August 21, 2014
Dear Parents and Students,
Grades: Every assignment is graded and in INOW except summer reading essays. The soonest I could possibly return those would be late next week, but that may be optimistic.
Quiz Friday: The first vocabulary quiz is this Friday, and students have the PowerPoint, the definitions handout, and their graded and corrected vocabulary sentences to study for the quiz. I would like to see all A’s and many proud students at the end of class Friday. Students should expect a vocabulary quiz (a 20% grade) every Friday.
Fahrenheit 451: We have started discussing the impact of science fiction on technology and the cyclical way writers inspire researchers and scientists who, in turn, inspire more ideas from writers. We are particularly exploring some of the technology Ray Bradbury imagined that has come to fruition in our lifetimes. The novel is a complex read about a dystopian future in which the main character is a fireman who burns books. His society eerily resembles some of the failings of our modern life, and it encourages today’s readers to reflect on the value of relationships, technology, nature, and human curiosity. Among many other ideas, it also reveals the importance of thinking over being entertained and fighting for what one believes in. Students will begin reading the novel Friday in class.
Website Info: If you have not looked at my school website, http://bit.ly/1txplSe, please check it out. You can see the daily agenda photo of the board, articles students are reading, photos of our classwork, what I am reading in education and technology, and much more. Students can also access handout and notes by clicking the Forms link.
Contact me: Feel free to email or call me at any time with questions or concerns. When we work as a team, we get a lot more accomplished.
All my best,
Ms. Caston-Smith
Tosha Caston-Smith
Pre-AP English 9
Spain Park High School
See my website: http://bit.ly/1txplSe
