College English 12 Summer Reading Blog Example

The Poet of Tolstoy Park by Sonny Brewer

"After the heyoka ceremony I came to live here where I am now between Wounded Knee Creek and Grass Creek. Others came too and we made these little gray houses of logs that you see, and they are square. it is a bad way to live, for there can be no power in a square. You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle. And that is because the Power of the World always works in a circle, and everything tries to be round . . . . --Black Elk

This passage is at the beginning of this novel. During the Summer of '97 or '98, I read Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth, a fascinating look at how cultures across all time periods and all around the world have the same set of myths or stories. The circle is a powerful symbol of life. I became obsessed with circles for a while. I saw so many incorporated into the architecture in Paris and Madrid during Spring Break of '99. After The Da Vinci Code popularized the idea of symbology, and more people started noticing circles in nature, etc. It's interesting to think that we build square and rectangular houses.

I knew I would enjoy this book as soon as I read this passage. The main character moves to Fairhope in 1925 and builds a circular house in the woods. The story is true. I look forward to learning more about Henry Stuart.

I am also looking forward to meeting Mr. Brewer in August.

2009 Spring DIP Expo

We held our second DIP Expo Thursday, May 21st, from 5:30-7:00 in the volleyball gym. Students, teachers, parents, and community members enjoyed looking at the projects from second semester.

Pride Day 2009

The Third Annual Pride Day was a huge success. Students had a blast playing their favorite games in the stadium and showing off their amazing talents in Andy Idol that afternoon.


Preparation Notes:
Signing up went smoothly this year. Students picked four events with a limit of two tournaments. The same students could not play wiffle ball and kickball. Some students thought there were too many conflicts with the schedule, but if all members of the class signed up for four things, it worked well. We added some new events, as well. Getting someone to type the sign-up sheets helped me out a lot. Next year, I need to recruit someone to type, copy, and prepare clipboards.

Andy Idol: We held auditions/practice the day before due to chorus practice. That worked out fine although it would be nice to have auditions on Tues. or Wed., which would allow students more time to polish their acts

English 12 Blog Assignments for Tuesday, 5/12/09

Blog post: Write a personal response to Frankenstein, 50-word minimum. Share your thoughts about the work. You may include what you liked/didn't like.

Blog post: Pick one (or more) Romantic characteristic. Describe how you will incorporate it into your life.

Mes Fleurs

iPhotos

I'm loving my new Macbook. I can't wait until Maria and I are really standing in front of the Eiffel Tower this summer.

Riverview from The Renaissance