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!