Quarter 4, Week 1 Agenda

Monday
In Class: Begin Anna in the Tropics.
Homework: Read Anna Act 1, Scenes 1-4 (pp. 9-35) and "The Alphabet of Smoke" (pp. 85-89) for Friday.

Tuesday
In Class: Ninth grade field trip American As Curry Pie. See post titled "Field Trip Reminder" below.
Homework: Living in Two Worlds, due Thursday.

Wednesday
Work day.

Thursday:
In Class: Discuss Tuesday's play.
Homework: Same as Monday. Anna Act 1, Scenes 1-3 (pp. 9-35).

Friday
In Class: Inhabiting a character.
Homework: Anna Act 1, Scene 4 - Act 2, Scene 1 (pp. 35-62).

Field Trip Reminder

A reminder that on Tuesday, April 5, the entire ninth grade will attend the play American As Curry Pie. We'll leave after period two and before assembly. We will return to school by 1:00. You'll miss all of periods four and three and may be late to period seven. Bag lunches will be distributed after the performance.

American As Curry Pie is written and performed by former Blake Diversity Director, Aamera Siddiqui

, and is directed by Meena Natarajan and Suzy Messerole. Below is the play description, taken from the History Theatre's website:

We’ve all felt like we didn’t fit in, whether we grew up in our hometown or moved to a new country when we were 6. For Aamera Siddiqui, growing up as an immigrant in the United States was a balancing act between her Indian heritage and her American surroundings. Aamera’s world consisted of one country inside the four walls of her family’s home and another country outside those walls. Curried peas and hot dogs, Catholic school uniforms and colorful saris, Urdu and English all blended and bounced off one another to shape Aamera’s identity.
Told with honesty and humor, American as Curry Pie is one woman’s story about immigration, assimilation, and discovering what it means to be an American.

And here's a review of the play by the Pioneer Press's TwinCities.com: "'Curry Pie' offers generous portions of American culture."

Quarter 3, Week 9 Agenda

Monday is the last day for in-class performance preparation. Performances run Tuesday through Friday and will take place in the auditorium.

Tuesday (9:50-10:55)
Amanda & Molly
Alex & Meghna
J.R. & Maddy

Wednesday (11:25-12:30)
Christopher, Danny, & Jake
Bryan, Ryan, & Grant
Charlie, Henry & Luke

Thursday (11:35-1:50)
Grace, Preston, & Taylor
Emma & Noah
James & John
Tyler
Emma, Jess & Anne
Nina, Sully, & William

Friday (11:45-12:30 & 2:15-3:00)
Hanad
Coleman, Eric, & Teddy

Friday's Guest Speaker

My aunt, Lisa Paul, will be speaking to the combined class period four this Friday. She'll be in town promoting her recently published memoir, Swimming in the Daylight: An American Student, A Soviet-Jewish Dissident, and the Gift of Hope, which is a real-life account that encompasses our overarching class themes: the three Ps and the power of story.

According to her website,

[Swimming in the Daylight] is a remarkable story of a Russian teacher who reveals an indomitable spirit to her American student and imparts an unforgettable lesson: it is possible to swim in the daylight of hope even amid an ocean of darkness and despair. Set in the years just before the collapse of the Soviet Union, this is the story of the improbable friendship between Lisa Paul, a young college student from the American Midwest, strong in her Catholic faith, and Inna Kitrosskaya Meiman, an internationally known Soviet Jew whose own government forbids her from receiving medical treatment abroad. As both women hold tight to the strength of their friendship, Lisa takes dramatic action to help Inna, and never gives up hope for her freedom. This moving account will inspire new generations to fight for the causes in which they believe.

In preparation of Friday's class, check out this video: Lisa Paul interview.

Quarter 3, Week 8 Agenda

Monday 3.7 through Friday 3.11
This week, both in class and as homework, you'll revise and rehearse your play. All classes will be held in the library.

Note: Period four Friday we'll be in the Forum for a special presentation from a guest speaker. See post above for more information.