The English Corner

     Excitement is in the air!  As I look back over my planner, it amazes me the ground that gets covered. The freshmen, sophomore, and juniors completed a three week unit on research. They each chose their own topic, narrowed it, search and "re-searched" for quality information on their topic using the WCPL databases, primarily. They carefully crafted sentence outlines, then created the rough draft, and a works cited page. Their final products were well done (and that attests to their diligence) and fun to read! The 7, 8 Grammar class started their research paper last week and is now working on their rough drafts with plans to finish the final paper on May 17. They get to bring in an object related to their topic and use it in doing a presentation of their research that day.
     The juniors are now finishing their American Literature book with modern American poetry and prose. This week and next we are focusing in on a smaller group of authors of prose who are representative of the time after WWI: Rutledge, Welty, Bradbury, and Thorton Wilder. The last reading will be of an essay by James Stockdale titled Freedom: Out Most Precious National Treasure.
     Romeo and Juliet is entertaining the 9,10 English class. The classroom comes alive with the theme song for Romeo and Juliet, pictures of Verona, Italy, and the students' reading of Shakespeare's lines like: "My ears have not drunk a hundred words of thy tongue's uttering, yet I know the sound. Art thou not Romeo and a Montegue?" and "Make haste, make haste." We will complete the reading on Tuesday next week.
     It is Christmas in May for the 7, 8 Literature class! We just finished reading and analyzing The Christmas Carol. Next Tuesday is the test over Unit 6, Viewpoints. All of the readings have shown how one's beliefs and experiences affect one's viewpoint, and how one's viewpoint can change. We've had some good class discussions on this.
     While I am in DC with the high school students, my subs for my middle school classes will be Mr. Fiechter and Mr. Bertsch. The class will be doing some grammar, another unit in vocab, dramatizing a scene from a story, and listening to a Lamplighter audiobook. I know they will have a good week here under the guidance of such good teachers!
     Thank you all for your prayers and support this year. I am blessed to be able to teach these wonderful students in learning the many parts of English. I am learning much from them, in return.

Mrs. Lemmen

"And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
                                                                                                                                   Colossians 3:14-15