Letters and Revving it up!

Today we're continuing to talk about the format for a business letter, as explained in the last post! You have a little in-class time to continue working on it. You will get an "A" grade if you wrote 15 sentences in rough draft.

The second half of class is story-time! There is an excellent selection in the Rev It Up text, which is an excerpt of one of my favorite books (which, coincidentally, is one of the literature group titles for later this year)! So, yes, that means we will be starting the first Rev It Up vocabulary list when you get back on Tuesday. However, if you have an iPod touch and want to download flashcards for the unit to get a jump on things, the link is right here!

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards

Homework: Final draft of business letter to Mr. Stowell due Tuesday at the beginning of class.

Getting Down to Business: The Business Letter

Today in class we continued/reviewed the name-game in order to build our class community. Afterwards, we reviewed the business letter format for your first assignment: Write Mr. Stowell a letter about yourself!

A helpful link with the format of a business letter can be found here.
Look at the first example of a letter here.

The letter will be started in class and will be finished for homework. The minimum length is 15 complete sentences....there is no maximum. It may be printed at home, or neatly written in ink. This should be in final draft form, so yes, it should be edited and most of you will have to do a second draft. Remember, I'm like your boss, you are a new hire, and this is your first impression.

Here are some possible things you might want to include in a letter:

• Who your favorite English teacher was, and what was it about their teaching style that you found worked really well with you.
• Do you love to read and write, or is it really laborious and tedious for you.
• What kind of books do you like to read, and what kind of writing do you like to do?
• What do you hope to get out of this year in English class?
• What does an English teacher need to know about you?
• What are your educational and/or life goals?
• How far do you want to go in your education?
• What are some of your good/bad student habits?
• Are there any personal factors that affect your life as a student (positively or negatively) that you think a teacher would find helpful to know about you?
• Do you like school? Why or why not?
• What are some of your questions or concerns about class or school that have been on your mind?
  

Homework: Rough draft (15 sentences minimum) due Thursday. Final draft of business letter due the following Tuesday, at the beginning of class (typed or neatly in ink).

Day ONE: Done!

Today in class, Mr. Stowell told you a little about his nerdy self, and a little about the class expectations. If time permitted, we did the name-game. If not, we'll settle that tomorrow!

Class Information:
Grades/Homework assignments: Homework accounts for 10% of your grade and is considered practice. Small assignments will not be accepted late. The bulk of your grade is determined by quizzes and writing assignments. Quizzes can be retaken for the better grade after school on Mondays and Thursdays. For every day a writing assignment is late, it goes down a letter grade.

What to Bring:
Pen, paper, agenda book, binder, and any other relevant classroom materials/assignments.
suggested: thumb drive and a Google Gmail account (check with your parents first).
MOST IMPORTANT: a positive attitude!

Today's Homework: none

A New Year!

Welcome Class of 2016! I'm very excited to meet you, and even more excited that you have found the blog! Do you have any questions or comments for the first couple of days? Comment below! If you would like to see what happened in class last year, go ahead and scroll through it!