The World According to Mrs. DeCarlo

Here’s the plan for the first 2 weeks of class.  I’ll update it if things change!

2008-1q1

What’s on the exam?  Need a clue? or 100 clues?   Attached is a VERY broad picture of what to expect.  Come to class on Wednesday and Thursday for more study aids!EN451 exam review 

Z:  Zero.  I’ve got nothing.  I’ve taken you down every path I can think of, and now nothing seems fitting as an end to your senior blog.  So choose your own “z” word.  Zenith, Zest, Zigzag, Zip.  Maybe it is fitting that I send you back to the dictionary.  Look over the words.  Do some reading.  Enjoy the surprises.  Choose a word that fits YOU on the occasion of your last days of high school.  Choose well.  Always.    

Y:  Yesterday.  Think back to one day in the last four years that you would want to relive.  Not to change it, but to enjoy every second.  This day will probably be one you spent doing your “favorite thing.”  It might include a personal high point–the championship game, a successful test grade.  Or it might be a “normal” day with someone you love or admire.  Describe the day and its circumstances and why you’d want to revisit it.

X:  X-ray.  X-rays reveal what’s inside–literally.  But what about “figuratively.”  What if people could see inside you?  What would they find?  Are you stubborn, afraid, shy, sentimental, competitive?  What about your personality is not usually visible to the “naked eye”?

W:  What’s next?  Your high school days are coming to a close.  You’ll be off on your next adventure.  Discuss what you’ll be doing after graduation.  Work?  College?  Military service?  Not sure yet?  Explain why you’ve made the decisions you’ve made.

V:  Very.  A word that most teachers discourage their students from using in their writing!  However, if you check the dictionary, “very” has several meanings.  And some are useful.  So, look up “very” in the dictionary.  Then write a paragraph concerning your feelings about your high school experience and your upcoming graduation.  Use “very” as many times as you can in as many ways as you can.  Have a VERY good time. . . .

U:  Unknown.  So much of our future is uncertain–unsure–unknown to us.  What about your future would you LIKE to know?  And what about your future would you rather remain unknown.  Try to explain your reasons. 

T:  T-25!  The countdown.  Make a list, or write a paragraph describing, what things you want to do before you graduate.  Spend every weekend with your best friend before you move to different states for college?  Ask out that person you’ve been thinking about for 2 years?  Apologize to a friend for hurting their feelings?  Make a 100 on a test?  Time is short!  

S:  Sorry.  We’ve all said it:  ”I’m sorry; please forgive me.”  But we all have at least one thing we SHOULD have apologized for, but haven’t.  Write an apology that you know you need to make before you leave the halls of CHS.  You can use the person’s name, or change it.  When you finish, consider what the next step might be.  Do you need to make a copy of your apology and send it?Make a phone call?  Set up a meeting and apologize in person?  What difference will the apology make in your life or the life of another person?