Welcome to English III!

Dear English III Students,

Welcome to junior year! Congratulations, you aren’t underclassmen anymore! While being an upperclassman certainly comes with more status, it also comes with more responsibility. You are a role model for the freshmen and sophomores; make sure you set a good example for them. Also, you are less than 21 months away from graduating! These next two years are going to fly by.
           
It is time to start thinking about your future. Whether you are planning to go to college, join the workforce, or are not sure where the future will take you, now is the time to really buckle down when it comes to school. If the past two years have not been very successful for you academically, that’s OK: colleges look at improvement. Now is the time to turn things around. If your first two years have been strong, be sure to continue that momentum.

I’ll be honest:  We are going to WORK in this class. Notice I said “we,” not “you.” Remember, it is my job to help you. Please know that I am committed to helping you succeed. That being said, as near-adults, I expect you to take charge of your education and your future. You should expect to have homework every weeknight. You should expect to read every day. You should be prepared to write more than one draft of a paper. I’m not trying to make your life miserable; I have a LOT to teach you, and I want to make sure you get as much as you can out of this class.

So how can you be successful in my class? Here are a few suggestions:

o Be here, on time and prepared, every day. You can miss a lot in 83 minutes.
o Check the class website often. That way, if you are absent, you won’t fall behind.
o Go above and beyond what is required of you. If you don’t understand something, ask. If you need help writing a paper, stop by after school. If you have a test coming up, set aside some time (away from the TV and computer) to study.
o Give 100%. You are capable of much more than you think.

At the end of the year, my students remark that they did a lot of work in this class,but that hard work paid off. If you are willing to put in the time and effort, you WILL see results: You will become a stronger writer, a more observant reader, and a more critical thinker.

I look forward to our time together this semester. I always brag about my juniors, and I know that this year will be no exception. I am certain each and every one of you will make me, your parents, and (most importantly) yourselves very proud.

All the best,
Ms. Durkin