Shaping Your Future

So much has happened this week…while I know you want to read about your midterm exams and our new syllabus I feel compelled to write about the turmoil in Egypt. Watching the news and seeing people in the streets trying to take back their government is a source of inspiration for all of us. The violence has been regrettable but so much has been accomplished by ordinary people displaying great courage. The people have spoken and it appears a transitional government will be put into place so free and open elections can be held for the first time in over 30 years. I am in awe of the brave people in Cairo and the brave journalists from all over the world who have given us a window into this tumultuous world. I hope you read the front page article in The Newport Daily News about one of our own MHS graduates who has been teaching in Egypt. There was also an article in The New York Times about young Americans of Egyptian descent who are finding a renewed sense of pride in their heritage.

Midterm

Congratulations for all of your hard work this week. We finally finished our midterm exams even though Mother Nature put up a good fight. Your exam was a mix of open and closed questions. While an open ended question gives you the opportunity to write from many different perspectives you have to be careful to avoid generalities and sweeping statements. When you are responding to an open ended question make sure you anchor your comments with examples and evidence. Some students wrote about disease as a challenge in Africa without mentioning the types of diseases, why diseases run rampant in some countries and steps that are being taken to eradicate the diseases. Another common mistake on the exam was not answering all parts of the question. You did a great job on the cartoon interpretations but some students did not explain if the message was accurate. When the question asks you to discuss or explain you need to think about writing more than one sentence. One sentence reads like a list…you need to expand on your thoughts so your reader sees that you have more than a surface understanding of the issue.

Half Way Home

We are at the half way point in the school year. This is a perfect time to pause and reflect on your track record and plan for the second half of the year. For those of you who are meeting standard — keep up the good work. For those of you who have been struggling, let’s put together a corrective action plan: a more serious approach to your studies, doing the homework, staying after for extra help, and making up missed work after being out. It is your choice!

Mr. Young Takes the Helm

With the start of the new semester, Mr. Young is now taking over for Periods A, B, C and D. He is a master of PowerPoint so you have already seen “The Faces of the Depression” which was the basis of your writing assignment. But now I have to say that the blog, while it welcomes all readers, will focus on the activities of the E period class. So while all students are welcome to read please keep in mind that the assignments listed on the blog ONLY pertain to the E period class.

CWI now becomes Modern America in a Global World

As we start our new semester, we switch our geography text for an American History text. Make sure to turn in your book ASAP so we can issue you the new text. The new text will be used for our study of Modern America, starting with the Great Depression of 1929 and ending with the Obama Administration. While we will be looking at the US we are not forgetting that we live in a global society so we will be integrating these issues into our study of America.

This week we started a new unit on the Great Depression. We will be looking at the Depression of the 1930’s and comparing it to the worldwide recession of today. We started with a photo assignment that gave you the opportunity to see what the Depression did to people. You also have a vocabulary words list with economic and business terms that you need to start working on. I have also posted an UpFront article that provides background information and connections to today’s economic slowdown.

This unit gives us the opportunity to talk about money. You have to be smart about money and know how it can work for you or how it can lead to big problems. As young adults who will be out on your own in a few short years, learning the importance of budgeting, saving, investing, and credit is essential. You don’t want to be someone who starts off their adult life with all-consuming debt.

Finally, take the time to speak with family members about their experiences with economic slowdowns. You may have a family member who can tell you stories about the Great Depression or someone who lived through the economic slowdowns of the early 1970’s. You can even talk about how your family may be coping with today’s recession. Have you reduced spending by cutting back on Friday pizza nights...maybe renting DVDs instead of going to the movies...carpooling instead of everyone driving in different directions...the list goes on and on.

International Officers Series

Our series continues on February 14 with international officers from Kazakhstan and Germany. You will have a pass to present to your Advisory teacher. When you come to room 212 you will need to turn in the pass so we have an accurate attendance record. If you are unable to attend (for a legitimate and compelling reason) you MUST tell Mr. Young or myself as this is a mandatory activity.

Quote of the Day

Below is an excerpt from a student response to the extra credit question on the midterm exam…I was impressed!

“The most important current issue is the war in the Middle East. It always makes me think that if only we were all only citizens of the world rather than citizens of individual countries that maybe we could all get along better. ..."COTW" should be the new way to live”