Parent Newsletter

English III Update

Friday October 11

Good afternoon parents!

Fall is officially underway, and students are doing amazing work in the classroom! We have finished Unit 1, which introduced students to the fundamentals of literary practice as part of an intellectual community. We practiced using mentor texts to expand our writing skills and started writing our own literary works. Not only does our literary practice support creativity and critical thinking, but it also builds community, as students have been sharing their work in class and giving detailed feedback to one another.

During Unit 3, we will study a book and write a book of our own! Students are excited about the challenge of writing a book, and I encourage you to talk with your student regularly about their literary work. Parents, if you are interested in writing a book, please consider joining us in this November challenge! Feel free to email me at antoso@cristoreyjesuit.org or send a Remind message--I am happy to provide resources and support! 

In preparation for Unit 3, students will need to purchase a copy of one of the following books by Friday October 18: 

• The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

• The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (fiction)

• The Other Wes Moore by Wes Moore (nonfiction)

• Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond (nonfiction)

• You Are Here: Poetry in the Natural World edited by Ada Limon (poetry)

• Martin & Meditations on the South Valley by Jimmy Santiago Baca (poetry)

I also recommend purchasing page flags. These are incredibly helpful, and they make it much easier for students to find the quotes and passages they would like to use for writing assignments.

Please reach out to me via email or Remind message if purchasing the book will be a financial burden for your family. I can find funds to purchase on your behalf, but I need to know asap!

Please feel free to email me with questions, comments or concerns. Thank you for supporting your students' success, and I hope you have a safe and enjoyable weekend! 

Sincerely,

Ms. Ntoso

This month in class we...

• Practiced annotating, analyzing, and responding to poetry and nonfiction.

• Reflected and responded to nonfiction readings about a variety of issues.

• Wrote commentary on our literary writing, discussing our inspirations, literary techniques, and writing process. 

• Practiced using technology to scan documents and build a professional quality digital portfolio of our work 

• Shared specific positive constructive feedback  on classmates' writing 

Assignments due in October:

• 2.2 Author's Commentary (with revised writing) (due Friday 10/11)

• 2.3 SAT Writing Practice in NoRedInk (due Wednesday 10/16)

• 3.1 Historical, Social, Cultural, Literary Context Notes (due Thursday 10/24)

• 3.2 Dialectical Journal / Reading Notes (due Friday 10/25)

•  3.3 Reading & Vocabulary Quiz #1 (in class Monday 10/28)

• 3.6 Personal Story in Context (due Friday 11/1)

Lessons, readings, resources and assignments for Unit 3  can be found on the course website. (Note: Unit 3 is being revised, and updated lessons and slides may not be available until after the lesson has been covered in class.)

Supporting success:

• Please review the Tips for Success webpage with your student. These are helpful tips not only for this English III course, but also for most college preparatory courses.

• If your student will be absent, please have them email me. I am happy to send information about what we are doing in class, and students can often submit assignments online or via email.

• Please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions, concerns or feedback. I look forward to getting to know you and your student!

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Welcome to English III
with Ms. Ntoso!

Thursday August 29

Welcome parents! My name is Abena Ntoso, and I will be your student's English III teacher this year. You can learn more about me here, and you can learn more about the English III course here.

English III is an exciting exploration of rhetorical and literary structure and style, with the purpose of establishing literary habits that will help students think critically about literature and life and express themselves imaginatively and clearly. 

Every few weeks I will update this parent newsletter with a short summary of what we are doing in class, assignments due, and ideas for supporting your student's success. Lessons, readings, resources and assignments will be updated and available on the course website at the start of each week. 

Please feel free to email me with questions, comments or concerns. I look forward to a great year of learning and growing! 

Today in class we...

• Created and shared digital writing portfolios

• Experimented with narrator point of view (POV) in our writing

• Learned about mentor texts, the stages of the writing process, and the difference between reflexive and extensive writing 

• Used imagery and concrete details in our writing

• Analyzed structure and style in the opening passages of four readings

• Used a mentor text to experiment with structure and style while writing the first draft of a story, essay, or poem

• Wrote specific positive feedback for a peer using literary terminology

Assignments due in August & September:

• 1.2 Author Bio & Reflection (due Friday 8/16)

• 1.6 Reading Notes & Rhetorical Situation (due Monday 8/26)

• 1.9 Intro to Literary Practice Terminology Quiz (in class Tuesday 8/27)

• 1.10 First Draft, Feedback & Revision Notes (in-class Thursday 8/29)

• 1.13 Nonfiction Annotation & Reflection (due Monday 9/9)

• 1.16 Poem Annotation (due Wednesday 9/18)

• 1.17 Poem Analysis Essay (in class Friday 9/20 & Monday 9/23)

• 1.20 In Conversation: Literary Inspiration Podcast (due Monday 9/30)

• 1.22 Writing Process Letter (due Friday 10/4)

Lessons, readings, resources and assignments for Unit 1 can be found on the course website. 

Supporting success:

• Please remind your student to bring their laptop to school each day, fully charged. Many of our course readings and resources are online.

• If your student will be absent, please have them email me. I am happy to send information about what we are doing in class, and students can often submit assignments online or via email.

• Please do not hesitate to email me if you have any questions, concerns or feedback. I look forward to getting to know you and your student!

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