At Blackwater Pond by Mary Oliver

At Blackwater Pond the tossed waters have settled
after a night of rain.
I dip my cupped hands. I drink
a long time. It tastes
like stone, leaves, fire. It falls cold
into my body, waking the bones. I hear them
deep inside me, whispering
oh what is that beautiful thing
that just happened?
--Mary Oliver

Graduation Garden

In March, 2010, The Academy began a school garden which has come to be known as "Graduation Garden." Below, are comments from students who helped plan and create the garden.

March Exam

We've had a great time in English IV this term. How many times do you get seven snow days in one nine-week period in Tennessee? Please, think back over our time together. What was the high point of the class for you? What is something that you liked or that worked well for you in English IV this semester? What is something that you did not like or that did not work well for you? Please, explain.

Snow Day #7

I wore my snow shirt yesterday. It worked again! The shirt has 100% accuracy in its predictability rate this year!! See you Wednesday!

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens

Comments about reading through Stephen Covey's book, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, published by Fireside. Extra credit for the first student to include the correct MLA citation in their comment.

Personality Research

On day one of the new semester, students in Mrs. Gibbs English IV class began research in the area of personality testing. Each student completed their own personality test based on the philosophy of Carl Jung, noted psychological pioneer and the father of modern personality theory.

Snow Day MONDAY, February 1st!!

My snow shirt really worked this time!! See ya Tuesday.

Mon, Jan 11 Notes

Extra Credit Opportunity: Do a google search for the 100 Words High School Students Should Know. There is more than one list on the internet. Compare the lists and print one or more of them. Bring the list(s) to class on Tuesday, Jan 12.

Thurs, Jan 7 and Fri, Jan 8 SNOW DAYS!!!

Carpe Laude--Sieze the Quoteworthy!

Sam: It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo, the ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger, they were, and sometimes you didn't want to know the end because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened. But in the end it's only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come, and when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you, that meant something even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, but they didn't. They kept going because they were holding on to something.

Frodo: What are we holding on to, Sam?

Sam: That there's some good in the world, Mr. Frodo, and it's worth fighting for.

--from Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers, J.R.R. Tolkien