Hi parents and guardians!

It was so nice to see you at Report Card Pick-Up and have helpful conversations about your children and their progress in MYP English 1. I wanted to update you on two items:

1. Addressing mechanics, usage, & grammar needs through quill.org. Your child will complete an online diagnostic assesment this weekend. After taking the quiz, quill.org will create an individualized plan for your child based on his/her ability. Then your child will be assigned grammar lessons for homework 1-2 times per week. In class, I plan to reinforce specific skills through mini-lessons. Additionally, I plan to assess students based on their individual grammar progress that they exhibit in their writing. Please encourage your child to stay on track with their quill.org practice, as it will help both their writing and PSAT skills improve!

2. Monologue performances for "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien - Monday, December 2nd until Thursday, December 5th. The summative assessment for our current unit is a written and performed monologue as a character from our text. Students are responsible for completing the revision/editing process three times. This weekend, students must perform their monologues for a family member or friend and receive feedback (based on a provided checklist). The final draft is due on Tuesday, November 26th. Over Thanksgiving break, the expectation is that students work on memorizing their monologues. To alleviate nerves, please encourage your child to perform his/her monologue in front of the family or a small group of students - maybe even at a Thanksgiving celebration?!

As always, I appreciate your support and parent engagement. I really enjoy teaching this wonderful class of freshmen, and I so look forward to seeing how much they develop and grow this year!

Sincerely, 

Jorie Pesce