Hello again Honors Freshmen! 

Happy Valentine's Week! We have a short week this week, but we are going to finally get around to working on our very important ROOTS project. 

Please do not forget that your DBQs are DUE on Monday in class. Hard copy, with a title, double spaced AND your rubric. 

On Monday we will begin to go over the various pieces of our ROOTS project and I will show you examples to get started. It is important to remember this is not only a big project points wise, but this is a gift for your loved one. You will be presenting this "book" to them during the ROOTS reception in the spring. 

Tuesday we will continue looking at examples and begin to work on outlining our project. Wednesday is vocab Wednesday and Thursday you will have a special work day in the library because I will not be in school. 

“Love is not only something you feel, it is something you do.” – David Wilkerson

How can you spread a little love this week?

  Mr. Rodgers

Hello Everyone!

 This is Mr. Rodgers reporting to you live from an empty classroom on a snowy Friday morning. I hope you have all Carpe Diemed to the max over this unexpected 5 day weekend. I also hope you are staying warm. 

When we get back we will hit the ground running and try to catch up on a few things we missed. This means we will work on our DBQs on Monday and Tuesday. Your Vocab Test will be back on its regularly scheduled Vocab Wednesday ness. We will then go back to DBQs and examine some class examples for further study of argument structure and connection to thesis. 

Friday we will round out the week and begin looking at expectations for your ROOTS project. This project has been put off for a little bit too long and February will be a big month of writing, research, and revision.

“If things always went according to plan, then life would not be interesting.” - Unknown

Embrace the chaos!

  - Mr. Rodgers

Hi Everyone and welcome to another crazy week!

This week as a school we are celebrating Catholic School's Week. We will have various "appreciation" days throughout the week. Each of these days comes with a special and shortened schedule. 

Meanwhile we will be attempting to "appreciate" the importance of writing. We are working on DBQs in class. We will review our current practice DBQ on Monday. Then on Tuesday and Wednesday (IN CLASS ONLY) you will be able to write your own DBQ. 

This means that on Tuesday you will get a DBQ packet. It will be complete with a new question and 4 new documents that connect to that question. On Tuesday your job is to annotate your sources and then brainstorm for a thesis statement. You will have 37 minutes to work on this. At the end of class I will collect your packet.

Wednesday you will return and based on the work you completed the previous day you will write an essay. I will be working with you to approve your thesis statements and remind you to hit key points on the DBQ rubric. Students will have 36 minutes to write their essays. 

Assuming we finish on time Thursday we will have our Vocab Quiz and Friday we will review and begin ROOTS project materials. 

The focus on this week, however, is the DBQ and if we need extra time to truly understand these concepts we will take it. Writing is important and the skills you develop now will help you in every class as you progress through High School. 

“The art of writing is the art of discovering what you believe.” – Gustave Flaubert

If you do not know what you believe, write an essay and see what comes out,

    Mr. Rodgers

Welcome to Quarter 3!!

   Alright we have made it through some short stories, we learned about epics, we scratched the surface of poetry and we even survived the savagery of a pig's head on a stick...In the 3rd quarter we are going to take all of that and use it to build forward, to climb higher. 

   We will be practicing our very important DBQ skills the week we return. This will give us practice with thesis statements, with annotation and finding good information in different types of sources, it will give us practice with paper writing, argument, and ultimately timed writing. 

   We will break down our first DBQ as a class. We will look at paper structure, note taking strategies, and we will break into small groups and learn from each other about how to mine a resource for the best tidbits. 

    Oh and also we will start off Vocab Wednesdays again....because.... Words are powerful and understanding them is priceless. 

“When you’re young everything feels like the end of the world, but it’s not; It’s just the beginning.” – Zac Efron

What journey are you only just beginning? 

   Mr. Rodgers

Here we go Freshies!

This is our first full week back and a pretty big one! We are wrapping up the reading of LOTF! While we will still be working with the text in the 3rd quarter we will finish reading on Monday night! We are also bringing back Vocab Wednesday for the Midterm which will then continue to carry over into the 3rd and 4th quarter back on "regular" schedule. 

Most importantly though, we will be reviewing for our Midterm! Our midterm is the Second (or PM) Midterm on Tuesday January 15th. The Midterm consists of 85 questions. You will be given one hour to complete this test. On Thursday and Friday we will have review to make sure we are prepared and know what to study. A friendly reminder that there are NO True or False questions on the test and you DO NOT have to write an essay. There are however, 5 short answer questions. 

The Midterm is cumulative according to OLSH rules and will make up 20% of your Semester grade. If you have ANY questions regarding the Midterm let me know.

“I think it’s always the moments that are the trials that end up making you become a hero in the end.” – Brie Larson

How will you face your first exams in high school?

Mr. Rodgers

Welcome to 2019!!

I hope that all of you have had a wonderful break filled with family, friends, and fun. We have a short, but important two days to get back into the swing of things. We will be finishing up LOTF, preparing for the second phase of the ROOTS project, and then planning and prepping for our Midterm.

The new year will certainly bring new challenges, but I know it will also bring new possibilities and a lot of new and exciting things for us to explore as a class. I look forward to hearing about all of your breaks and jumping back into the swing of things.

“He should always try for something that has never been done or that others have tried and failed.” - Ernest Hemingway

What will you attempt in 2019?

Mr. Rodgers

Hello Everyone and Merry Christmas!!

As we approach the final week of school before break we have a time to celebrate the season, spend time together with friends and family, look forward to a much needed break, and reflect on the first half of the year. 

Our class will be fairly straightforward as we will continue to read LOTF through Wednesday. Then we will take a break, play some games, and make sure we are set for the ROOTS interview if we have no completed it already. 

One other note as we move toward the holiday break. The only "Homework" I am giving is for you to work on your ROOTS interview if you have not yet done so. They should be completed when we return. I do this because I believe that Christmas is a time meant for families. You have earned the break, so take it.

We have a good amount of work to tackle when we return with the conclusion of LOTF and Midterms so eat and sleep well and I will see you all in 2019!!

“Christmas gives us the opportunity to pause and reflect on the important things around us.” - David Cameron

Pause, Reflect, Enjoy,

  Mr. Rodgers

Hello savage littluns,

Yes, that is a reference to the book you are now hopefully reading. This entire week is devoted to delving deep into The Lord of the Flies. By the end of this week we will be exactly halfway through the novel. For class you need only bring a notebook and your copy of the text. Each day we will be looking back at Schoology and making sure that everyone is staying up to date. 

I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping up with the readings. No reading should be more than 15 pages per day. If we can stay the course we will not only be more motivated to finish the book, but also more interested in the story, and more captivated by the themes that Golding discusses. 

“A man cannot destroy the savage in him by denying its impulses. The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it” -Robert Louis Stevenson

What savagery would you be capable of on the island? 

Mr. Rodgers

It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!!

We have MADE it! The month of December is sure to fly by, but I for one am going to enjoy every blessed day of it! Christmas Sweaters in class. Discussing and cracking open a great book! This week we will conclude our poetry unit with 3 fantastic poems. We will work as a class to practice our poetic analysis in written form. 

Talking about poetry and musing about the metaphors and meanings is one thing, but crafting a well thought out essay in a limited time is more of a practiced skill we will attempt to sharpen in class.  Your poetic analysis compare and contrast essay will be worth 32 points and completed on Tuesday. 

A holiday skip and a jump later we will have our last Vocab test of the second quarter (weird right?!) on Wednesday and then I will pass out you very own copy of Lord of the Flies. [Please note that like your textbook and vocab book these are a loan to you from the school and you should be careful with them.] We will begin reading that night and push through the next two weeks and try to finish as much of the novel as possible before break. 

Our GOAL is to have 0 reading or homework over Christmas Break other than Roots project interviews. 

“What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?” – Dr. Seuss

What does Christmas mean to you? 

Mr. Rodgers

Happy Thanksgiving one and all!!

I hope you are all recovering from Turkey comas and pumpkin pie overdoses. I also hope you have all appropriately put up your Christmas tree and blasted Christmas music. That's right! It's Christmas sweater season!!

When we return we will have a four day week focusing on our new poetry unit. We will have our traditional Vocab Wednesday break, but we will be dissecting poetry the rest of the week and exploring different elements that we may or may not have noticed through simple things like song lyrics. 

All the while we will begin spreading Christmas cheer loudly for all to hear. 

“It is Christmas in the heart that puts Christmas in the air” – William Thomas Ellis

Are you ready for some Christmas?

Mr. Rodgers

Greetings! 

This is our last full week before the holiday rush. We will be finishing The Odyssey at long last. On Monday we will read the final few pages and Tuesday we will Kahoot! and review. Vocab Wednesday is back in effect and then the Quiz will be Thursday which will lead us into some workshop time to start thinking about the specific questions we will be asking for the ROOTS project.

While you do not HAVE to complete your interview over the Thanksgiving break it is your first chance and a great way to get ahead of the project and a jump on the information you have vs. what you might need. The longer you wait to do the interview the more rushed the process will feel.

Please remember that this is not just a school project, but a family project you are doing for and with your family. Please treat it with care and make it special, because .... it is. 

“You make your mark by being true to who you are and letting that be your staple.” – Kat Graham

Be true to your family,

  Mr. Rodgers

Hello Again and Welcome to November!

Here we go as we embark on the second leg of our Freshman year journey together. This quarter will kick off our points in a big way. We will be doing two different homework assignments involving The Odyssey to try to increase comprehension as well as respond to your class request for more "little assignments." 

On top of this you have your fist Vocab Quiz on Wednesday and a short week ends on Thursday. This means that the parent permission slip for the ROOTS project is DUE November 8th, instead of the 9th! Please make sure you discuss with your family which individual you wish to interview and begin to make plans for that process. 

Whether we are looking at the conclusion of Odysseus's journey or a timeturning peak into our own family history this week will be a time of reflection. Ask yourself: Where do you come from? Who are you now? Where are you going? 

“I can’t think of any better representation of beauty than someone who is unafraid to be herself.” – Emma Stone

To thine own self be true,

   Mr. Rodgers