Block Day, March 12-13 ~ Class Time Redirected!
Our poem is especially relevant at the moment...Let's recite.
Dearest students,
This strange and unprecedented situation must be baffling to you. We will definitely take some time to talk this block day, but for now, please know that our school has your absolute best interest in mind and they have thought our plan out as much as humanly possible with our short time frame. Know that our leaders are committed to you as am I. We have a way to meet every week. I want to see your faces and hear your voices. I will miss my usual daily time with you.
Secondly, this new norm does not mean that we cannot finish this year strong. I have been impressed, entertained, inspired and continually blessed by you this year. Please honor yourselves and ME by finishing off what you are so capable. Do not allow yourselves to loose heart or momentum. No! We will "keep our heads about us" and enact our God-given "love, power and sound minds" in order to bring value to our world and communities. Stewarding our minds is part of that. Every time you settle down into a study mode on this "remote learning" journey, I want you to consider it an act of faith as well as a rebellion against the despair, depression or otherwise aimlessness that a person could be tempted into. We are strong and will not forget who we are and are becoming, even now.
Lastly, about this sonnet essay business... Let's follow through the process at home. You will have plenty of time to polish this essay later. There really is no reason to worry about the 55-minute limit or the perfection of your writing for that matter. However, you should put yourself on a timer and use the honor code FOR YOURSELF! Don't look it up. Instead, test your own limits. This is the only way to know if you are getting closer to being ready for the SAT. You owe it to yourself to find out where you are in this process. So, give it an honest shot tonight or this weekend. We'll choose the better essay and polish it for grading later next week.
Here is the Sonnet Analysis Essay Prompt.
*55-minute rough draft due by midnight Tuesday(March 17). Please insert your thesis into this google form.
For now, let's go over our tools for the next stretch....
Tools:
Dearest students,
This strange and unprecedented situation must be baffling to you. We will definitely take some time to talk this block day, but for now, please know that our school has your absolute best interest in mind and they have thought our plan out as much as humanly possible with our short time frame. Know that our leaders are committed to you as am I. We have a way to meet every week. I want to see your faces and hear your voices. I will miss my usual daily time with you.
Secondly, this new norm does not mean that we cannot finish this year strong. I have been impressed, entertained, inspired and continually blessed by you this year. Please honor yourselves and ME by finishing off what you are so capable. Do not allow yourselves to loose heart or momentum. No! We will "keep our heads about us" and enact our God-given "love, power and sound minds" in order to bring value to our world and communities. Stewarding our minds is part of that. Every time you settle down into a study mode on this "remote learning" journey, I want you to consider it an act of faith as well as a rebellion against the despair, depression or otherwise aimlessness that a person could be tempted into. We are strong and will not forget who we are and are becoming, even now.
Lastly, about this sonnet essay business... Let's follow through the process at home. You will have plenty of time to polish this essay later. There really is no reason to worry about the 55-minute limit or the perfection of your writing for that matter. However, you should put yourself on a timer and use the honor code FOR YOURSELF! Don't look it up. Instead, test your own limits. This is the only way to know if you are getting closer to being ready for the SAT. You owe it to yourself to find out where you are in this process. So, give it an honest shot tonight or this weekend. We'll choose the better essay and polish it for grading later next week.
Here is the Sonnet Analysis Essay Prompt.
*55-minute rough draft due by midnight Tuesday(March 17). Please insert your thesis into this google form.
For now, let's go over our tools for the next stretch....
Tools:
- Office Hours: I will be available for a weekly face-to-face meeting on Wednesdays from 8:30-10 am. This will be a place where we can discuss the week's events and learning. You can see each other and ask any questions that have come up.
- Email: I will be available there and will be checking OFTEN with a guaranteed 24 hour response within normal business hours (not on weekends).
- The Blog: I'll keep posting notes, links, my explanations and videos here. Everything you need will always be here.
- Moodle: I will get in there and use the calendar to make sure I am not booking an assessment over another big one from another teacher. Can you access Moodle? Have you ever taken a Moodle Quiz?
- Focus: I will post upcoming due dates. Make sure you check the little notes associated with each assignment for relevant details.
- Turnitin.com.... can you still access that account?
GUARANTEES:
- We will be in contact every week.
- All teachers will be using the Moodle Calendar.
- I will check my email everyday.
- We have so many supports (the blog, Moodle, email, Zoom, Marco Polo, group texts, etc...)
- We will still cover everything you need to get through the tenth grade curriculum so that you can start next year on par.
