Dear Student,
For some reason, you have stumbled across this blog. I try to keep it up every day, but as you can tell, the end of the school year somewhat eluded me.
If you are reading this, you are signed up for either my Gifted English II or AP Literature course in the fall. The summer reading assignment for Literature is NOT available on the web; you need to e-mail me at jennifer.hilley@ocps.net to arrange a meeting time to get the packet and take the pre-test if you have not already done so, or you need to go to Guidance to pick up a supplementary copy if you've lost yours but already took the test.
If you are a rising sophomore, however, the summer reading assignment is different than that for the rest of the 10th grade. You need to read the following texts before the first day of school, and be prepared to test on both:
The Stranger by Albert Camus
Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller
Both texts have been ordered, en masse, at Barnes and Noble Booksellers on the corner of Bumby and Colonial Drive. Also, you can acquire both at the public library--and they'll even ship it to your house for free! If you want to buy your own copy but are in need of a bargain, check out www.amazon.com, where I found used copies of each for just over a dollar last week. Don't wait until the last minute, however, as Amazon is known to ship slowly with Marketplace titles. Worst case scenario, e-mail me and I will find a way to get you a copy.
Next year is going to be filled with challenges, but I am looking forward to working with you to meet those challenges head-on. We are going to have an insightful, meaningful, and educational time!
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
FINAL EXAM SCHEDULE
Sophys! Final exams are upon us!
Monday, June 2, 2008: Exams 1,2, and 7. You will have a regular-length school day, featuring two study periods during third and fourth. The first exam will be during the regular first/second period block, followed immediately by my class if you are in third period. Fourth will feature the regular lunch schedule. My classroom will be open all day for immigrants who have no place to go (such as AP Stats, Bio, or Euro kids who are already finished, as the case may be) but there is the distinct possibility that you will be asked to work.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008: Third and Fourth Exams. Today is a half-day; you will be dismissed after the fourth period exam, at approximately 11:55 a.m. There will be a 15 minute break between tests. Bring a number two pencil and a pen for your essays.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008: THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. Fifth and Sixth period Exams. Same schedule as Tuesday, plus the sentimental reality that the year is over and you are now officially JUNIORS.
Best wishes to all rising high school students! I'll see you again your senior year!
Monday, June 2, 2008: Exams 1,2, and 7. You will have a regular-length school day, featuring two study periods during third and fourth. The first exam will be during the regular first/second period block, followed immediately by my class if you are in third period. Fourth will feature the regular lunch schedule. My classroom will be open all day for immigrants who have no place to go (such as AP Stats, Bio, or Euro kids who are already finished, as the case may be) but there is the distinct possibility that you will be asked to work.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008: Third and Fourth Exams. Today is a half-day; you will be dismissed after the fourth period exam, at approximately 11:55 a.m. There will be a 15 minute break between tests. Bring a number two pencil and a pen for your essays.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008: THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. Fifth and Sixth period Exams. Same schedule as Tuesday, plus the sentimental reality that the year is over and you are now officially JUNIORS.
Best wishes to all rising high school students! I'll see you again your senior year!
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Safety is Priority Number One
Very Important Announcement for Boone Kids:
I am going to school tomorrow, and I believe that you should, too. The rumor mill is out of control and in light of today's significance to some of you (4-20, Adolf Hitler's birthday, and the anniversary of the Columbine massacre) and the anniversary last week of Virginia Tech some people are nervous about safety issues. Here is what I know:
A threat was written on a wall at Bishop Moore High School stating "If you thought Virginia Tech was bad wait until 4-21."
A student at Boone with a sibling at Bishop Moore had a picture of the threat on her phone.
She sent the photo to her friends, who sent it to their friends. . .etc.
There was NO threat written or implied at Boone on Friday. The administrators, one of whom is a good friend of mine, searched the entire school thoroughly. Mr. C. even extra-searched the girls rooms. (Insert giggle there.)
We will have an extra cop on campus tomorrow, and all of the adults are extra-alert, but this threat issue begs for a little bit of perspective. Real criminals rarely give warnings. Real criminals rarely set something in motion so that authorities have plenty of time to stop it. And at a school with 3,200 students, stuff COULD happen, but is more likely to happen at a mall, or a theme park (where we just were!) or in another public space.
We do live in dangerous times, but I assure you that I am ready and willing to lay down my life for any of you if the situation warrants it. Tomorrow will be just another day. Please come to school.
Love,
Ms. Hilley
I am going to school tomorrow, and I believe that you should, too. The rumor mill is out of control and in light of today's significance to some of you (4-20, Adolf Hitler's birthday, and the anniversary of the Columbine massacre) and the anniversary last week of Virginia Tech some people are nervous about safety issues. Here is what I know:
A threat was written on a wall at Bishop Moore High School stating "If you thought Virginia Tech was bad wait until 4-21."
A student at Boone with a sibling at Bishop Moore had a picture of the threat on her phone.
She sent the photo to her friends, who sent it to their friends. . .etc.
There was NO threat written or implied at Boone on Friday. The administrators, one of whom is a good friend of mine, searched the entire school thoroughly. Mr. C. even extra-searched the girls rooms. (Insert giggle there.)
We will have an extra cop on campus tomorrow, and all of the adults are extra-alert, but this threat issue begs for a little bit of perspective. Real criminals rarely give warnings. Real criminals rarely set something in motion so that authorities have plenty of time to stop it. And at a school with 3,200 students, stuff COULD happen, but is more likely to happen at a mall, or a theme park (where we just were!) or in another public space.
We do live in dangerous times, but I assure you that I am ready and willing to lay down my life for any of you if the situation warrants it. Tomorrow will be just another day. Please come to school.
Love,
Ms. Hilley
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Writing Center today during lunch; sophomores NEED to come have their memoirs reviewed.
APees: Creative Writing for Jane Eyre. Friendly reminder #1--focus paper due Monday! Friendly reminder #2--Romanticism creative project due next Wednesday! Friendly reminder #3--Super-easy Jane Eyre check-reading test Friday!
Gifted English II: The Elements of Style, rules 1-11; review techniques for memoir writing; if time, "The Second Coming" by Yeats.
APees: Creative Writing for Jane Eyre. Friendly reminder #1--focus paper due Monday! Friendly reminder #2--Romanticism creative project due next Wednesday! Friendly reminder #3--Super-easy Jane Eyre check-reading test Friday!
Gifted English II: The Elements of Style, rules 1-11; review techniques for memoir writing; if time, "The Second Coming" by Yeats.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
I will be in the Writing Center today, even though it isn't my usual day. SOPHYS: Take advantage of the WC this week. Really.
APees: Jane and Shelley: "Ozymandias" and mutability.
Gifted English II: Chinua Achebe and his vision of the world.
APees: Jane and Shelley: "Ozymandias" and mutability.
Gifted English II: Chinua Achebe and his vision of the world.
Monday, March 17, 2008
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!
Contrary to many beliefs, the English like to claim St. Paddy even more than the Irish. He was sent by the Pope to evangelize in Ireland, but he was actually English. Dun-dun-dun. I will be wearing green to avoid being pinched, since I'm half-Irish. (The other percentage is Lebanese, but we don't have any cool dress-up days for that ethnicity.) Happy Day! Also, for some of you, this is leading up to Holy Week, with Easter on Sunday. To that end, and rather than get into a big theological discussion about anything, I wanted to mention to you that PEEPS are a lot of fun for Easter. You can microwave them to turn them into "art" or you can merely play with them for hours of sugary fun. Check out this website: www.lordofthepeeps.com.
Oh, and I have a bad cold, so I don't know how much my lecturing will be understandable today. We'll try!
APees: You should have finished reading Jane Eyre by now; if you haven't, I am pretending that you have because we jave things to discuss and plot spoilers to fling. Hint: BERTHA BERTHA BERTHA. Focus paper is due Friday; creative writing in-class is Wednesday, and Romanticism creative project is due next Wednesday. In other words, hours of fun before the end of this quarter. HOURS. I spent about an hour this weekend preparing a wild diagram of this entire novel, in geographic/theme form, and I even did it in green ink for your delectation. So come early, stay awake, and enjoy the Art.
Gifted English II: After we share our MadLibs, we need to clarify the memoir assignment and then do some reading in class. We have a new outside reading pending and I want to get well underway before Spring Break.
Contrary to many beliefs, the English like to claim St. Paddy even more than the Irish. He was sent by the Pope to evangelize in Ireland, but he was actually English. Dun-dun-dun. I will be wearing green to avoid being pinched, since I'm half-Irish. (The other percentage is Lebanese, but we don't have any cool dress-up days for that ethnicity.) Happy Day! Also, for some of you, this is leading up to Holy Week, with Easter on Sunday. To that end, and rather than get into a big theological discussion about anything, I wanted to mention to you that PEEPS are a lot of fun for Easter. You can microwave them to turn them into "art" or you can merely play with them for hours of sugary fun. Check out this website: www.lordofthepeeps.com.
Oh, and I have a bad cold, so I don't know how much my lecturing will be understandable today. We'll try!
APees: You should have finished reading Jane Eyre by now; if you haven't, I am pretending that you have because we jave things to discuss and plot spoilers to fling. Hint: BERTHA BERTHA BERTHA. Focus paper is due Friday; creative writing in-class is Wednesday, and Romanticism creative project is due next Wednesday. In other words, hours of fun before the end of this quarter. HOURS. I spent about an hour this weekend preparing a wild diagram of this entire novel, in geographic/theme form, and I even did it in green ink for your delectation. So come early, stay awake, and enjoy the Art.
Gifted English II: After we share our MadLibs, we need to clarify the memoir assignment and then do some reading in class. We have a new outside reading pending and I want to get well underway before Spring Break.
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Friday, March 14, 2008
Wheeeeee! FCAT is done (except for a few make-up tests, but those will be in the cafeteria.) I can return to my little slice of heaven in the 300 hall and play with my disco balls and my huge clock and all of my wonderful, wonderful BOOKS. A classroom just isn't the same without an endless number of books from which I can randomly select and say, "It's just like this! Look at this (poem, story, pop-up art, wheel-y toy, artist's rendering)" without having to leave my room. I love an overabundance of source material. One is never bored with lots of literature around. Really.
APees: Jane Eyre deliciousness coming to a close; yes, I'm sad, too. Focus paper pending.
Gifted English II: The Craft of Memoir, and some analogies, and a new outside reading assignment.
APees: Jane Eyre deliciousness coming to a close; yes, I'm sad, too. Focus paper pending.
Gifted English II: The Craft of Memoir, and some analogies, and a new outside reading assignment.
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