Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are key components in my language arts classroom. We will be reading novels and/or excerpts from novels including Lord of the Flies, The Pearl, and Flowers for Algernon.  We will also read other fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama selections from our literature books and supplemental sources such as newspapers and magazines. Hopefully in the spring, Actors in Residence from the Great Lakes Theater Company will visit HMS, and you will be participating in a week long drama workshop during which the focus will be reading, discussing, and acting out excerpts from Romeo and Juliet, A Raisin in the Sun, The Glass Menagerie, and The Diary of Anne Frank. Reading critically as well as reading for enjoyment will be emphasized. My hope is that you will learn to love or, at the very least, value reading more than you do when you enter my classroom. Writing and grammar will be incorporated into every unit, and the various types of writing will be taught using the workshop model.  Throughout the year, we will explore different text types, and you will respond to your readings in various ways while learning to express yourselves clearly and effectively.  I promise you that when you leave my class at the end of this school year, you will be ready for your high school English class. :-)

 

 

I want you to feel comfortable with me as well as your peers. Throughout the year,  you will share your "masterpieces" with the class, so we will all work hard to maintain a warm and comfortable atmosphere within our classroom.  If at any time you are confused or you don't understand something, I am more than willing to help you. I understand that you may not want to ask for help in front of your classmates, so if you stop by before or after class or send me an email, we will figure out a time that will work for both of us.

 

I am really looking forward to having you in my language arts class! I hope that this school year provides you with numerous challenging and rewarding experiences.

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

Mrs. VanZanten