H APPY T RI 3!!!! Y OU ARE ALMOST THERE ! Find your desk and get to know the people around you. If you have an issue with your placement, let me know TODAY! If I have a problem with your placement, I will move you whenever I feel like it!

H OUSEKEEPING STUFF … If you had me last trimester, no, I don’t have your stuff graded yet. Grades are due by Thursday at 7:00 am. I will have a syllabus sometime before spring break, but will give you the low down in a moment. If you will be gone for anything these next two weeks, it is your responsibility to check my website or me about work you missed. Ignorance is not bliss! Stop being clueless!website

H OW TO GRADUATE ON TIME … SHOW UP EVERY DAY!!!!!!!!! Seriously, some of you have the worst work ethic EVER. You will never be successful if you don’t SHOW UP! BE ON TIME!!!! It’s rude and disrespectful to be late. If you have a reason, you better have a pass. DO THE WORK!!!! Again, why are you even here if you don’t do the work you are supposed to do. You would get fired if you didn’t do the work your job required and you will flunk out of college if you don’t turn stuff in. HAVE A GOOD ATTITUDE!!! Yes, you can graduate even if you have the world’s worst attitude, but it will make it more enjoyable for all of us if you just faked a happy disposition. I have seen more absences and lazy students than ever before. Nothing will happen over the summer to make you college or work (a real job not a fast food job) ready. If you can’t get to class or do your work, you will not do well in college and you won’t get that dream job. Just sayin’.

S YLLABUS H IGHLIGHTS 1. YOU MUST COMPLETE ALL SUMMATIVE WORK TO GET CREDIT FOR THIS CLASS! 2. I DON’T DO RETAKES. YOUR “MULTIPLE OPPORTUNITY” HAPPENS WITH THE HOMEWORK I GIVE YOU. IF YOU DO THE WORK, YOU WILL BE SUCCESSFUL. IF YOU DON’T, GODSPEED. 3. DOUBLE DIGIT ABSENCES (EXCUSED OR NOT) WILL AFFECT YOUR GRADE. 4. IF YOU ARE ABSENT A LOT, I WILL GIVE YOU MAKEUP WORK AFTER YOU HAVE BEEN HERE FOR 5 STRAIGHT DAYS! 5. I WILL NOT GIVE YOU A SUMMATIVE IF YOU ARE TRUANT ON THE DAY OF THAT SUMMATIVE. READ #1. THIS WILL CAUSE A PROBLEM FOR SOME OF YOU.

S YLLABUS H IGHLIGHTS 1. SUMMATIVE WORK IS 100% OF YOUR GRADE. 2. CHECK MY WEBSITE IF YOU ARE EVER GONE FROM CLASS. 3. PICK AND CHOOSE THE ACTIVITIES THAT WILL PULL YOU OUT OF CLASS. SOMETIMES YOU CAN’T DO IT ALL (UNLESS YOU ARE SUPER RESPONSIBLE AND ORGANIZED, WHICH I HAVE FOUND THAT THOSE ABSENT A LOT ARE NOT.) 4. MY JOB IS TO TEACH YOU HOW TO BE SUCCESSFUL OUTSIDE OF THIS CLASSROOM. DON’T PLAY GAMES WITH ME AND I WON’T PLAY GAMES WITH YOU. IF YOU HAVE LEGIT ISSUES THAT I NEED TO KNOW ABOUT, THEN YOU NEED TO TALK WITH ME. I CAN’T WORK WITH YOU IF YOU DON’T WORK WITH ME.

T HE N EXT T WO W EEKS You will be learning about the Hero’s Journey in literature and in film.Hero’s Journey You will choose a novel today (one other person must be reading the book, too) and begin reading. You must be done with the book by the time you come back from spring break. You will complete TWO one pagers for your novel. The first one due on Monday (at least 150 pages). The second one due Monday after spring break. You will be taking A LOT of notes as you read. Get over it.

F ILM S TUDY A movie of your choice that you’ve seen that was made any time from Pick a movie that you own, can get to on Netflix, or know well enough to recall all character names, setting, etc. Each student must choose a different movie. You must clear title with me. On Friday, I will collect from you your top 3 movie choices. I will let you know what film you will study for this assignment by next week. You will also take A LOT of notes on that, too.

B OOK C HOICES : A T LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON IN CLASS MUST BE READING THE BOOK YOU CHOOSE ! 1. The Kite Runner: Set in Afghanistan, it is a story about Amir and his best friend Hassan. 2. The Tapestries: Written by Kien Nguyen (the author of The Unwanted); it is set in Vietnam and is a love and revenge story. 3. Things Fall Apart: A story set in Nigeria; a story about the fall of Okonkwo (the story’s hero) and how Europeans colonized his village. A story about the clash of two cultures. 4. Their Eyes Were Watching God: The story is set in Florida. It’s a story about the coming of age of Janie, the main character, as she figures out who she is after three “great” loves. 5. Jane Eyre: The story of Jane Eyre and how she learns to be the person she is through her life at Thornfield. It is a great love story as well as classic feminist novel. It is set in England. 6. The Breadgivers: Set in the 1920s on the Lower East Side of Manhattan and tells the story of Sara Smolinsky, the youngest daughter of an Orthodox rabbi, who rebels against her father's rigid conception of Jewish womanhood.

C HOOSING A BOOK … Choose a book you will be interested in. Start reading the book tonight. You may exchange it TOMORROW and TOMORROW only. After that day, you will be stuck with it. Once you have a book chosen, fill out the blue card and give it to me. Begin reading right away. No, don’t view the film or use spark notes. I have read all of these books and your notes will reveal if you read the book or not. Also, you are only cheating yourself if you cheat your way through this book. I am already smart.