UPDATES 5/11
Hey Honors English 9 Families!
This week was very exciting as we finished To Kill a Mockingbird! We had a tea party on Monday, where students shared their literature circle preparation. It was wonderful to hear the students' perspective on their respective chapters and it lead to great conversation. I have to say, your students were very engaged in our reading and I have received so much wonderful analysis of the passages they have chosen for their Double Entry Journals. The final set of Double Entry Journals are due on Monday for chapters 28-31.
We will finish watching the film version on Monday and then we will complete our final writing assignment on someone who gives a voice to the voiceless.
This week marked the halfway point of the 4th Marking Period -- students received their grade sheets and they should have gotten them signed. If your student has not yet shown you his/her grade sheet, they can do so this weekend and bring it to class on Monday.
Please let me know if you have any questions, or if there is anything I can do to better help your student!
Thanks for all of your support this year -- five weeks left in Freshman year!
Have a great weekend!
-- Kim Aubrey
This week was very exciting as we finished To Kill a Mockingbird! We had a tea party on Monday, where students shared their literature circle preparation. It was wonderful to hear the students' perspective on their respective chapters and it lead to great conversation. I have to say, your students were very engaged in our reading and I have received so much wonderful analysis of the passages they have chosen for their Double Entry Journals. The final set of Double Entry Journals are due on Monday for chapters 28-31.
We will finish watching the film version on Monday and then we will complete our final writing assignment on someone who gives a voice to the voiceless.
This week marked the halfway point of the 4th Marking Period -- students received their grade sheets and they should have gotten them signed. If your student has not yet shown you his/her grade sheet, they can do so this weekend and bring it to class on Monday.
Please let me know if you have any questions, or if there is anything I can do to better help your student!
Thanks for all of your support this year -- five weeks left in Freshman year!
Have a great weekend!
-- Kim Aubrey
UPDATE 4/5
I cannot believe that tomorrow marks the end of the 3rd Marking Period! This year is absolutely flying by! This week was an exciting one, as we started our final novel of the year (and my personal favorite) To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Your students have been very helpful (and patient) as we are moving into the future and going PAPERLESS with this unit. We are using Canvas to facilitate class discussions, and it also links with turnitin.com, so assignments can be turned in and graded right within the same system.
We started the week with a discussion of major themes that we will see in the novel, an introduction to the Double Entry Journal assignment that students will complete throughout the unit, and we read chapter 1. Today, students started a small background information project, which will be presented tomorrow. Chapters 1-3 and the double entry journal will be due on Monday 4/9 at 10 am to Canvas.
The other assignment that students could be working on is revisions to their Romeo and Juliet -- What Makes or Breaks a Relationship essay. This was 65 points. If students are interested in revising, they must meet with me (or another teacher in the library before school or after school) to ensure that they understand the comments on the essay. We have already started this process and some students have schedule to meet with me during study halls, lunches, etc. These revisions must be submitted by Wednesday, April 11th at 11:59 PM.
I really hope your student enjoys To Kill a Mockingbird. The text is online (there is a link on my website), if you want to follow along! Please let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to better help your student!
Happy almost 4th Marking Period!
We started the week with a discussion of major themes that we will see in the novel, an introduction to the Double Entry Journal assignment that students will complete throughout the unit, and we read chapter 1. Today, students started a small background information project, which will be presented tomorrow. Chapters 1-3 and the double entry journal will be due on Monday 4/9 at 10 am to Canvas.
The other assignment that students could be working on is revisions to their Romeo and Juliet -- What Makes or Breaks a Relationship essay. This was 65 points. If students are interested in revising, they must meet with me (or another teacher in the library before school or after school) to ensure that they understand the comments on the essay. We have already started this process and some students have schedule to meet with me during study halls, lunches, etc. These revisions must be submitted by Wednesday, April 11th at 11:59 PM.
I really hope your student enjoys To Kill a Mockingbird. The text is online (there is a link on my website), if you want to follow along! Please let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to better help your student!
Happy almost 4th Marking Period!
UPDATE 1/12
Hello!
I can't believe we are only two weeks away from the halfway point of the year! We have been working feverishly on our Dystopian Comparative Analysis essay. The rough draft was due today, we peer edited, and students will be able to see the comments at 12:00 am tomorrow. They can use the weekend and Tuesday to make their final revisions and the final copy of the paper is due Tuesday at 11:59 PM to turnitin.com (60 points). This gives students the opportunity to stay after school on Tuesday if they would like some extra help!
On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will work on the creative piece of Dystopian Fiction each student has been planning throughout this unit. The final piece of this will be due on Friday 1/19 (35 points). These will be the last assignments of the 2nd Marking Period. Students have been reading independent books and they have had the opportunity to fill out a graphic organizer when finished for some extra credit -- all of these are due by Wednesday, as that is the end of our unit!
Today, students received their grade sheet at this point in the marking period -- please sign and have them return by Wednesday 1/17. This will be graded as a homework assignment, so by turning it in, they will improve their grade!
After our Dystopian Unit is finished we start our unit on Romeo and Juliet, looking at what makes or breaks a relationship. Students will pick ANY independent book to read during this unit, looking for the same thing!
Hopefully the students enjoy the three day weekend before we finish out the MP! Let me know if you need anything!
I can't believe we are only two weeks away from the halfway point of the year! We have been working feverishly on our Dystopian Comparative Analysis essay. The rough draft was due today, we peer edited, and students will be able to see the comments at 12:00 am tomorrow. They can use the weekend and Tuesday to make their final revisions and the final copy of the paper is due Tuesday at 11:59 PM to turnitin.com (60 points). This gives students the opportunity to stay after school on Tuesday if they would like some extra help!
On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will work on the creative piece of Dystopian Fiction each student has been planning throughout this unit. The final piece of this will be due on Friday 1/19 (35 points). These will be the last assignments of the 2nd Marking Period. Students have been reading independent books and they have had the opportunity to fill out a graphic organizer when finished for some extra credit -- all of these are due by Wednesday, as that is the end of our unit!
Today, students received their grade sheet at this point in the marking period -- please sign and have them return by Wednesday 1/17. This will be graded as a homework assignment, so by turning it in, they will improve their grade!
After our Dystopian Unit is finished we start our unit on Romeo and Juliet, looking at what makes or breaks a relationship. Students will pick ANY independent book to read during this unit, looking for the same thing!
Hopefully the students enjoy the three day weekend before we finish out the MP! Let me know if you need anything!
UPDATE - 12/1
Hello Honors English 9 Families!
Happy December! We are two weeks away from the middle of the second marking period. We are almost done our study of Dystopian Fiction. At this point, your student should be almost done their third independent book. We will finish up the unit after the Holiday Break (at that point, our goal is that students have read at least four Dystopian Novels).
I usually do not give weekend homework, but this weekend students should work on their second constructed response for Dystopian -- what is the theme of your independent book and how does the author use setting (physical, social setting, power dynamics) in order to develop this theme. The draft of this assignment is due by 10am on Monday so we can use Monday to peer edit in class.
Students set goals for their writing after they completed their Summer Reading assignment this year -- I looked at their first constructed responses using these goals as a springboard for growth. On Monday, they will look at my comments for their first writing assignment, see their progress on their goals, and set new goals for their second constructed response. The final copy of the second constructed response will be due on Tuesday 12/5 at 11:59 PM. Students will also be able to make revisions to their first constructed response, if they are interested!
We are having a great time in English reading The House of the Scorpion. I can't wait to wrap up over the next week and a half!
Please let me know if you have any questions, or if there is anything I can do to better help your student.
Happy December! We are two weeks away from the middle of the second marking period. We are almost done our study of Dystopian Fiction. At this point, your student should be almost done their third independent book. We will finish up the unit after the Holiday Break (at that point, our goal is that students have read at least four Dystopian Novels).
I usually do not give weekend homework, but this weekend students should work on their second constructed response for Dystopian -- what is the theme of your independent book and how does the author use setting (physical, social setting, power dynamics) in order to develop this theme. The draft of this assignment is due by 10am on Monday so we can use Monday to peer edit in class.
Students set goals for their writing after they completed their Summer Reading assignment this year -- I looked at their first constructed responses using these goals as a springboard for growth. On Monday, they will look at my comments for their first writing assignment, see their progress on their goals, and set new goals for their second constructed response. The final copy of the second constructed response will be due on Tuesday 12/5 at 11:59 PM. Students will also be able to make revisions to their first constructed response, if they are interested!
We are having a great time in English reading The House of the Scorpion. I can't wait to wrap up over the next week and a half!
Please let me know if you have any questions, or if there is anything I can do to better help your student.
Update 10/27/17
I can't believe we only have two weeks left in the 1st marking period! Last week we started our Dystopian Unit -- as a class, we are reading Nancy Farmer's The House of the Scorpion. Last Friday, students were off to the library to pick out their independent mystery book. Each student should have a dystopian book with them this weekend, as it is their homework to read 15-20 minutes EACH NIGHT! Research shows that reading 20 minutes per day is the best and most reliable way to increase reading ability. This reading could take place on the bus, in the car, in study hall, or before bed. This week, we started analyzing separate literary elements (setting, characters, and plot), in order to make generalizations about what makes the dystopian genre unique.
Students can also study their vocabulary (there is a quizlet set on my website). There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday 11/3.
Please be sure to check Home Access to keep track of your child's grade as we near the end of the Marking Period. The vocabulary assessment will be in Home Access by next week. Let me know if you have any questions.
Students can also study their vocabulary (there is a quizlet set on my website). There will be a vocabulary quiz on Friday 11/3.
Please be sure to check Home Access to keep track of your child's grade as we near the end of the Marking Period. The vocabulary assessment will be in Home Access by next week. Let me know if you have any questions.
Update 9/26/17
Hello 9th Grade Honors English Families!
Last week, we finished reading our second short story of the year -- "The Possibility of Evil" by Shirley Jackson. We discussed the way that Jackson used conflict to develop a theme. We also discussed the use of irony, specifically how Miss Strangeworth appeared to be a sweet little old lady, but in actually she was spreading evil gossip around the town.
Tomorrow brings us our first vocabulary quiz of the year. Students will be assessed on the vocabulary words from "The Most Dangerous Game" and "The Possibility of Evil". There are quizlets on the website for students to study (under the Short Stories tab).
http://missaubrey.weebly.com/short-stories1.html
Today we started a constructed response on "The Possibility of Evil", with our focus being writing strong topic sentences. Students worked together in their table groups to assemble a team response. Tomorrow, they will revise their short paragraph and then they will submit their writing to turnitin.com. The Summer Reading Assessments have been graded and tomorrow students will use this preliminary writing sample to set goals for their own personal writing growth!
By the end of the week, we will start reading our third short story, "Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier.
Mid-Marking period grades will be posted next Wednesday (10/4), so be on the lookout for that. I look forward to meeting everybody at Back-to-School Night next Thursday (10/5)!
Last week, we finished reading our second short story of the year -- "The Possibility of Evil" by Shirley Jackson. We discussed the way that Jackson used conflict to develop a theme. We also discussed the use of irony, specifically how Miss Strangeworth appeared to be a sweet little old lady, but in actually she was spreading evil gossip around the town.
Tomorrow brings us our first vocabulary quiz of the year. Students will be assessed on the vocabulary words from "The Most Dangerous Game" and "The Possibility of Evil". There are quizlets on the website for students to study (under the Short Stories tab).
http://missaubrey.weebly.com/short-stories1.html
Today we started a constructed response on "The Possibility of Evil", with our focus being writing strong topic sentences. Students worked together in their table groups to assemble a team response. Tomorrow, they will revise their short paragraph and then they will submit their writing to turnitin.com. The Summer Reading Assessments have been graded and tomorrow students will use this preliminary writing sample to set goals for their own personal writing growth!
By the end of the week, we will start reading our third short story, "Marigolds" by Eugenia Collier.
Mid-Marking period grades will be posted next Wednesday (10/4), so be on the lookout for that. I look forward to meeting everybody at Back-to-School Night next Thursday (10/5)!
UPDATE 9/8/17
Hello 9th Grade Honors English Families!
I hope that by this point, your student is getting used to the high school routine! English class has been going very well. This week we started organizing our notes using the Cornell Notes method. Students should review their notes at home and make summaries of what they learned. They should also write down any questions they have about the content in the left hand column.
Yesterday, started reading our first short story: "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. Students have their first ten vocabulary words -- there is a quizlet to study on our website (www.missaubrey.weebly.com it can be found under the short story tab). When we are finished with "The Most Dangerous Game", our focus will be discovering the THEME and then we will review requirements for a constructed response.
Our Summer Reading Assessment will begin on September 13th. If students have a copy of their self-selected book, they can bring it in on Tuesday. They will be able to use it for the assessment if it is accessible, but it is not a necessity.
If you would like to receive reminders about Homework, Quizzes, Due Dates, etc., please join Remind101. You can do so by texting @4AUBREY to 81010 (be sure to include the @ sign).
There are a few grades in Home Access at this point (more to be updated this weekend), please check frequently as we are starting to really get into the swing of things!
Let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to better help your child!
I hope that by this point, your student is getting used to the high school routine! English class has been going very well. This week we started organizing our notes using the Cornell Notes method. Students should review their notes at home and make summaries of what they learned. They should also write down any questions they have about the content in the left hand column.
Yesterday, started reading our first short story: "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell. Students have their first ten vocabulary words -- there is a quizlet to study on our website (www.missaubrey.weebly.com it can be found under the short story tab). When we are finished with "The Most Dangerous Game", our focus will be discovering the THEME and then we will review requirements for a constructed response.
Our Summer Reading Assessment will begin on September 13th. If students have a copy of their self-selected book, they can bring it in on Tuesday. They will be able to use it for the assessment if it is accessible, but it is not a necessity.
If you would like to receive reminders about Homework, Quizzes, Due Dates, etc., please join Remind101. You can do so by texting @4AUBREY to 81010 (be sure to include the @ sign).
There are a few grades in Home Access at this point (more to be updated this weekend), please check frequently as we are starting to really get into the swing of things!
Let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything I can do to better help your child!
BACK TO SCHOOL - 8/30
Dear Honors English 9 Families,
Hello! My name is Kimberly Aubrey and I had a wonderful first day with your student today! I hope that he or she came home feeling comfortable and ready for a successful year. Today your student received a syllabus for the course and a plagiarism and academic dishonesty contract -- please look over both of the documents. I ask that both you and your student sign the plagiarism contract and the last page of the syllabus and return them to us by Friday, September 2nd. There is also information about how to get organized for English this year.
We will spend the rest of the week getting to know each other and getting ready for the year ahead! On Friday we will take an English 9 Pre-test to see what knowledge students are bringing with them. This will count for a participation grade. The students will be given the same test later in the year to measure growth.
English 9 is an exciting year; over the past few years we have revamped the curriculum to include more opportunity for student choice. Students will be able to choose many of the books they use for class. We also will read classics, such as Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and there is a large focus on writing.
If you need any information about the course or to find out the homework for the day, extra copies of handouts, etc., you can visit my website: www.missaubrey.weebly.com. You can also sign up for our REMIND 101 app by texting @4AUBREY to 81010 (we will go over this in class tomorrow, too!).
Hopefully your student had a great first day! I look forward to working with you throughout the 2017-2018 school year!
Please let me know if you need anything at all.
Hello! My name is Kimberly Aubrey and I had a wonderful first day with your student today! I hope that he or she came home feeling comfortable and ready for a successful year. Today your student received a syllabus for the course and a plagiarism and academic dishonesty contract -- please look over both of the documents. I ask that both you and your student sign the plagiarism contract and the last page of the syllabus and return them to us by Friday, September 2nd. There is also information about how to get organized for English this year.
We will spend the rest of the week getting to know each other and getting ready for the year ahead! On Friday we will take an English 9 Pre-test to see what knowledge students are bringing with them. This will count for a participation grade. The students will be given the same test later in the year to measure growth.
English 9 is an exciting year; over the past few years we have revamped the curriculum to include more opportunity for student choice. Students will be able to choose many of the books they use for class. We also will read classics, such as Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and there is a large focus on writing.
If you need any information about the course or to find out the homework for the day, extra copies of handouts, etc., you can visit my website: www.missaubrey.weebly.com. You can also sign up for our REMIND 101 app by texting @4AUBREY to 81010 (we will go over this in class tomorrow, too!).
Hopefully your student had a great first day! I look forward to working with you throughout the 2017-2018 school year!
Please let me know if you need anything at all.