Welcome Class of 2009

See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way
and bring you to the place I have prepared.  Exodus 23:20  

Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have
unknowingly entertained angels.  Hebrews 13:2

Dear Class of 2009,
Please refer to the summer reading assignment at the bottom of this page if you have lost your hard copy.
 Our Motto:
To be decided in September

Homework:

Religion        Social Studies     Literature       English
Documents     Documents      Documents    Documents
                        

 

 

    

The Angel William Blake I dreamt a dream! What can it mean? And that I was a maiden Queen Guarded by an Angel mild: Witless woe was ne'er beguiled! And I wept both night and day, And he wiped my tears away; And I wept both day and night, And hid from him my heart's delight. So he took his wings, and fled; Then the morn blushed rosy red. I dried my tears, and armed my fears With ten thousand shields and spears. Soon my Angel came again; I was armed, he came in vain; For the time of youth was fled, And grey hairs were on my head.

Poetry Corner

Visit this space whenever you need
a little pick me up, a smile, a sigh. 

Coming Soon: 
Please submit your original poetry,
and you may find it featured here!

 

 

Week of September 2, 2008


Tuesday
TBA
Wednesday
TBA
Thursday
TBA

Dear Class of 2009,                                                                                                   June 9, 2008

                This summer you have the fantastic opportunity to read to your heart’s desire.  I truly hope that you will relish our eclectic mix of titles, which are perfect to enjoy by the waves, streams, or fences of your vacation.
                Please purchase a marble composition book to use for this assignment.  You will use these all next year for religion and literature.  The following assignments must be completed in your journals, and are intended to be creative and fun.  Please do not be satisfied with the obvious or what you think I might expect—surprise me!  I appreciate the bizarre, as you may have surmised, as long as you can back up every assertion with evidence from the text.  Use your imagination and your logic.  What the author intended is of no consequence; let the text speak to you.

Required: First read Skellig by David Almond. This fantasy novel has won numerous awards including the New York Times Best Book of the Year, ALA Notable Children's Book, and it was named a Michael L. Printz honor book.  Then choose one of the following activities to be recorded in your journal:
               
Activities:
1)  Using citations from the novel, identify one of the themes of the book and then write an original poem that expresses that theme.
2)  Write a script for a television talk show similar to Oprah.  In the script, invite one of the characters to the show and interview them.  Make sure that your questions delve deep into his/her motivations; do not just ask plot questions.  Include the characters answers.
3)  Identify a conflict that one of the characters experiences using citations from the text.  Then write a fictitious letter to an advice columnist from that character and also include the columnist’s reply.
4)  Identify the resolution (denouement) of the novel using citations from the text.  Then use your imagination and compose an alternate ending.

In addition you need to read a minimum of 1,000 pages from books on our reading list, any books from authors on our posted list, or from newspapers and news magazines (such as Time).  In your journal note the author, title, publisher, and year of publication before you begin your entries for each book.  Note the main characters and give a brief synopsis of the plot of each book.  When choosing a news story, simply include the name and date of the publication and the author’s by-line.  Cut out and attach the article.  If you are using more than 5 news stories to be included in your 1000 pages, do not include more than five of the articles.  Just list the remaining articles.

Every student who accomplishes the preceding assignments will begin the year with an “A” toward his literature grade in addition to being honored in the fall.

Have fun!
Love,

Mrs. Barr

Bonus Books and Activities:
If you read one of the following titles and complete the accompanying assignments, you will receive 10 bonus points toward your literature grade.
The Dark is Rising, Susan Cooper
This fantasy novel is one in a series that you may enjoy.  Susan Cooper uses folklore and myth to explore issues of power.  The classic struggle between good and evil helps us to again question which will emerge victorious.  As you read this novel you must:

1.  Cite three examples of this conflict.  Discuss which side has the upper hand in the reference and why.
2. Cite three metaphors for “good” and three metaphors for “evil”.
3. Choose one of these metaphors and illustrate it on a separate page in your journal.  You can either draw the metaphor, or make a collage using pictures from magazines.  If you are really inspired, you also have the option of constructing the metaphor.

This Strange New Feeling, Julius Lester (available only in the library or used from Amazon.com)
In this book Julius Lester has assembled three short stories that are based
upon true historical events.  They are love stories (yes, I am assigning romance) that reveal issues of gender, race, and of course, power.  The reader is exposed to intimate details of slavery in these pieces, yet the themes of hope and freedom exude from each.  As you read this book you must:

1. Identify the struggle of one character with whom you can empathize on some level.  Your empathy can be with the character’s ideas, feelings, desires, experiences, etc.
2. Describe that struggle using citations from the text, and please describe your connection with the character.
3. Because justice is at the heart of these struggles, you must comb the newspapers this summer and locate one article that deals with justice.  It would be great if you could find one that has a group or person at the heart of the issue.  Cut it out and attach it to a page in your journal.  Then summarize the article and identify the issue of justice that it addresses.  Speculate on whether or not justice will be achieved for the parties involved.

Wuthering Heights, Emily Bronte
Setting is exquisite in this novel; some even say that the setting is a character in the story.  As you read this novel you must:

1. Cite three examples of setting that you could picture as you read them.
2. Write a scene that describes a favorite setting of yours.  It could be a place you visit this summer, or a place in you memory.  Pretend as you are writing that the place has a personality and will, just as if the place were a character in the book.

Have fun!
Love,
Mrs. Barr

               
               

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Letter
Epiphany
Memorare
Psalm 139
Nicene Creed
Songbook

Parenting Simulation:

Parenting Simulation: A Vision for Our Families

 

Keep a log of what you fed your baby and at what times.  Refer to the reference guide that you received.

Keep a log of times you changed your baby’s diaper

Answer the following two questions:

 

 

Be Creative and Have Fun!!!