Welcome to the 2023-2024 school year! Part of our goal for this school year is to develop our abilities as readers and writers through the study of literature, composition, and vocabulary.  As a class, we will strive to become a community of readers and writers. You will be challenged to use higher level thinking skills, to make connections to the world around you, and to take a critical look at visual media, music, art, and literature. As you grow in your academic pursuits this year, I hope that you will find English interesting and relative to you and your experiences in life.

I follow a philosophy of personal responsibility. By this, I mean that I expect everyone (myself included) to take responsibility for learning. As a teacher, I am responsible for providing a caring, positive, and productive learning environment; to plan and organize my lessons appropriately; to provide purposeful instruction, and to be respectful and professional in my manners and actions. What I cannot do is force anyone to learn. This is the choice and responsibility of you, the student. I encourage each of you to challenge yourself to achieve by setting your expectations high. For some of you, this may be reached through a series of small successes. For others, larger goals may be sought. Regardless of the path, I am committed to making every effort to provide avenues to help you find meaning in your learning and encourage the formation of positive academic habits.

As parents, I hope you will encourage and develop your child’s interest in learning. I invite you to participate actively in the process by allowing your child to share his/her experiences with you. Ask your student questions about my instructions and assignments. Provide help when needed, yet allow independent completion of his/her own work. Read the same reading assignments (even if you have read them before). Praise his/her accomplishments and create even higher expectations. Provide constructive feedback that may help me develop as a teacher.  Please contact me with concerns. 

Expectations:

• Be Respectful
• Be On Time
• Be in Line with School Policies
• Be an Active Learner
• Be Present (physically and mentally)