similarities there are between this and so many other stories throughout time and cultures. You may want to explore some of these similarities as you complete your Demonstration of Learning, but more on that next week.

Next class I will be away recovering from my medical appointments tomorrow. The class will be a catch-up day for you. Remember that you do have vocabulary due for this unit, so next class is a perfect day to pull that together and turn it in. If you have missing work from earlier in the quarter, this is your last catch-up day to get it in. I'll update the gradebook next week and let you know where you stand as we approach the final classes of the year and our last unit - our year end portfolio.

9 and 10 May 2022

AP Language

Tomorrow, May 10, 2022 is your AP Examination for English Language and Composition. Your homework for tonight is to take care of yourself and revel in your preparation up to this point. This is not an exam you can cram for - so there's no point in trying! 

If you're going to do anything, review your notebooks, your tone words, and rhetorical devices. Listen to the news to have current events to use in your essays. Review your favorite readings of the years and hopefully find a way to use them tomorrow. Think of some favorite words you've learned this year and use them in your essays tomorrow. Find me or Mr. Friedman tomorrow morning at the front doors to get your gift bags!

We'll have time next class to reflect on the exam and begin to move toward the end of our year together.

English 10

Today was the beginning of our major text study. We're watching the film Spirited Away for a few reasons right now. One, it's a great film! Two, it is highly connected to some of our Japanese cultural ideas like Zen, imagery, heroism, and cultural traditions. Third, it's a great opportunity for us to cap off our unit by not studying a major written text. Being able to interpret and analyze a film is an important skill set!

Next class we'll finish the film and the day after that will be our unit catch-up day. Some of you may need to use the catch-up day for this unit to complete work from last unit, and that's okay. Be sure that any things that need to be scored get turned in as soon as possible.

Your Japanese Culture Unit assessment will be on May 17/18. You have the chance to display your learning in a variety of ways, you can also take the test if you'd like. As always, reach out with any questions!

5 and 6 May - Off to the Weekend!

AP Language

We're solidly in examination time, so class is a space to work and have time as you need to accomplish your goals. The recording goes over the final projects in a bit more detail and some resources you'll need related to that. Check the unit folder for access to the templates and rubrics for the final projects.

Note that the final day to submit work for Quarter 4 is June 3. After this, only the final exam will be accepted to be scored. As always, please let me know if you have questions or concerns.

English 10

Today's class was our opportunity to complete our study of Japanese art and the poetry styles of haiku and tanka. I love a haiku. I think that the simplicity of their style belies the complexity of their meaning. The smallest things can be the most complex, and it's that paradox which really exists at the center of a lot of Japanese culture. 

If you are missing assignments take this weekend to complete and submit them. I've been contacting parents of people who are in danger for the quarter. With only eight classes left in the year, it's important that you get caught up if you've fallen behind. No work for the quarter will be accepted after 3 June. Exams begin on 3 June and only the final will be scored at that point.

Next week we'll begin with our major text in this unit - Spirited Away. I'm looking forward to sharing this wonderful film with all of you!

3 and 4 May

AP Language

Today was one of our final examination review days. We took a look at several years worth of AP Examination FRQ prompt packs and high scoring samples. We focused our work around finding the speedbump prompt, noticing sophistication in the student responses, and any final strategies for the FRQ. You are READY! Be confident in your skills. Take care of yourself over the next few weeks as you are working through your exams.

Be sure that you're focused on finishing any of your novel tasks. Check out the review of the final projects and keep in mind that your first project is due soon! I would suggest completing the creative project first and the research second.

English 10

Today was a day to get a bit ZEN as we focused on learning about Zen philosophy and its practice. Zen focuses on losing ourselves in the moment, mindfulness, and an attention to detail to focus on living in the moment. We watched a brief video, engaged in some discussion, and read some Zen parables for our activity around theme.

We ended the day with test corrections. If you have not finished your test for any reason, be sure to do so ASAP. There are also several missing projects from Unit 5. If you have missing work it is important to complete that task quickly. There are only NINE (810 minutes) classes left in this semester before we reach final exams. Do not miss the chance to raise your grade before the closing of the quarter on June 3.

End of April and Beginning of May - Hooray!

AP Language

Great day today as we reviewed our most recent and last MCQ of the year and took a look at the synthesis prompt. We'll have a few other reviews related to the AP Examination, but at this point, we've seen it all. Keep in mind your wellness strategies as you work through the next few weeks - it's a slog and a half, but it will end!

The next few weeks are time to work through our projects related to our novel and other finishing tasks. You'll have ample time in class to work through projects. The MCQ Bonus will lock soon. If you want to complete that, be sure to do so quickly. You must complete the full thing for the bonus. See you in May!

English 10

Great day today in English 10 as we began our unit on Japan. We took time to understand the unit as a whole, our goals for the unit, and our essential questions. From there, we went into our beginning investigation of Japanese culture. I was happy to see your collaboration and sharing today as you learned from each other. Keep these notes! They may be helpful to you as you move through the unit and get to your final project.

Next class we're going to be looking at sacred texts key to Japanese religion. Your projects are due on Sunday. Be sure to get your work in and avoid the late penalty! Enjoy the weekend!

27 and 28 April

AP Language

Today was our recovery day from the Reading SOL. We had time to read, write, discuss, or work as needed. I hope you enjoyed the time.

Keep in mind that there are several end of novel assignments/tasks that are now open to you. Complete and submit reflections. Once you've completed all five, you'll see your score in SIS. If you've had four conversations and logged your notes, submit your record of that work for your participation. Lastly, there's vocabulary cards. I'll take your set of ten if they're complete! Use this time to complete this tasks so that you can focus on your final projects as we move into May!

English 10

Today was our end of unit catch-up day. The main focus is our end of unit projects which are due on Friday in order to be considered on time. Other tasks to be completed today included any missing work like SOL Essays, Vocabulary Lists, or Writing Assignments. There were also a few of you who needed to finish tests, so you had that chance today as well. 

Next class we'll be starting our last unit of the year - Japan! We'll look at poetry, some sacred texts, and a film! I'm excited to share some great culture with you to close out the year!

25 and 26 April

AP Language

A very low-key class in AP Language to start the week. We started our day with reading, had time to discuss our reading so far and our ideas about the novels, and then time to finish our day as we needed. I hope that you're enjoying your time as you work through the novels - keep meeting your goals as you're reading and thinking.

On Wednesday you'll have your reading SOL. Because of this, Thursday's class is going to be a bit of a review/reflection/recovery day. Right now you should be focusing on reading your books, reflecting on your reading, and completing your tasks related to the novel. There's a bonus assignment unlocked for you to help with the most recent MCQ - complete it if you'd like! 

English 10

Today was the end of our unit on Latin American literature. I hope that you enjoyed spending time with our neighbors to the south. Remember that all of these authors have written much more than what we read in this unit - keep exploring if you read something that you enjoyed. Marquez's novel called One Hundred Years of Solitude is a personal favorite of mine. 

Today's exam will be scored and back to you by the end of the week. Next class is our catch-up day for you to finish your projects, your SOL essays, or any other tasks that may still be out there for the unit. The last unit of the year is next - JAPAN! We'll have a film as the main text in this unit, so lots for us to look forward to as we close the year.

21 and 22 April

AP Language

Today was a very simple day in AP English Language land. We took our second full length AP MCQ in order to reflect on our strategies and skills in our approach to the exam. I was happy to see a lot of you bouncing around, skipping questions, and using your time much more efficiently. Excellent! Hopefully you'll see that you are maintaining in your accuracy or growing. We'll do one more of these before the exam.

Be sure that you are meeting your reading goals, reflecting on your reading for your five reflections, and collecting vocabulary. Please submit your reflections as you complete them so that you can build your points. All reflections will be entered as one fifty point grade in SIS. Your vocabulary will be due in May.

Lastly, you do have a bonus assignment open. It will close tomorrow. Complete it if you'd like the extra practice, feedback, and a small gift in your quarter scores. Enjoy the weekend and your books! It looks like it should be nice and warm - a good time to be outside with a great book!

English 10

A pretty basic day in English 10 with our last in-class essay of the year. I'll have these scored and reviewed for you next week. I hope that when you look at this last one that you feel happy with it. You've grown a lot as writers this year - remember what you were doing at the beginning of the year and look at what you're doing now! Celebrate your growth and keep finding places to keep climbing.

Next week you will have your unit test to open the week and your projects will be due at the end of the week. You'll have all of class for the test and then the next class is yours to finish the project and turn that in. If you have any other assignments to turn in as part of this unit, they need to come in next week. I'm looking forward to taking you to our final place of the year - Japan! We'll have a quick and fun unit to end our year before we begin on our final portfolio.

19 and 20 April

AP Language

Sad face for our last seminar today. Simply because it was our last one of the year - and that makes me sad. I was glad to see your thoughts related to Emerson, King, and a way to solve some of our social ills - transcendentalism. I hope that you enjoyed your discussions, connections, and time to engage with each other.

Your first round of reflections are due. Remember that the grade will not be entered until the end of the unit. Submit what you have now and be ready for the next check at the end of the month. Meet your goals. Keep your schedule.

Next class will be our second full AP MCQ, review your first one, your strategies, your feedback. I'm willing to meet in advance if you need to. You'll have time with your novels as well!

English 10

So much energy in the room today as we reviewed for our exam next week. I've posted your completed study guide and recording from today's class to help you study and prepare. Your exam is at the beginning of next week - it's open note and open Schoology, so use your resources and be ready!

From there we took time to work on our projects a bit and review for our next in-class essay. The essay is going to be next class. You'll have the whole period to write your essay. You can use any of our notes from today. This is your last required in-class essay of the year, so I'm hoping to see the most improvement so far. See our recording if you were absent! I'll see you next time.

15 and 18 April

AP Language

Today's class was a relatively low-key day given the observance of Good Friday. Be sure that if you were absent that you check out the recording for our AP essay review. The bonus assignment is unlocked and will be open all week for you. Remember to submit a thesis and body paragraph (at least) to be scored.

The other major portion of today's class was focused on our novels. If you did not submit your reading schedule, do so immediately. It's now late. You have reflections due next week. Meet your goals and keep reading. 

Next class we'll have one of our final seminars of the year - there are two texts for you to choose from in the folder on Schoology. Read and annotate ONE in preparation for our seminar. We'll be discussing some solutions to problems in our next seminar, so a bit of a more optimistic discussion.

English 10

Great day today, y'all. We took our time to work through our first project workshop day and then moved into our test review. Remember that your projects and tests will be the week of the 25th. Focus on using your time in class effectively as you work through your projects. I'm looking forward to seeing your creative writing or your research - whichever you choose.

Next week we'll have an in-class essay (SOL 3) and time to work on our projects. We'll also finish our test review next class. Be ready for a quick end to this unit and then it's off to ASIA!

13 and 14 April

AP Language

Wowza! What a day! Great conversation and analysis as we worked through our novels and some really important concepts at the heart of our work this unit. I am so impressed by your professionalism and attention as we work and talk together. Continue to think about necropolitics as you are reading and working through your books. This may be part of your thinking as you consider your reflections as well.

Remember that your reading plan is due. Turn in your dates and either chapter sets or page number sets. Your reflections are due next week. You should turn in at least one, but you can turn in more if you so choose to. Keep an eye out for vocabulary as you're reading. Cards are due at the end of the unit.

Keep reading and enjoying! I'll see you next time!

English 10

Great work today everyone with our finishing of "Tuesday Siesta" by Marquez. I was glad to see the engagement that you all had with the end of the story and the amazing read of the symbolism you saw in the actions of the mother, the priest, and the sun. Excellent job. This is the last story in our Latin American unit. Next class we'll do our test review session and have time to work on our projects. Keep in mind that next week will be the final week of the unit. Your project will be due next week, you'll have a final test, and your vocabulary is due. Don't miss these milestones - get off to a good start for Q4!

11 and 12 April - Welcome to Q4

AP Language

Welcome back everyone! It was lovely to see all of you today and to kick of our fourth quarter together. As we work through this final unit of the year, we'll be reading our novels and preparing for the AP Examination. Be sure that you are reading your books regularly and staying up with all assignments. Remember that there will be fewer of them this quarter.

Submit your quickwrite on AP Classroom to the Unit 5 Progress Check. I'll score and give feedback soon. Additionally, there's an article posted for next class from Teen Vogue which will help you with understanding our next big concept - necropolitics. This concept is at play in the novels you're reading in some way, shape, or form. 

Your first assignments have been posted for this quarter - submit your reading plan and begin to work through your first reflections. See the unit plan document for your review of how to complete your reflections and the prompt.

English 10

Today we took time in class to read the first part of "Tuesday Siesta" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and work through some of the literary elements at play in the text. We'll finish the story next class. Keep in mind that this story is the LAST thing that we are reading in this unit, so we're moving on to finishing up tasks as well.

Before we went out on break, I gave you your project options - be sure that you choose which one you're completing. We'll have time next classes to work on the project - hopefully you'll finish your work in class and not have to finish over the weekend. Next week we'll take our exam on this unit, so gather your notes and begin to study. Keep in mind the test will be open book and open note, like normal.

30 and 31 March

We made it to the end of the quarter! Yay! Enjoy your break! I'll be finding myself with some good books and my feet in the sand and hopefully some WARMTH!!!

AP Language

Good end to the quarter today, everyone! We did a lot of work to reflect on MCQs and strategies as we broke down and worked through our first full-length MCQ work. The session is recorded below. We applied our strategies and skills for our first Matchbox MCQ - and I was happy to see the results!

From there, we took time with our novel groups. Remember that each time you meet with a group you should use the document to record your conversation. These will be key as you read and work through the novel. They'll also serve as a record of your participation, so be sure to keep up with the document. 

All work is due to me by Friday morning to be scored. Be sure to turn in your rubric if you're resubmitting your paper - and no, I won't take a photo of it. If you would like to complete the linked reflection below to improve an MCQ score from this quarter, feel free to do so. The form will lock on Friday morning.

English 10

Good times today working through Luisa Valenzuela and "The Censors". Itr's a pretty short and fantastic story about how quickly a person can be changed by their devotion to a task. A good example of irony, foreshadowing, and suspense at play. I hope you enjoyed it. We only have one story left in the unit, and we'll read that after Spring Break. 

Today I handed out your final project instructions. We'll work on that in earnest after we return. Remember that you'll have a final test AND a final project in this unit. Review the options and select one of the options there. If you have any missing assignments from the quarter, be sure that it's in by Friday morning. I will not accept any work to be scored beyond this.  

Enjoy your break! It is definitely well-earned!

28 and 29 March

AP English Language

Wonderful work today during our seminar on Brent Staples's "Just Walk On By" - I think that our review lately has been a fantastic way for all of you to develop some important frames with which you'll read your novels. Consider ideas like double consciousness, the veil, stereotype threat, and necropolitics.

Next class is going to give you the chance to find these things as you'll have a reading day next class. We'll also take some time to review for the AP Examination and focus on multiple choice testing strategies and ways to focus on working faster AND smarter.

Remember that any missing assignments are due by the end of the day on the 31st. Our final grade for the quarter was today's seminar, so, if you're satisfied with where you are, then you're done! Focus on fourth quarter and read your novels. If you're not pleased, then be sure to see me and get caught up while there's time.

English 10

We had a good day today with Pablo Neruda, though some of you were a bit harsh on some of his poetry. We read a collection of poems, one of them even about a giant tuna fish. I was happy to hear you reading and discussing poetry, and I hope you found a new way to break down and understand poetry.

From there we completed our final task for the quarter - our poetry scavenger hunt. Be sure that you check SIS and see that you have no missing assignments. If it's missing, turn it in! Next class we'll do some reading together and then take time to close out the quarter.

24 and 25 March

Just one week to go in the quarter before we hit Spring Break! Remember that any work to be scored must be in by the end of the day on March 31 so that I can close my gradebook on April 1.

AP Language

After today's class, be sure that you have completed these goals by the end of the weekend. I'm looking forward to taking you into next class because of the piece that we'll be working through.

1. Complete your book form. Finish your shopping. If you check out a book, be sure to record your book title and number on the roster which the substitute has. Divide your book into five chunks and start to complete your reading.

2. Do you have any missing work? Do you want to work on your rewrite of your research paper? Remember everything needs to be in by March 31st. 

3. Next class we're discussing Brent Staples's article called "Just Walk on By - Black Men and the Public Space". I've posted it for you in Schoology. Read and annotate. Be ready for our final seminar of the quarter.

English 10

During class you have one major thing to complete and that is your NoRedInk End of Year Assessment. Follow the link and open the assignment on NoRedInk. It's for completion, so answer all the questions. You can only skip five times and still get an A.

When that's done, if you have missing work, you should focus on that. If your work is all done in the gradebook, then you should complete the Poem Hunt assignment. We will have time for this next week, so making up missing work would be the more important goal.

22 and 23 March

AP Language

Today's class looked a bit like a reality show. We had a quick challenge followed by several rounds of conversation around our articles for class. I was happy to hear your outcomes and conclusions related to Tannen, Steele, and Sullivan. It's wonderful to see the way that you are all seeing elements of the veil and double consciousness at play.

Next class is a substitute day. I'll be on campus, but won't be with you because of some other responsibilities. You'll have a working and reading day. Keep in mind that the quarter will end next week. Any resubmissions of research papers or other late/missing work must be in by the end of the day on March 31 to be scored. Your work right now is relatively light, so focus on catching up or getting ahead as you need to.

English 10

Today we took time to finish our work on the concept of the doppelganger. We finished reading Cortazar's "The Night Face Up" and then worked through an episode of The Twilight Zone called "Mirror Image." I think that each of our texts has shown the concept of the doppelganger in an interesting way which has power in its own way. 

Next class will be our day for our end of year grammar diagnostic. This won't be for an accuracy grade, just completion. If you have any zeroes in the gradebook, now is the time to submit late work. I will not accept any work past March 31, so the time is now! If you have any questions about anything, please let me know.