Finding the Green Grass

Now is the time to start thinking about summer programs. Talk to your son or daughter and feel free to contact me or a counselor for suggestions. There are many options and I would be happy to discuss your plans during the parent conferences on April 8/9.  Some students study in their home country and others travel to the US or Canada for summer camp.  A great option for those families remaining in Shanghai is the SAS Summer Program.

The SAS 201 Summer Program registration and program selection starts today!  Summer Programs are offered:

Session 1

(Week 1) – Exploratory Programs  June 21 – 25 (8:30 – 3:00)

Weeks 1 – 4 Four-Week Programs June 21 – July 16 (8:30 – 3:00)

(Four Week Programs are only offered for Geometry and Intensive Chinese)

Session 2 (Weeks 2-4) – Education Programs July 28 – July 16 (8:30 – 3:00)

Session 3 (Week 5) – Special Programs  July 19 – 23 (8:30 – 1:00)

The 2010 SAS Summer Program online registration and program selection portal may be accessed at: www.saschina.org/summerprogram . Here you can also learn about the SAS Summer Programs, and access all the information about the SAS Summer Program including bus transportation, cancelation and refunds, changing programs after registration and payment methods and deadlines).

We had the chance to visit Mrs. Borden’s PreK-4 class today to share research skills by helping out some young “study buddies” who are learning about animals.  Students had the chance to practice reading skills of skimming, scanning and summarizing.  They read books aloud and helped turn conversations into research questions.

Thanks to Mrs. Borden for sharing the video!  Here is what she had to say:

The children chose animals that they want to research and already checked out some books from the library in preparation. The children collectively talked about how they could get more information, and decided that they could find information through books, Internet searches, magazines, newspapers, visiting zoos and television programs. Today, high school partners (Atticus Dads class) came and guided them in their researches. It was emphasized that the process of Pre K children learning with high school students help is more important then the product!  Day 1: The children focused on two areas today – 1. Where does the animal live? 2. What does it eat?  It was wonderful experience for our kids and they are very looking forward to seeing them again this Friday!

See the video here

As you know, at this time each year SAS high school students select their courses for the following year.  Course selection forms are due this Friday, March 5. An important part of this process is determining the type of ESOL support that will enable each student to be most successful in grade 10.

ESOL support involves two options at SAS:

• Pull Out (Core ESOL): Students take ESOL Academic Literacy class in place of a foreign language. This class develops reading, writing, speaking and listening skills with a focus on academic language. These students also have an ESOL Flex which provides one-on-one tutoring for homework.
• Push In (Transition ESOL): Students enroll in a foreign language and ESOL Flex. Each of these options also provides testing accommodations: ESOL students have the option of taking extra time on semester exams in English, history, science and some math classes.

Please understand that 10th grade at SAS is very demanding, and in particular, the texts students read in English 10 are quite challenging. Academic Literacy class provides content-based ESOL by reinforcing key ideas, themes and vocabulary from English 10 texts. Students’ current performance in English 9 is directly supported by ESOL classes.

In order to determine the most appropriate ESOL support for students next year, we evaluate each student on the basis of core GPA, English proficiency and teacher observations. English and history teachers, in particular, comment on how well a student is able to cope in these subjects where language demands are high. Based on these factors, I have made recommendations and met with each student to explain these.

3rd quarter grades will include an explanation of individual placements.  Please feel free to contact me via email or phone if you have questions or would like to set up an appointment.  I hope to meet with you during Parent/Teacher conferences on April 8th and 9th.

Happy Valentines Day and welcome to the Year of the Tiger!
Show your LOVE of reading by spending some time with a good book this vacation. Enjoy the days with your friends and family. Safe travels!

We have been discussing the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti and students have been researching an aid organization in order to prepare a persuasive speech for our class.

As we say goodbye to 2009 and get used to writing “2010″ on the tops of our papers, here are some activities we did in class as well as some ideas for discussing with your son or daughter at home.

Happy Old Year  “Those who don’t understand the past are doomed to repeat it.” The beginning of a new year means the end of an old year.  People usually look back at the previous year (last year) and think about the good things and bad things.  It is helpful to reflect on (look at and think about) what you did and what happened in the last twelve months.  Students answered the following questions:

• Compared to the rest of your life, was last year good or bad?
• What do you think was the best thing about last year?
• What do you think was the worst?
• What lessons did you learn from last year?

>> DISCUSS: Ask your son or daughter what they wrote about when they reflected on 2009.

Happy New Year: A new year is a time to make a new start.  We usually think about last year, what we have learned and how we would like to make things better.  Looking at the new year, many people want to make a change in their lives.  People also try to predict (tell the future) about what will happen.

Making resolutions  People who want to change their lives make “New Year’s Resolutions.”  A resolution is a decision.  You decide to do something that is important to you.  It’s like a promise to yourself.   However, change is sometimes difficult.  For example, it’s difficult to stop smoking.  So when New Year’s Day comes, some smokers decide to quit and they make resolutions: “This year I am going to quit smoking.”  But many people make resolutions they can’t keep, and they soon start smoking again.  Why?  Because their resolution is too difficult.  Here’s some advice:  make a resolution that you think you can keep!

Making predictions  It is also fun to try to guess what will happen in the next year.  When you try to tell the future, it is called a prediction.  People use cards or crystal balls to predict what will happen in the new year.  Think about what happened last year and make your guess about next year.

>> DISCUSS: Ask your son or daughter what goals and predictions he or she wrote for 2010.  Do you agree?  What are your resolutions?

Ready to start a new semester and a new calendar year? Clean the sand out of your ears and dust off your agenda. After getting exams back from first semester, consider bringing one of your in-class essays to the Writing Center during flex to figure out those pesky recurring errors. When your grades arrive next week, plan to make goals for yourself for 3Q. Include a goal about vocabulary – spend 10 minutes a day on Freerice.com or add a word-a-day to your daily emails.

Students have two weeks before semester exams and they should be making a plan for how they will prepare.  No one plans to fail, but some students do fail to plan.  Here are a few tips:

1. Know what to expect. If you don’t know what is on the exam and you don’t have a study guide, then ask your teacher.  Classmates can also help to give information about the exam, but they can sometimes be misinformed so make sure you doublecheck with your teacher.  Make sure you think about CONTENT (what you will have to know) as well as TASKS (how you will have to show it).  Will you have to write an essay?  Will you have a lot of short answer questions?  Getting a picture of the exam in your mind will not only help you study but also reduce stress (see also #7)
2. Check the blog. Look at your teacher’s class blog or wiki. There are additional resources which will help you study.
3. Organize your binder. Make sure you have all handouts and previous tests to help you study.
4. Be strategic. Remember that there is a difference between STUDYING and LEARNING. Think about how you learn best and which activities will help you to learn. Make sure you match how you are studying to how you learn, and match your study activities with both the content and tasks you’ll need for your exams.
5. Make a plan. Think about the time you have available: on the bus, after school, during flex, weekends.  Make a specific plan in your agenda or on another place. Tell WHAT you will study, HOW you will do it, and for HOW LONG you will study.
6. Be realistic. Give yourself enough time to get things done when you make your plan. (Don’t schedule yourself for 5 chapters of science during your 20-minute break).
7. Relax. You should take semester exams seriously, but you shouldn’t let fear or stress paralyze you.  When you find yourself starting to worry or panic, get out your plan and remind yourself that if you stick to it, you’ll get everything done.
8. Get some sleep! You have already learned 90% of what you need to know. You should be doing review at this point to help connect and organize what you know. 7-8 hours of sleep will help you to perform at your best.
9. Be positive. If you dread exams as a cruel but legalized form of torture, and think only about how hard it will be and how you are going to fail, you aren’t helping yourself.  Instead, if you think about exams as a chance to shine, to impress, to show what you know and how much you’ve learned, you’ll approach each exam with a better chance of success.  Imagine yourself doing really well and how good it will feel to hand in an exam after you’ve “aced” it.  Then go ahead and make that happen!

Right now 9th graders are in the process of writing many essays: in history, in English, in ESOL. They are learning the essay format as a way to organize and express complex ideas. Students are developing thesis statements in order to analyze such sophisticated topics as: the impact of Shakespeare on modern drama, the role of women as Holocaust survivors, the effectiveness of the Cultural Revolution in advancing the aims of communism in China, the influence of George Orwell’s life on his writing. These are not easy topics to discuss, and students are developing arguments, gathering supporting details and synthesizing evidence to make a coherent essay. These are valuable thinking skills as well as necessary tools for academic success.
Please take a moment to discuss the essays your student is writing and be prepared to listen to some mature thinking.

One of the benefits of students having MacBooks is the variety of language development tools available on the internet. I have explained to students that in addition to regular homework, students should spend at least 15 minutes of practice each day (30 minutes on weekends) practicing reading, speaking, listening or writing. Some new resources from the BBC website have been added to the resource page. Each student has a Language Practice Record in his or her agenda where practice sessions can be recorded. I will check the records each week during our vocabulary test. Thank you for encouraging your son or daughter to make best use of resources.