My Blog is ON THE MOVE!

MY BLOG IS MOVING TO crodsdreamteam@blogspot.com. See you there!

FCAT SCORES ARE IN!

You can check your FCAT scores on your student portal! Many of you did really well, and some of you fell short. If you want to talk to me about your scores, feel free to call me. You needed to have 300 points or more to pass!!!!

For writing, here's my SUPER SIX crew: Carlos B., Kayla S., Kassandra C.

My FAB FIVE crew: Elisabet C., Paula F., Jennifer R., Joyce S., Jackie S., Andrea A., Ashley G., Hugo G., Monica H., Erika M., Sarai R.

Our FANTASTIC FOUR crew: Laysu, Lourdes, Ashely C., Vanessa D., Shantell, Daniela, Henry, Steppo, Ceci, Melissa, Elio, Yelsin, Dianelis, Anthony, Sarah, Yeny, Dante, Geisa, Gaby, Yuli, Natalia, Juan, Jennifer P., Adisney, Helen, Sarelly, Krystal, Kiara.

Only three of you got threes. No worries, though, this WILL HELP our school grade!!!! I am proud of you, too!

First period had a mean score of 4.45, and second period had a mean score of 4.2. GREAT JOB! I will treat you all to your ice cream and other prizes when we come back. WE WILL HAVE A BIG REUNION PARTY!

So proud of you all!!!

QUESTION OF THE DAY: FCAT SCORES READY? Uh, no!

I am sorry to have to say this, but there are no FCAT scores yet. I am guessing next week. I PROMISE, PROMISE, PROMISE to call you as soon as I hear something!

LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!

PS. Isn't the picture up top hilarious? LOL!

Thank you!

I just wanted to tell you thank you and love you! You guys light up my life!

For those of you who were wondering, I put the Renaissance extra credit under the Effort/ Behavior column. If you did a project board, it will go under the Renaissance Fair column in the gradebook. Your exam grades will be up in a day or two.


Love u!

Periods 1 & 2

I wanted you to see a sample, but I am getting super sleepy, and I have to be up at four a.m. to go to the airport. I tried to upload it several times, but the quotes and captions all shift behind the background when I try to post???? Oh, well.

Please don't forget to email me your poems for the lit magazine.

I will miss you! See you on Tuesday! Pray for my LeeBee!

CONGRATS, NHS INDUCTEES!

Congrats to the following students on Team C-Rod for being the newest inductees to the National Honor Society. To see the slideshow made by Mrs. Parra, click HERE!

Amanda Frye
Ana Bormey
Melissa Prat
Erika Muniz
Monica Hernandez
Laysu Borges
Vanessa De la Cruz
Genesis Fernandez
Aileen Meneses
Oscar Rios
Mabit Gonzalez
Giloly Jose
Yoanet Garcia

Rick Bravo, Jessica Perez, Ibis Iser, the executive officers of NHS, are also to be lauded (nice use of a vocab word) for a job well done in presenting!

Periods 5 & 6

Hey there, guys and gals! First, I want to wish you luck on your AP test Wednesday! You are going to do SWELL! Remember, don't lay down, no matter how hard a question may seem, or how tired you are!!!!!

For Monday/Tuesday, you need to have a copy of The Great Gatsby. Our library has several copies, as do our neighboring libraries. If you want to buy your own copy, you can go to any bookstore, or you can buy one from me for $10. I bought only 20 copies, so the first 20 to bring in the money, will get a copy from me. Remember, I do NOT expect you to buy one; you can go to any library and borrow a copy for free!

Hear Ye, Hear Ye!

We're celebrating Renaissance Style May 18th! During English class that day, we will have our "GLADFEST - Renaissance Faire." In preparation for our celebration, I am going to need some help with main dishes (lasgana, shepherd's pie, chicken wings or drumettes, baked ziti, etc). If you can help, please see me ASAP, or post it here. I also want you to dress up if you can (it's extra points).

Here is a slideshow from last year's Renaissance Faire. Remember, that only Ms. Davis and I did it last year. This year, it's the whole school. See why we need your help :o) LOL!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Check out the sites below for some ideas:
http://www.renfaire.com/
http://www.party411.com/theme127.html
http://www.42explore2.com/renaissance.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/shakespeare_william.shtml
Wear your toga in honor of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar! Below are sites to help you form your toga Remember, you have to wear your uniform under your toga, no exceptions :o)
http://www.howtomakeatoga.info/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPaFtZIZmfk
http://how-to-make-a-toga.blogspot.com/

Sonnet Review

Here is a VENN diagram you can use to write out your notes for the sonnet test retake. Period 3, you know what to do. Period 4, after you get your test scores back, you will likely need to do this, too. I know it's a challenge to grasp this, but you must :o) LOVE YOU!
A Lesson on Sonnets_057

Periods 3 & 4

If you have not turned the Narrative Poem, Metaphor Poem, and/or Lyric Poem, you need to have them in ASAP.

Period 3 - Your lyric poem is due next class, as well as any others you are missing (look in the gradebook).

Don't forget that you need to email your favorite poems to crodslitmagazine@gmail.com as soon as you can! Remember, no attachments...just cut and paste it into the email. Be sure to indicate what kind of poem it is, and if it applies to any of the books/stories or works we've read this year.

SMILE!

Periods 3 & 4

Your HW for this week is to compare and contrast two entries from the pages you read of TFWD. Remember to consider the writer, the message, the events, the lesson learned, the inspiration. You need to write it in Microsoft Word, fix the spelling and grammar then post your response in the comments section.

In addition, be reminded that your sonnet and lit tools test is Monday for period 4, and Tuesday for period 3.

Love you guys!

Extra Credit for Periods 5 & 6

Scholarship for college education: $2500
Extra credit points in C-Rod's class: 30
Knowing you are one step closer to going to college: PRICELESS

If you would like some extra credit, here you go: CLICK HERE TO SEE THE RULES OF THIS SCHOLARSHIP ESSAY

I will need the application and the essay on a USB drive by Monday, May 3rd. I will proofread it, and you can make the improvements on 5/4. I will mail it on 5/5 for you. This is 30 points extra credit. You will only get the credit if you cover all of the requirements stated on the link.

SMILE!

Periods 5 & 6

Hey there, ladies and germs (LOL).

I just wanted to remind you that SYNTHESIS ESSAY #4 is due Wednesday, 4/27 for 5th; and Thursday, 4/28 for 6th. Remember to focus on the prompt and what it's asking you to do. You should already know I do NOT want a summary of the sources; rather, I would like you to use those sources to bolster your own ideas and commentary. Also be reminded that you should not take more than 15 minutes to read the sources and 40 more to write. That is a total of 55 minutes from the moment you read the first word of the packet until the moment you should put your pencil down. Be strict with yourself, as giving yourself more time will only deprive you in the long run. (That was deep stuff, man!)

I also want more of you to sign up for Saturday AP Camp. Ms. Borges and I are working on something special that will be applicable in both your AP Eng Lang and the AP Amer Hist tests.

LOVE YOU! We're almost there!

SATURDAY AP CAMP CANCELED 4/24

Sorry :o) I have to take a final tomorrow. Our AP Saturday camp will resume on 5/1 and 5/8.
LOVE YOU!

Earth Day & Take Your Child to Work Day

On "Take Your Child to Work Day," many of my diligent students came to school. Fifth period, for example, took a mock AP Test. In doing so, they have no homework Monday night, and they are one step closer to passing that AP test. Woohoo!

To celebrate Earth Day (April 22nd), we wrote tankas (a five-lined lyric poem with 5, 7, 5, 7 and 7 syllables). While visiting our school's wetlands preserve, we used the environment around us as our inspiration! What a beautiful day it was! Mother Earth is good! Feel free to read some of the tankas under this post (Students, please post by Monday night).

TYCTWD-Clarification

Hi :o) Only if you miss periods 1, 3 and 5 today of MY class, do you have to do the essay. All periods, however, have the opportunity to do the same assignment for extra credit IF YOU SHOWED UP TODAY!

See the post below for details. Hope your day is wonderful!

Take-Your-Child-to-Work Day

I'm excited so many of you decided to partake in TYCTWD. I hope you hone your work ethic and skills while you are away. Hopefully, your parents show you what it is like to put in a tough day's work.

If you are participating in TYCTWD and miss my class, you have a make-up assignment. Since what we are doing in class cannot be made up, this will be your make-up assignment.

You need to type a two-page essay on the following topic: Defend or challenge the quote below and use one example from history, one from literature, and one from your experiences at your parent's workplace today, to support your claim.

All the so-called "secrets of success" will not work unless you do. ~Author Unknown

The essay must be two pages, double-spaced, one-inch margins, in 12 point Times New Roman font. In addition, your name and period should be on a cover page, not on the essay itself. You are not permitted to skip lines either. I want your best work. It is due on Monday at the start of class. THIS IS WORTH THE 50 POINTS YOU WOULD HAVE EARNED IN OUR CLASS-PROJECT THAT DAY.

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO CHOOSE NOT TO PARTICIPATE IN TYCTWD, you can do this assignment as extra credit (50 points).

Enjoy your day with your parent(s). I hope you gain much knowledge about the power of work ethic.

Periods 1 & 2

Don't forget that you have to turn in your quote analysis papers on Monday (period 1) and Tuesday (period 2) CORRECTED, TYPED and ON POINT. Remember, we are prepping you for AP class or 11th grade honors English next year. This is also the kind of the prompt you will see on the SAT (the test required to attend a university). You can do it!

SMILE!

5th and 6th Period - Saturday AP Camp

I am hosting three Saturday AP English Language Camps (pending approval, of course). The dates I have proposed to administration are 4/24, 5/1, and 5/8. It will be from 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. in my room.

If you are interested in attending, please post the dates you are interested in, as well as your first name and period number.

Periods 3 & 4 - English 2

In case you all needed the document below (if you wanted to get started), here it is. Hope you are enjoying your spring break. I do miss you if you were wondering.

Remember to read; it keeps the mind fresh!!!! No dead brains when you return. LOL! I am reading Eclipse for the second time, as well as some books for my classes. What a blessing it is to read and write! See you in a week!
Portfolio of Poetry