It’s safe to say that winter is here to stay. Winter tires are on and I see Christmas decorations popping up all over town. In a month, we will be off for the holidays! Classes are going well. Some students are really taking time to improve their work habits and showing initiative in improving their skills. Midterms should be sent home this week and they will provide good information about student progress. Meanwhile, here’s what’s happening for the week:

ENG3U Grade 11 English students will work to complete “Macbeth” this week. Students will be performing short soliloquies on Thursday and then will watch a film adaptation of the play before writing essays. Students have been doing a great job understanding the text this far.

ALC1O Grade 9 Visual Arts students have finished their first week post-switch from drama. What a fun group! We have introduced some of the elements and principles and have played with colour, pencil, and now pen-and-ink. Students will continue with elements and principles this week as they complete a unit project.

ENG2P Grade 10 English students have begun talking/thinking essays after reviewing introductions and body paragraphs. Students will focus on these things this week. Lord of the Flies is almost done. We have two chapters left to complete.

I’d like to thank students for catching up prior to midterms and for using feedback I’ve provided to improve their work. It’s been a fun first half. Students are reminded that they can drop in at 12:05 most days for catch-up. This week will be a little hectic as I’m out of the building Thursday afternoon and all of Friday.

It’s officially the second half of semester one at GCHS! Midterm marks have been finalized and sent to the office, where they will be reviewed before being mailed home. This also marks the official switch of Grade 9s. Students who were with me in Visual Arts for the first half of the semester have been rotated with students who were in Mr. Haslam’s drama class. So, we start from scratch again with a new group!

As always, if you’re looking for information about the progress of a student, please e-mail me and we can go from there. Students are expected to come in at 12:05PM to make up missing assignments.

LATE ASSIGNMENT POLICY: Clear deadlines will be set for all assignments. Students who fail to meet the deadline without prior approval from the teacher due to extenuating circumstances will be deducted 10% of their mark per day (including weekends) up to a zero. Late work may be kept on file for credit rescue at the end of the semester, if necessary. Students who are absent may also email me assignments.

Here’s this week’s class update:

ENG3U Grade 11 English students are taking time to review the first two acts of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth”. Students are highlighting important lines for each scene and highlighting how the play’s themes are developed. Students will then decipher how the play’s important parts are meant to be performed.

ALC1O Grade 9 Visual Arts students are NEW following the switch between drama and art. Students will spend this week being introduced to some basic principles: The elements of art, the principles of design and colour theory. These are the basic building blocks for creating art projects. This will lead us into the four main units of this half-semester course.

ENG2P Grade 10 English students continue to work with Lord of the Flies. Students are working in small groups to create graphic organizer summaries of the novel’s middle chapters, (Chapters 6-8). Students will then examine how the themes are developed and explored, which will allow us to transition into literary essay writing.

As always, have a wonderful week!

It’s a busy time in class! Midterms are being prepared next week, which means all outstanding assignments must be handed in by Friday, November 7 to be considered for midterms. Students are responsible for meeting with me to make arrangements if necessary.

ENG3U Grade 11 English students are beginning Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” this week. This play explores the tragic hero, blind ambition, and the mingling of natural and supernatural. It’s a fairly straight-forward Shakespeare play and hopefully students find some enjoyment from the unit.

ALC1O Grade 9 Art students only have FOUR more days of Visual Arts before moving off to drama. A new group of students will be joining the class. Students are working on two final paintings: a watercolour landscape  and an acrylic in the style of Canadian Woodlands art.

ENG2P Grade 10 English students have made it to the halfway point of Lord of the Flies. There are several students who need to make up Quiz #1 for this unit. Students will continue working through the novel this week while also exploring elements of essays. Lots of work ahead!

If you have any questions about the progress of a student or anything going on in class, please contact me via the link on the menu above! Enjoy your week!