Snow Day Poetry

I will give extra credit in English to any student who writes out the poem "Snow Day" by Billy Collins and turns it in by 12:30 p.m. on Monday, February 5.

Extra Credit Snow Poetry

I will give extra credit in English to any student who writes out--in purple ink-- my favorite poem: "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening" by Robert Frost. You must turn the poem in by 12:30 on Wednesday, January 24.

Homer's Home

Homer, the ancient Greek poet, is known for creating perhaps the two most well known epic poems in the world: the Iliad and the Odyssey. In the Odyssey, the hero, Odysseus, lived on Ithaca, a Greek island whose actual location has been debated by historians and geographers. Scholars now believe they have identified this mysterious island. For more details, read this recent CNN article.

William Shakespeare

This semester the English students will be introduced to the literary genius of William Shakespeare. The freshmen will be reading Romeo and Juliet, the sophomores will be reading Julius Caesar, and the seniors will read A Midsummer Night's Dream. We will also be exploring some of Shakespeare's most famous poetry. He is generally considered to be the greatest writer in the English language, and Shakespeare's great understanding of the human experience and his masterful language usage are powerfully represented in the three plays we will study this semester.

From January to July 2007, Washington DC is the home of an international Shakespeare Festival. From plays to ballet to concerts to exhibits, the next several months hold a fantastic number of forums to celebrate the life and works of William Shakespeare. If you are interested in any of these events, please visit the official website of the Shakespeare in Washington 2007 Festival.

Welcome to the New Semester!

Starting out the semester fresh is great! No missing assignments...no late work...100% in your classes! Take this opportunity to plan how you are going to be a successful student this semester. You can begin by planning when and how you are going to complete your long-term projects, like your book reviews. Please feel free to come and visit me if you need help with long-term planning and organization!