Three Down and One to Go

We have had a perfect week to rest, relax, reflect and prepare for the final quarter of the school year. In addition to reading good books, watching a few movies, and walking on the beach, I also went through your portfolios. Congratulations to all who kept their folders up to date. Your grade will be no surprise as you have maintained the list of assignments and know where you are on the grading scale. There was a direct correlation between high grades and an organized portfolio. Students who struggled keeping the folder up to date tended to have lower grades, and students who didn’t even have a portfolio in the bin scored considerably lower than fellow classmates. So what is the lesson to be learned? Taking the time to keep your folder up to date gives you incentive to do the assignments and thus earn a higher grade. You are welcome to come by in the afternoon to work with me on your folder.

So now we are down to the last 8 weeks of school, or if you are a lucky Senior you only have about 6 weeks to go. What is your goal for the last quarter? If you have earned good grades up to this point, keep up the good work...summer is almost here! If you have low grades and are hoping to salvage this year, commit yourself to working hard and doing every assignment. I arrive at school around 6:30 and stay after school most afternoons (except Tuesday...faculty meetings), so come by and work with me so you can be successful. It is up to you.

CWI/Comparative/20th Century America

We finished our study of the Cold War and our final assessment focused on key vocabulary. Historians use specialized terms to help describe relationships between countries and time periods. Knowing this vocabulary will help you better understand events of today. If you have been watching the news (silly question....of course you have been keeping up with current events) you may have seen President Obama’s overture to the Cuban government. References were made to our strained relationship with Cuba, and events such as the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis were cited. Knowing the history of the Cold War will help you understand why this reaching out to Cuba may be a turning point in our relationship with this island that is only 90 miles off the coast of Florida.

When you return, we will begin a unit on the Civil Rights Movement. As part of the unit you will be offered a task that may be put into your portfolio if you meet standard. The task will ask you to write an essay based on primary sources.

AP European

20 days and counting...have you started to review? Have you made flash cards? Do you have your bold to bold and study guides organized? I have full faith and confidence that you are going to be well prepared for the test on May 8 but reviewing in a conscientious and consistent manner is essential. Make sure to check out the student web site for review materials for each chapter.

Next week Mrs. Reed and Mr. Crowley will spend two days with us going over the structure of the exam and giving you insights as to how the readers score the essays. These unique insights will give you an added advantage.

We are still hoping that our trip to the NWC will occur on the 23rd...more details when you return.

World History

It was nice to take a break from wars and talk about Gandhi and his belief in non-violence. The award winning movie helped us get a better understanding of the obstacles that faced the 350 million Indians as they “fought” for their independence.

When you return we will have a short unit on the years between the wars and then begin our study of World War II.