SENIORS: Your resume was due today; you can still email it to me.  Now the focus will be on the cover letter.  If you've already done it, make sure I get a copy, either hard copy or email.


SOPHOMORES: Today you got to make choices about your debate topic.  Also, we worked on an article about surgery for obese teens, looking for types of evidence and types of appeals being used.  CST continues tomorrow, so go to your 2nd period class right away and have your Independent Reading Book in case you finish the test early.

 

SENIORS: Still working on resume and cover letter.  Check plhswritingworkshop2.blogspot.com for the forms.

SOPHOMORES: Besides Grammar Exercise 22, we worked on determining credible websites, and handouts were given on Debate Evidence Criteria and Websites with usernames and passwords.  If you were absent and haven't sent me the essays you owe, you can still email them to me.  You also need to do your Goodreads book review.  The deadline for both is Saturday evening, April 28.

SENIORS: Due to the CST, today's blog is the same as yesterday's blog.
SOPHOMORES: Due to the CST, today's blog is the same as yesterday's blog.

SENIORS: Hope you're having fun! For those of you in 4th period, we will continue with completing your resume for your senior portfolio.  For those of you in 7th period, check Ms. Duncan's blog.

SOPHOMORES: Hope you survived your first day of the CST. Please do your best as your scores affect the school and is a determiner for whether or not you get the hour lunch next year.  We also finished The Great Debaters and discussed debate techniques.  The grading period for the 2nd progress report ends this Friday, so if you owe any essays (The Bracelet, War, Technology, Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman), get them in to me (hard copy or email through Googledocs), by Friday. 

SENIORS: Senior portfolio proposal is due today; send to both me and Ms. Brandl.  When you're done with your proposal, move on to the resume.  Find the form for the resume on the plhswritersworkshop2.blogspot.com.

SOPHOMORES: Due to the short day, we watched more of The Great Debaters, looking at debate techniques and writing those down on the handout..

SENIORS: Today we finished presenting answers to the 10 panel questions.  We also sent presentation proposals to Ms. Brandl and started work on resumes.  We will continue with both tomorrow, as that is the due date for the proposals.

SOPHOMORES: Today we did Grammar Exercise 20, worked on creating thesis statements, and watched a couple of scenes from The Great Debaters, looking for debate techniques.

SENIORS: Still practicing the answers to the panel questions.  We should finish Monday and have time to make sure you know what you're planning to do for your portfolio presentation.  Your homework is to be prepared to send that information to Counselor Brandl.

SOPHOMORES: We did Grammar Exercise 19, updated Goodreads, and watched more of the movie The Great Debaters, looking for debate techniques and strategies.

SENIORS: We are continuing with our 5-minute presentation of senior portfolio panel questions.  If you haven't done so already, go over the answers that you wrote in your notebook so you are ready to present.

SOPHOMORES: Besides Grammar 18, we started "The Great Debaters," looking for debate techniques and strategies.

SENIORS: If you're in Period 7, make sure you check Ms. Duncan's blog.  If you're in Periods 1 and 4, we're practicing your responses to the panel questions, only this time, you're in front of the class and the class is asking the questions.  You'll be getting feedback not only from me, but from the class as well.

SOPHOMORES: We did Grammar Exercise #17 and continued work on the four-paragraph essay concerning the Martin/Zimmerman case.  Write your essay on googledocs and share it with me by Friday, April 20.

SENIORS: We finished our practice presentations in small groups; tomorrow you present solo as the class asks panel questions.

SOPHOMORES: Besides Grammar 16 we continued writing the essay on the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman articles.  You will have one more class period to work on the essay which will be due this Friday.

SENIORS: We got into small groups and practiced your answers to the 10 panel questions (you already wrote answers to these in your notebook).  The objective is for you to be confident and clear with your responses so you get a good score from the senior portfolio panel members.  Not everyone had a chance to present in their groups, so we will finish with this tomorrow.

SOPHOMORES: Besides Grammar Exercise 15, we started working on a 4 paragraph essay responding to both of the Trayvon Martin/George Zimmerman articles.  We will continue with this assignment tomorrow. 

SENIORS: Today we went over the rubric for Senior Exhibition.  Note that the responses to the panel questions (which you have been working on in your notebook) count for 1/4 of your score, so please take the time to craft complete answers.  We also talked about the proposal you need to send to Mrs. Brandl (the head counselor) concerning what you plan to do and what your needs will be for your exhibition.  You need to email that information to Mrs. Brandl; her email address is sbrandl@sandi.net, and she must have that information by April 24.

SOPHOMORES: Besides Grammar 14, we talked about pronoun case, updated our Goodreads accounts, and finished annotating the second Trayvon Martin article.

SENIORS: In your notebook, finish the responses to the questions you might be asked during your senior portfolio exhibition.  The last of the questions are:
7. Do you feel prepared for what you plan to do next year?  Why or why not?
8. If you had two extra hours in your day, how would you spend your time?
9. Do you feel it is important to register to vote?  Explain your answer.
10. Do you feel that good attendance and being on time is an important skill?  Explain your answer.

SOPHOMORES: Today we did Grammar #13 and began annotating the second article about the Trayvon Martin case.

SENIORS: If you're in Period 7, please see Ms. Duncan's blog.  If you're in Periods 1 and 4, we answered the following questions in your notebooks: 
3.  What extracurricular activities are you planning on getting involved in after high school? (Meaning, what are you doing/have you done after school that you would like to carry on in your "real world" life)
4.  What was one major problem you encountered during your time at PLHS and how did you deal with it?
5.  Reflecting back over your four years at PLHS, what would you have done differently?
6.  If you had the power to change one thing at PLHS for next year, what would it be and why?

SOPHOMORES: Today we did Grammar Exercise 12 and finished annotating the first Trayvon Martin article.  If you were absent yesterday and missed articulation, don't panic; you'll be hearing from your counselor about your classes for next year.

SENIORS: If you're in Periods 1 and 4, add notebook responses to the following questions: 
       1. If you were to come back next year, what advice would you give to an in-coming 9th grader?
       2. In which class were you required to "think" the most? Why?
If you're in Period 7, check Ms. Duncan's blog.


SOPHOMORES: Today was articulation day!  If you were absent, see your counselor about the classes you'll be taking next semester.
 

SENIORS: Welcome back!  I enjoyed your children's books; some of you might have a future there.  Today we started a new unit, working on your senior portfolio.  Your senior portfolio presentation will have components of writing, visual aids, and oral responses.  We'll begin with the responses, writing them in your notebook so you can practice them later.  Title this SENIOR QUESTIONS and do the following: 
1. Personal Background
     a. bullet point
     b. bullet point
     c. bullet point
2. High School Experience
     a. bullet point
     b. bullet point
     c. bullet point
3. Personal Passion or Meaningful Life Experience
     a. bullet point
     b. bullet point
     c. bullet point
4. Conclusion and thank you


Use the bullet points to focus your thoughts, but then write a short paragraph on each bullet point, remembering that this is something that you will be saying out loud to a panel of adults and peers.


SOPHOMORES: Welcome back!  Today we did Grammar 11, a notebook response about your experience when you worked in a group before spring break, and we started annotating an article about Trayvon Martin.  The homework is to find the purpose, type of argument, and claim (thesis) of that article.