First Quiz for Freshmen

We had our first quiz in English 1A yesterday, and the results weren't quite as good as I'd hoped for.  We're reviewing today, and hopefully most of them will take their books home this weekend and work in a little study time.  We're moving on to our next topic on Tuesday, so, if you're a freshman, be ready!  If you're the parent of freshman, be sure to check in with your student and encourage them to be ready.

Cardinals

Is it OK if I talk baseball today?  I'm beginning to wonder if the Cardinals can repeat their glory run from last year.  Shut out twice in row?  In Pittsburgh?  What happened?  I suspect that the equipment managers messed up and left the bats in Cincinnati.

Picture Day

It's very nice to see all of the students dressed up for Picture Day.  Of course, we have a few boys sporting shorts and tennis shoes along with their dress shirts and ties, but that's OK, I guess.  They look great from the waist up! 

Personally, I'm not a fan of picture day; I always think I look dumb in photos.  That rationale is the basis for the Chuck Norris picture on my faculty ID card.  Chuck never looks dumb.

Don't Shoot That Mockingbird!!!

I'm starting the classic Harper Lee novel with my two sections of English II.  One of my favorite books, To Kill A Mockingbird, is an American classic.  I especially like the first half of the book which has the power to transport me from my physical location to a small, sleepy town in Alabama in the 1930's.  While the pacing is slow, I think it perfectly suits the setting; I can't imagine that life moved very quickly for the residents of Maycomb.  In contrast to our high-pressure, get it done by the deadline society, Maycomb would be a welcome change of pace.  Where some might see boredom, I see peace and tranquility.

Cross Country

On Saturday, my wife and I went to SIU-E to cheer on the NHS Cross Country team.  It was a beautiful day, and SIU-E has a beautiful campus.  Of course, I'm a little biased since I went there to get my Master's Degree.  Anyway, it was a fun day, and I hope the runners heard me cheering them on.  After the race, we enjoyed a tasty lunch at Pasta House and a nice bike ride on one of the countless bike paths in that area.

First Week

I've spent the first week like most teachers, explaining my policies and procedures to the students and getting them broken into the routine.  The freshmen learned much good advice from the "How To Make The Most Out Of High School" booklet; the sophomores shook the dust off their pens and got back into some writing, and the seniors jumped right into Chapter 1 in their Intro to Speech texts.  All in all, it's been a good week, and this looks to be a good year.

Night Ride

As I was sitting in my recliner last night, petting my hefty Beagle and watching the Cardinals dominate the Astros, I had the sudden realization that the day had passed and I had engaged in no physical exercise.  It was nearly 9:00, but I decided that I needed to do something before I could call it a day.

So, without further ado, I put my dog, Macy May, down on the floor, and I went for a bike ride.  I have a bright, flashing, red tail light on the seat post of my bike, and a very bright LED headlight on the handlebars for safety purposes.  Fortunately, there wasn't a whole lot of traffic, so I rode in safety from my house, around the park, out to the Middle School, and then back home.

It wasn't a real long ride, but it was nice to see the town winding down its day while enjoying the cool, refreshing nighttime air.  I don't think I'll make the night ride a habit, but I really enjoyed it last night, and I went to bed feeling better since I worked in at least a little exercise.