Essays and Forthcoming Items

2008-05-08 14:39:03

All students have now submitted formal essays. Some did not pay sufficient attention to the guidelines about formatting, and need to resubmit their work (a grade of IP has been given) before May 20. Please check with your student about this important assignment.

Next week we are working on The Freedom Writers' Diary. There will be two in-class assignments for this book, one of which requires a large canvas.

The remainder of May will be spent in preparation for final exams by practicing response to poetry and short prose.

Tests and Exams

2008-05-02 09:34:05

For your information, all students should have received their exam review sheets.

To prepare for an English examination, each student should go through all handwritten materials and list any commonly-recurring errors of spelling or grammar, and practice the correct forms. One example is the word DEFINITELY, which is commonly misspelled but which, with practice, becomes habitually correct. Another common error is the comma splice, where students attempt to join two separate sentences with a comma rather than a period or colon. Example:

The spring in the Okanagan is very late this year it is usually warm and sunny before May. (incorrect)

should be

The spring in the Okanagan is very late this year. It is usually warm and sunny....

or

The spring in the Okanagan is very late this year; it is usually warm and sunny.

If students have added a conjunction to the original sentence, then it may work. Example:

The spring in the Okanagan is very late this year, as it is usually warm and sunny....

Another frequent error is the confusion between than/then. Than is a comparison, whereas then is a consquence or an effect of time. Example:

Glenfir's gymnasium is much better than most of the gyms in the province.

I'd like to graduate, and then I'd like to do very well in university, so I am going to study harder than ever.

Students should be careful to use the correct form of it's/its. "It's" is a contraction of "it is". "Its" is the possessive of its. There are no exceptions to the rule.

Another frequent error is the ellipsis, where a word or a letter is dropped.

Also, the difference between except and accept is that "except" is something other than, or an exception. Accept is to receive a gift.

These are some of the common errors which students have practiced trying eliminate, and which have been explained repeatedly. It might help your student if you went through their notebook with them and observed the areas of most common difficulty, since not all students make the same errors.

For students troubled with speed situations (which examinations generally comprise), have your student practice writing what they want to say as quickly as possible, with timed writings.

Next week we are beginning a unit of non-fiction. Students in grades seven through ten will need a copy of The Freedom Writers' Diary and a very large canvas.

Late Assignments

2008-04-25 16:05:58

It is a busy time at Glenfir. Because of this, I have not yet received some material from students. Please check with your student to ask them what they have to do for my class. In some cases, they are finished and up-to-date, but in many cases, rough drafts of essays, even with extended deadlines, were not turned in. With further disruptions coming up, it is very important that students complete reading, plan projects, and write about their assigned novels ON TIME. Thank you for your assistance.

Extension of Rough Draft deadline

2008-04-18 10:32:31

Due to the Band Festival, as well as the upcoming Duke of Ed trip, we have been a little more time-pressured in accomplishing academic goals. I have thus extended the due date on the rough draft for the essay on the novel, especially in view of the fact that some students got a late start on their reading. I would like to see all the students complete their rough draft by April 24 so that I can return them before the weekend. Then students may begin preparation of the final version of their essays, which are due the first week of May.

In May, most classes will be using The Freedom Writers' Diary as a basis for a unit on non-fiction. Please ensure that your student has a copy so that he or she can get ahead with their reading. I had hoped to do an activity using a large canvas for the novel unit. Given the delays, it is a practical choice to switch that activity to May and the unit on The Freedom Writers' Diary. Thus, if you could supply your student with a large canvas for the second week of May, that would be helpful.

Grade Eight current goals:

Complete in-class projects on The Old Man and the Sea by April 30 or thereabouts.

Submit rough draft on the essay by April 24.

Submit final copy of the essay by May 5.

Purchase and begin reading The Freedom Writers' Diary; classroom discussion to begin May 5. Canvas project begins sometime in that week.

Essays

2008-04-14 14:01:31

Students were asked to prepare a thesis statement and a bibliography list for Monday, April 14. Several of them forgot. I do need to have these for Tuesday, April 15 so that I can return them with my comments. These will form the basis of their rough drafts, due on Monday, April 21, and the final essay is due on May 5. Students were delayed, in some cases, by not having finished reading their novels, but that is also because some people forgot to purchase and read their novels over the break after being asked to do so. I would like to see students meeting my deadlines more responsibly.

The Novel

2008-04-02 10:25:36

In each upper school English class, the month of April will be spent studying the novel. Students were asked to read their books over Spring Break; unfortunately many forgot or somehow missed the information so I have asked them to read their books speedily. The gradeeights are reading the classic novelbyErnest Hemingway, The Old Man and the Sea.They will beproducing an ensembleproject, based on a boat; please ask your child about this. They will also do an outside art activity, for which they will need a large canvas and paint clothes by April 15. Contributions of latex house paint would be appreciated.A formal essay will also be required by the end of the month.

Varia

2008-03-12 14:31:42

This week, the penultimate one before the Spring Break, we are working on Mandalas. These are derived from the ancient Sanskrit circle idea of representing the cosmos. I have accommodated this idea to include text, which the students are self-selecting according to designated criteria, and we are making these circles with a view to offering them to the silent auction for sale at the fundraiser in April. The students receive a mark out of twenty, which will go on their next term report, and which will indicate that they have used text, multi-media including embroidery, and completed the task.

They are also bringing their journals to ensure that they are up to date.

On Friday, I will have the Maxwell Dance Workshop here to perform. All are welcome to join us at 1:30 p.m. for this presentation in the gym.

In term three we will be working on the class novel. Please ensure that your student is reading this over the break.

Shakespeare and Speeches

2008-02-26 09:52:15

Due dates for current projects: Shakespeare projects, including memory work, are expected on or before Tuesday, March 4.

Speeches will be delivered in class on either Wednesday March5 or Thursday March 6, depending on schedules, since March 7 is an Outdoor Education day.

Please support your student in preparing his or her project and speech. Thank you.

Speeches and Shakespeare

2008-02-13 10:25:16

February and March will see the completion of our annual speech-writing contest. Do plan to attend the final competition on the morning of Monday, March 10.

We are also working on a unit for Shakespeare. Your child should be working daily on a project based on the play he or she is studying.

Current Project

2008-01-17 13:22:00

January 17, 2008

The gradeeight class is currently working on an illustrated poetry anthology which ensures familiarity with literary techniques (such as onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance, simile and other metaphors, and apostrophe) along with form (examples are sonnet, ballad, and free verse). The students are choosing their preferred poems and illustrating them. This project is due on January 25.

Some students are also catching up on late assignments. If you have any concerns about your child's progress, please e-mail me at heather.cardin@gmail.com with any questions.