Tuesday, November 1, 2005

Today is Mrs. Nicoll's birthday!!!

Advanced Placement Literature: Hamlet, Act V, scenes i and ii--let's particularly discuss the role of the clown-gravedigger and the humor contained in the scene. Possible quiz on Wednesday. No, definitely. Quiz. Aha.

Gifted English IV: I asked you to read the rest of Act I, scene iii last night and answer the related questions. Today, a teeny quiz on Macbeth, followed by a careful reading of Act I, scene iv. . .and the beat goes on. . .

Gifted English II: Author of the Day today is the French rapscallion Guy de Maupassant. We are wrapping up satire; friendly reminder--READ CANDIDE. READ IT I SAY.

October 31, 2005

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! Mr. Bernier has requested that you not wear costumes today; please adhere to his request. I do plan to wear my classy Old Navy Halloween T-Shirt, but I will leave my Mr. Spock ears at home.

Advanced Placement Literature: Hamlet Redux. At this point, we are getting ready to vault headfirst into the train wreck that is Act V. Any predictions? Anyone starting to really FEEL the power of the diction and syntax of Modern English? Anyone want to take a crack at Original Pronunciation?

Gifted English IV: Macbeth begins today--I have some supplementary material to give you, and content vocabulary from the first three acts (words that still have resonance today and may help some of you raise the SAT verbal score just a smidge.) Some of the essential questions that emerge from studies of this tragedy revolve around the nature of ethics and ambition--and we need to see that Macbeth, while set in 1050 A.D. Scotland, still has political capital today.

Gifted English II: Satire and Horror and Everything in Between. Our first AofD Project will be for the Rhode Island recluse H.P. Lovecraft, and then we will seamlessly segue into the works of Edgar Allan Poe while you much on Halloweeny treats. But no costumes.

Friday, October 28, 2005

Football game tonight, Boone vs. Dr. Phillips!

AP Literature: I asked you to read ahead into Act IV last night; we're going to do some deconstruction today. Focus papers go back today along with (Oh, joy!) the second assignment--due next Friday, 11/4.

Gifted English IV: Finish Shakespearean sonnets and begin the transition into the Scottish Play--I have a plethora of handouts for ya'll. Good times. Good times.

Gifted English II: Finish Media Literacy and reassert focus on satirical things. I'd also like to review the Author of the Day project requirements for each of you. And--new stuff to talk about! And articles from Le Onion! Oh, what a majestic Friday.

Author of the Day Project

Attention all Gifted sophomores! Starting next week, you will be responsible for presenting Author of the Day. I will pass around a sign-up sheet tomorrow and Thursday for you to peruse; each date will have an author's name next to it. You will need to prepare a short talk on that author and a visual aid to show the class.

Monday, October 31 (Halloween!):H.P. Lovecraft
Tuesday, November 1: Guy de Maupassant
Wednesday, November 2: Terry McMillan
Thursday, November 3: No author--I will be out
Friday, November 4: Maxine Hong Kingston

Monday, November 7: Richard Rodriguez
Tuesday, November 8: Robert Louis Stevenson
Wednesday, November 9: William Faulkner
Thursday, November 10: Truman Capote
Friday, November 11: Eudora Welty

Monday, November 14: Theodore Geisel
Tuesday, November 15: Lois Lowry
Wednesday, November 16: Amy Tan
Thursday, November 17: Sophie Kinsella
Friday, November 18: Baudelaire

Monday, November 21: James Baldwin
Tuesday, November 22: Thomas Aquinas
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday of that week: Thanksgiving Holiday

Monday, November 28: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Tuesday, November 29: Phillis Wheatley
Wednesday, November 30: Vaclav Havel
Thursday, December 1: Anne Tyler
Friday, December 2: Leo Tolstoy

Monday, December 5: Laura Esquivel
Tuesday, December 6: Robert Coover
Wednesday, December 7: Gustave Flaubert
Thursday, December 8: Isaac Asimov
Friday, December 9: Steve Martin

Thursday, October 27, 2005

AP Literature: Continue with Hamlet. Don't you just love him?

Gifted English IV: Shakespearean Sonnets.

Gifted English II: Continue with unit on satire--"Top of the Food Chain" by T.C. Boyle.

Wednesday, October 26, 2005

Advanced Placement Literature: Hamlet; assign the next focus paper.

Gifted English IV: Finish our discussions of John Donne and make the transition into Shakespeare. Sonnets! "Let me not to the marriage of true minds amid impediments. . ."

Gifted English II: Satire, continued.

Tuesday, October 25, 2005

Welcome back to school! I hope that everyone came through the storm safely.

On today's agenda:
AP Literature: I asked you to read Act III, scene ii in Hamlet over the weekend. . .so now let's see how much of it you recall. Moving farther into the play-within-the-play. . .focus papers should go back to you by tomorrow or Thursday.

Gifted English IV: Review "Death Be Not Proud" by Donne and take a look at "Valediction." Homework tonight: Read "Meditation 17" and be prepared to discuss in class tomorrow.

Gifted English II: Begin the Satire Unit! If you haven't already, GET CANDIDE AND START READING NOW. Each of you will receive a classy packet today containing literature, clip art, and Other Cool Things. Do NOT lose this--I will be forced to yell at you if you do. (Mostly kidding on that point--but don't lose it!) Our Author of the Day is Francois Rabelais, a satirist from late-Renaissance France.

Monday, October 24, 2005

Due to inclement weather brought on by Hurricane Wilma, OCPS will not hold classes today.

More information can be found on the district website, which is www.ocps.k12.fl.us.

A decision on when the make-up day will be held should be announced later this week.

Wilma, Wilma, Where Are Ye?

The play that had been cancelled for Sunday has had the cancellation cancelled. In other words, the show must go on.

Call time is 3:30 Sunday afternoon, unless the weather seriously shifts and we are in a maelstrom.

Ushering Update--Hurricane Wilma Edition

If you are signed up to usher this weekend:

The play for Sunday is CANCELLED due to possible hurricane conditions.

We are still, as of this moment, ushering for the play on Saturday--call time is still 1 p.m. I need at LEAST six ushers to make this work.

There will be a brief meeting after school Friday to go over these issues.

Friday, October 21, 2005

HURRICANEE WILMA UPDATE: Channel 13 is the official conduit of OCPS information regarding school shutdowns. As of this moment (Thursday p.m. is when I'm updating this post) there are no plans in place to cancel classes or school activities. Please check at www.ocps.k12.fl.us for further updates or check Channel 13 on DimHouse. (Whoops--I meant BrightHouse.)

Curriculum!!!

AP Literature and Composition: Submit your first focus paper for Hamlet, and we'll continue assessing Act III. Fifth period paraphrased the soliloquy yesterday, so first will today, and then move seamlessly into the play-within-the-play.

Gifted English IV: "Death Be Not Proud" by Donne.

Gifted English II: We are wrapping up the Icarian unit today; I will have you answer some questions about the Ovid translation, and then complete a compare/contrast of any two of the works we have studied. (I recommend doing a TP-CASTT analysis of the Auden poem. . .)

Thursday, October 20, 2005

If you are ushering this weekend for "Miss Nelson is Missing", please check with me to verify your call time.

AP English: Hamlet again; we'll watch Act II and get ready for Act III.

Gifted English IV: Andrew Marvell and the transition to the metaphysical; I have a terrific supplemental text for you that is a critical analysis of Marvell and Donne.

Gifted English II: Continue with the Icarian unit, looking at a brief piece by Anne Sexton.
(Anne Sexton, by the way, will be our first Author of the Day for the second quarter--an opportunity that will soon be yours! How would YOU like to present an Author? Oh, I think you do. . .)

Wednesday, October 19, 2005

Advanced Placement Literature: Hamlet Quiz, Act II. Anyone who missed the first quiz has the option to double the score on this one--if you dare. Har har. Afterward, further deconstruction of Act II and discussion on Hamlet's mental state--whiny loser, melodramatic nutcase, misunderstood hero? I eagerly await your insight.

Gifted English IV: Quiz on the vocabulary terms of the Renaissance, followed by our continued analysis of Pastoral poetry. We're moving toward a more Shakespearean vibe. . .

Gifted English II: Today you'll receive your timed writings with commentary and a due date for your revised draft. Also, we're starting a new mini-unit on the Icarian theme. First, we're reading Ovid's translation of the Daedalus and Icarus myth in your text, followed by the poem "Musee des Beaux Arts" by Brueghel. Then, I have a packet for you, featuring artistic renderings of Icarus, lyrics to songs inspired by the dramatic situation, and other poems on the same theme. We're looking for connections across the curriculum. (And it gives me a great excuse to play "Carry on Wayward Son" by Kansas in class.)

GRADES ARE EXPORTED

Whew. That was a tough journey!

NOTES: After careful deliberation, some crying, and some time googling student responses, I've decided that it would be in everyone's best interests if the Count of Monte Cristo essay tests go on second quarter intead of first. I have several reasons for this:

• I physically can't get them properly evaluated by noon today;
• Some of them are really good and deserve scrutiny and appropriate commentary;
• Some of them are really heinous and are making me twitchy.

Sorry about any inconvenience; I think this will give the Students Who Read the Novel on Time a decent start-of-quarter reward while allowing the Students Who Just Finished/Never Read It time to make that grade back up before progress report.

And there you have it.

Sophomores--Monday is Standardized Test Day (10 points), Tuesday is Timed Writing Day (40 points) and Wednesday begins a really cool mini-unit on Icarus and Daedalus (many points).

You should go ahead and acquire a copy of Voltaire's Candide, as well.

Tuesday, October 18, 2005

The Writing Center is open and available for anyone who needs assistance with college application essays, focus papers, or analyses of The Count of Monte Cristo. Or anything.

Advanced Placement Literature: Hamlet again. We should talk about doing another practice AP multiple choice section, as well. Also--if it would help you, I can furnish each of you with a helpful study guide on this play. Let me know.

Gifted English IV: From Pastoral to Metaphysical--today, Christopher Marlowe's poetry.

Gifted English II: Timed Writing using the thesis statement you submitted last week. Today, I would like you to generate a rough draft in class preparatory to a peer edit.

Monday, October 17, 2005

Welcome to the Second Grading Period!

Advanced Placement Literature: Hamlet, continued. I will be distributing focus paper assignments soon, so keep up the active reading. First period, I will be giving you a critical essay by T.S. Eliot as well.

Gifted English IV: Introduction to the Renaissance, continued. Read the essay in your literature book and finish the handouts I gave you last week. Your vocabulary quiz will be tomorrow for the fourteen Renaissance-specific literary terms. Our focus today will be "A Passionate Shepherd to His Love" by Christopher Marlowe.

Gifted English II: EduSoft Testing. This is a district-wide initiative that shouldn't take more than this period; I will score them after school today using our (expensive) scanner and give you your score tomorrow in class. This is helpful data to guide instruction for the rest of the term, and is one of the two things we have to do preparatory for FCAT. I would rather do this than the TSI from last year, so I'd appreciate your cooperation and help with this.

Wednesday, October 12, 2005

PSAT AT BOONE HIGH SCHOOL!

What this means for you:

• If you are one of my sophomores, it means that you will be taking the PSAT during the morning classes.
• If you are one of my seniors, it means that your schedule for the day will be altered. Fifth period, in particular, will be truncated due to testing shifts. I am sorry for any inconvenience.

Periods 1 and 5--Hamlet.

Period 2--Pastoral Poetry.

Period 6--Go over PSAT/how it went/go over thesis statements for Tuesday's workshop.

Have a safe and fun four-day weekend! I will think of you fondly tomorrow as I sit here entering grades while you rest and relax and enjoy a break. . .oh, yes, I will. . .

End of Quarter Reminders

Hello! I am frantically trying to finish all the grades in a timely manner. Some of your assignments might end up going on the second quarter--which could be advantageous for some of you.

NOTES TO SOPHOMORES: Your Count of Monte Cristo paper will be partially produced next Tuesday as a timed writing in class, using the thesis statement you turned in already. It will not be due yet, so don't panic.

Also--third period--I'm not counting your most recent vocabulary quiz in light of the circumstances surrounding your testing environment. I will score them and return them to you for your own edification, but the majority of the class wrote unfocused responses.

NOTES TO SENIORS: I've finished all resubmits and updated the grades. If you don't see your new score, let me know immediately--I think one or two of you might have picked up your papers before the new score was recorded. Thanks!

Also--if you have not yet applied to at least one college, consider the upcoming four-day weekend as a Window of Opportunity. We discussed the whole college thing again today in second period--be sure you're on track.

Tuesday, October 11, 2005

Wow--the week is almost over. Can you believe it?

AP Literature: We're watching part of Act I of Hamlet today, followed by the Act I quiz. Hope you read it over again. . .

(Just as a reminder--my favorite lines are "There are more things under heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy. . ." and "Time is out of joint/O cursed spite. . ." and, of course, "Something is rotten in the state of Denmark"!)

Gifted English IV: College/Scholarship Workshop. Progress check for everyone--where are we, what do we need to do? We're also going to work on Pastoral Poetry and proof college essays.

Gifted English II: After the fun and frivolity of the Author of the Day quiz yesterday, time to settle in and enjoy the denouement of The Count of Monte Cristo--a film screening that would have gone much faster if I hadn't kept interrupting the film with little things like, say, instruction.

Homecoming Photo Requests

I just spent a loooong time e-mailing pictures from the dance Saturday to various recipients, and I'm still not finished! If you would like a specific picture for your own collection, please comment here with your e-mail address and the photo you'd like. Creepy non-Boone people need not apply.

Thanks; it was a great dance!

Rubymel Jijon, Caroline Bird, and Natalie Nutt.

Lauren Nagel and Sara Haughee, Homecoming 2005. This uploading thing is becoming quickly addictive! 

Liz Colina, Samantha Bailey, and Natalie Nutt, Homecoming 2005. Terrific dresses! 

J.J. Litchford, doing the GQ thing. Homecoming this year was at the Wyndham Palace Hotel, and everyone had a great time. I can't figure out how to post multiple pictures in the same entry--hence the repeated posts. Bear with me! I'm on a techno-learning curve! 

Kellie Weber, grade 12, and Kelsie Luce, grade 11. 

A.J. Van Buren, Homecoming King 2005 

Clayton Abel and Rubymel Jijon 

Cherilyn Cloude, Homecoming Court 2005.  

Lemur! 

Monday, October 10, 2005

I hope everyone survived Homecoming weekend, and remembered the puppets!

Advanced Placement Literature: Hamlet; collect resubmissions.

Gifted English IV: Return objective tests from Middle Ages Unit; go over grades and make-up work. Introduction to the Renaissance lecture. Good times, good times.

Gifted English II: Finish The Count of Monte Cristo and see if anyone has any make-up work.

TO ALL STUDENTS: Grades are due Thursday! If you haven't had access to K12 Planet or if you have no earthly clue how you are doing, see me ASAP to see if you owe me any make-up work.

Friday, October 7, 2005

Crazy Color Day; the final day of Homecoming Week!

Please remember the Homecoming Speech--I want you to have fun and be safe during the game and the dance, and remember--YOU WILL SEE MY FACE.

Whew.

AP Literature: Moving on with Hamlet, Act I. Complicated, isn't it? But it's cool.

Gifted English IV: The long-awaited Middle Ages Unit Test. If you have any make-up work to give me, please do so.

Gifted English II: Continue with The Count of Monte Cristo screening. Your thesis statements are due today. . .

Thursday, October 6, 2005

Homecoming Week is coming to a close!

Advanced Placement Literature: Paraphrasing and Analysis. A good time will be had by some.

Gifted English IV: Ever hear of Thomas Wyatt? You will now!

Gifted English II: First, thank you to third period for handling yesterday with maturity. I really appreciate it. Ms. Centeno wants a brief word with you today to ensure that all is well, and then we are going to launch into The Count of Monte Cristo.

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

Toga Day for seniors! Come by in the a.m. if you need help tying a toga. . .I have a plethora of safety pins to ameliorate sheet-sag. For all other students, it's Class Color Day, which means I will probably be wearing my random Halloween t-shirt instead of a class color. I don't want to show favoritism.

Advanced Placement Literature and Composition: Yesterday, we began Hamlet, and today we continue with Act I, scene i--Horatio's discourse. We are also going to take a crack at paraphrasing the first of the major soliloquies (my personal favorite) in Act I, scene ii. "Oh, that this too, too sullied flesh could melt, thaw and resolve itself into a dew. . ." Hamlet: moody adolescent, or perpetual pedant? Hmmm.

Gifted English IV: Continue with review materials for Middle Ages Unit Test, including a read-over on page 194 emphasizing the role of women (however limited) in this era. I will also be returning graded and recorded work to you for further review before you test.

Gifted English II: GO TO THE WRITING CENTER. You have a thesis statement due on Friday! Today we take a quick vocabulary quiz and then take one more look at poetry before we launch into the screening of CMC. (Hopefully, it will come in as ordered! Hurry up, amazon.com!)

Tuesday Supplement

I felt like adding a poem.

When I Have Fears
When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high-piled books, in charactery,
Hold like rich garners the full ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love;--then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.

--John Keats


Commentary from Hilley: I love this sonnet, written by the doomed Keats shortly before his death. In it, he discusses the things he would miss most upon his demise--reading, writing, and love, not necessarily in that order. The sonnet is a brief form that lends itself to many subjects, but in this case (as in so many other Keats poems) he reflects on the brevity of life. It's not as moody a piece as "To a Nightingale," but I think it is thought-provoking and sweetly sad.

Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Now that we've all survived Twin Day. . .

AP Literature: Macpapers are due today. We're moving into Hamlet full force now. . . today is a lecture/discussion on the characters, themes, and backgrounds of the Danish play. Bring your lit book! Fun times ahead!

Gifted English IV: Review "Federigo's Falcon," and go over the Middle Ages Unit Review.

Gifted English II: Author of the Day is Charlotte Bronte; focus is still on CMC. You need to go to the Writing Center this week to have your thesis statement checked; the deadline for the paper itself will be next Wednesday.