English II / Sophomore English:
Parents, some things are constants in my class. There are weekly Current Events and now weekly Wordskills Tests. These are both due on Fridays.
Current Events requirements
Chose 3 news articles for reporting to the class. With each article do the following:
1. date of article and location article was read or watched (ie: Salisbury Post online, Ch 14 news, Salisbury Post newspaper)
2. At least 5 sentence in your own words summary of the news article
3. At least 5 sentence paragraph of Why you chose this article? How it effects you? How it relates to you? I DO NOT WANT "This doesn't effect me." or "I chose this because I have to."
In addition to turning in the news articles on Friday IN CLASS, students will be given the opportunity to share their events with the class for an additional 5 points. This makes the assignment worth 20 points each and remember we do this EVERY week, so the points are adding up.
Weekly Wordskills Tests
Friday we will have a wordskills test. The students get half the words on Friday and the other half on Monday so they can begin studying over the weekend. The test is matching the prefix/base word with its definition. The student will also have to identify the prefix/base word and match it to a provided definition. I'd appreicate your help with your students studying all week with flashcards or mini-quizes. I'm noticing that those who study make a good grade and those that don't, it is evident. The words are kept in a special spiral bound book given to your student on Thursday 3/6. This book is to come to class each day for review and activities. Beyond that the student is to study each week prior to the FRIDAY test. I have provided a link that will allow you to make your own flash cards on line for those that need to study wordskills words. For additional practice with wordskills type words I have placed a link at the bottom of my page known as Free Rice. This is a non-profit website that allows people to test their vocabulary skills while winning rice to African countries and it costs you NOTHING!!!
Beyond these weekly items, we have finished our 10th grade writing test and are now focusing more on literature. Before Spring Break we will be finishing our India, China, and Japan unit and moving into our Middle East Unit. Sometime in April, as the novels become available, we will be reading Night by Elie Weisel. This novel is part of our modern European unit, where we study various types of literature but this book focuses on the Holocaust.
Please feel free to use the above link to my school email address. I try to return all email within the same day, if not by the next afternoon during my planning. I also do not offer specific tutoring but I am after school most days until 3-3:30pm. The 2nd Monday of each month I do attend a faculty meeting and there are times other meetings arrise but I try to make every effort to be available for my students afterschool. Parents, thank you for all the work you are doing at home to make sure your child is learning and being successful at school. Please make sure they are getting a good night's rest. I am noticing many of my 1st period students are starting to try and drift off to sleep in class. This is unacceptable and not tolerated. Thank you again for your support.
Ms. Rachel Horttor
English Teacher
ps. for extra credit until Friday May 2
***Math Problem of the Week (POTW)
Brothers and Sisters
by Paul R. McClenon in Games Magazine (October 2005)
"Isn't it strange that no two of us are the same age?" remarked Hope,
the youngest female, to Bob, who was not her brother. "Yes," added
Art, "and no pair of siblings is more than two years apart." With these
comments and the help of the additional clues below, can you match
brothers (Art, Bob, Carl, and Don) to sisters (Eileen, Fran, Grace, and
Hope) and find the ages of all eight?
CLUES
1. Carl is two years older than Hope's brother.
2. Don's sister and Bob are two years apart.
3. Eileen is older than Grace.
4. Don is three years older than Hope's brother.
5. Fran's brother and Don are four years apart, as
are Fran and Carl.
6. Art is younger than his sister.
7. Fran is 25 years old.
