Thursday, October 1, 2009

AP Research Paper Topics

As soon as you know what book and topic you are doing your research paper on, you must post it on here! Include your name (first name, last initial), the book title, and the subject of your paper.

The limit is 2 students per topic, so post early to ensure that you get your selection! If 2 people already have yours when you post, you need to choose again.

Some examples:
-Develop one of your prompts from Ceremony (cultural identity, purification, the spider web, etc.) OR develop the ideas from a 5-paragraph essay you wrote somewhere else
-Golding's portrayal of human nature in Lord of the Flies
-Compare/contrast of Carton and Darnay, or Lucie and Mme Defarge, etc. in A Tale of Two Cities
-An analysis of one character, such as Biddy, in Great Expectations
-Show how a work of literature reflects the specific values and/or customs of its time period

There are many more things you can do; this is just to help get you started in the thought process!

Sunday, September 20, 2009

NHS Activity Fees and Minimum Membership Requirements

This year, the Norton school district has raised Activity Fees to $50 per club. In addition, club advisors were just notified on Friday that for their advising stipends to be paid (at the end of the school year), their clubs must maintain a minimum of 15 students. If a club does not get 15 members to join and pay, the advisor does not get paid at all. I don't think advisors should have to work for free, and most of them don't think so either. Ths means a significant number of school clubs will be shutting down unless they can get 15 members ASAP.
I am the advisor of Local Colour, a small but productive club that publishes the school's literary arts magazine. This club attracts a portion of the student body that would otherwise not have found a niche at NHS; they are quiet, artistic, and dedicated, and they like to stay behind the scenes publishing other people's work. Unfortunately, in the 5 years I have been the advisor of the club, and for the several years before that, the club has never seen more than 10 members at a time. Currently, we have 5. We are trying to recruit more members, but if we couldn't get 15 members when it was free to join, what chance do we have now??
The reason for this post is to get feedback from students and faculty about the new minimum requirements for membership and/or the activity fees associated with club membership. What do you think about this? Any suggestions on how to make it through the year with a small club??

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Summer Reading--All Classes

What book did you read this summer for English? Did you like it? Why or why not?

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

AP Juniors--Summer Reading

What was your biggest challenge with the English summer reading assignment? Why?

What did you do this summer?

Welcome back, NHS!
This summer, I went on a cruise to Key West and Nassau, Bahamas. Then I went to Dublin, Ireland, which was absolutely amazing! When I wasn't traveling, I spent time at the pool reading.
What did you do?

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Good Books!

Tell us what books you have read and enjoyed outside of class!