Jesus, you have set an example of journeying through adolescence, growing in wisdom and God's favor.  We know that you will be with us every length of the way.  When our sailing is not very smooth, help us turn to you in prayer.  Help us not to be too proud or stubborn to seek the guidance of adults we can trust.

Here is a list of the English Festival books and the due dates.

THE CALL OF THE WILD-Jack London

GHOST BOY-Iain Lawrence

WHITE LILACS-Carolyn Meyer (questions due FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5)

A SUMMER OF KINGS-Han Nolan(questions due MONDAY, JANUARY 5)

BELLA AT MIDNIGHT-Diane Stanley (questions due FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6)

NO MORE DEAD DOGS-Gordon Korman (questions due FRIDAY, MARCH 6)

VOCABULARY LEVEL C

UNIT 8 Complete pages94, 59, and 97 for MONDAY, DECEMBER 8.  Study for a spelling quiz on TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9.  Study for a vocabulary quiz on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10.

UNIT 9 Complete pages 101, 102, and 104 for TUESDAY, DECEMBER 16.  Study for a spelling quiz on WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17.  Study for a vocabulary quiz on THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18.

REVIEW UNITS 7-9  Complete the worksheets for FRIDAY, JANUARY 9. Study a spelling test on MONDAY, JANUARY 12.  Study for a vocabulary test on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14.

ENGLISH FESTIVAL

I am asking that each team submit a 5 minute video segment (standard VHS or DVD format) based on one or more of the assigned readings.  The entry must be clearly labeled with the school name and the team number.  All teams will receive 25 points for the submission of a qualified entry.  The English Festival Committee will award points for 25% of the submissions.  The due date for all videotapes is MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9.

Each team should submit multiple choice trivia questions (5 per book).  Each question must have 4 possible answers with the correct answer underlined and the page number of the answer indicated in parenthesis.  Questions must be typed with the title of the book at the top of each page.  Questions should deal with trivia, not significant detail.  However, they should not be too far-fetched. A single cover page should indicate the name of the schooland the names of all the team members.  The questions should be representative of the entire book.  Failure to follow any of these directions will result in loss of credit.  The due date for this assignment is FRIDAY, MARCH 13.

ENGLISH

We will enter "Letters About Literature" contest sponsored by Target.  This week we will begin discussing the criteria and mechanics of your letter.

HOW TO ENTER     First, reflect and connect!  Select a fiction or nonfiction book you have read and about which you have strong feelings. Explore those feelings and why you reacted the way you did during or after reading the author's work. Consider one or more of these questions when writing your letter:  Did the characters, conflict or setting mirror your life in some way? What strengths or flaws do you share with a character or characters in the book? What did the book show you about your world that you never noticed before?  Why was this work meaningful to you?

Second, write a personal letter (not a fan letter or book report!)  Express yourself!  A letter is less formal than an essay or research paper.  Write honestly and in your own voice, as if you were having a conversation with the author.  Those are the best letters to read and the most fun to write!  Keep in mind these two tips:  Correspond, don't compliment! Your entry should inform rather than flatter the author.  Do not try to summarize the book's plot!  The author wrote the book and already knows what happened.  What the author doesn't know is how the book affected you.

Third, prepare your letter for submission. Entries for level II (grades 7 and 8)should be no less than 300 words and no more than 600 words.

Judges for each participating State Center will select the top letter in each Levelof Competition. State winners will receive a $50 Target Gift Card and will advance to the National Level Judging.

Judges for the Centerfor the Book in the Library of Congress will select 6 National Winners and 12 National Honorable Mention Winners.  The National Winners wil receive $500 Target Gift Card, plus each will win a $10,000 LAL Reading Promotion Grant for a school or community library.  Additionally, the National Honorable Winners will each receive a $100 Target Gift Card and a $1,000 LAL Reading Promotion Grant for a school or community library.

Entries will be judged on the following criteria: Exposition (the writer's use of language skills, organization and grammar.  Content(the writer's achievement in addressing the contest theme). Writer's voice (the writer's style and originality of expression).

Each criteria will be scored on a scale of zero to five, where five is excellent and zero is not fulfilling the judging criteria.

Follow the Lesson 4:  Assessment worksheets and type your copy of your letter to be graded for FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21.

Your prewriting and rough draft copy of your newspaper book report is due on MONDAY, NOVEMBER 24.  Use the rubrics and all the information that I gave you in class.

PLAY PRACTICES (2:30-4:00 or 4:30) ALL LINES MUST BE MEMORIZED BY TUESDAY, JANUARY 6. I will schedule dress rehearsals in March. The dress rehearsals will run from (2:30 till 5:00).

December 2 (2:30-4:00) Cinderella, Stepmother, Stepsisters

December 9 (2:30-4:00) Cinderella, Stepmother, Stepsisters, Fairy Godmother, Prince Charming, Grand Duke, King, Herald

December 16 (2:30-4:00) Cinderella, Stepmother, Stepsisters, Fairy Godmother, Prince Charming, Grand Duke, King, Herald

January (2:30-4:30) 6, 13, 20 27  Everyone

February (2:30-4:30) 3, 10, 17, 24  Everyone

March (2:30-4:30) 3, 10, 17, 24  Everyone