Never Say Goodbye

My dear Goonies,

The past year with you has been one of the best years of my life, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you did to make it so.  Your class maintained such a genuinely warm and respectful attitude all the way to the end, and we are talking about a school year that never seemed like it would really end. 

Now that it has, I find myself missing our time together, laughing about the dynamics each English section had, and my heart skipping a little each time I see a friend or follow request on social media from you.  In fact, as I type this, I received a grammar question via text from one of you.  And that makes me happy.

Truly, I hate nothing more than the idea of saying goodbye.  On that last day, as Field Day closed, all your teachers were surprised that you hung around so long, tearfully saying goodbye to each other and us.  That's not usual.  Most of the time, seniors/graduates do the whole "peace out" thing.  As I watched all of you struggle a little to see your time at YES officially end, I felt encouraged that maybe you had gotten more out of your education than grades, acceptances, and scholarships.  That's the whole point.

The title of this post is after a cheesy 1980s song by Bon Jovi.  Y'all seem to be fans of the band, so it seems appropriate to borrow from them once more. 

I love y'all.

And I'll see you again.

Slaughterhouse-Five Socratic seminar follow-up

Why did Kurt Vonnegut choose to structure this text the way he did?  What effect did he want this novel to have on its readers?

(If you have comments or observations that do not align precisely with those questions, that's okay. These are just suggested jumping-off points.)

Respond by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 18 for full credit.

In Cold Blood Socratic follow-up

Goonies -
If you were out last Thursday for our Socratic seminar over the first two sections of In Cold Blood, please respond to one of the following questions with an answer of approximately 300-400 words.  Evidence from the text is preferred (read: better for your grade).

- Discuss Perry Smith and Dick Hickock's emotional health.  Are they mentally ill?  If not, what do you perceive motivates them to do such horrible acts?  (The answer may be different for each of them.)

- In what ways have the townspeople of Holcombe reacted and changed since the Clutter murders?  What is it about the Clutters that made such an impact on their community, both in life and in death?

- Comment on Truman Capote's bias.  Is it fair or right for him to give so much air-time to the murderers?  Do you feel sympathy for Dick and Perry?  Why or why not?

August 1 Essay Responses Go Here

Hello, hello.

Under this thread you should post a reaction to a second piece from the essay anthology (distinct and different than the first). 

Remember that in addition to this anthology, you are expected to read one of the following:

a) Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
b) The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis
c) Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

For the first 1-2 weeks of school, be prepared to discuss anything from the anthology, as well as your spiritual text of choice.

Be well, read well.
LAR

July 1 Essay Responses Go Here

Greetings, Class of 2015!

If you are looking for where to put your responses to the essays in your summer reading packet, this is the place.  Remember they are due here by 11:59 p.m. on July 1.  Refer to your summer assignment for content and length requirements.  I hope you're enjoying summer, as well as some good books.

LAR

Follow up to Slaughterhouse-Five Socratic seminar

Please choose at least 3 questions below and elaborate.  You may also respond to something that was said during the seminar, expand on something you already said in seminar, or respond to what has been written in this space.  How much you enjoy your grade is directly correlated to how much effort you put into this.

Possible questions:

• How in control of our lives are we?
• Billy Pilgrim is a hero, a victim, or what?
• Is peace possible?
• Did KV succeed in bearing witness to the bombing of Dresden by using the unorthodox structure he chose?  Why/why not?
• Where on the spectrum of "Rage, rage against the dying of the light" and "So it goes" do you fall?
• Poo-tee-weet?  (Since nobody touched that one in either class today, I will be especially excited to see answers to that one.)

Welcome, Class of 2014.

Rising seniors,
This is the place to post your entries for your summer reading anthology!  I've already heard from one student who's ready to post, so I'm updating the site.  Leave your posts as a comment to this one.

If you're looking for any good movies to watch over the summer, allow me to recommend (in no particular order or categorization):

The Godfather Trilogy
Better Off Dead
The Book of Eli
Lars and the Real Girl
Seeking a Friend for the End of the World
As Good as it Gets
Rain Man
Stand By Me
The Shawshank Redemption
The Joy Luck Club