Seniors are ending One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest in the next two weeks. Students collaborated and wrote found poems relating to the theme of society-as-a-machine and conformity. Below are some samples from students, they created some awesome poems!

"The Combine" by Nicole G, Nicole L, Amanda P, Matt B, and Chloe G

The ward is a factory for the Combine
      For fixing up mistakes made in the neighborhoods
      Proven inability to adjust to society

The machinery disposes of the words like they weren't even spoken
     Cheap, quick, and entirely painless
     Twist him and manufacture him
     Lungs pull for the thick plastic air
     Faces all around you trapped, screaming
     You can move your eyes but there's nothing to see.

Her eyes open again
     The fear close at hand seeps in
     Good as new with a welded grin
     Only been sitting here fifteen minutes when you can tell it's been at least an hour
     It brings joy to the Big Nurse's heart.


"Super Silver Haze" by Noah, Troy, and Ryan

It's a place for a single egg
on a number-six hook
The white tubes in the ceiling
like rods of glowing ice.
One of the girls left her machine
Dragging the Acutes from the Fog.

Over at the Chronic side,
there's something to what she sees,
like mechanical puppets
on autopilot.
That music coming from the loudspeaker
is all they have.

Do any good?

       Hooee!

"A New Man"

Bone, pale, and weak
A little black and blue
They sprang into motion
Wagons loaded
Wired under control like the rest
of us
What a man can do!
He was the good sort
A new man.

"What You Want Me To Think" by Tyler, Jonathan, Sean, Jacob

I know what you want me to think
Everyone keeps on at what he's doing
Just the time it looked they might be helped, the fog would start
They'd of thought the whole bunch was crazy as loons.

I know how they work it, the fog machine.

                so big I can smell the machinery inside

started slow and pumped itself full

             The TV picture swirls back into the gray

                     Trying to slip back into the safety of the fog

Fear from all over the ward.

"Tough Lucky, Buddy" by Matt, Brendan, Liam

It is dark my lord
Long spells-three days,
years when you can't see a thing
I see a chronic float into sight
Faces hypnotized by routine
Rattling of people and machinery
Jerking around in a pattern
Fidgeting and twitching,
Responding to the dials
Negro girls running up and down the aisles
Nails pull his hands back
Zap!
Five cents worth of electricity,
Through the brain
It's for fixing up mistakes
This man is not only very very sick
It would be at the very least safe
Up to Disturbed
Tough luck, buddy.

Seniors: Last Thursday 10/30, my two senior classes hosted Franco Majok from Village Help for South Sudan. Franco told us about his experience in Sudan and how his organization promotes education, sanitation, housing, and various other humanitarian issues. Many students asked many meaningful questions. It was an eye-opening experience for us for global and cultural awareness. Students spent two months fundraising and we were happy to give a donation to Franco's organization.

Here are some pictures from our day.

Film as Literature: Here are the links for most of the Silent Films created in class. Enjoy!

"Hunted" by Gianna, Manny, and John
"A Delicious Chase" by Seth, Aiden, Nick, Zach
"The Chair" by Ally, Tristan, Brooke, Julia, and Kelly
"The Misunderstanding" by Myna, Ashley, Natalie, Alyssa, Thomas, and Connor
"The Big Chase"

Freshmen: The Walls family are in Welch, West Virginia. This won't be their last stop, but it will prove to be the most difficult place out of all the places to live.

What we've been discussing in class:

• Motifs: The Joshua Tree, the fire, and the "skedaddle"
• Students have a graphic organizer and we have discussed how these motifs have exemplified how the Walls' children have struggled and would prefer security over freedom.
• How education is a way out of poverty
• The destructive ways of dad's alcoholism and mom's selfishness
• General reactions to the crazy life of Jeannette

Vocab Note: Freshmen have also finished Unit 1 Vocabulary--please remember to keep studying these words. Each unit builds upon the last unit. Students should also print out their own vocab packets found on my Edline page.

Check out a visual the WALLS FAMILY SKEDADDLE TRIPLINE<--click link :-) 


Seniors: We are halfway through Valentino's journey in What is the What. Today we had the difficult task of figuring of what the "What" is. Some students compared the story of the "What" to the biblical story of Adam and Eve. The "what" is the "forbidden fruit" and the "cattle" is the fruit that God allows them to eat. Students offered that the "What" is the temptation and greed of human nature. They discussed how some people choose the What and some choose the cattle. Our discussion revolved around violence as a reoccurring part of all societies (not just in Africa and not just in the US). Many groups discussed the psychological part of violence and how nature vs. nurture plays a role in whether people will be violent or not. 

Other Notes: 

• Students fundraising efforts are successful. We are anticipating Franco Majok's arrivial. Please visit Edline page to find to organizations dedicated to the improvement of South Sudan.
• College Essays and Appointments: Remember to schedule a time to meet after school to discuss college essays. You can give me a draft to edit prior to the meeting or we can meet to discuss essay strategies and topics. Don't wait too long!
• Vocab: Students should be working on Unit 2.

Film as Lit: Students are either finishing the filming process or editing Silent Films on the computers. Stay tuned!

2014-2015 School Year!

Welcome back to all my students for the 2014-2015 school year!

Film as Lit: We started watching silent films with The Kid. The class decided our next silent film would be The General featuring Buster Keaton. We will follow by watching The Artist (2005) and then we will be creating our own silent films.

Freshmen English: This year we kick off with The Glass Castle, a memoir of a dysfunctional modern family. This novel deals with serious issues of alcoholism, bullying, child neglect but also family love, overcoming hardships, and freedom. Students have received their reading and homework schedule that can be found on my Edline page. Throughout the unit, students will be participating in thematic discussions, character study, and motif analysis. 

Senior English: Seniors have begun reading What is the What which is an autobiographical novel of Valentino Achak Deng's life and written by Dave Eggers. Students will be studying the civil war and genocide in South Sudan. We will also be hosting Franco Majok, the executive director for Village Help for South Sudan, on October 30th. During September and October we will be fundraising to donate to his foundation which helps those living in South Sudan. 

And D Block...

Thanks for a fun year :-) 

Freshmen in C-Block...

...you did it! On to sophomore year soon :-)