English

In English, the students are required to do one box (two sentences) each night in their practice sheet. This is to help them learn the grammar rules in context in order to prepare for the multiple choice sections of the SOL, which counts for 50% of their score. Sentence test are given every Thursday on the previous week's practice sheet sentences. It is a multiple choice test with the sentences presented three different ways: once the way it was originally given on the PS sheet, once the correct way, and one they have never seen before. Next, journals are completed every three weeks. Students are required to write at least 3/4 of a page on each entry and include a title and a date. These are graded on the basis of having the requirements and sticking to the topic. It is a place where the students can write without fearing correction on everything. They are mainly to get the students to learn that writing can be fun. The weeks that students do not do journals will be spent on doing editing sheet, sentence pattern, and information redundancy for the first few minutes in class. We will begin writing the second week in November. Written papers are taken through several stages--planning, drafting of first, writing workshop with a group, draft 2 to instuctor, and final draft 3 done in blue or black inck and do not write on the back.