Hello, you crazy cats! This just might be our last blog entry for the year . . . I might post once more just to make sure you are all clear about exam procedures.

Reminders: This week, you have drafting and vocabulary due, same as always. We're on lesson 30 - our final lesson. All dialogue journals and writing pieces and three-week projects should have been turned in by now. Your homework is to be preparing your writing for the final exam and studying vocabulary.

C period - if you didn't complete your how-to writing, it needs to be finished AS SOON AS POSSIBLE! Please make arrangements to work on it with me or in your resource room or in your learning center. You will be getting final exam materials today (Wednesday, 6/4) and a new vocabulary list (14). I will post the list later this week.

Vocabulary Lesson 30:

relegate - v - to assign (to a less important position)
retract - v - to take back, to draw back in
paroxysm - n - a sudden outburst or attack
squalid - adj. - dirty, wretched; morally repulsive
stopgap - n - a temporary measure
tawdry - adj. - gaudy and cheap
turbulence - n - violent motion, disorder
urbane - adj. - suave, sophisticated
virtuoso - n - one with great skill or technique
disquiet - v - to cause anxiety or worry

Honors only:
castigate - v - to criticize harshly
insensate - adj. - lacking sensation or feeling
vainglorious - adj. - boastful, overly proud
apposite - adj. - suitable, right for the occasion
gambol - v - to leap about and frolic

Hi, Gang!
Yay! No MCAS this week! We can go on with English as usual . . . no pesky Scattergories or fictionary or Taboo to interrupt our vocabulary lessons and drafting and dialogue journals and writing pieces. Phew!

Do you realize that we only have TWO full weeks of regular school left? I can't believe it!!! You're going to miss me . . . and drafting . . . and vocabulary . . . and dialogue journals . . . aren't you?

Lots of stuff coming up due.

Exam handouts are going out this week in periods B, D, F, and H. C period - you'll get yours next week. The handouts will tell you what our exam is going to look like and what you should study and how to prepare. In all classes, the final will be similar in format to the midterm except there will not be a random MCAS writing prompt. More about exams next week.

Three-week projects (do something differently) are due in all classes on 5/28 or 5/29. Be ready to write about your experience.

B, D, F, H - EVERYONE has drafting, dialogue journals (last time!), vocabulary sentences, and vocabulary quizzes due on Thursday/Friday this week. (5/29 or 5/30)

D & H - You were supposed to have a polished piece due this week. If you have it, FANTABULOUS! If not, I've moved the due date to next Tuesday ( 6/3) or Wednesday (6/4). Those are MCAS days, so do it in advance if you are worried about being tired or stressed.

Vocabulary - we have this week and next week left for vocabulary. For C period, you will have a quiz on list 13 next Monday (6/2), and you will get list 14 on Wednesday (6/4). All other classes, you have lesson 29 due this week, and we'll do list 30 next week.

Vocabulary 29:

apoplectic - adj. - extremely angry
vespertine - adj. - occurring in the evening
deterge - v- to wipe or wash away
cosmopolitan - adj. - sophisticated, worldly
jactation - n - boasting or bragging
elucidate - v - to make clear by explanation
tintinnabulation - n - the ringing of bells
odious - adj. - arousing strong dislike
bedaub - v - to soil or smear
bravado - n - defiant or swaggering behavior; cockiness

Honors:
legerdemain - n - trickery, slight of hand
sepulchral - adj. - suggestive of a grave
lilliputian - adj. - extremely small
vehemence - n - ardor, fervor
umbral - adj. - dark, in shadows

Extra credit:
deus ex machina -n
verisimilitude - n
tourbillion - n
otiose - adj.


Vocabulary 13 - C period -
bellicose - adj. - war-like, quarrelsome
abjure - v - to shun
ingratiate - v - to get on someone's good side
judicious - adj. - wise, careful, showing good judgement
levity - n - lightness, lack of seriousness
corrosive - adj. - acid-like, eating away
pariah - n - outcast
stentorian - adj. - extremely loud
obviate - v - to prevent
retrogress - v - to move backward, to return to an earlier condition

That about does it for this week. Later, gators.

Hello, folks! Look at me blogging EARLY! Who's the best English teacher EVER???

Okay, vocabulary for C period is the same this week as last week - you guys have a quiz this Friday!

Everybody else, your new list:

Vocabulary 28

1. iconoclast - n - a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions
2. incisive - adj. - keen, penetrating, cutting, sharp
3. insurgent - adj./n - someone who rises in revolt; revolt-ing, rebellious
4. laconic - adj. - brief or terse
5. marred - adj. - damaged
6. obsolete - adj. - outdated
7. peerless - adj. - having no equal, better than the rest
8. sally - n - a sudden rushing forth to attack; a quick witticism
9. prodigious - adj. - enormous, extraordinary
10. quixotic - adj. - idealistic and impractical

Honors only:
11. snivel - v - to cry and sniffle and whine and complain
12. imperious - adj. - overbearing, arrogant
13. rhapsodize - v - to gush, to speak enthusiastically
14. truculent - adj. - ready to fight
15. bedizen - v - to dress or decorate in a gaudy or tasteless way

Extra credit:

blatherskite, n
katzenjammer, n
colporteur, n
zarf, n


Due dates:

B pd. : sentences 5/14; quiz, drafting 5/16; polished piece 5/20
C pd. : quiz 5/16
D pd. : sentences, 5/14; quiz, drafting, dialogue journal 5/16
F pd. : sentences, drafting, quiz 5/15; polished piece 5/19
H pd. : sentences, drafting, quiz, dialogue journal 5/15

Hmmmm.... Ms. Wallace is posting on a WEEKEND. I wonder why? She must have run out of books to read!

Not a chance! I have plenty of books. I'm almost done with Killing Britney. Disturbing but fascinating.

I just wanted to thank all of you for the best birthday ever! Wow - I think this was the best birthday I've had since I was a little kid. There were delicious treats and presents and well wishers and kind and thoughtful people. You guys are GREAT! I love birthdays!

I also wanted to do a quick update for D period and the ice cream parlor writing. . . Remember, you are writing a dialogue - ALL dialogue - between the soda jerk and the guy who skipped his weight watchers meeting to get an ice cream and feels super guilty. You will reveal their individual characters through their dialogue ONLY. You only need to spend about 10 minutes on this one - it's not a polished piece! It's FUN!

Sorry to be posting so late - I KNOW! How could you POSSIBLY do your homework without the blog!?!?!?! I've been having some computer issues, okay? And my birthday is this week, so give me a break!!! And a present wouldn't kill you. . .

Okay. What's due? Hey - that sounds like "what's new" but replace the "new" with "due"! Cool!

B period: Make-up work was due Tuesday, 5/6; drafting and sentences and quiz and dialogue journals are due on 5/8 (MY BIRTHDAY); I think that's it.

C period: Writing pieces were due last week. Vocabulary definitions were done in class on Tuesday, 5/6.

D period: Make-up work was due Tuesday, 5/6; polished writing was due 5/6 also; drafting and sentence and quiz are due on 5/8 (Did I mention that's MY BIRTHDAY?).

F period: Drafting, quizzes, and dialogue journals are due on Friday, 5/9.

H period: Drafting and quizzes are due on Friday, 5/9. Polished writing was due on Monday, 5/5.

For C period students, your vocabulary is:
1. circumspect - adj. - cautious, careful
2. histrionic - adj. - overly dramatic
3. debilitate - v - to weaken
4. gesticulate - v - to make gestures when speaking
5. dismantle - v - to take apart
6. bucolic - adj. - rural, from the country
7. enervate - v - to weaken
8. evanescent - adj. - short-lived
9. didactic - adj. - instructive, meant to teach
10. garner - v - to collect

Everyone else, your vocabulary is:
1. coalesce- v - to combine or merge
2. corroborate - v- to confirm or verify
3. delineate - v - to describe in words or outline
4. diatribe - n - a bitter verbal attack
5. disposition - n - personality; tendency
6. egregious - adj. - extraordinarily bad
7. ephemeral - adj. - short-lived
8. expedite - v - to speed up
9. forlorn - adj. - neglected and sad
10. gullible - adj. - easily deceived

Honors:
11. raspy - adj. - harsh, grating
12. rancor - n - bitterness, hatred
13. ignominious - adj. - disgraceful
14. goad - v - to urge on
15. gamely - adv. - bravely, with spirit

Extra Credit:
brumal - adj.
quincunx - n
macaronic - adj.
opprobrium - n
prosody - n

Hello, my happy back-from-vacation friends! Long time no blog . . . I know. I slacked on the week before vacation. You missed me, didn't you? Many of you came in so annoyed - "Ms. Wallace, the words weren't on the blog!" "Ms. Wallace, how could I do the homework without the blog?" "Ms. Wallace, do you think you could update the blog sometime this month?!?!?!?!" Wow - I didn't know you cared! So here's this week's entry - and it's a day early so stop your caterwauling!

So much due, so little time. . .

B period: 4/30 - sentences, 3 week project, polished writing piece; 5/2 - drafting, quiz; 5/8 (my BIRTHDAY) - sentences, quiz, drafting, dialogue journals.

D period: 4/30 - sentences, 3 week project; 5/2 - drafting, quiz, dialogue journals; 5/6 - polished writing; 5/8 (my BIRTHDAY) - sentences, quiz, drafting.

F period: 4/29 - polished writing piece; 5/1 - sentences, 3 week project, drafting, quiz; 5/9 - drafting, quiz, dialogue journals.

H period: 5/1 - sentences, 3 week project, dialogue journals, drafting, quiz; 5/5 - polished writing; 5/9 - quiz, drafting.

Phew - that's a LOT of grading.

Vocabulary 26 -

1. tangential - adj. - touching on a subject, digressing
2. trepidation - n - fear, apprehension
3. untenable - adj. - can't be defended, can't be maintained
4. vindictive - adj. - revengeful, unforgiving
5. folderol - n - foolishness, nonsense
6. aesthetic - adj. - artistic, showing appreciation of beauty
7. analogous - adj. - comparable, similar
8. dodger - n - a dishonest person
9. buffoon - n - a clown, a fool
10. caustic - adj. - mean, stinging

Honors only:
11. virulent - adj. - extremely poisonous
12. wary - adj. - very cautious
13. protract - v - to prolong
14. puerile - adj. - childish
15. maelstrom - n - whirlpool

Extra credit: sibyl - n, elcubrate - v, tunesmith - n , tumefaction - n, graminivorous - adj.

Hooray! It's blogging time again! In case you weren't aware, today is exactly one month until my birthday. . . May 8 is coming soon. Save up your money, think about what I'd like, buy it, and wrap it up. I LOOOOOVE festive wrapping. If you're having trouble deciding on a gift, remember that books are ALWAYS a good choice.

Back to school business.

Last week, you were all assigned to write at least three wildly improbable goals. Remember that these goals should seem nearly impossible to achieve, and they should be goals that you would really LOVE to achieve. You should have these goals written down by THIS FRIDAY, April 11. Then you can watch and observe and wait and see what happens as you become more conscious of ways to accomplish your goals.

Coming assignments:

B period: Vocabulary sentences 4/9, drafting 4/11, dialogue journals 4/11, polished writing 4/29 or 4/30.
C period: Wildly Improbable Goals 4/11, Vocabulary 11 Quiz 4/11.
D period: Vocabulary sentences 4/9, drafting 4/11, dialogue journals 4/11, polished writing 4/15.
F period: Vocabulary sentences 4/10, drafting 4/10, dialogue journals 4/10, polished writing 4/29 or 4/30.
H period: Vocabulary sentences 4/10, drafting 4/10, dialogue journals 4/10, polished writing 4/14.

Vocabulary 24:

1. effervescent - adj. - bubbly; full of energy
2. agog - adj. - highly excited and eager
3. contraband - n - illegal goods
4. porcine - adj. - resembling a pig
5. ebullition - n - a sudden, violent outburst
6. verslibrist - n - a writer of free verse
7. incipient - adj. - beginning
8. insipid - adj. - dull, bland, boring
9. nebbish - n - a pushover, a timid and ineffectual person
10. rapscallion - n - a rascal, a troublemaker

Honors only:

11. prodigious - adj. - enormous in size or quantity
12. unfledged - adj. - not fully developed, inexperienced
13. warren - n - a place where rabbits live; a crowded tenement
14. benighted - adj. - being in a state of intellectual darkness, ignorant
15. tyro - n - a beginner or novice

Extra credit:

versicle - n
peckniffian - adj.
swank - adj.
floccinaucinihilipilification - n
slugabed - n

Back to blogging as usual this week! Language Arts MCAS tests are OVER!!! Phew!!! What a relief!!! Now we can get back to our English FUN - vocabulary, drafting, dialogue journaling, reading, grammar - YAY!!!

Did you do well on your tests? I'll bet you did. You were prepared, you've had the best English instruction known to humankind, and you're pretty smart. How could you go wrong?

So, upcoming English events:

B period: drafting and sentences and quiz due on Thursday (and 3 week project if you didn't turn it in on Tuesday); dialogue journals are due next Friday, 4/11.
D period: drafting and sentences and quiz due on Thursday (and 3 week project if you didn't turn it in on Tuesday); dialogue journals are due next Friday, 4/11; polished writing pieces are due Tuesday, 4/15.
F period: sentences due Wednesday (and 3 week project if you didn't turn it in on Monday); drafting and quiz due on Friday; dialogue journals due next Thursday, 4/10.
H period: sentences due Wednesday (and 3 week project if you didn't turn it in on Monday); drafting and quiz due on Friday; dialogue journals due next Thursday, 4/10; polished writing due Monday, 4/14.

Vocabulary lesson 23 (we did NOT have a lesson 22):

1. implacable - adj. - not able to be satisfied; unyielding or relentless
2. ameliorate - v - to make better, to improve
3. bombastic - adj. - use of impressive-sounding language with little meaning
4. catharsis - n - emotional purification or relief
5. atrophy - v - to waste away
6. clemency - n - mercy, mildness
7. pejorative - adj. - negative, unfavorable
8. prowess - n - bravery; skill
9. devoid - adj. - lacking, entirely without
10. truculent - adj. - fierce and cruel, brutal

Honors:

11. quagmire - n - bog, marsh
12. badinage - n - teasing conversation
13. desultory - adj. - aimless, jumping around
14. iniquitous - adj. - unjust, wicked
15. smattering - n - small amount

Extra credit:

singultous - n
vulpine - adj.
kakistocracy - n
abaction - n
hypermnesia - n


That's all, folks!

Hello, fellow lovers of all things reading and writing! I'm so inspired by all of the reading I've been doing lately - especially the Natalie Goldberg writing book . . . It's urging me to get ALL of us to do more WRITING!!! Yay!

Want the vocabulary?

Vocabular 21
1. refurbish -v - to make like new
2. respite -n - rest, break
3. scoff - v - to mock or make fun of
4. sporadic - adj. - irregular, inconsistent
5. sumptuous - adj. - lavish, extravagant, luxurious
6. talon - n- claw
7. tirade - n - long angry and scolding speech
8. unscathed - adj. - unharmed
9. vilify - v - to defame or slander, to talk badly about
10. wither - v - to dry up or shrivel

Honors:
11. polemic- n - a controversial argument, an argument supporting one point of view
12. mutable - adj. - changing in form
13. glower - v - to scowl
14. bandy - v - to discuss lightly
15. unwitting - adj. - unintentional

Extra Credit: discalceate, mistigris, volte, yare

Do you need to know what's due?

REMEMBER! Next week is MCAS! We're getting ready this week.

F period: vocab. due Wed., drafting and quiz due Fri. Your dialogue journals were due last week and polished writing was due on Monday. Did you get them in?

H period: vocab. due Wed., drafting and quiz due Fri. Polished writing is due on Tuesday. Dialogue journals were due last week. Did you turn yours in?

B period: vocab. sentences and quiz and drafting are due Thursday. Your dialogue journals were due last week. Polished writing was due today (Tuesday). Did you turn them in?

D period: vocab. sentences and quiz and drafting are due Thursday. Dialogue journals were due last week. Polished writing piece is due on Monday.

Wasn't rhyme scheme fun? "Twinkle twinkle . . ." "On top of spaghetti . . ."

Yup. I'm running a little behind. It's already THURSDAY. Sorry. But here's this week's vocabulary:

Voc. 20

1. unfeigned - adj.- genuine, real
2. inadvertent - adj. - accidental, unintentional
3. inscrutable - adj. - impossible to understand
4. sedulous - adj. - hard-working, diligent
5. lucid - adj. - clear, understandable
6. vituperative - adj. - abusive, scolding
7. partisan - adj. - one-sided, prejudiced, biased
8. placate - v - to soothe or pacify
9. ichthyology - n - study of fish
10. quandary - n - dilemma

Honors only:

11. bastion - n - fortress, defense, stronghold
12. complicity - n - participation, involvement
13. malingerer - n - one who pretends to be sick to get out of responsibility
14. toady - v - to flatter for favors
15. venturesome - adj. - bold, daring

Extra credit: scurf, saltatory, songfest, sobersided, sobriquet


HEY - Dialogue journals are due this Thursday and Friday for B,D,F,H. Drafting, too. B and F have polished writing pieces due Monday and Tuesday!!!

Also, new three-week project has been assigned - or will be, in F and H. Your task is to do something and do it BADLY - on purpose! Don't just screw up your homework accidentally. This assignment requires you to leap in and DO YOUR WORST! Are you up to the task?

Welcome back from that delightful, serendipitously long vacation! And congratulations on your three-week project achievements! People really tested themselves - snowboarding jumps and standing up to angry people and reading two books in one week and singing in front of lucky audiences and . . . AMAZING! And remember, I skiied a blue trail! So what if people were laughing at me; I did it! I love how brave we are.

So, you are wondering about what is DUE this week and in the near future, right? Let me enlighten you.

B period: Today (Tuesday, 3/4) I checked drafting and vocabulary 18 sentences from before vacation. We wrote three-week project responses - those are due by Thursday. We did vocab. 19 definitions - sentences and quiz due Thursday. On Thursday, drafting is due - include at least two stanzas of a sestina, please! Dialogue journals are due next Friday, 3/14.

C period: Today (Tuesday, 3/4) we had vocab. quiz 10. We worked on three-week project responses - those are due by Thursday.

D period: Today (Tuesday, 3/4) I checked drafting and vocabulary 18 sentences. I collected dialogue journals that were supposed to be due before vacation. Polished writing pieces were technically due today, but I've extended the deadline to Thursday. You should have drafting and three-week project writing and voc.19 sentences on Thursday, too. Remember to have at least two stanzas of a sestina in your drafting. Dialogue journals are due next Friday, 3/14.

F period: Vocabulary 19 sentences and three-week project responses are due Wednesday, 3/5. Quiz 19 is Friday, 3/7. Drafting is due Friday, 3/7. Make sure you have at least two stanzas of a sestina. Dialogue journals are due Thursday, 3/13.

H period: Vocabulary 19 sentences, three-week project responses, and polished writings are due Wednesday, 3/5. Drafting (including at least two stanzas of a sestina) and quiz 19 are on Friday, 3/7. Dialogue journals are due Thursday, 3/13.

Vocabulary Lesson 19:

1. clandestine - adj. - secret
2. invective - n - verbal abuse, mean comment
3. deference - n - respect
4. inveigle - v - to lead astray, to wheedle or persuade
5. disparity - n - lack of equality, difference
6. efface - v - to erase, to wipe out
7. emendation - n - correction, improvement
8. potable - adj. - suitable for drinking
9. truncate - v - to cut the top off
10. gratuitous - adj. - freely given and unnecessary

Honors:
11. beneficent - adj. - kindly, good
12. improvident - adj. - not thrifty, not careful
13. invidious - adj. - mean, designed to create ill will or envy
14. mien - n - demeanor, bearing
15. ramshackle - adj. - rickety, falling apart

Extra Credit: yawping - n, resile - v, tocsin - n, treen - n, keelhaul - v

I'm late, I'm late for a very important date . . . I know! The vocabulary words weren't on the blog yesterday. I'm a big, fat loser. But there are only so many hours in the day - you guys tell me that ALL the time. But I am sorry.

Here you go:

Vocabulary 18:

1. tactless - adj. - rude and thoughtless
2. thwart - v - to oppose, to block
3. unobtrusive - adj. - inconspicuous, not noticeable
4. vicarious - adj. - experienced through someone else
5. nonplus - v - to confuse or baffle
6. admonish - v - to scold
7. ambivalence - n - being undecided
8. assuage - v - to calm or soothe
9. blithe - adj. - happy and cheerful
10. encomium - n - glowing praise, an enthusiastic tribute
11. blandishment - n - flattery
12. coeval - adj. - living at the same time
13. mollify - v - to soothe
14. pretext - n - excuse
15. treacle - n - contrived or unrestrained sentiment

Extra Credit:
chorine - n
baksheesh - n
bellwether - n
glabella - n
hypnagogic - adj.

Phew! At least that's finished.

I'm giving out grade sheets in B, D, F, H periods this week. All make-up work is due the first day our class meets after vacation.

Assignments reminder:

This week: drafting due in B,D,F, and H periods. Vocabulary sentences and quizzes also due. Quizzes in ALL class periods. B period and F period had polished writing pieces due. H and D periods have dialogue journals due.

After vacation: D and H periods have polished writing due on 3/4 or 3/5. Remember that three-week projects are due in ALL classes right after vacation.

Everyone in B,D,F, and H periods should have end words for sestinas!

I think that about covers it.

Have a delightful vacation! I'm skiing . . . wish me luck. I'm going to try one of those blue trails for my three-week project. Hope I live to tell the tale. . .

It's that time again. . . BLOG posting! Hooray! That means it's almost Wednesday! Everyone has vocabulary words, everyone has the week's assignments, everyone is ready and working!

Assignments update:

B period: Vocabulary 17 sentences due 2/13, dialogue journals due 2/15, drafting due 2/15, voc. 17 quiz due 2/15, and polished writing piece due 2/20.

D period: Vocabulary 17 sentences due 2/13, drafting due 2/15, voc. 17 quiz due 2/15.

F period: Vocabulary 17 sentences and quiz due 2/14, drafting due 2/14, dialogue journals due 2/14, polished writing piece due 2/19.

H period: Vocabulary 17 sentences and quiz due 2/14, drafting due 2/14.

Have you thought about your three-week project? March 3 and 4 are rolling around fast! I'm getting ready to ski some intermediate slopes because I HAVE THE NERVE!

Vocabulary lesson 17:

1. nonchalance - n - lack of interest or lack of concern
2. parsimonious - adj. - too thrifty, stingy, cheap
3. pique - v - to provoke anger or to provoke excitement or to provoke interest
4. tacit - adj. - unspoken, implied
5. pugnacious - adj. - ready to fight
6. redundant - adj. - repetetive
7. limpid - adj. - clear; easy to understand
8. martinet - n - a strict disciplinarian
9. soporofic - adj. - causing sleep
10. sagacious - adj. - very wise

Honors:
11. titanic - adj. - gigantic
12. gadfly - n - animal-biting fly; an irritating person
13. purloin - v - steal
14. ardor - n - passion, enthusiasm
15. wax - v - to increase or grow

Extra Credit: sparge - v, bubble and squeak - n, bonton - n, algophobia - n, gracile - adj.

Hello, everyone! How do the weeks go by so quickly? It's already February, it's already WEDNESDAY, it's already third quarter - it's going to be summer before we know it!

In honor of second semester, we have implemented some life-changing modifications to our class . . . Okay, they might not be LIFE-changing but they're LATE WORK-changing. Reminder of our NEW and IMPROVED policy:

Every two weeks, when our class meets on Friday, each student will receive a gradequick printout. The printout will indicate any work missed over the course of the previous two weeks. Students will have until the next class - Tuesday - to complete any missed work. Any work not completed by that Tuesday will receive a grade of 0. This way, everyone knows what's missing, everyone has an opportunity to correct the problem, and no one (especially me!) has to feel overwhelmed at the end of the quarter. The down side for some of you: you're not going to be able to make up for a whole quarter's worth of work on the last day before grades close. Sorry.

All right, then. We have vocabulary for this week:

Vocabulary lesson 16:

insidious - adj. - sneaky, sly, meant to deceive
engender - v - to cause or produce
exacerbate - v - to worsen
innocuous - adj. - harmless
garrulous - adj. - talkative
alacrity - n - cheerful willingness, eagerness
implausible - adj. - difficult to believe, unlikely
phlegmatic - adj. - sluggish, dull, unemotional
consecrate - v - to bless, to make sacred
listless - adj. - bored, disinterested

Honors only:
prevaricate - v - to lie
extol - v - to praise, to exalt
befuddle - v - to confuse or perplex
yen - n - a craving or yearning
mutinous - adj. - rebellious, unruly

Assignments coming due:

B period: drafting due Thurs., 3-wk project pre-writing due Thurs., sentences/quiz due Thurs. Dialogue journals are due next week on Friday. Polished drafts are due on February 19 or 20.
C period: vocabulary quiz on Thursday. Sentences and 3-wk projects need to be finished by the end of the week.
D period: drafting due Thurs., 3-wk project pre-writing due Thurs., sentences/quiz due Thurs., dialogue journals due Thursday, polished drafts due 2/11.
F period: drafting due Fri., quiz Fri., dialogue journals due next Thursday, polished drafts due February 19 or 20.
H period: drafting due Fri., quiz Fri., dialogue journals due Fri., polished drafts due 2/12.

Whew. That's a lot of work. You guys are amazing!

Halfway to summer! Halfway to summer! Halfway to summer! That's my new mantra. I don't know about you, but I have a bit of the winter blues . . . Mid-terms wore me out!!! I know, I didn't have to TAKE any midterms, but I had to write them and grade them and figure out your grades and listen to all of you carping (vocabulary word). It was enough to make a person want to curl up in a ball and sleep until April.

Anyway, enough CARPING. Let's move on to TODAY. THIS WEEK. THE NEW SEMESTER.

Vocabulary lesson 15 is up this week:

inveterate - adj. - habitual, long-standing
multifarious - adj. - having great variety, numerous and diverse
renegade - n - an outlaw, a rebel
ruminate - v - to think at length, to mull over
carping - n, adj., v - complaining
clairvoyant - n, adj. - having exceptional insight; a psychic
panoply - n - 1) a splendid display 2)warrior's armor
loll - v - to lounge, to act in a lazy manner
compunction - n - remorse, regret
disparage - v - to belittle, to put down

HONORS:
comely - adj. - attractive and agreeable
askew - adj. - crooked, off-center
presage - v - to foretell
uncouth - adj. - outlandish and rude
gossamer - adj. - sheer, like cobwebs


I've gone over some due dates with everyone. General reminders:

Everyone has drafting due this week on Thursday or Friday (except C pd).
Everyone has a 3-week project due on Wednesday or Thursday.
Everyone has vocabulary due this week - sentences, quiz (except C pd).

Upcoming dates:

Honors: Dialogue journals due 2/7 or 2/8 - that's next week!
Polished writing piece 1 due no later than 2/12.

C1: Dialogue journals due 2/14 or 2/15.
Polished writing piece 1 due no later than 2/20.

We will be talking in class about labeling your work, about late work (and how I don't want it any more), about collecting your graded work, about etc. Make sure you are paying attention!

It makes me tired when I say stuff and no one listens and I have to keep saying it over and over and over. It's important to keep your English teacher happy . . . and NOT tired. If your English teacher isn't happy, NO ONE is happy!!!

My goodness! It seems like a lifetime since I've blogged. Well, it has been since last year! Happy New Year! I know, it's a little late for that; I've already happy new yeared everyone. But still, it's nice to spread the cheer of the new year . . . (Did you notice that rhyme?)

Okay, enough prattling (vocabulary word); we have work to do!

B period: You should have all turned in your second polished writing pieces. They were due last week! Drafting pages are due on Thursday, as are vocabulary sentences and dialogue journals.

D period: Your dialogue journals were due last week. Drafting pages and vocabulary are due on Thursday. Let's turn in a polished writing piece next week.

F period: You should have all turned in your second polished writing pieces. They were due last week! Vocabulary sentences are due today. Drafting and dialogue journals are due on Friday.

H period: Your dialogue journals were due last week. Vocabulary is due today. Drafting pages are due on Friday. Remember to have an I wonder poem, also.

REMEMBER: We are doing the writing prompts in class on Wednesday and Thursday next week. (Except C period - yours will be during your exam period.) I will be out of school next week on Tuesday. I will go over writing prompt strategies with F and H period on Friday. I will do the same for B, C, and D on Monday.

I have distributed exam review/assignment sheets to all classes. If you were absent, make sure to get copies!

This week's vocabulary is the last one before the exam.

Vocabulary 14:
recluse - n - one who lives alone and away from others
farrago - n - a jumble, a confused mixture, a hodge-podge
vernacular - n - slang, informal language
unguent - n - ointment, salve
succinct - adj. - brief and to the point
taciturn - adj. - not talkative
tout - v - to praise highly, to speak positively about
unimpeachable - adj. - beyond reproach, can't be blamed for anything
viable - adj. - able to live or survive
wanton - adj. - deliberately malicious and cruel, immoral

Honors only:
prattle - v - to babble, to talk meaninglessly
mettle - n - courage and fortitude
gregarious - adj. - sociable, outgoing
enmity - n - hostility, hatred
vexatious - adj. - annoying, troublesome