Week of 5-27

SOPHS: E-mail me your Gatsby evaluations to jfiorelli@stmarkshs.net before Tuesday. You will be working quietly in class on Tuesday and Wednesday (using the red lit books) reading some poems and answering some questions in your note books.

CLASS OF 2014: Complete your final blog no later than Tuesday (it's directly below this post), commenting at the blog or printing out your response to leave on my desk in room 367. I will not be in school tomorrow; you will be given time to review for your exam in class. NOTE: a full exam review is posted at Studywiz. Bring a pencil to answer the first forty questions on the Scantron portion of the exam. Complete the rest of the exam in pen.

Seniors: Your Last Writing Assignment (due BEFORE TUESDAY, MAY 27

Dead Poet's Society Testament

This is your last writing assignment. Post OR turn in a paper copy (if you would rather not have your response posted for others to read) before Tuesday, May 27. I will not be in school next Tuesday or Wednesday, so I will not accept any late assignments. This assignment is worth ten points. 

Each of the prompts requires at least 250 words of response. All of the prompts are inspired by The Dead Poets Society movie.

I am looking forward to reading the last words of wisdom that you'll impart at Schoolsville.
     
I cannot grade you on your opinion. You will be graded on your clarity of expression and your ability to support your opinion using specific ideas and examples.

Choose any ONE lower case "letter" to respond to. NOT one in each part. Just any ONE letter.

Part 1 People Can Change (minimum of 250 words)

a. Give me an example of how your opinion about something or someone changed as a result of changing YOUR point of view.
b. For you, what's the most "different" school or extra-curricular activity in which you've participated during your high school career, one that you would have never imagined yourself doing in a few years ago?
c. What person in the Class of 2014 has undergone the most positive change during his or her four years at St. Mark's? You need NOT mention a name.

Part 2 Institutions Can Change (minimum of 250 words)
d. What pages from what text that you had in high school what you like to rip out?
e. What's the most different, yet most powerful/significant high school class (period, activity, etc.) in which you took part?
f. What one thing would you change about St. Mark's to improve the school that would not change the basic educational and philosophical fabric of the school (e.g. in Welton, Charly wanted to admit girls)?
g. How can St. Mark's best discipline its students in order to promote proper behavior?

Part 3 "These are the things we stay alive for " (minimum of 250 words)
h. Words ARE important. What are the nicest words that someone ever said to you? Explain. Please, be able to quote, at least partially, these words.
i. What are the last words to live by that you wrote to yourself in a journal or otherwise?
j. How does your favorite song, band, singer etc. affect you (emotionally or rationally or both) in an important way? 

"Bonne chance," as Mr. Keating might say.

Catch a Wave in Heaven (Remembering Mr. Joseph O'Neill)

My friend, a long-time St. Mark's teacher and coach, Mr. Joe O'Neill, passed away May 20, 2009. I remember him every day.

Mr. O'Neill was here at St. Mark's when the doors opened in 1969. He was a guidance counselor in every sense of the word guidance. For many years he served as the head boys' and girls' cross country coach, and the boys' track coach.

The accompanying photo pictures Mr. O'Neill with his grandson Brendan (now a junior at St. Mark's) looking out into the Pacific Ocean. Joe always dreamed of going to California--he loved the Beach Boys and the surf--and he finally made it out to Cali the summer before he passed away. I only regret that I wasn't with him on the trip to witness first hand his excitement. But boy, did he talk about that trip when he came back! And listening to him was maybe just as much fun as being there.

Mr. O'Neill was one of those rare persons who made you feel good just by talking to him. Irish through and through, he loved to converse (yes, he kissed the Blarney Stone on a trip to Ireland), but what he had to say was never nonsense. In fact, he was a master of clear talking and thinking, and he mocked (though gently) those who "bloviated" pretentiously.

He loved to tell stories, and I was on the receiving end many times, so when I was asked to speak at his funeral, I repeated, with honor, some of his wonderful often-told tales.

Remembering him every day makes me, at least, think, that I'm becoming a better person.

But as good as I might ever become, I will always be at least a transcontinental flight away from being the kind of man that he was. 

Sophs (UPDATE) and Seniors (UPDATE): Week of 5-19

SOPHS: I have posted at Studywiz a project on The Great Gatsby that you have to complete to turn in before Tuesday, May 27 (it's there NOW. I had mistakenly posted it for my seniors). It is fairly extensive, so I am allowing you to work with a partner if you choose. The project is a worksheet that asks you to find examples of and note the importance of motifs, historical figures and events, key scenes, and "word pictures" in the novel. It also contains the full text of the novel, so do NOT print out this entire document. The text of the novel is included for you to search.

So tonight you might want to "partner up" with someone and get to work, maybe dividing up questions. You will submit this project to me electronically before Tuesday, May 27, via my St. Mark's e-mail at jfiorelli@stmarkshs.net or you may print out the finished project (minus the Gatsby text, of course).

CLASS OF 2014!: Enjoy your day on Monday, even though you will be missing English class for your class luncheon. We will go over some Death of a Salesman themes and speeches on Tuesday and begin watching The Dead Poets Society. I have posted at Studywiz a file that contains the important Death of a Salesman speeches and themes that you will need to know for the exam. Final note: those of you missing class on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday will miss The Dead Poets Society. I will talk to you Tuesday about some options, since I intend to include some questions on the movie on the final exam.

UPDATE 5-18 10:30 p.m.---Complete your final blog of the year before class on Friday. You may post OR print out your response. No late copies will be accepted since I will not be in next Tuesday or Wednesday.

Week of 5-12: Sophs and Seniors

Sophs: research papers due tomorrow--everything should be a manila envelope with your name and section color on it--bring your Gatsby books to class tomorrow to read and to answer written questions---you should have read up through chapter 7 for Tuesday's class (Wednesday for blue section).

Seniors: we will begin watching Death of a Salesman on Monday. Bring the handout that I gave you to class for the next 5 days. If you miss a day of the play, you must either read (in your text book) or watch the play on your own. We are watching the 1985 production of the play that features Dustin Hoffman as the salesman Willy Loman and John Malkovich as his son Biff.

SOPH: Research paper UPDATE

The paper is now due on Monday, May 12.

Papers turned in to me on Friday will be given three points extra credit, but do not turn in your paper early if it's not your best work just to get the three points.

There are four files posted at Studywiz that contain helpful reminders and research paper examples.

UPDATE SUNDAY NIGHT Week of 5-5 Sophs and Seniors

SOPHS: Print out one body paragraph to bring to your next class for me to review. Bring a copy of The Great Gatsby to class for your next class, too.

SENIORS: Cuckoo's Nest projects are due Tuesday. Read the directions for your project to make sure you do what you are required. These directions are posted at Studywiz. Be prepared to deliver a presentation to the class on your project at any time beginning on Tuesday. We will continue with some "Life is Beautiful" projects in class on Monday.

YOU ARE REQUIRED TO RESPOND TO THE LIFE IS BEAUTIFUL BLOG POST. 

LET'S GET TO IT!

Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at St. Mark's

Top Ten Reasons Why Life is Beautiful at Saint Mark's

10. Hey, if you students are dressing down, I probably am, too. No tie, no problem

9. Low teacher salary teaches me humility, one of the four pillars of a St. Mark’s education

8. Really do feel safe with medics Johnston & Johnston and former cop Maegerle walking the halls

7. I get a chance to keep my writing skills (and my fiction writing) sharp drafting senior letters of recommendation (just joking)

6. So do you know Murph?  

5. My cadre of best friends makes for good golf, good poker games, and perfect pizza nights

4. Excellent birding and wildlife viewing out of the window in 367

3. Excellent birding “inside” of room 367, too

2. In what other job could I sound my barbaric yawp and take golf practice swings simultaneously? 

1. If I started giving out names of good students, well, … I could go on forever.