Essays and Forthcoming Work

2008-05-08 14:43:21

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 Race Against Time. There will be two in-class assignments for this book.

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

Tests and Examinations

2008-05-02 09:36:28

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 grade twelve should have a copy of Race Against Time, by Stephen Lewis, and have opted to join the other students in a writing activity for which they will need a very large canvas. Please ensure that these are purchased and brought to school by May 12.

Thank you.

Late work

2008-04-25 16:07:40

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.

Rough Drafts Due this week

2008-04-18 10:48:08

The grade twelves are meant to have completed reading their assigned novel and to have submitted a proposal for an essay thesis and bibliographic references, by the end of this week. Following upon this task, they are meant to submit a rough draft of their essay on the novel by mid-week next week, and April 24 at the latest. These are all being grades as part of the process of meeting goals for essay research. These essays require bibliographies from both within the novels and from external sources. The final essay is due May 5, and academic penalties will be imposed for lateness.

Additionally, the boys are working on a joint project to reflect their understanding of the social issues of the novel. Project materials are meant to be brought to class during the weeks of April 21 and 28.

Spontaneous writing assignments and in-class preparation for the final examination also are being continued.

In May, the boys will be reading, studying, discussing, and writing about Race Against Time;I will supply excerpts but it would be of value for the boys to have their own copies if possible.This non-fiction connects with their studies, earlier this year, of African politics and also assists with their global awareness preparatory to their History 12 examination. The book is by an eminent Canadian statesman and can be used as an exemplar in various writing topics. Often, the extracts on the final examination come from prominent Canadian sources, and I will thus emphasize these in forthcoming spontaneous writing exercises.

I have offered the boys an opporunity to do one arts-based in-class activity, and they have accepted. Thus they will each need a large canvas for the first week of May.

It is critical that the boys keep up with due dates in the coming weeks. Our time is little and the stakes are fairly high for their class marks to assist them in accomplishing the goals of the English 12 programme. The boys should be reading and writing at home. They always have reading to do. You should see your son with a book in his hand every time you look at him!

Thanks for encouraging the boys to be reading and preparing their essays as their current English homework.

Essays

2008-04-14 14:02:24

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 and the Schedule

2008-04-02 10:35:37

As you are probably aware, the grade ten and twelve classes have been combined for term three, at my request, to provide for better class discussions and gender balance.

The grade twelve class is asked to watch the film of The Kite-Runner in order to be able to discuss it with the grade tens. Additionally, the boys have chosen their own novel to read and on which to do a major project and paper. They will be choosing a project and a thesis for their required formal essay. They will then be working on these two major projects for the balance of the month.

We are doing an arts-based activity for the novel. The boys will need a large canvas for this project before April 15, and any remnants of latex house paint would also be appreciated.

March 10-14

2008-03-12 14:36:22

Andrew and Jonny are working on spontaneous writing and on doing research to support an opinion. For the latter, they need to use real books: no internet! This is their last task before break and they are expected to give it to me by Friday.

On Friday afternoon, the Maxwell Dance Workshop will be performing in the Glenfir gym at 1:30. All are welcome.

On the break, the boys will be reading the books they have chosen and will also read The Kite-Runner in preparation for class discussions. All classes are also reading The Freedom Writers' Diary. As background for this, it would be helpful to have read The Diary of Anne Frank. Also, I will be having the students work on segments from Stephen Lewis' book, A Race Against Time. While I will offer photocopies segments, I highly recommend purchasing a personal copy for your student.

Reminder

2008-02-26 09:54:08

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 10:26:29

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.

Provincial Examinations

2008-01-17 13:32:37

January 17, 2008

Two of the three grade twelve students will be attempting the provincial examination on January 28, and most of our lessons in the new year have been geared towards the poetry part of the exam, as well as practice exams online.

We have covered an extensive glossary of literary terms, and these will be tested on January 22, followed by a practice examination on January 23 and 25, all of which count towards the students' class marks, which comprise 60% of the year.

After the examination, students will continue to work on individualized course work. Please feel free to contact me at heather.cardin@gmail.com should you have concerns or questions, and I will be pleased to reply promptly.