Hello there, favorite students!!!

It's approaching winter break, and I know you are excited for the festive vacation - looking forward to plenty of free time to snuggle in front of the fire and READ or maybe do a new puzzle. Maybe some of you are celebrating holidays and will see family and friends and maybe get a present or two . . . I hope you have fun.

I was so thrilled to read the posts sent by some of you - I almost started CRYING I was so happy to hear from you!!! So I have some notes back:
Gretta - I'm glad you liked The Golden Compass books - I'm definitely going to try the others in the series. The first one went quite well.
Ben H - I'm so glad you tuned in for homework and found me! Thanks for your kind wishes!
Phebe - Hi back. I miss your sarcastic antics.
Prudence - Thanks for being so encouraging. I hope your family has a nice holiday.
DAN - Thank you SOOOOOOOOO much for the post! I miss you and your class like crazy. I hope that I'll be able to come in to visit soon. How is your book going? I haven't been doing nearly as much reading as I'd like to be. It's a little distracting here. . . Anyway, you are a champ! I hope you have a merry Christmas, and I'd love to hear from you again soon!

For anyone who wants to hear my reading history, I just finished the most recent IT Girl book - Reckless. It was great, but . . . some of the characters are starting to seem a little too much like Gossip Girls characters . . . Easy is a little to Nate-like and Tinsley is too Blair and Heath is WAY too Chuck. See what you think. I read the David Sedaris book Holidays on Ice which was very short and VERY funny - in a very inappropriate way. One story was about a tv producer talking to a Kentucky congregation in their church on Christmas - might make you laugh until you wet your pants. Another one was about totally selfish families competing to appear the most generous in the land - very dark but very funny. Now I'm reading The Kite Runner. It's wonderful so far; I can't believe I haven't read it before. I, as always, have an enormous stack of books beside my bed.

If you'd like a Hannah update, she appears to be in remission right now which is good news; her doctor says: "Do a happy dance." Hopefully, she will be going in for a bone marrow transplant on 12/27. She'll have 9 days of really hard chemo, and then the doctors will harvest bone marrow from her sister Olivia and transfuse it to Hannah. It's scary, but we're all hoping for the best.

I miss school and you guys so much! You might not believe this, but it's hard to be away from school, from you, from home. We're going to have our Christmas up in the hospital. We have plans to decorate our tree (a huge fake one that I got at the thrift shop) and decorate gingerbread cookies and maybe even leave the hospital to go out for dinner (if Hannah's allowed). I'm sure it will be fun - just different from what we're used to.

Have a great vacation!

Love, Ms. Wallace

Update on Your Responsibilities:

SELFLESS ACTS, DO THEM! Remember, it's selfLESS, not selfISH......doing something that benefits you is NOT what I'm looking for! Spread your love elsewhere!

WRITING PIECES:

HONORS:
Congratulations on turning in your second writing pieces of the quarter, YAY! If you didn't, i better have them in hand by Friday OR ELSE!!!!

This leaves only the Catcher in the Rye paper, which will be due on the 8 of January. The book has to be finished then so we can move onto bigger and better things. I may push the paper to the 10 if we need to cover more information in class, but the reason for the due date being the 8 is if a couple of you forget, I can get them the 10th.


COLLEGE I:
You've already turned in your first writing pieces, give yourselves a pat on the back. Your next piece is due on the 3 or 4 of JANUARY, depending on when we have class. Please have them all typed up and looking pretty for me. If you would like to e-mail them to me, that's perfectly acceptable. Go to the MVRHS website, click on FACULTY and look under S for SIMISON, you can find me there!

Regent Street (Above)

Picadilly Circus (Below)

PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION:
Class notes from 18-20 December
If you missed class or just didn't take notes like a good student........voila!

PATTERNS OF ORGANIZATION

There are several ways to organize your writing. Not every pattern will work for every writer or for every piece of writing. It is important to organize the writing in an order that is interesting, but more importantly it must be logical. In other words, it has to make sense to the reader. Everything must fit together, much like the pieces of a puzzle.


Chronological Order
Chronological order is the order in which the events occurred, from first to last. This is the easiest pattern to write and to follow.

Cause and Effect Order
In this type of order, the cause (or reason) is usually discussed first. This then leads to a discussion of the effect (or result.)

Problem to Solution Order
In this type of order, the problem is presented first. Details about the problem, including its cause, follows. Next, a suggested solution will be discussed, including details that support the solution.

Spatial Order
takes the reader from one spot the next, as if the reader were looking at something. It is very descriptive.

Climactic Order
takes the reader from the least important idea to the most important idea. The ideas build in importance, holding the reader's attention. The best is saved for the last.

Reverse Climactic Order
the most important idea is stated first and the least important idea is stated last. This method is used most often in newspaper articles. This way if the reader does not finish the article he/she will still know the most important details. This method grabs the reader's attention in the beginning, but it does not work very will in holding the reader's attention clear to the end.

Process Order
a sequence of actions is described. It instructs the reader on how to do something. It is basically a set of directions. Owner's manuals and cookbooks are organized in this pattern.

Classification Order
the main idea is broken down into smaller areas or classifications. Each classification is then discussed.

Comparison/Contrast Order point by point/ block
This type of order is again based on comparison (the similarities) and contrast (the differences.) Instead of being divided into parts, however, both sides of each point are discussed together.

Methods of Characterization!! Horaay!
See the cartoon to the left? Get it? Making SPIRITS bright? I know you're laughing. Ok, onto the methods!

1. Speech
What a character says and how they say it...very important.

2. Thoughts
What's going on inside a character's head? A lot probably!

3. Actions
What a character does can teach a reader, and other characters, a lot about them.

4. Reactions
How other characters respond to events.

5. Relationships The saying goes.........you can tell a lot about a person by who their friends are! Relationships reveal LOADS about a character!

6. Direct Description This is where the writer comes right out and tells you about the character!

OK WALLACE BALLACE, I (MISS S) JUST FOUND ALL OF THESE COMMENTS AND THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO POST THEM SO YOU CAN READ THEM ALL AT ONCE! THEY'VE BEEN COMING OVER THE PAST MONTH!!! MISS YOU LOVE YOU!

Gretta said...

I LOVE the Golden Compass + series

:)

A loving student said...

Hey Ms. Wallace! Glad to hear all is going well. HOPE YOU"RE BACK SOON! We miss you! (not that Ms. S isn't FANTASTIC). well, I came on looking for the vocab 10 list and found your blogs...very funny and cute! haha anyway, see ya later Ms. Wallace. Tell everyone your class says HI! WE LOVE YOU!



Hey its Ben H. I came here to find about homework and stumbled upon your wonderful blog. Ill keep looking for the homework. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I hope your daughter has a quick recovery and best wishes to you all.
Ben



Hey miss walace it's Prudence ... I just wanted to say hi and see how you were doing. I dought if you'll see this before I see you but it's the thought that counts. How is Hannah doing? My mom had leukimia when I was little it was a long period of being confused and upset but she pulled through it just as I'm sure Hannah will do! I wish you guys luck and tell Hannah I hope she feels better!!!
~Prudence


Hey Miss Walace ... I just wanted to say hi and see how you were doing. I dought if you'll see this before I see you but it's the thought that counts. How is Hannah? When I was little my mother had leukimia it was a long period of being confused and upset but she pulled through and I'm sure Hannah will do the same... I wish your family luck. Tell Hannah I hope she feels better!
~Prudence


I MISS YOUUUU! its just phebe popping in to see how youre doing...figured you needed a comment....hope to see you soon!


hi ms wallace its dan i miss you very much as well as danny and christian. We need and want you back but ms s is okay, she is acting just as you would and teaching us all the wonderful things neccesary. How is your reading going, are you getting your daily books in? it is good i found a way to get a hold of you and i hope that you write me back. and good luck to you and your daughter and have a very merry christmas! sincerely Dan Ferry

OKEY DOKEY, HERE'S VOCABULARY 13



BELLICOSE-adj- war-like, quarrelsome
The bellicose 6th graders kept on hitting eachother and calling eachother names during recess.

ABJURE-v- to renounce; to avoid or shun
It might be a good idea to adjure your peers when they make bad decisions

INGRATIATE-v- to get on someone's good side, to make oneself acceptable
If you want to get a good grade, you may want to ingratiate your teacher by bringing her a valentine.

JUDICIOUS-adj- wise, careful, showing good judgement
The judicious student always looked before crossing the street, didn't drive after midnight, and never did drugs.

LEVITY-n- lightness, lack of seriousness
The professor shouwed such levity with his lecture that the students were unable to take it seriously.

CORROSIVE-adj- acidlike, eating away gradually; bitterly sarcastic
The corrosive liquid destroyed the marble countertop.
The corrosive comments hurt the girls feelings so much that she went home after school and cried.

PARIAH-n- an outcast
Social pariahs, although they are often quiet and keep to themselves, can often be some of the smartest students.

STENTORIAN-adj- extremely loud
Every class has a stentorian student, you know, the one who doesn't shut up and will stop at nothing to be heard.

OBVIATE-v- to anticipate and prevent
Vaccinations can obviate the dangers of childhood diseases.
RETROGRESS-v- to move backward, to return to an earlier condition

Students who don't study or do their homework often retrogress instead of making progress

additional words for honors.........

BROWBEAT-v- to bully, to intimidate
If you want to browbeat on of your friends, you could say mean things, treat them poorly, or even spit on them

BRAZEN-adj- insolent, rude
The brazen secretary repeatedly rebuffed all questions the patients had and eventually ignored them altogether.

JUBILATION-n- rejoicing, celebration
The end of year jubilation included silly string, cleaning out of lockers, and LOTS of candy.

REPREHENSIBLE-adj- deserving blame
The student who burned all copies of The Catcher in the Rye was reprehensible and was punished appropriately.

WAGGISH-adj- mischievous
The waggish student was always sllipping in and out of class with a sly grin on his face.

EXTRA CREDIT:
RACONTEUR

SPASMODIC

PRATFALL

Greetings from Children's Hospital! Nothing much new to report here, but I wanted to say hello. How's school? How's reading? Writing?

I know I told you about the last book I was reading - it was Parched by Heather King. It was pretty good, but by the end, it got a little bit more religious. Hmmmm, that's not quite it. It's just the author started to feel more spiritual maybe and she talked less about other things. I recommend it, though. Interesting to get into the mind of this woman.

Now I'm reading Michael Crichton - State of Fear. I am really enjoying it - it is so quick to read even though it's 600+ pages. It's about environmental issues - global warming/climate change. It provides a lot of scientific information, and a lot of that information flies in the face of everything you may have heard in the media about global warming. I don't know what to believe! Which is good . . . I like when books really make me think, especially about issues that are important and I feel a bit ignorant about them.

Have you done your selfless acts yet? I'm still working on mine. I think I have an idea, though. It's going to be a little bit hard to do, because it requires me to swallow my pride and give up a revenge fantasy and really forgive someone I've been holding a grudge against for a long time. . . Wish me luck. Good luck to you, too.

I hope you are all doing well. I miss you. I'll keep in touch.

VOCABULARY 12


CIRCUMSPECT-ADJ- careful, cautious
HISTRIONIC-ADJ- over-acting, melodramatic, theatrical
DEBILITATE-V- to weaken, to sap the strength of
GESTICULATE-V- to make gestures, especially when speaking
DISMANTLE-V- to take apart
BUCOLIC-ADJ- pastoral, rural, rustic
ENERVATE-V- to weaken or destroy the strength of
EVANESCENT-ADJ- fleeting, gradually disappearing
DIDACTIC-ADJ- instructive, meant to teach
GARNER-V- to collect

and all you honors students can add on the following:

SQUANDER-V- to waster, to use extravagantly
PANDEMIC-ADJ- epidemic over a large region
GRUELING-ADJ- exhausting, difficult
BELLIGERENT-ADJ- war-like, ready to fight
LURID-ADJ- shocking and sensational; glowing through flames

x-tra credit: this differs from class to class depending on which words we assigned

PYE-DOG (MAY ALSO BE SPELLED PI-DOG)
PURULENCE
LIGER
DOGGO
BELLESLETTRES

ANYONE WHO WANTS TO POST THE DEFINITIONS OF EXTRA CREDIT WORDS MAY DO SO.

Hello, 10th grade English people! Hope you are all doing well - feeling mighty grateful after you amassed that collection of thankful lists. Doesn't it brighten your day to remember you have SOMETHING to be grateful about even when it's shivery and dark and snaining (snowing and raining) and your piggy bank is empty and your boyfriend is chasing some other girl and your mom threw out your Global Studies project and your brother stole your hat and you have wicked bedhead and . . . You've got to hang on to the positive. Right?!?@?@?@?@?@ I'm trying.

I'm reading an excellent book called Parched by Heather . . . Thomas? Maybe. I'll double check the last name. Anyway, it's a memoir of an alcoholic in the making - and goes on to reveal how she made it. It reveals a lot of telling stuff about her family - not how they hung out in bars and beat her but how they had sort of a famly philosophy, a family ethos, which contributed to her drinking. I like that so far, she's not a blamer - she's not saying her mom was so horrible that she turned to the drink. She's accepting of her circumstances and her own weakness. She does cite the Bible at the start of many chapters which worried me at first - was this going to be a FOUND-GOD kind of memoir, but it's not. It's real and not depressing and not too easy; Excellent.

I'm in the hospital now with Hannah. She's pretty miserable. All her hair has fallen out except a pink fringe around her face - kind of a pink tinged lion look. She has enjoyed hearing from many of you on her care page. You guys are so nice. Hannah had a spinal tap and a bone marrow aspiration and chemotherapy injected in her spinal fluid last Friday, and she's still not recovered from the subsequent painful headaches and nausea. Her sisters came up today - Olivia was getting checked out for her bone marrow donation which should be coming up soon. We got all the information about it. It's kinda overwhelming - even when Hannah finally leaves the hospital, we'll have to be here daily for check ins and checkups. When she finally gets home, She's going to be pretty isolated for 6 months or more. Wow.

I miss school. I miss you. I'm sorry I haven't seen you. It's just not going to be possible for a while. I know Ms. S is working her brains out. Be kind. She has a lot to teach you. Remember, she has studied under the master. (ME!)

Dan Ferry and Danny Thomas - how are those Philip Craig books coming? Are you almost finished?
Antone - How's the Rusty Nail? Gruesome enough? Hey - do you still want some carpentry work? I'm pretty desperate. Tell Ms. S. if you do, and then we can arrange to get my front steps fixed. Thanks!

Max - Thanks for writing to Hannah! Aja and Shelby, too! I know there are more of you, but I can't remember this second!

Prudence - way to go with finding cool word pool words!

I'll keep blogging!

Ok Chicklets, here's the deal with assignments:
Grateful Lists are due on 4 or 5 of December, depending on what day you have class. They were assigned three weeks ago and you are expected to have them in hand when you get to class. There has been a reminder on the board for the last three weeks so NO EXCUSES!

WRITING PIECES:
Congratulations Honors Classes on turning in your first writing pieces of the quarter, YAY!
Your other due dates are as follows:
15 DECEMBER
5 JANUARY

COLLEGE I:
You have writing pieces due on......
TUESDAY 12 DECEMBER or WEDNESDAY 13 DECEMBER
3 or 4 of JANUARY!!!!!

SMILEY FACE TRICKS! :o)

Smiley-Face Tricks

1~ MAGIC 3—Lists, examples, adjectivs......three examples in a series can create a rhythm, or add support for a point, they add emphasis and a poetic, musical quiality for listeners/readers :

In those woods, I spent hours LISTENING to the wind rustle the leaves, CLIMBING trees and spying on nesting birds, and GIVING the occasional wild growl to scare away any pink-flowered girls who might be riding their bikes too closely to my secret entrance.

2~REPETITION FOR EFFECT—Writers often repeat specially chosen words or phrases to make a point, to stress certain ideas for the reader........repeat a symbol, sentence starter, important word for importance. This is not because you can't think of another work, repetition for effect is always conscious!

The veranda is your only shelter AWAY FROM the sister in bed asleep, AWAY FROM the brother who plays in the tree house in the field, AWAY FROM your chores that await you.

3~ SPECIFIC DETAILS FOR EFFECT—Instead of general, vague descriptions, specific sensory details help the reader visualize the person, place, thing, or idea—uh, you know, a SHOW as opposed to tell! Add vivid and specific information to your writing to clarify anf create word pictures. thundered instead of noise, cadillac instead of car.....you get the point.

It’s one of those experiences where you want to CALL A RADIO STATION and tell your problems to SOME GUY WHO CALLS HIMSELF DR. MYKE but who isn’t more of a doctor than your pet hamster is, one of those experiences where you want to READ A SAPPY HARLEQUIN NOVEL and LISTEN TO BARRY MANILOWE with a BOX OF BONBONS AS YOUR BEST FRIEND, one of those experiences where you wouldn’t be surprised if someone came up to you and asked EXACTLY WHAT TIME YESTERDAY YOU WERE BORN. Yeah, one of those.


4~ FIGURATIVE LANGUAGE—Non-literal comparisons such as similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia, symbolism, irony, alliteration, assosance etc —add “spice” to writing and can help paint a more vivid picture for the reader:

~SIMILIES~ comepare using like or as...stiff AS a board

~METAPHORS~ compares without using like or as... her face is an opsn book

~HYERBOLE~ an extreme exaggeration... so hungry i could eat a horse

~ONOMATOPOEIA~ a word that sounds like what it means... BAM! BOOM! ZAP! CRUNCH!

~ALLITERATION~ repetition of beginning consonant sound...peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers...gives noise and music to the piece of writing

~ASSONANCE~ related to alliteration, the dark side of it, repetition of vowel sound in neighboring words...rain in spain....but it doesn't have to rhyme...hEat of the mEan girls' argument is a near rhyme

The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses on its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. (Natalie Babbitt, Tuck Everlasting)

5~ FULL-CIRCLE ENDING - When you include an image at the beginning of a piece of writing and then mentioning it again at the end, it gives your piece a sense of closure.

6~ HYPHENATED MODIFIERS— When you connect two adjectives or adverbs together with a hyphen to describe a noun, it lends an air of originality and sophistication to your writing. Sometimes a new way of saying something can make all the difference; hyphenated modifiers, or single-thought adjectives, often cause the reader to “sit up and take notice.” They add originality and more flavor to writing and allow you to invent words:

She’s got this chestnut hair with reddish-orange highlights, parted in the middle, past her shoulders, and straight as a preacher. She’s got big green eyes that all guys admire and all girls envy, and this I’m-so-beautiful-and-I-know-it body; you know, like every other super model.

7~ EXPANDED MOMENT—Instead of “speeding” past a moment, writers often emphasize it by “expanding” the actions, developing it fully to make your reader take notice. Taking a moment you would ordinarily speed past and stretch it out intentionally. This makes writing BETTER, not longer!

But no, I had to go to school. And, as I said before, I had to listen to my math teacher preach about numbers and letters and parallelograms. I was tired of hearing her lecture about a=b divided by x. I glared at the small black hands on the clock, silently threatening them to go faster. But they didn’t listen, and I caught myself wishing I were in a swimsuit again, mindlessly nudging white sand that married pale-blue water, flipping the soft stiff pages of Camus’ The Stranger… I don’t belong in some dumb math class. I belong on the beach where the wind whips wheat-colored strands of hair into my eyes and where I thickly slurp virgin Pina Coladas all day. I want to grip a straw not a mechanical pencil that will try unsuccessfully to write the answers to meaningless questions.

8~ HUMOR—Professional writers know the value of laughter; even subtle humor can help turn a “boring” paper into one that can raise someone’s spirits. Whenever possible and appropriate, inject a little humor to keep your reader awake. Remind the rader that reading is fun!

And you—yes, you, Justin!—were the guilty party who, after I took off my shoes to enjoy the hot pavement in early spring, put a frog in them. Of course, I didn’t look at the shoes when I put them back on; it was the squish that gave your prank away.

HONORS AND COLLEGE I VOCABULARY 11 for Week of 4-8 December!
Sentences due Wednesday or Thursday and Quiz is Thursday or Friday!!


ingenuous-adj- innocent; sincere

altruistic-adj- selfless

arduous-adj- difficult, hard

venal-adj- open to bribery or corruption

capricious-adj- changeable, whimsical

sycophant-n- flatterer, suck-up

vacuous-adj- stupid or inane, devoid of meaning

ungainly-adj- awkward, clumsy

quell-v- to suppress or quiet by force

strident-adj- loud, harsh, doscordant, grating



additional words for honors:


cherubic-adj- angelic, innocent

meddlesome-adj- interfering

reprisal-n- retaliation

ebullient-adj- enthusiastic

dogged-adj- stubborn and perservering

COLLEGE II VOCABULARY 6

HERETIC-N- someone who goes against a church

LAUDABLE-ADJ- praiseworthy

PROPENSITY-N- tendency, inclination

INDEFATIGABLE-ADJ- tireless

IMPARTIAL-ADJ- fair

PRAGMATIC-ADJ- practical

PERUSE-V- to study, to look over carefully

OVERT-ADJ- obvious

MITIGATE-V- to relieve, to make less intenst

IRRELEVANT-ADJ- not realted, not important

Okay,gang, I said I'd be there and I wasn't. I'm sorry. I wanted to, but my trip was cut shorter than I'd hoped. It was either go to school or take care of my own kids. I had to choose them. I hope I'll be able to come in soon, but I can't make any promises.

I finished The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. It was good; I recommend. I'm now reading How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young. It's a memoir, so it's mostly true. It's about this journalist from England who comes to NY to work for Vanity Fair and basically earns the contempt of everyone in the city. He claims to be the kind of guy who walks across a crowded room of people he doesn't know, and by the time he gets to the other side, 10 people hate him. My kind of guy. Wonder if he wants to be my boyfriend. Anyway, it's very funny and also informative about NY magazine life - Vogue, GQ, Vanity Fair, etc. And it does some name-dropping of celebrities. It's good.

So my daughter Olivia is a bone-marrow match for Hannah which is good news. Hopefully, Hannah will go into remission in the next few weeks and be able to accept the transplant. If anyone is interested in hearing from Hannah, she has a webpage - you can see pictures of her hair which I dyed pink and purple! as well as other interesting tidbits - go to www.carepages.com, go to visit a care page, click sign up, and then go to hannahmontana to visit Hannah!

Hope everyone had a nice holiday. Are you already working yourselves up for vacation? Be nice to Ms. S and do some fabulous writing and READ!

VOCABULARY 10, HERE IT IS! Sorry it's late!


HONORS


QUISLING-n-a traitor, someone who betrays his/her country to help an invading enemy

PAINSTAKING-adj-very carefule, attentive

NEFARIOUS-adj-wicked, evil

PRECLUDE-v-to prevent

PROVINCIAL-adj-unsophisticated, countrified

RECCALCITRANT-adj-unmanageable, refusing to follow rules

SYBARITE-n-a person devoted to luxury and pleasure, a hedonist

JUXTAPOSE-v-to place side by side to compare or contrast

FECUND-adj-fertile, productive

GAMESOME-adj-merry, frolicsome

DOLT-n-idiot, stupid person

AGAPE-adj-open-mouthed

IMPECCABLE-adj-perfect, flawless

RESPLENDENT-adj- brilliant, lustrous

PERORATE-v- to lecture or give a sermon





C1

MOROSE-adj-gloomy and bad tempered

PAINSTAKING-adj-very carefule, attentive

NEFARIOUS-adj-wicked, evil

PRECLUDE-v-to prevent

PROVINCIAL-adj-unsophisticated, countrified

RECCALCITRANT-adj-unmanageable, refusing to follow rules

RESCIND-v-to take back, cancel, appeal

JUXTAPOSE-v-to place side by side to compare or contrast

FECUND-adj-fertile, productive

SUBSTANTIATE-v-to support with proof or verify

ex. cred: GAMESOME
QUISLING

Okay, maybe I'm obsessively blogging; so what? It's better than watching Cow Belles on Disney . . . Did you have a nice holiday? We had a nice hospital dinner - better than you would have thought. My mom came up which was nice, but it's kind of hard to be trapped in a hospital room with your family. There aren't enough chairs and there aren't a lot of stories and the kid who is being visited is way too occupied listening to and playing with the new ipod her nana brought her - how come I didn't get an ipod? My mom likes Hannah better than she likes me . . . Anyway, I started to do a 1000 piece puzzle, but I lost my patience. Read another 100 pages of Golden Compass - it's really quite good. It reminds me of the Wrinkle in Time books - tapping into your instincts and lost powers and communication without words and such. I want to be like Lyra and I really want a daemon so that I'll never be lonely or sad or alone. The little kids DIE without daemons. I WANT ONE! It's hard to read, because I need to really concentrate on the book because it's so good and mystical and meaningful, but, as I've mentionned, the hospital has MANY distractions. I should probably just read some frothy trash, but I'm determined to focus and finish. I tried to listen to books on tape/cd while I was driving. Not a winner for me. I have to see the words on the page. I must be a visual learner. What about you? Do you learn by seeing or hearing or doing or WHAT?

Hmmmmmmm. . . grateful:
1. Olivia and Emma came today and I miss them and I almost had to cry when they left.
2. Grey's Anatomy is on tonight.
3. I didn't eat salad today
4. I'm doing laundry tomorrow.
5. I have a blog so I can do something besides listen to the Disney Channel.
6. I do love Hannah Montana; she's very cute and her songs are pretty zippy. We own her CD.
7. I've been doing lots of crossword puzzles.
8. I'm at the hospital so I don't have to clean my house this week.
9. It's raining outside so that always makes me feel cozy inside.
10. I took a little snoozy nap today which was very peaceful and comfy and warm and hopefully will keep me from falling asleep before Grey's Anatomy even starts . . .

Happy Turkey Day!!!

Hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving! We're looking forward to a sumptuous feast in the hospital. Apparently, a family who once spent turkey day here and who now own a restaurant will be providing a very special meal. Will there be sweet potatoes? Turnip? Stuffing? Sparkling cider? I'll give you an update on Monday.

That's ri ght - Monday! I'll be your teacher on Monday and Tuesday next week. It will be like old times; we'll do vocabulary and READ and correct sentences. E period will even get to take a vocabulary quiz under my watchful eye! Yeah! I can't wait; Monday can't come soon enough.

Speaking of reading . . . I can't anymore. It's so hard to concentrate in the hospital - especially when you have a roommate who is watching Hannah Montana and Sponge Bob . . . I'm trying to read The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman. I think it's really good - I'm 100 pages in but I can't FOCUS!!! If I could just have like 30 minutes of QUIET! Hopefully, you'll give that to me on Mon/Tues during reading time. . .

I've been watching another tv series (I finished Grey's Anatomy - LOVED it so much I bought all the dvds). Anyway, I've been watching Weeds. Some of you would probably like it because it's very funny, but it's rather inappropriate and irreverent. Just remember, the message is: drugs are bad! just say NO! I do love the star - Mary Louise Parker. She's beautiful and funny and reminds me of Lorelei in Gilmore Girls.

So I guess I'll do another grateful list, because I'm not feeling very cheery tonight and when you're down in the dumps, it's a good idea to remember what you have to be grateful about. . .

1. Hannah is feeling much better and is up and about entertaining the whole floor.
2. Emma and Olivia are coming up to eat Thanksgiving breakfast, and we were afraid they wouldn't be able to come.
3. My friend Christine and her husband and her beautiful baby came for a visit today.
4. My friend Melissa and her baby visited for the whole day yesterday, and we ate Bertucci's for dinner. Yum - eggplant parmesan.
5. We have lovely, funny nurses.
6. Hannah was begging for steak for lunch today, and I went to get it; the manager gave it to us for free. Wow.
7. My friends are the very best; they love me even when I'm grumpy.
8. I saw many of my favorite friends over the weekend.
9. My mom is coming to visit tomorrow.
10. The Gilmore Girls are on at 7PM every day. Hip hip hooray!
11. I get to see all of you next week!!!!!

Hello, friends. I'm still in Boston, and I miss you - well, MOST of you. . . Just kidding. I probably miss you ANNOYING folks most of all. . . Are you doing everything Ms. S says? She's pretty smart and wonderful, so be nice to her, please! I am coming in to school this Friday; be on the lookout for me. I am going to try to teach (sort of) E and F periods. A, B, and C period people - please stop by for a visit!

ARE YOU READING? WRITING? I've only been reading a little bit. It's hard to concentrate up here, but I'm going to try to read more. I read one called Chore Whore (oops - naughty word) that was pretty good about some woman who was a personal assistant to the stars. It's a novel, but the author really was a personal assistant for 20+ years and the front of the book says 98% true. . . I always like to read about how hard other people's silly lives are and how the rich and famous live. Now I'm reading one called Three Dog Night (I think) about a woman whose husband gets hit by a car and sustains a brain injury. It's a memoir, so it's a true personal account. Just started it. I wasted 100 pages on some other book (can't remember the name) that I decided I hated. And I've been reading People and Star and Oprah and Us and doing lots of crosswords. And I've watched two seasons of Gray's Anatomy on DVD - that's the best show EVER (besides the Gilmore Girls). I highly recommend. But don't watch tv - READ!!!!!

Are you working on grateful lists? I am . . .

1. the color pink
2. Hannah is up and around
3. I love my job
4. BOOKS!
5. friends who at least pretend to like me
6. Hershey's almond kisses
7. I'm seeing Emma and Olivia tomorrow
8. I'm going to school on Friday!
9. portable DVD players when you can't sleep
10. text messaging

NEW THREE WEEK PROJECT!

I know, i know, nothing can be as exiciting as something you've never done before, but this one is pretty GREAT if i do say so myself. ok, ready? here it is:

GRATEFUL LISTS!

Yay, you get to make lists of things you are grateful for, what can be more fun than that? NOTHING!

HONORS: 10 LISTS OF 10
COLLEGE I: 8 LISTS OF 10
COLLEGE II: 5 LISTS OF 10

THESE ARE DUE ON THE 4 or 5 OF DECEMBER, but start them now!

COLLEGE II VOCABULARY 5
IF YOU ARE IN COLLEGE I OR HONORS, PLEASE SEE POST BELOW OF VOCABULARY 9

but if you are in the right place......

Vocabulary Lesson 5

1. chimerical - adj. - absurd, wildly fanciful, imaginative

2. cogent - adj. - strong and convincing

3. cursory - adj. - quickly and without attention to detail

4. derogatory - adj. - negative and degrading

5. discerning - adj. - perceptive, shrewd, observant

6. dormant - adj. - asleep, at rest

7. embroil - v - to involve or engage (in a quarrel)

8. deft - adj. - skillful, adept, nimble

9. fallacy - n - false idea, mistaken belief

10. galvanize - v - to stimulate, stir up, or get started


Extra credit:
solidus - n
crepuscular - adj.
cysticercoid - n
counterpane - n
popple - n, v

VOCABULARY 9
Sentences DUE on Wednesday or Thursday 11/15 or 11/16 and QUIZ is on Thursday or Friday 11/16 or 11/17!



duplicity-n- deceitfulness

emulate-v- to try to equal or surpass

euphemism-n- a nice way of saying something that is harsh

fastidious-adj- hard to please, particular

garbled-adj- confused mixture

hierarchy-n- organization by rank or class

impassive-adj- without feeling or emotion

indigent-adj- poverty stricken

jargon-n- specialized vocabulary of members of a group

lethargic-adj- drowsy, dull sluggish


ADDITIONAL FIVE FOR HONORS!


panache-n- flair, flamboyance

inept-adj- incompetent

disconsolate-adj- sad

somnolent-adj- half-asleep

nepotism-n- favoritism to a relative



EXTRA CREDIT-
scofflaw-n- one who flouts laws....traffic, liquor, etc

perspicuous-adj- easily understood

perspicacious-adj- having good judgement, discerning

operculum-n- body process or part that suggests a lid, the covering of the gills of a fish

interstice-n- crack, crevice

Hi, gang.

Do you miss me? I miss you. Luckily, you have the lovely and talented Ms. S to entertain and educate you while I'm away. Just don't forget about me . . .

As you may know, my daughter Hannah has been diagnosed with leukemia. It was caused by one of the medicines she needed to take last year in order to get rid of her tumor. She is going to have to spend the next several months in the hospital kicking the cancer's butt. I am going to be spending a lot of time here as well. I will be planning lessons for you and directing from behind the scenes, but we won't be seeing each other as often as we'd planned. I will come to school whenever I can; I just don't know yet when that is going to be.

You are such excellent classes - I hate that I'm not going to be with you all the time. Be nice to Ms. S, and hopefully I will see you soon.

I know, I know - I'm posting the vocabulary early this week . . . I'm not going to be here tomorrow (Tuesday, 11/7), and I wanted to be sure that everyone had access to the definitions. It's a short week this week so quizzes and sentences will be on WEDNESDAY for E and F periods and on THURSDAY for A, B, and C periods.

Three-week projects are due on Monday, 11/6 and Tuesday, 11/7. A, B, and C - you have dialogue journals due on Thursday, 11/9. I want to get writing assignments (new ones) SOON - more info. to follow, but plan on some time in the next week . . .

Vocabulary Lesson 8:

1. adulterate - v - to corrupt, contaminate, or pollute
If a company doesn't dispose of its waste properly, neighboring water supply could be adulterated.

2. aloof - adj. - standoffish, indifferent, not interested
At parties, I tend to be aloof; I have trouble socializing with large groups.

3. apochryphal - adj. - false, counterfeit
The student invented apochryphal tales to explain why his homework was missing.

4. belittle - v - to make something seem unimportant, to trivialize
Even though my daughter's problems seem trivial to me, I try not to belittle them because they are important to her.

5. capitulate - v - to surrender, to give in
If we don't capitulate to the criminal's demands, she may kill the hostages.

6. crestfallen - adj. - discouraged, disappointed
I was crestfallen when I discovered that I hadn't even been nominated for teacher of the year.

7. conciliatory - adj. - meant to soothe or reconcile
After an argument, it's nice to make conciliatory remarks to smooth things over.

8. dearth - n - shortage
I always worry about having a dearth of food - I like to stock up in case of emergency.

9. desecrate - v - to treat with disrespect
Vandals who desecrate graves with graffiti can be arrested.

10. diffident - adj. - shy; modest, unassertive
The diffident little boy didn't even correct the teacher when she called him by the wrong name.

HONORS ONLY:

11. spectral - adj. - ghostly
We were frightened by the spectral glow that filled the room.

12. mendacious - adj. - lying, false
The student's mendacious accusation cost the teacher her job.

13. guffaw - n - boisterous laughter
When you hear a guffaw coming from my classroom, you know it's because I've just told one of my hilarious jokes.

14. bilk - v - to swindle or cheat
At the flea market, I tried to bilk the old man so I could get the antique chairs for a song.

15. pusillanimous - adj. - cowardly, faint-hearted
It was pusillanimous to run away from the problem instead of facing the music.

I know, I know . . . I didn't get Vocabulary 7 up yesterday . . . It was Halloween; give me a break, Max!!! Here it is:

Vocabulary 7:

1. quintessence - n - the purest form, the most typical example
2. tentative - adj. - not definite; hesitant
3. repugnant - adj. - disgusting, loathsome (um . . . MAYONNAISE!)
4. venerate - v - to honor, to treat with great respect (what you should do to your
English teacher)
5. sophomoric - adj. - immature; over-confident
6. stultifying - adj. - causing to appear stupid, rendering useless
7. stark - adj. - harsh, desolate, grim, bleak
8. rebuff - v - to reject, to snub
9. voracious - adj. - ravenous, greedy
10. quiescent - adj. - dormant, inactive, at rest

Honors only:

11. xenophobia - n - fear of foreigners, fear of strangers
12. besmirch - v - to tarnish or soil
13. imprudent - adj. - not careful
14. penurious - adj. - stingy, parsimonious
15. perfunctory - adj. - superficial, not thorough, half-hearted

Extra credit:

nictitate - v
emotophobia - n
scuttlebutt - n
coulrophobia - n
oenophile - n

Are you happy now? Max? I'll be happy at midnight tonight . . . Know why? Because then I'll be voraciously reading!!! I'm thinking about setting my alarm for 12:01.

Hello, my favorite friends!
Did you miss vocabulary last week? I know I did! Not to worry - business as usual this week! I'll post the words for list 7 tomorrow (Halloween). . .

In the meantime, keep in mind: 3-week project for ALL classes is due 11/6 or 11/7. I've given up READING, so even if you're normally a slacker, you'd better pull out all the stops for this one!

F period dialogue journals are due Thursday, 11/2.

Revise your writing pieces . . . Okay, I know that you don't all have them back yet - I'm working on it!

I'd like to get another writing piece in by the end of next week or so . . . A period started an A - Z brainstorming today - Finish up through G by Wednesday! B and C periods are just starting smiley-face tricks - shhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Don't tell them what they are yet!

Anybody found the 823-word sentence in Les Miserables yet? Extra credit offered to the first finder . . . A finder's fee!

Vocabulary 7 sentences are due on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

Anybody still missing assignments? Dialogue journals? Old 3-week projects? Quizzes? Better take care of those . . . the quarter is rapidly ending!

Wow! There's a lot of learning going on around here!

Hey - all of you in periods A, B, C, and F are supposed to have written first drafts of a piece of writing! The pieces can be poems (not single haikus), stories, songs, essays, research papers, memoirs, letters, etc. Follow your muse. By next class, you should be ready to revise. That requires reading ALOUD to yourself or to someone else. Are you ready???????

Vocabulary Lesson 6

1. heretic - n - someone who goes against a church
2. laudable - adj. - praiseworthy
3. propensity - n - tendency, inclination
4. indefatigable - adj. - tireless
5. impartial - adj - unbiased, fair
6. pragmatic - adj - practical
7. peruse - v - to study, to look over carefully
8. overt - adj. - obvious
9. mitigate - v - to make less intense, to relieve
10. irrelevant - adj - not related, not important

Honors only:

11. dawdle - v - to linger, to go slowly
12. doddering - adj - shaky
13. glutinous - adj. - sticky
14. malediction - n - a curse
15. pundit - n - a learned person

Extra Credit:
joypop - v
poshlust - n
upsilamba - n

Vocabulary Lesson 5

1. chimerical - adj. - absurd, wildly fanciful, imaginative
2. cogent - adj. - strong and convincing
3. cursory - adj. - quickly and without attention to detail
4. derogatory - adj. - negative and degrading
5. discerning - adj. - perceptive, shrewd, observant
6. dormant - adj. - asleep, at rest
7. embroil - v - to involve or engage (in a quarrel)
8. deft - adj. - skillful, adept, nimble
9. fallacy - n - false idea, mistaken belief
10. galvanize - v - to stimulate, stir up, or get started

Honors only:

11. extirpate - v - to destroy completely; to tear up by the roots
12. craven - adj. - cowardly
13. impecunious - adj. - without money
14. restive - adj. - unmanageable
15. turbid - adj. - muddy

Extra credit:
solidus - n
crepuscular - adj.
cysticercoid - n
counterpane - n
popple - n, v

3 WEEK PROJECT........... I WENT SKYDIVING!!!!!!!!!!!


We had super nifty parachutes and jumped from 14,000 feet!










We had a gorgeous day up in Maine. We took the 6:00am boat, arrived in time for our 11:00 safety class and made the jump at 2:00pm. There were no seatbelts in the plane but we still felt pretty safe.












Here is a picture of Ms. S and me in our fabulous jumpsuits and harnesses! Aren't we AMAZING?

Are you visiting the BLOG? Well, I guess you are! Hooray for you! And hooray for me for making it available to you! We're great! Is this fun or what? Pretty soon, I'll have smiley-face tricks up here, too!

Vocabulary Lesson 4

1. aversion - n - strong dislike

2. unequivocal - adj. - very clear, obvious

3. alleviate - v - to relieve, to make easier

4. voluminous - adj. - large; enough to fill volumes

5. callous - adj. - unfeeling, insensitive

6. tenets - n - principles, beliefs, or truths held by a group

7. abstinence - n - the giving up of certain pleasures like food, drink, sex, etc.

8. antithesis - n - direct opposite

9. validate - v - to verify or substantiate

10. surreptitiously - adv. - sneakily, slyly

Five more for Honors:

11. fracas - n - brawl, melee

12. munificent - adj. - very generous

13. complacent - adj. - self-satisfied

14. veracious - adj. - truthful

15. mendicant - n - beggar

Extra Credit:

hemidemisemiquaver - n
plug-ugly - n
fustigate - v
terpsichorean - adj.
bowyer - n

VOCABULARY 3


meticulous-adj- careful about details, fussy

opulent-adj- wealthy; luxuriant

peripheral-adj- external; tangential (not central)

ponderous-adj- heavy; dull or tiresome

prolific-adj- producing a lot; having many children

raze-v- to destroy or tear down

repudiate-v- to reject, to refuse or acknowledge

salutary-adj- healthful, useful

serene-adj- peaceful

stringent-adj- strict or severe



ADDITIONAL 5 FOR HONORS:

coddle-v- to treat indulgently

spendthrift-n- one who wastes money

hoodwinked-v- deceived or cheated

tatterdemalion-n- a raggedy person

gingerly-adv- carefully


EXTRA CREDIT:

elephant folio-n-
anaphora-n-
sphygmomanometer-n-
unciform-adj-

Vocabulary Lesson 2

dogmatic - adj. - certain that opinions and beliefs are true; arrogant
embellish - v - to decorate; to add to
esoteric - adj. - understood by only a select few
facilitate - v - to make easier
furtive - adj. - sneaky, secretive
hedonist - n - one who lives for pleasure
immutable - adj. - never changing
incorrigible - adj. - unable to be reformed
irrefutable - adj. - cannot be disproved
latent - adj. - present but invisible

Additional words for honors:

amorphous - adj. - shapeless
benison - n - blessing
celerity - n - speed
doldrums - n - blues, sadness
extemporaneous - adj. - unplanned, impromptu