Thursday, 9/10/09

B2S 2009! I hope to see you all at Back-To-School Night tonight at 7:00 pm. Bring your smiling faces, shaking hands, and any questions you may have.

Academic Skills
1. Read your IR (Independent Reading) book.
2. On your connections notes, make 3 connections to what you read. They can be any kind of connection - Text-Self, Text-Text, or Text-World. Do it like this:
When I read about __________________ in my book, it made me think of _________________.

Composition
1. Finish "The Most Dangerous Game" in your Holt textbook.
2. Finish the last few study questions on your question sheet.
3. Be ready for a quiz tomorrow about what happens in the book.

World Literature
1. Finish any part of the 'Conflicts' sheet that you didn't finish in class.

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Remember: Tomorrow, Friday, is VIKING DAY! Dress up in your blue and gold! Casual dress code is in effect.

Wednesday, 9/9/09

Academic Skills
1. Fix up your binders so that they are in perfect 50/50 tip-top shape.

Composition
1. Continue reading "The Most Dangerous Game" in your Holt textbooks - read through page 10, up until page 11.
2. Fill out the "Most Dangerous Game" Questions & Conflicts sheet up to question #10.

World Literature
1. Finish reading "Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets" in your Holt textbooks. Think about the character's conflicts...
2. On your sheet of paper from class, answer the question we copied down. Here it is, in case you missed it:
What are the two main conflicts in the story? How does the resolution of the second conflict alter how Tom resolves the first conflict? What do you think the writer is trying to teach the reader?

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Reminder: Tomorrow, Thursday, is SPORTS DAY during Welcome Week this week! Wear your favorite team's shirt, sweatshirt, or jersey.

Tuesday, 9/8/09

Academic Skills
1. Read your IR book.
2. As you read, continue our notes from class today: Fill in 5 reactions that you have to your IR book as you read, and 5 questions that you have while you read. Read until you can finish the assignment. Remember - page numbers go on the left, and your reaction/question goes on the right side of your Cornell notes.

Composition
1. Watch a TV show or movie.
2. As you watch, list at least 3 conflicts in the story on looseleaf paper. Use the WANTS ________ BUT _____________ sentence formula. Then try to label each one with the type of conflict it is.

World Literature
1. Read the story "Contents of the Dead Man's Pockets" starting on page 4 of your Holt textbook.
2. Read up until the 'F' on page 12.
3. On a piece of paper, list all of the main conflicts that Tom (the main character) has. List at least 2, and use the WANTS ________ BUT _____________ sentence formula. Try to label the type of conflict, too.
4. You may continue reading the story if you wish.

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Reminder: Tomorrow, Wednesday, is WACKY TACKY DAY during Welcome Week this week!

Friday, 9/4/09

Happy First Friday!

Academic Skills
1. Get a library card from your local library - due Tuesday, 9/8/09.
2. Bring in an interesting IR (Independent Reading) book - due Tuesday, 9/8/09.
3. Bring in a fully organized binder.

Composition
Have a great 3-day weekend!
1. Continue bringing your 2-3" binder (& textbook) each day.

====remember: Other class texts are due by Monday, 9/14/09====

World Literature
Relax and enjoy your weekend!
1. Continue bringing your 2-3" binder and Holt textbook each day.

^^^^remember: Other class texts are due by Monday, 9/14/09^^^^

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Reminder: Tuesday is TWIN DAY during Welcome Week next week!

Thursday, 9/3/09

Academic Skills
1. Get a library card from your local library - due Tuesday, 9/8/09.
2. Bring in an interesting IR (Independent Reading) book - due Tuesday, 9/8/09.
3. Bring in a fully organized binder.

Composition
1. Study the syllabus - quiz tomorrow! (you may use any Cornell notes you take in class or at home today)
2. Bring binders and textbooks daily.

World Literature
1. Start bringing organized binders every day.
2. Start bringing textbooks every day starting tomorrow.

***remember, bring in other textbooks by 9/14***

Wednesday, 9/2/09

Academic Success
1. None - just keep bringing your materials to class!

Composition
1. Look over the syllabus, fill out the back page, and have your parent/guardian sign it.

*remember, textbooks are due 9/14/09

World Literature
1. Study the syllabus (quiz tomorrow)
2. Come with the syllabus back page filled out - have your parent/guardian sign it.

*remember, textbooks are due 9/14/09

Tuesday, 9/1/09

Academic Success
1. Make sure you and your parent/guardian have completed the back page of the syllabus so it is ready to be turned in tomorrow.

Composition
1. Finish copying the class rules.
2. Order/get class textbooks for this semester if you have not already done so. Remember that past students may be selling used textbooks at school. The texts are as follows (clicking on the text title takes you to the Amazon page where you can order it):

Holt Textbook-Literature & Language Arts 3rd Course
ISBN-10: 0030564948
ISBN-13: 978-0030564949

Writers INC
ISBN-10: 0669471860
ISBN-13: 978-0669471861

Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT Book One
ISBN-10: 1580492533
ISBN-13: 978-1580492539

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
By Edith Hamilton
ISBN-10: 0446607258
ISBN-13: 978-0446607254

Books will be checked Monday, September 14.


World Literature
1. Make sure you and your parent/guardian have completed the back page of the syllabus so it is ready to be turned in tomorrow.
2. Order/get class textbooks for this semester if you have not already done so. Remember that past students may be selling used textbooks at school. The texts are as follows (clicking on the text title takes you to the Amazon page where you can order it):

Holt Textbook-Literature & Language Arts 4th Course
ISBN-10: 0030564964
ISBN-13: 978-0030564963

Writers INC
ISBN-10: 0669471860
ISBN-13: 978-0669471861

Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT Book Two
ISBN-10: 1580492541
ISBN-13: 978-1580492546

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
By Edith Hamilton
ISBN-10: 0446607258
ISBN-13: 978-0446607254

Things Fall Apart
By Chinua Achebe
ISBN-10: 0385474547
ISBN-13: 978-0385474542

Siddhartha
By Hermann Hesse
ISBN-10: 081120068X
ISBN-13: 978-0811200684

The Joy Luck Club
By Amy Tan
ISBN-10: 0143038095
ISBN-13: 978-0143038092

Books will be checked Monday, September 14.

Welcome Back!

Welcome Back, Vikings! This website will start updating soon. Please email me if you have any questions.

Required Class Texts 2009-2010

The following is a complete list of the required class texts for each class. Clicking on the title of the text will take you to the Amazon.com page where you can order the text. For more information, check the class syllabus.

9th grade Composition

Holt Textbook-Literature & Language Arts 3rd Course
ISBN-10: 0030564948
ISBN-13: 978-0030564949

Writers INC
ISBN-10: 0669471860
ISBN-13: 978-0669471861

Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT Book One
ISBN-10: 1580492533
ISBN-13: 978-1580492539

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
By Edith Hamilton
ISBN-10: 0446607258
ISBN-13: 978-0446607254

Of Mice and Men
By John Steinbeck
ISBN-10: 0140177396
ISBN-13: 978-0140177398

Lord of the Flies
By William Golding
ISBN-10: 0399501487
ISBN-13: 978-0399501487


10th grade World Literature

Holt Textbook-Literature & Language Arts 4th Course
ISBN-10: 0030564964
ISBN-13: 978-0030564963

Writers INC
ISBN-10: 0669471860
ISBN-13: 978-0669471861

Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT Book Two
ISBN-10: 1580492541
ISBN-13: 978-1580492546

Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes
By Edith Hamilton
ISBN-10: 0446607258
ISBN-13: 978-0446607254

Things Fall Apart
By Chinua Achebe
ISBN-10: 0385474547
ISBN-13: 978-0385474542

Siddhartha
By Hermann Hesse
ISBN-10: 081120068X
ISBN-13: 978-0811200684

The Joy Luck Club
By Amy Tan
ISBN-10: 0143038095
ISBN-13: 978-0143038092


Academic Skills*
Writers INC
ISBN-10: 0669471860
ISBN-13: 978-0669471861

Vocabulary Power Plus for the New SAT Book One
ISBN-10: 1580492533
ISBN-13: 978-1580492539

*note: The required texts for Academic Skills class are already required for 9th grade English Composition class. You should not need to purchase them twice.

School Starts Soon...

Hey there everyone! School starts soon, and I am incredibly excited to see both the new faces and the 9th grade crew from last year back for round two. Huzzah!

If you're an incoming 9th or 10th grader at St. Bernard High School, here are some important things to remember:

1. This Saturday, August 22nd, you have an opportunity to earn student service volunteer hours at the Jet to Jetty run at Dockweiler State Beach (right where Imperial Highway runs into the beach). St. Bernard will have a tent up, and we want you to be there! Mr. Power will be there, and so will In-N-Out Burger. For more information, contact Ms. LeBouf at the school website.

2. On Tuesday, August 25th, 9th and 10th graders pick up their Fall schedules at the school from 9am-1pm. For more information, see the school website.

3. On Thursday, August 27th, the class of 2013 (9th graders) and all transfer students have their new student orientation session from 7:45am-1:45pm. The 9th graders will also be taking school pictures, so look spiffy!

4. On Thursday, August 27th, the families of new students get an opportunity to meet the new principal and chow down -- the Freshmen Family BBQ is the same day as the orientation.

5. Monday, August 31st, is the FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL! Make sure you have your summer assignment completed and ready to turn in. If you have any questions about what you need to bring, please email me (see my email address on the right side of this blog page).

6. Welcome Week begins the following Tuesday (no School Monday, Sept 7 for Labor Day) on September 8th. Welcome back, everyone!