A7 Inside and Out

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
It's Halloween and our ban on students dressing in masks or costumes continues for its eighth year. While you can't dress up at BHS, you can click here if you want to learn more about the myths and monsters associated with the holiday.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
We did a special Halloween horror reading today. For our last graded assignment of the 1st marking period, we explored an excerpt from Mary Shelley's classic Frankenstein.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
We wrote thoughts about teenage fears in the 21st Century in our journals. To add appropriate atmosphere, we wrote with scary music in the background. Some selections like Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" were classical. Others were themes from horror films like Halloween, Jaws, and The Exorcist . One of the more recognized selections was Bobby "Boris" Pickett's horror holiday anthem "The Monster Mash." If you're not too afraid, you can click here to find out exactly what Drac and the band were singing about.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
Proving the universal power of writing, Martin Luther posted the 95 Theses on the door of the Wittenberg Palace church on this date in 1517, marking the start of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.

WRAP IT UP
"Once upon a midnight dreary ... " Thus begins Edgar Allan Poe's poetic masterpiece "The Raven," arguably the greatest horror poem ever. To read the rest of "The Raven" click here.

And now, with the Raven resting comfortably, here's wishing you all a hauntingly happy Halloween.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
Continuing our choices of scary reads for Halloween, here is a list of more recent award-winning horror novels.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
We began a two-day Halloween themed lesson by composing original drafts based on writing prompts designed to explore the scary season. Among the choices:
-- describe in detail your favorite Halloween costume
-- describe Hallowwen as seen through the eyes of a vampire bat

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
We concluded our reading of Ray Bradbury's marvelous All Hallows Eve story "Homecoming." To learn more about Bradbury and a more recent continuation of the story of Timothy and his strange family, click here.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
On this date in 1938, Orson Welles caused a nationwide panic with his broadcast of "War of the Worlds" -- a realistic radio dramatization of a Martian invasion of Earth.

Orson Welles was only 23 years old when his Mercury Theater company decided to update H.G. Wells' 19th-century science fiction novel War of the Worlds for national radio. Despite his age, Welles had been in radio for several years, most notably as the voice of "The Shadow" in the hit mystery program of the same name. "War of the Worlds" was not planned as a radio hoax, and Welles had little idea of the havoc it would cause.

The show began on Sunday, October 30, at 8 p.m. A voice announced: "The Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations present Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater on the air in War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells."

Sunday evening in 1938 was prime-time in the golden age of radio, and millions of Americans had their radios turned on. But most of these Americans were listening to ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy "Charlie McCarthy" on NBC and only turned to CBS at 8:12 p.m. after the comedy sketch ended and a little-known singer went on. By then, the story of the Martian invasion was well underway.

Welles introduced his radio play with a spoken introduction, followed by an announcer reading a weather report. Then, seemingly abandoning the storyline, the announcer took listeners to "the Meridian Room in the Hotel Park Plaza in downtown New York, where you will be entertained by the music of Ramon Raquello and his orchestra." Putrid dance music played for some time, and then the scare began. An announcer broke in to report that "Professor Farrell of the Mount Jenning Observatory" had detected explosions on the planet Mars. Then the dance music came back on, followed by another interruption in which listeners were informed that a large meteor had crashed into a farmer's field in Grovers Mills, New Jersey.

Soon, an announcer was at the crash site describing a Martian emerging from a large metallic cylinder. "Good heavens," he declared, "something's wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. Now here's another and another one and another one. They look like tentacles to me ... I can see the thing's body now. It's large, large as a bear. It glistens like wet leather. But that face, it …it ... ladies and gentlemen, it's indescribable. I can hardly force myself to keep looking at it, it's so awful. The eyes are black and gleam like a serpent. The mouth is kind of V-shaped with saliva dripping from its rimless lips that seem to quiver and pulsate."

The Martians mounted walking war machines and fired "heat-ray" weapons at the puny humans gathered around the crash site. They annihilated a force of 7,000 National Guardsman, and after being attacked by artillery and bombers the Martians released a poisonous gas into the air. Soon "Martian cylinders" landed in Chicago and St. Louis. The radio play was extremely realistic, with Welles employing sophisticated sound effects and his actors doing an excellent job portraying terrified announcers and other characters. An announcer reported that widespread panic had broken out in the vicinity of the landing sites, with thousands desperately trying to flee. In fact, that was not far from the truth.

Perhaps as many as a million radio listeners believed that a real Martian invasion was underway. Panic broke out across the country. In New Jersey, terrified civilians jammed highways seeking to escape the alien marauders. People begged police for gas masks to save them from the toxic gas and asked electric companies to turn off the power so that the Martians wouldn't see their lights. One woman ran into an Indianapolis church where evening services were being held and yelled, "New York has been destroyed! It's the end of the world! Go home and prepare to die!"

When news of the real-life panic leaked into the CBS studio, Welles went on the air as himself to remind listeners that it was just fiction. There were rumors that the show caused suicides, but none were ever confirmed.

The Federal Communications Commission investigated the program but found no law was broken. Networks did agree to be more cautious in their programming in the future. Orson Welles feared that the controversy generated by "War of the Worlds" would ruin his career. In fact, the publicity helped land him a contract with a Hollywood studio, and in 1941 he directed, wrote, produced, and starred in Citizen Kane--a movie that many have called the greatest American film ever made.

WRAP IT UP
The Orson Welles panic producing radio broadcast was based on the novel of the same name by H(erbert) G(eorge) Wells. Wells, the noted British science fiction writer and social thinker who became increasingly disenchanted with humankind in his later years, said ""Human history becomes more an more a race between education and catastrophe."

Here's hoping that education wins.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
If yesterday's selection of 40 great horror books wasn't enough for your Halloween appetite, here is a list of the 100 best horror books written before 1987.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Students engaged in a lively Padaiea seminar about Edvard Munch's painting "The Scream." To see what all the fuss was about, click here to see if you can figure out this pictorial ode to alienation.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Students began reading Ray Bradbury's short story "Homecoming," a classic All Hallows Eve tale about alienation and the gathering of a rather strange family.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
On this day in 1933 Dylan Thomas's "The force that through the
green fuse" was published. It is one of his most anthologized
poems, and its publication in a London newspaper just two days
after Thomas's nineteenth birthday would cause the scholar
William Empson to mark the calendar: "what hit the town of London
was the child Dylan publishing 'The force that through the green
fuse' ... and from that day he was a famous poet."

WRAP IT UP
Speaking of the subject of screams, noted American writer Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote: "Sometimes a scream is better than a thesis." I guess that captures the basis of primal scream therapy.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
With Halloween just around the corner, nothing could be better than enjoying a scary read. Here is a list of the top 40 horror books of alltime as selected by the National Association of Horror Writers.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Students tackled a 40-question test today on "The Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka. Most of the students didn't do as well as they had hoped on the test. Hopefully, the results proved the need for study groups to comprehend challenging readings.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Students read excerpts from Bob Greene's Be True to Your School: A Diary of 1964. There were three reasons for the selection. They were:
-- reading enjoyment
-- a comparison between high school students today and 40 years ago
-- a modle for students to use when they compose their own daily diary entries next month

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
On this day in 1853 Henry David Thoreau received back from his
publisher the 706 unsold copies (out of 1000 printed) of his
first book, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers, published four years earlier at his own expense. In his journal later the same day, the ever-resilient Thoreau described his "purchase" as "a library of nearly nine hundred volumes, over seven hundred of which I wrote myself."

WRAP IT UP
One of the most famous quotes attributed to Henry David Thoreau is "the mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation." It's not difficult to apply this quote to the bleak life of Gregor Samsa, the main character in our just completed reading of Kafka's "The Metamorphosis."

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
Concerned about increasing violence and gang activity, school and BHS officials met with a group of students and their parents after school today to emphasize that the district will not tolerate fighting and offenders may find themselves put out of regular school. Here's hoping the warning takes.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Students finished their reading of Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis." If you want to find out more about the troubling tale, you can click here for links to the story, Kafka, existentialism and more.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
To practice their reading skills, students read an excerpt from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
Welsh poet Dylan Thomas was born on this date in 1914. "My education was the liberty I had to read indiscriminately and all the time, with my eyes hanging out," said Thomas.

WRAP IT UP
In one way, Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" with its giant insect and overall eerie atmosphere could be considered a horror story. And, of course, a good dose of horror is always appropriate around Halloween. Speaking of fear, American man of letters Ralph Waldo Emerson had this to say about that subject as a motivator. "Always do what you are afraid to do," Emerson implored. Following that advice, however, is often easier said than done.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
Friday marked the end of the first-week reign for our new BHS Homecoming Queen Heather Etter and our Homecoming King Tom Zoyac. Because of our staggered November schedule, homecoming was held a month early this year.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Students are continuing their reading of Gregor Samsa's adventures as the main character in "The Metamorphosis." Franz Kafka's classic story examines themes of alienation, the limitation of personal freedom, fragmentation, and the uncertainty that comes with modern life.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Again, students had a choice of writing prompts: Either if you could have permanent possession of any single object in the world, what would you want it to be? Or if you could have the starring role in one film already made, which movie would you pick?

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
Actor Vincent Price, best remembered for his many horror films, died on this day in 1993.
After attending Yale, Price studied at the University of London and became a popular actor on the English stage. By 1938, he had landed a U.S. movie contract and soon established himself as an entertaining villain. He starred in more than two-dozen horror films in the 1950s and 1960s, including House of Wax (1953) and The Fly (1958). His last famous role was the voice in Michael Jackson's Halloween hit "Thriller."

WRAP IT UP
Vincent Price, known as the King of the "B" horror film, obviously spent much time in front of cameras filming frightening scenes. Modern actor Josh Harnett has this to say about making scary movies. "It's not scary to make a horror film because you get to pull back the curtain and see that none of it's real. When you're watching one, the terror bombards you." Hartnett said.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
Abuse of lateness at BHS is escalating again. The sweeping program, which proved so effective last year, needs to be revamped. Hopefully, administration will act. I believe that some of the attitiude problems encountered now in lateness are related to the upsurge in violence in the community.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Students began reading Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" and many indicated that they are struggling with the text. They shouldn't feel badly. Albert Einstein once said he couldn't read Kafka "because the human mind isn't complicated enough." If it was difficult for Einstein, imagine how tough it is for BHS seniors. But I think they are up to the task.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Today, students had a choice of writing prompts: either If you could change one thing about the world right now, what would you alter? or If you could permanently alter one thing about your physical appearance, what would it be?

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
Thirty-eight years ago today, the Byrds released their song "Turn! Turn! Turn!" The 1965 hit was based on the "To Everything there is a season" passage from The King James Bible. College Prep students conducted their first Paideia seminar this year on that Biblical passage exploring change. To see The Byrds lyrics, click here and find the words by clicking on The Byrds links.

WRAP IT UP
Many times when students encounter difficult material such as "The Metamorphosis" part of the problem is the fear of making mistakes. But Albert Einstein, still held up as the consumate example of a genius, had this to say on that subject. "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new," he said. So if someone as smart as Einstein recognized mistakes are natural whenever we encounter anything new, I guess we shouldn't really worry so much about them.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
As educators, we should all be constantly reevaluating what we are doing for (and to) students. Existential author Franz Kafka was once wrote that school "strove to obliterate individuality."

Even though our Padeia school claims to be student-centered, I wonder sometimes just how much has really changed since Kafka's days as a high schooler.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Students began an exploration of Franz Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" with a lecture on the author's life, writings, and times. Kafka, at one time or another has been associated with the literary schools of modernism, existentialism, absurdism, and magical realism.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Today's writing prompt: If you could, in retrospect, change one thing about your childhood, what would it be?

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
In a televised speech of extraordinary gravity, President John F. Kennedy announces on this date in 1962 that U.S. spy planes have discovered Soviet missile bases in Cuba, alerting America to what is to be termed the Cuban Missile Crisis.

These missile sites--under construction but nearing completion--housed medium-range missiles capable of striking a number of major cities in the United States, including Washington, D.C.

Kennedy announced that he was ordering a naval "quarantine" of Cuba to prevent Soviet ships from transporting any more offensive weapons to the island and explained that the United States would not tolerate the existence of the missile sites currently in place.

The president made it clear that America would not stop short of military action to end what he called a "clandestine, reckless, and provocative threat to world peace."

WRAP IT UP
Franz Kafka could never be accused of being Mr. Sunshine. In fact he once said, "a picture of my existence would show a useless wooden stake covered in snow ... stuck loosely at a slant in the ground in a ploughed field on the edge of a vast open plain on a dark winter night."

Kafka's pronouncement moved senior Ashley Wuzzardo to exclaim: "My God, I'm amazed he didn't kill himself." Despite his pessimistic outlook Kafka never did take his own life and although he died far too young (at 41), we can be greatful that his ideas continue to live on in his writings.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
WASHINGTON, Oct 21, 2003 (United Press International) -- Nationwide, U.S. students with good high school records are discovering they don't have all the skills needed to succeed in college.

College admission test results indicate possible grade inflation. Fifteen years ago, students with A averages accounted for 28 percent of Scholastic Aptitude Test takers. Although 42 percent of college-bound seniors have A averages, they score no better on the college admissions tests than did A students a decade earlier, the Gannett News Service reported.

While some point to high school teachers giving higher grades for weaker work, others point to an easier coarse load that doesn't require rigorous courses in math, science and writing, subjects needed to prepare for college.

Clifford Adelman, a U.S. Department of Education researcher who has examined thousands of high school and college transcripts, told Gannett that a student taking four years of math in high school, including trigonometry and calculus, has doubled the chance of earning a bachelor's degree.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Students are preparing for their second major outside reading assignment for the year. They are to choose a book they think the Bridgeton community should read and discuss. After reading their book, they are to explain why their choice would be the best book for a community reading in either a letter or a speech to city officials.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Today's journal writing prompt: If you could physically transport yourself to any place in the world at this moment, where would you go?

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
On this date in 1969, Jack Kerouac, author of the seminal beat novel On the Road, died at age 47 of addominal bleeding caused by drinking.

WRAP IT UP
Kerouac once said,"Great things are not accomplished by those who yield to trends and fads and popular opinion." Certainly Kerouac, in both lifestyle and writing, never yielded to any trend or fad.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking.

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
This week's Time magazine cover story "Inside the New SATs" contends that the big changes in the retooled test could:
-- favor girls over boys
-- affect how English is taught in high school
-- make SAT scores more subjective
-- create an uproar among teachers and parents.
The article makes for compelling reading for anyone involved in high school education.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Today's class was devoted to a lecture on the 6 R's of Note Taking: How to Take Great Class Notes. The subsections of the lecture included:
-- recording your notes
-- reading your notes
-- reciting your notes
-- restating your notes
-- relating your notes to your life
-- reviewing your notes

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
After much struggle, many students surprised themselves with their ability to distinguish between transitive and intransitive verbs. The key - transitive verbs immediately answer the question what or who.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
Fifty years ago today, singer-songwriter Tom Petty is born. Honors students will examine the lyrics to Petty's song "Won't Back Down" later this year.

WRAP IT UP
Speaking of music, musicians and songwriters aren't the only ones who think the subject is extremely important. Philosopher Frederick Nietzche one said, "Without music, life would be a mistake."

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking.

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
Not in class today so I can be in Boston for my son's wedding. Thank goodness for substitute teachers. They have a tough job. For anyone interested in becoming a substitute teacher, you can click here to learn some do's and don'ts.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Students are creating an acrostic poem using their name as part of their who am I? unit. An acrostic uses the first letters of a word to begin vertical lines of poetry. For more than you probably ever wanted to know about acrostics, you can go here.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Students worked on distinguishing between abstract and concrete nouns. Concrete nouns are persons, places, and things. Abstract nouns are ideas. This is an important concept because good writing is based on using vivid, specific nouns.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
Playwright Arthur Miller in born on this date in 1915 in New York City. Miller's classic drama Death of a Salesman will be read by Honors students later this year.

WRAP IT UP
Speaking of death, Richard Adams, author of the classic young adult fantasy novel Watership Down, had this upbeat thought about the subject. "The thinker dies, but his thoughts are beyond the reach of destruction. Men are mortal; but ideas are immortal," Adams said.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking.

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
As I mentioned yesterday, I attended a district workshop on combatting bullying. Apparently, this subject, so much in the news since the tragedy at Columbine, is not limited to the United States. To learn about the issue from a Scottish perspective, you should go here.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Students today turned in their first book share projects for the year. There was a wide range of posters, poems, diary entires, and soundtracks.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Another task rotation option for students is to memorize stanzas from "The Road Not Taken." Many people with a religious background remember memorizing the books of the Bible. Softlore offers memorization tips with a religious bent.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
Multiple Pulitzer prize winning poet Eugene O'Neill, author of Long Day's Journey into Night and The Iceman Cometh, is born on this date in 1888 in New York City.

WRAP IT UP
On aging and life O'Neill once said,"when you're 50 you start thinking about things you haven't thought about before. I used to think getting old was about vanity - but actually it's about losing people you love. Getting wrinkles is trivial."

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking.

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
I attended a workshop today on one of the hottest topics in New Jersey education today - the new state bullying law. Basically, the law specifies that school districts must act against students who harass, intimidate, bully, or stalk other students. To further prove that we are definitely in the technological age, a portion of the day-long discussion focused on how to deal with bullying in online websites, chat

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
As part of their study of Isak Dinesen's "The Ring" students discussed this prompt: Do you think married people should never have secrets from each other? Or do you think secrets are inevitable?

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
As part of their study of Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" students are completing a task rotation designed to show understanding of the poem. Among the choices students could opt to write on this prompt: What was the most important decision you ever made in your life? What effects did it have on you? What did you learn about yourself from both the choice and this analysis?

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
On this date in 1920, author Mario Puzo is born in New York City. Puzo's most successsful novel, The Godfather, is turned into one of the greatest American films. To read and view more about this fantastic film click here.

WRAP IT UP
Radio bradcaster Howard Stern, who can sometimes be witty and with his next comment have you examining your views on censorship, began his controversial national broadcasts on this date in 1992. On motivation, Stern had this to say: "I still feel like I gotta prove something. There are a lot of people hoping I fail. But I like that. I need to be hated."

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking.

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
We are back after our Columbus Day break. Unfortunately, violence did not take a break with us. There was yet another shooting in Bridgeton linked to the double fatal shooting here earlier this summer.

Hopefully, we can get a handle on the escalating neighborhood violence before it explodes in BHS. Eveyone's thoughts and hopes should be with those attempting to control the scary situation.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Two stories are being read. One is "The Ring" by Isak Dinesen, best known as the author of Out of Africa. Dinesen's story centers on the conflict between class and love. The other story is "A Problem" by Anton Checkov. Here students engaged in a lively debate over this background prompt: Imagine that you are a parent whose son or daughter has been arrested for shoplifting. Would you insist that he or she be brought to justice and punished, or would you pay for the stolen items quietly? What, if anything, do your ideas about family honor have to do with your response?

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
We began our exploration of Robert Frost's classic poem "The Road Not Taken" by sharing thoughts on an anticipation guide about decisions. Among the statements for debate:
-- it is easy to make decisions
-- it is more satisifying to see where you have been than where you are going
-- I am the master of my fate; I am the captain of my soul

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
E. E. (Edward Estlin) Cummings was born on this date in 1894 in Cambridge, Mass. Cummings' poetry, noted for its eccentricities of typography, language, and punctuation, usually sought to convey a joyful awareness of life and love.

Honors students will examine Cummings' poem "anyone lived in a pretty how town" later this year.

WRAP IT UP
This month we are focused on the question - who am I? E. E. Cummings had some interesting thoughts on that question. Once he said, "It takes courage to grow up and become who you really are."

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking.

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
Everyone was in a hurry for today to finish so we could start our Columbus Day weekend, the first three-day weekend of the school year.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Students should spend a portion of their long weekend reading as their book share project is due on Thursday the 16th.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
It's reading here too as the college prep book share project is due on Thursday the 23rd.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
On this date in 1985 actor/director Orson Welles died of a heart attack at age 70. Welles made important contributions to the development of film, introducing new camera and sound techniques with his best-known work, Citizen Kane (1941). The film topped the list in the American Film Institute's 1998 poll of America's 100 Greatest Films. After Citizen Kane, Welles' diverse works included everything from Shakespearean adaptations to documentaries.

WRAP IT UP
Baltimorean John Waters, who like Orson Welles, has spent much of his life behind a movie camera, has this to say about a certain type of holiday in general and specifically Columbus Day. Waters once said, "I also hate those holidays that fall on a Monday where you don't get mail, those fake holidays like Columbus Day. What did Christopher Columbus do, discover America? If he hadn't, somebody else would have and we'd still be here. Big deal." Attention Mr. Waters - at least we get the day off at BHS.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking.

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
Lanuage Arts, part II marks the final day of fall HSPA testing. Here's wishing high scores for all the students who had to take any parts of the state test. Not all organizations believe in the rightness of mandated standardized testing. FairTest is one such organization. Click here to learn more about the group.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Our first major essay was assigned today. It is due next Tuesday. Students were to write on one of the following topics.
Given our discussions about both individuality and the role of women in James Joyce's time, do you think Eveline's choice would be easier to make today?
or
Read Robert Frost's famous poem "The Road Not Taken." Compare the decision making process in "Eveline" with that evidenced in the Frost poem.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
We examined one of the basic building blocks of writing - the eight parts of speech. Many students remember the first five parts, but struggle with the three "...tions." How many of the 8 parts of speech can you name?

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
John Lennon, singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the Beatles, was born 63 years ago today in Liverpool, England. After the Beatles broke up in 1970, Lennon launched a successful solo career, releasing the classic single "Imagine" (1971). Lennon was murdered outside his New York apartment building in 1980 by Mark Chapman.

WRAP IT UP
John Lennon's "Imagine" challenges us to conjure up a better world, a more peaceful world. "If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace," Lennon, ever the social activist, once said.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
Language Arts marks day two of HSPA testing. Of course, since the results of the test will not be available until January at best, the SRA team will start instruction in earnest next week to help the maximum number of seniors be in position to gain their diplomas in June.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
On focus in class discussion today was on the question - what does James Joyce's story "Eveline" tell you about how much the Irish culture he writes about values individuality? Does our BHS culture value individuality?

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Today, we outlined our 4 do-its of editing. We began by stressing that unlike the Nike slogan, we just don't want to do it, we want to do it right. Our editing do-its are:
1. edit slowly and carefully
2. edit orally
3. edit more than once
4. edit with others

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
Actor and comedian Chevy Chase was born on this date in 1943. Chase was a member of the original cast of TV's Saturday Night Live when in debuted in 1975 and became its first breakout star.

WRAP IT UP
Speaking of comedians and humor, noted American writer Mark Twain had this to say on the subject: "Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritation and resentments slip away, and a sunny spirit takes their place."

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
Today is the the start of a three-day testing period for seniors who didn't meet state standards on the state-mandated HSPA (High School Proficiency Assessment) last spring. The test is not easy. I know I could do well on the reading and writing sections, but I wonder just how well I would do on the math portion

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
We held a Paideia seminar to help us better understand James Joyce's short story "Eveline." In keeping with our emphasis on helping students to make important life decisions, our opening question was "do you think Eveline made the right decision not to leave Dublin and go away with her boyfriend Frank?" Interestingly, the concensus in Period 3 was that she made the right choice, but period 4 students thought she should have escaped the severity of her life in Ireland.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
We outlined a six-step process for writing an essay essay
1. analyze the prompt
2. gather information
3. organize the information
4. plan the essay
5. compose a rough draft of the essay
6. make the rough draft better by proofreading, editing, and revising

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
On this day in 1982, the musical Cats debuts. Featuring music by Andrew Lloyd-Webber, the show drew its lyrics from T.S. Eliot's Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats. The show, which ran for 7,485 performances over nearly 18 years, broke the record for longest-running Broadway musical in 1997. During its run, the Broadway show alone, not counting touring productions, brought in more than $400 million and played to more than 10 million people. The show closed on September 10, 2000. For a list of the longest running shows in Broadway history, click here.

WRAP IT UP
Of New York City's famed Broadway, Royal Shakespeare Company director Terry Hands once said, "My real pleasure is that 4 times a week 1,800 people are standing up and shouting on Broadway for an author who died hundreds of years ago." I guess that shows the lasting power of great writing.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
Seniors are talking about their proposed senior class trip. This year's excursion is planned for Disney World in Florida. Some think it is a great $650 bargain. Others say there is no way they are going. New year - new trip - same debate. Some things change; others don't. It seems it would be impossible to come up with a trip that all seniors enthusiastically endorsed.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
We began our study of James Joyce's "Eveline" by talking about decisions. Sophocles, who we know as the author of Oedipus Rex, had this to say on that subject. "Quick decisions are unsafe decisions," he said.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
As preparation for our reading of an excerpt from Alex Haley's Roots, we talked about geneology. Here is a helpful page for anyone interested in searching for their ancestors.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
On this date in 1847, Charlotte Bronte's classic novel for the college-bound Jane Eyre is published in London; it becomes an immediate success.

WRAP IT UP
On the subject of travel, writer Jan Myrdal said: "Traveling is not just seeing the new; it is also leaving behind. Not just opening doors; also closing them behind you, never to return. But the place you have left forever is always there for you to see whenever you shut your eyes. And the cities you see most clearly at night are the cities you have left and will never see again."

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE's SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
In Oedipus Rex, the horror of her situation as mother/wife becomes too great for Queen Jocasta and she decides to take her own life. Unfortunately, suicide as a problem did not end with the ancient Greeks. In fact, statistics show it is growing rapidly among teenagers and young college students. Here is a suicide prevention site that several colleges are pushing for anyone contemplating such an action.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Hopefully, all students spent some time this weekend reading their novel of choice since their book share project is due Oct. 16 (just 12 days away)

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Hopefully, all students spent some time this weekend reading their novel of choice since their book share project is due Oct. 23 (just 19 days away)

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
In 1975, Harry Chapin's song "Cats in the Cradle" is released. College Prep students will examine the lyrics to this classic cut about fatherhood during a later unit on making a difference.

WRAP IT UP
Television talk show host Phil Donahue once said,"Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem." I think it's also important to view suicide as the ultimate selfish act. Such a personal decision fails to take into account the feelings of all those left behind.

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
One good way to remember and better understand what you've read is to write a letter to someone about your reading. We asked students to do just that with Oedipus Rex, noting that they should include what they liked about the play and what they learned from their reading, as well as what happened in the tragedy.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Up next here is a reading of the James Joyce short story "Eveline."

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Up next here is a chapter excerpt from Alex Haley's strong story about his search for his Roots.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
On this date in 1849, everyone's favorite Halloween horror poet Edgar Allan Poe is kept drunk by a gang of political hacks who have him vote repeatedly at the polls; in four days he is dead.

WRAP IT UP
Any examination of Oedipus has to center around the debate of man's free will versus fate. Of fate, the German writer Goethe once said, "Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it."

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking.

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
With October comes an increasing emphasis for seniors on the college application process. One step in that process is the dreaded SAT test. To learn more about the test click here.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
Today, we finished the tragic play Oedipus Rex by Sophocles. Students will now be allowed to demonstrate just how well they understand the tragedy with a series of comprehension checks, discussions, and mini-essays.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
Ditto (or see above) for this group.

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
Indian political and spiritual leader Mohandas Gandhi, one of the most powerful advocates for peace ever, was born on this date in 1869

WRAP IT UP
On the subject of peace, Gandhi succinctly said "peace is it's own reward."

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking.

THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENING HERE
Many people feel that today's entertainment is too violent. However, violence has long been a staple of entertainment. In fact, it is hard to equal the violent images embodied in the self-blinding scene from Act II of Oedipus Rex.

FOR YOUR (HONORS) EYES ONLY
It is true that it often difficult to see the truth, especially about oneself. Ironically, the once noble, now blind and humbled Oedipus has finally come to see himself in a true light.

LIGHT MY (COLLEGE PREP) FIRE
As Oedipus Rex rushes to its conclusion students are left to wonder - just what else can happen to the savior of Thebes who let his pride get the best of him?

COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN
Former President Jimmy Carter was born on this date in 1924. Carter, a voracious reader, this month added yet another achievement to his impressive resume. His first novel, The Hornet's Nest: A story of the American Revolution, was published last month.

WRAP IT UP
Speaking of entertainment, albeit of a less violent nature, the famed Florida theme park Walt Disney World opened its gates to the public for the first time on this date in 1971. Disney innovator Walt once said about reading "There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates loot on Treasure Island and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life."

Well that's it for today. So - until next time - keep on reading, keep on thinking.