ccs english quarterly 3-2012-2013 - ccs english department

Quarter 3 2012-2013

“The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage

over the man who can’t read them.” — Mark Twain

quarterly

Capital Christian School

Capital Christian School Sacramento, CA English Department

Department Chair Scott M. Foran, M.A. Kitta McMahon English 6 Diana Nance English 7 Brenda Yttrup English 8 Advanced English 8 Donna Erie English 9 Advanced English 9 Beth Segal English 10 Advanced English 10 Peggy Bush English 11 Scott Foran AP Composition English 12 AP Literature Brenda Moore Speech This free publication is intended for educational purposes and is created by the English depart-ment of Capital Chris-tian School. If you would like more infor-mation about CCS, please visit our website: www.ccscougars.org. If you have questions re-garding this publication or the English depart-ment, please email the d epa r tmen t ch a i r : [email protected].

© 2013 CCS Editor/Designer: Scott M. Foran

Poetry Out Loud Competition by Scott Foran Capital Christian High School was invited to participate in Poetry Out Loud, a national po-etry recitation contest, becoming the second pri-vate school in Sacramento County to do so since the competition went public in 2006. Poetry Out Loud is sponsored by the Na-tional Endowment for the Arts and the Poetry Foun-dation and gives high school students a chance to compete through cam-pus, regional, state, and the national finals for a grand prize of $20,000. To participate, students memorize and publicly recite poems from an ap-proved list of over 600 titles. Students at Capital completed a preliminary round in December, and eight finalists moved on to the school-wide com-petition which took place during chapel on January 10. The finalists (Macey Ingles, Kris Kern, Julia Ross, Taylor Stephens, Kaitlin Ballisty, OnNi Zacharia, Justine Reyes, and Kristen Tuntland) each memorized two poems and recited them in

English front of the entire student body and a panel of judges. The students were scored in six catego-

ries (physical presence, voice and articulation, dramatic appropriateness, level of difficulty, evi-dence of understanding, and overall performance), as well as accuracy. The runner-up for the 2013 CCHS Poetry Out Loud competition is Justine Reyes, who re-cited “The Children’s H o u r ” b y H e n r y Wadsworth Longfellow and “What to Say Upon Being Asked to Be Friends” by Julian Ta-lamantez Brolaski, and the champion is Kaitlin Ballisty, who recited “Caged Bird” by Maya Angelou and “On Mon-sieur’s Departure” by Queen Elizabeth I. Kaitlin will go on to rep-resent our school at the Sacramento County com-petition in February. The

state competition will take place in March, and the National Finals happen in April, National Poetry Month. �

Fig. 1. POL Champion Kaitlin Ballisty (l.) and

Runner-Up Justine Reyes (r.)

The CCS English Department is proud to announce the launch of its new website. This site will be a one-stop shop for all things Eng-lish and will serve as a valuable resource for both students and parents. Features of the web-site include: • Course Descriptions • Course Syllabi • Newsletter Archive • CCHS Summer Reading Program • Links to Major Exams (SAT/ACT/AP) • Link to Common Core Standards • Link to Turnitin • Links to Grammar Tools

Launch of Department Website by Scott Foran • Links to ESL Tools • MLA Format Tools and Links • Library Resources • Calendar of Special Events You will be able to access important informa-tion regarding the department, middle school and high school classes, as well as resources for grammar, writing, and research. Our goal is to make the site as useful as possible for CCS students and families. The website will be available by the end of the month and will be accessible through a link at the CCS site or by visiting it directly: ccsengl.weebly.com. �

CCS English Quarterly Quarter 3 2012-2013

Happy 2013! A new year and a new semester! If you haven’t already put aside old papers from last semester, please do so now. We are now entering the second half of your sixth grade school careers. I do have a few reminders: do remember to bring your composition book to class each day, do have several pens and pencils to write with and always have lots of blank paper in your binder. You need to keep all worksheets given back to you after they have been corrected, and you have one day to return any corrected school work. If you keep up with your daily work, you won’t find yourself under a pile of papers later in the quarter. By now students are busily reading about a famous person of their choosing. The next Booksellers Day will begin on Wednesday, March 6, 2013 (this is a month later than originally published). Each student will write a biographical sketch within the format given in class and create a paper doll of their subject as their visual aid. On the day of the presentations each student will share their subject by reading a selected paragraph from their biographical sketch and showing off their doll. Each student will need to bring to class a standard size poster board in which to trace the pattern for the doll. The poster board can be brought in at any time. As a class, we will be reading Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet. It’s the story of a young teen surviving in the wilderness with only the items on his back and the hatchet he received as a gift from his mother. This very exciting story will get the reader thinking about what he or she would do in this young man’s situation. We will be starting this book on February 6 and 7, 2013. We will be continuing to expand our knowledge of prefixes this semester, as well as reviewing the various parts of speech. Be sure to keep all your little books! Now that a bit of ground work has been laid, it’s time to put some of those freshly resurrected skills into action. So, let’s buckle down and do our best! �

Fig. 2. Cover of Hatchet

English 6 by Kitta McMahon

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“The man who doesn’t read good books has no advantage over the man who can’t read them.” — Mark Twain

English 7 by Diana Nance Seventh grade English students will focus on non-fiction reading throughout the third quarter. Most of the reading selections will come from the literature text. We will start with the purpose of reading to understand others. With this purpose in mind, we will read a selection of essays. After reading these essays, students will evaluate the evidence each author uses to support claims, noting instances of bias. In addition, students will practice identifying main ideas and an author’s point of view. Our reading and writing instruc-

tion will be integrated as students learn how to write a summary of what they have read. In addition, students will read for informa-tion. With this read-ing purpose in mind, students will read the Bill of Rights, a public document, and an ex-pository essay titled “How to Enjoy Po-etry,” by James Dickey. Students will learn how to preview a document using an “abstract,” or summary, and will recognize how

the organization of a text can help them find information. In conjunction with reading for information, students will learn how to take notes, how to outline, how to paraphrase, and how to summarize. Students will put everything they learn into practice by completing a research report. This research report will be completed in conjunction with their history class. Students will choose a historical topic on which to conduct research and write a report. Students will be taught each step of the research process and will be given time in class to practice. Although there will be some class time to complete this project, much of this will have to be completed at home. I will be discussing the research report with the students, and they will take home a packet that de-scribes the assignment, lists due dates, and gives some help-ful tips. Students will continue to study language and grammar. They will focus on using the dictionary and thesaurus to en-hance word choices. They will learn vocabulary words and will be able to determine meanings through roots, prefixes, and suffixes. Students will also practice determining mean-ing through words in context. Capitalization and punctuation will also be reviewed, and the use of correct capitalization and punctuation in writing will be emphasized. �

Fig. 3. Bill of Rights

be addressing acceptable topics for them to choose from, such as illegal immigration, surrogate mothers, capital pun-

ishment, stiffer penalties for drunk drivers, and others. While some of the research is done during school hours in the li-brary, much of it is com-pleted outside of class. A list of due dates will be going home, as well as a paper for you to sign that you are aware of this extensive project and essential due dates. Over the break, stu-dents were instructed to read the play version of The Diary of Anne

Frank. The ability to see the situation from a third person perspective is, in my opinion, extremely helpful for an in-depth characterization study. It is also presents a more hu-morous and lighthearted approach than the diary itself. We will continue learning about the Holocaust in our Anne Frank discussions over the course of this quarter before we begin reading our next selection. Undoubtedly, everything they’ve learned thus far will culminate with the trip to Wash-ington, D.C. and the United States Holocaust Memorial Mu-seum. My hope is that it will not only prepare them for what they experience in their minds and hearts at the museum, but be of immeasurable value for the rest of their lives. Addition-ally, I have asked them to bring in a one-inch binder with a clear cover for extension activities related to the reading on Anne Frank. I want them to have one with a clear cover to be able to display an art piece they will be doing in class. �


English 8 and Advanced English 8 by Brenda Yttrup Happy New Year! After a busy first semester, Christmas break was a welcome reprieve, and I am certain the eighth graders felt similarly. They appear well-rested and excited to begin the second half of their year. The first Writing Proficiency Test, held in December, went very well. The topics this time included what the dangers and disadvantages of cell phone usage can be, why knowing God’s word is important, where the president should place his priorities for the next four years, and how a school can prevent or effectively decrease bullying. Over half of the students passed with a “3” or “4.” I am impressed by the attention to essay organization, as well as the ability to prop-erly answer a prompt. Many thesis statements reflected in-credible articulation and higher level thinking. On the other hand, a few students still need more instruction on writing appropriate thesis statements and giving adequate support, as well as constructing sentences demonstrating clarity and readability. The good news, however, is that we will con-tinue to work diligently to strengthen and improve those writing weaknesses for the second test in March. Research paper season is right around the corner. In eighth grade, students are instructed to take a side of a cur-rently debated issue and research information to adequately support that position, instead of acquiring information and just reporting on that topic. As students are collecting infor-mation, please be advised that, over the course of their re-search, it may be advantageous for students to visit the pub-lic library to find additional material. In addition, I will be giving students the web address for the invaluable Infotrac to search at home. Infotrac is an extensive database of aca-demic books, journals, and magazines with sound and reli-able sources. A Google search is, for the most part, discour-aged due to the unreliability of many of the sites. However, I do approve of students doing an initial search if they do not know much about their topic. Over the next few weeks, I will

Fig. 4. Anne Frank

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The ACSI Creative Writing Festival provides students an opportunity to use their writing abilities and skills. This stu-dent activity is not a competition, but rather a program geared to help students improve their creative writing abili-ties.

Short Story (300-800 Words)

The story may deal with a spiritual or historical personality, theme, or idea. The writer must stay within the bounds of moral and acceptable subject matter. Occult themes, ghosts, spooks, haunted houses, excessive fantasies, sexual innuen-dos, vulgar themes, and bathroom humor are not acceptable. The personalities may be of any era. The story may be, but is not limited to, fantasy, mystery, or comedy. It may also be true to life.

ACSI Creative Writing Festival Essay/Narrative (300-800 Words)

The theme should be pertinent. The writer must develop a definition, concept, or idea. The subject may be a controver-sial one, but moral and spiritual values must be evident. An essay consists of an introduction, a body including two to five points, and a conclusion.

Poetry -- Rhymed or Free Verse (25-100 Words)

Topics may include those relating to nature, spiritual con-cepts, and the feelings and attitudes of people. The poem should evoke one’s thoughts, imagination, and emotions.

Entries should be submitted to English teachers no later than February 4. �


English 9 by Donna Erie We started the third quarter with a school-wide competi-tion, Poetry Out Loud. Two students represented ninth grade: Macey Ingles and Kris Kerns. They represented ninth grade well. Our major project for this quarter is the Research Project. Students started researching their topics in the computer lab on Tuesday, January 15th. We will complete this project in steps. Students have a schedule when each step is due. In order to have success in this project, students will need to follow the instructions for each step of the process. Our final product is due March 15th. At that time students will submit a typed copy to the teacher and a copy to the program Turnitin. This project fulfills several of our core standards: a) use of technology to produce a coher-ent writing project; b) gathering information from multiple sources to develop a research paper that solves a problem; and c) writing an argumentative paper that supports a claim made in the thesis statement. Students will use The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock and Francine Weinberg as a reference to formatting the paper in MLA style. In addition, to this major writ-ing project, students will con-tinue to write informal and for-mal assignments. They will write an informational essay on Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Students will apply to their writing assignments the grammar conventions they will review this quarter, such as using vari-ous types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, parti-cipial, and absolute) and grammar mechanics. To increase their ability to use more formal language in their writing, students will continue to learn vocabulary, completing Lists 9 – 14. Coupled with applying the knowl-edge of Greek and Latin roots and affixes, students will memorize several lists of roots and affixes. Literature will not be left out this quarter. We will start reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee in February. We will use the historical and thematic approach to analyz-ing the novel and Lee’s purpose for writing the story. �

Advanced English 9 by Donna Erie Our English Department began this quarter with a school wide poetry competition. Our students competed in the Po-etry Out Loud National Recitation Contest. We had two rep-resentatives from ninth grade—Macey Ingles and Kris Kerns. We are proud of their performances. One of our educational core standards is for students to demonstrate the ability to use information from multiple sources and develop an argument paper (research paper) that supports a claim made by a thesis statement. Thus we began this quarter with a Research Project. Students will complete this project in steps. It is vital to their success to follow the process in its entirety. The completed project is due Mon-

day, March 11th. Students will use The Little Seagull Handbook by Richard Bullock and Fran-cine Weinberg as a reference to formatting this paper in MLA style. Students will continue to use Cornell notes to understand in-formational texts. One of the selections we are reading is an excerpt on Frederick Douglass from Black Heroes in World History. Students will write an informational essay on how Douglass contributed to free-dom for the African-American community. They will discuss his personal values which led to the resurrection of freedom for all men. Students will continue to apply grammar, mechanics,

and various other grammar conventions (noun, verb, adjecti-val, adverbial, participial, and absolute phrases) practiced this quarter. Students will start reading the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee on Monday, January 28th. Most of the reading will be completed out of class. Our discussions and writing assignments will analyze the novel using the historical and biographical approaches. Some examination of the novel will be devoted to the aesthetic and thematic text. Then the stu-dents will finish the quarter with reading Part Three, “The Great Heroes before the Trojan War: Perseus, Theseus, Her-cules, and Atalanta” from our Greek mythology book. Students will continue to apply Greek and Latin roots and affixes to Vocabulary lists 11 - 15. Students have already memorized five lists of Greek and Latin roots or affixes. By the end of this quarter, they will have memorized word parts lists 6 – 11. �

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Fig. 5. Harper Lee


Advanced English 10 by Beth Segal The sophomore Advanced English class is now ex-

ploring a variety of short stories, essays, and poems from their literature book instead of the difficult ancient literature of the last semester. The reading presents a survey of differ-ent styles, themes, literary devices and socio-historic con-texts. Students are taught to appreciate the craftsmanship of literature while analyzing literary elements and exploring

different interpretations. Since there is no novel reading this quarter, students will write and discuss a greater variety of topics from different historical contexts and genres. Students are not required to do compre-hension questions with the reading, but will be quizzed after each selection. In this way, more autonomy in com-prehension skills is expected, though each selection will be framed with basic teaching about the style or genre of the selection. The class will continue with vocabulary and grammar workbook practice. This work is expected to help students become competent in produc-ing writing that is free of me-chanical errors so that content and expression can become the focus for the next stages of development in their high school writing. Grammar will be taught at a faster rate than

last semester since this class is already showing sufficient proficiency to warrant more independent work. Students will continue to do weekly in class essays as well as working on a formal writing assignment for the quarter. The topic for the formal essay will be chosen by the students and based on something they have read in class this quarter. Models of student essays will be discussed in order to teach standards of writing the students should be striving to achieve in their own development of skills. An opportunity for extra credit points will be available for those students who want to take advantage of a weekly reflection assign-ment in which the student will journal about his or her own learning from the given assignments; or the student can do an extra narrative essay that will be turned in right before the

quarter’s end. �

English 10 by Beth Segal In literature, sophomores have completed this year’s stud-ies of ancient and classical genres. We are letting go of my-thology, classical Greek tragedy and even Shakespeare to come into modern literature and the issues that go with it. We are devoting this quarter to a modern novel from South Africa, Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. It deals with themes of social injustice, prejudice, fear, forgiveness and restoration. It will be the backdrop for most of our writ-ing and discussions for the quarter. We will continue our study of vocabulary and grammar. The approach continues to emphasize memorization of rudimentary information cou-pled with application in the context of reading and writing. Students are expected to come out of this quarter with 50 new vocabulary words and 35 new etymology words memorized. In grammar, we are moving beyond the parts of speech into the study of sentences. The basic mechanics that are foundational to good writing are being broken down and practiced with workbook exer-cises. The class will be engaging in weekly writing assignments as well as a formal objective research paper. This paper will be related to the novel we are currently reading and should engage students in higher levels of analysis and evaluation of the themes presented in class and how they are communicated through literature. Students will also practice writing personal narratives and exposition from themes discussed in class. The ability to support claims with specific evidence is the main objective that students must achieve this year in their writing. Recently in a lecture, I told sophomores that not only were most of them already enjoying writing in their free time, but that they were published writers with a global audience. Stu-dents’ looks were incredulous until I mentioned this phe-nomenon occurs as they participate in Twitter and other forms of social media. This group of students has a greater possibility of influence than we ever did, and learning credi-ble writing skills is paramount to students fulfilling their potential. �

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Fig. 6. Alan Paton with Student


English 11 by Peggy Bush Perhaps the most important skill practiced in your student’s junior year of English is writing. For the second semester of American literature, writing will be a continued emphasis. This semester of American Literature includes the creation of a research paper. Students will select a contemporary issue and communicate the pros and cons of it and, using persua-sive techniques, attempt to convince readers to agree with their point of view. Some class time will be spent in teaching

the various aspects of the research project, clarifying the “how to’s” of research, refining thesis statements and learning the basic building blocks of the pa-per. The research and writ-ing of the paper will be assigned as homework. A timeline for the comple-tion of each element of the paper will be provided. In “Teaching Adolescent Writers,” Kelley Gallagher observes, “In an increas-ingly demanding world of literacy, the importance of students leaving our

schools as effective writers has magnified. The ability to write well, once a luxury, has become a necessity. Today, writing is foundational for success.” Another focus for this quarter is reading and understanding the novel, The Great Gatsby. Some of the reading will be assigned for homework, and selected passages will be read in class for discussions and projects. In addition to reading The Great Gatsby, we will continue to read the writings of T. S. Eliot, Hemingway, Hurston, Hughes and various other writ-ers. Grammar lessons and weekly vocabulary assignments, including analogy practice are ongoing elements of the third quarter. Preparation for class and organizational skills con-tribute to success in class. Please encourage your student to bring paper, pens, journal, textbook, grammar and vocabu-lary workbooks to class each day. Please encourage your child to find time to read materials outside of class, such as short stories, novels, magazines or newspapers. Structuring time for them to read builds under-standing of others and increases their ability to succeed. Reading also builds writing skills as they are exposed to vari-ous genres of literature and writing styles. Thanks for your continued support in the education of your child. Please contact me if you have questions. �

AP Composition by Scott Foran Much of the third quarter will be dedicated to preparing for the AP exam which will happen in May. Students will be introduced to strategies for both the multiple choice and es-say sections of the exam and will be give multiple opportuni-ties to practice during class. In addition to our exam preparation, students will be intro-duced to methods for improving their essay writing. We will build off the grammar exercises of last semester to focus on the art of crafting sentences, the very building blocks of prose. We will also look at strategies for organizing essays that will move students beyond their reliance on the five-paragraph format. The ability to create a variety of writing styles and forms is a skill that will help students as they move on to the college level, where they will be expected to produce narrative, informative, and argumentative papers. We will practice essay strategies with the weekly informal essay assignments, as well as with the formal essay. For the formal essay, students will be asked to choose one of the following prompts: 1) Take one of the following positions: a) Athletics detract

from the academic experience and should be removed from schools, or b) Athletics enhance and support the academic experience and should continue to be part of the educational experience.

2) Using Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” as a model, explore your own experience with language. You might choose to focus, like Tan, on the use of different “Englishes,” or on unique bilingual experiences. You might also want to examine generational differences in the use of lan-guage, or take a look at how jargon in a particular field affects interactions with those outside the field.

3) Using George Orwell’s “Politics and the English Lan-guage,” apply his argument to contemporary examples taken from the media.

We will also begin discussing and preparing for the re-search paper. This capstone writing assignment will be due toward the end of next quarter and will serve as the culmina-tion of research and writing skills that have been developed during the school year. �

Fig. 7. F. Scott Fitzgerald

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Fig. 8. Word Cloud


English 12 by Scott Foran During the third quarter, we will continue our survey of important British authors, focusing specifically on texts pro-duced in the seventeenth through early nineteenth centuries. We will begin with the poems of John Donne, then move on to selections from John Milton, Jonathan Swift, William Blake, William Wordsworth, Alexander Pope, Lord Byron,

Percy Bysshe Shel-ley, and John Keats, finishing the quarter with the reading of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. These authors represent both the Enlighten-ment and Romanti-cism and move us from an Elizabethan perspective on the world to the birth of a modern worldview as explored in Frankenstein. Our formal writing assignment will fo-cus on Jonathan Swift’s satirical es-say, “A Modest Pro-

posal.” In this essay, Swift suggests a radical plan for deal-ing with the poverty and suffering of the Irish during the eighteenth century. Students will examine the nature and purpose of satire, as well as the effectiveness of Swift’s use of the genre. In addition to our study of literature, students will be intro-duced to methods for improving their essay writing. We will build off the grammar exercises of last semester to focus on the art of crafting sentences, the very building blocks of prose. We will also look at strategies for organizing essays that will move students beyond their reliance on the five-paragraph format. The ability to create a variety of writing styles and forms is a skill that will help students as they move on to the college level, where they will be expected to produce narrative, informative, and argumentative papers. We will practice essay strategies with the weekly informal essay assignments, as well as with the formal essay on “A Modest Proposal.” We will also begin discussing and preparing for the re-search paper. This capstone writing assignment will be due toward the end of next quarter and will serve as the culmina-tion of research and writing skills that have been developed during the school year. �

AP Literature by Scott Foran Our primary focus for the third quarter is poetry. We will be reading Dante’s epic, The Inferno, followed by a focused study on select poems by Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, and Langston Hughes. The poetry sec-tions of the AP exam are usually the most difficult for students, so we will spend a great deal of time looking at strategies for reading and interpreting poems and practicing these skills by decon-structing poems during class discussions. This guided preparation should greatly help students as they ready themselves for May’s exam. In addition to our study of literature, students will be intro-duced to methods for improving their essay writing. We will build off the grammar exercises of last semester to focus on the art of crafting sentences, the very building blocks of prose. We will also look at strategies for organizing essays that will move students beyond their reliance on the five-paragraph format. The ability to create a variety of writing styles and forms is a skill that will help students as they move on to the college level, where they will be expected to produce narrative, informative, and argumentative papers. We will practice essay strategies with the weekly informal essay assignments, as well as with the formal essay. The formal writing assignment this quarter will focus on Dante’s epic poem. Students will carefully examine the text and write an essay that explores a specific literary aspect of the poem. Options will include themes, symbolism, allu-sions, form, or literary interpretation (e.g. psychological, Marxist, etc.). We will also begin discussing and preparing for the re-search paper. This capstone writing assignment will be due toward the end of next quarter and will serve as the culmina-tion of research and writing skills that have been developed during the school year. �

Fig. 9. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

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Fig. 10. Dante Alighieri



Speech by Brenda Moore

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The Creative Writing Club meets every Tuesday after school. Meetings are held in the high school library. Students interested in participating should see Erin Donoho or Justine Reyes for details.

The Association of Christian Schools International will host a High School Speech Meet on Thursday, April 11, 2013, in Fremont, California. Speech Meet is a great way for students to move beyond the classroom to strengthen their speaking skills with students from Northern California schools. Speech categories include: Dramatic Interpretation Impromptu Speaking Original Oratory (persuasive) Expository Speaking (informative) Humorous Interpretation Extemporaneous Speaking Reader's Theatre Bible Reading Devotional Homeletics Interpretation of Children's Literature Individual Acting Duet Acting Space in most categories is limited to four participants (two students in grades 9-10 and two students in grades 11-12), so please contact Mrs. Moore ([email protected]) as soon as possible if you are interested in participating. The cost is $30 per student. Parent drivers with a driving clear-ance are needed for this event. �


Fig. 11. Black Cat Word Cloud

Kitta McMahon: This Present Darknesss by Frank Peretti

Diana Nance: Lincoln’s Last Days by Bill O’Reilly

Brenda Yttrup: Two from Galilee by Marjorie Holmes

Donna Erie: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Beth Segal: The Kneeling Christian by Anonymous

Peggy Bush: Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie

Scott Foran: How to Write a Sentence: And How to Read One by Stanley Fish

Brenda Moore: Victory Over the Darkness by Neil Anderson

What are teachers reading?

Support the High

School Library

We are trying to increase the number of books in the high school library so that students will have more access to reading and research materials. If you have new or gently used books you would like to donate, or if you would like to make a financial contribution for the purchase of new books, please contact Rachel Silva ([email protected]) or Scott Foran ([email protected]).


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CCS Libraries by Alison Cranshaw and Rachel Silva A little book humor to make you smile.

Question: Why was the library building so tall? Answer: Because it had so many stories!!!

Now, to the serious business of our libraries. CCS has not just one, but two libraries! One is located on the MS campus, and the other is located on the HS campus. In addition to these, we have now added an on-line library. We are so ex-cited to add this as an option for our e-reader students. We are starting with 45 e-books and are working to add to that on-line collection. In this issue, we want to share with you some of the exciting happenings in both our librar-ies and how your student can access our e-library.

PRESCHOOL AND ELEMEN-

TARY LIBRARY

Did you know that, at CCS, even our littlest ones visit the library? If you ever see a group of preschoolers walk-ing across the campus, all holding on to a long rope, they are probably on their way to the library. It is quite the most adorable thing to see a “duckling” line of little ones with their teachers. They visit monthly for story time and to borrow books. We have a fun time together, and it is so exciting to encourage our youngest students in their love for books. It is also a spe-cial time to read stories that demon-strate how loved they are by God. What a privilege! Our elementary students, they the library either weekly or bi-monthly. During their time in the library, we start off with a story or library activity. They know that, at least once a year, they will be able to enjoy two librarian favorites, You Are Special and Tikki Tikki Tembo. They al-ways love it when those two books come out. They are so touched that they do not even blink during You Are Special. It is the most beautiful parable of God’s love for us. Also, they just love hearing the Chinese fable of the boy with the longest name, Tikki tikki tembo no sa rembo chari bari ruchi pip peri pembo. By the end of that story, we are all reciting it together and it stays with us for the rest of the day. Of course, their favorite part of visiting the library is, what else—borrowing books! What you might not know is parents are always welcome to borrow books. If your child needs a book for a book report, to practice reading, or to work on

AR points, we can help. Come by the library before or after school to check out books. Here are a few of the exciting library events with our ele-mentary students:

• Last year, we had a book drive with our elementary stu-dents, and the students donated over 1,500 books. It was

a huge success. Our elementary stu-dents really came through!

• This last October, in honor of Na-tional Book Month, the elementary stu-dent council assembled and delivered fifty “book” goodie bags to the public elementary school located around the corner from CCS. Each bag contained a book, a pencil, a bookmark and a sweet treat. The excitement that the student council had for giving to others was so wonderful to see. They also displayed the best manners when delivering the bags to the school.

• Later in this school year, we will be hosting our second annual “Books and Bears” week. Last year was our first event, and the students loved it; even our fifth graders got excited about bringing their favorite stuffed animals to our outdoor library time. With such a beautiful campus, it was a great way to enjoy the library! Yes, library was held outside under the trees with blankets, teddy bear stories and games and most importantly, the students most cherished stuffed animals.

MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY

Since middle school, building “E,” is the actual location of our one library, it is definitely the morning gathering place for our middle school students. It is open at 8 am, and, at that time, there are a lot of last minute printing of assignments (because we all know how our com-puters at home have issues as soon as an assignment is due), completing of homework, studying and socializing. You would also be proud to see how many of the students use one of the 30 library computers to check on their grades. It is always good to see them taking responsibility with their grades. The middle school library also houses the only “librarian” action figure in the northern California area (that might be an exaggeration). She is scary! After school, the middle school library is also a very busy place. You may not know this, but the library is open until 4 pm. When school is


Fig. 12. Stack of Books


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Sources:

Fig. 1. Foran, Scott. POL Champion Kaitlin Ballisty and Runner-Up Justine Reyes. Photo. 10 January 2013. Fig. 2. Cover of Hatchet. 2013. Amazon. Web. 15 January 2013. Fig. 3. Bill of Rights. 2013. The Documentary Group. Web. 15 January 2013. Fig. 4. Anne Frank. 2008. The Anne Frank Trust UK. Web. 15 January 2013. Fig. 5. Uhrbrock, Donald. Harper Lee. 1961. NPR. Web. 15 January 2013. Fig. 6. Alan Paton with Student. 2013. Yellow Pencil Stub. Web. 15 January 2013. Fig. 7. F. Scott Fitzgerald. 2005. Hoftsra University. Web. 15 January 2013. Fig. 8. Branstetter, Heather. Word Cloud. 2013. Wake Forest College Department of English. Web. 15 January 2013. Fig. 9. Rothwell, Richard. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. 1840. National Portrait Gallery. Web. 15 January 2013. Fig. 10. Dante Alighieri. 2009. Poems and Poetry. Web. 15 January 2013. Fig. 11. Black Cat Word Cloud. 2013. Pedablogical. Web. 15 January 2013. Fig. 12. Stack of Books. 2013. San Antonio Business Journal. Web. 15 January 2013.


out, students can either come to the library with a parent, or sign into daycare and get a library pass. If you stop by at that time, you will see our students working on their home-work, or taking an Accelerated Reading on-line test, or en-joying a quiet place to read a good book and visit with friends. During the school day, on block days, the MS li-brary is reserved for the middle school classes to use the computers and/or books. These block days are great for the teachers to come and have the students use the library for research on-line and with books. Here are a couple of the middle school happenings:

• Last year, we had a photo contest with the MS students submitting architectural letters to spell the word “Library.” The winners received a prize, and the library received a very cool library sign!

• We host an annual book reading contest for our middle school students. It runs during the month of February. The students read a book, have a parent sign a confirma-tion voucher, and, with that, the student earns a goodie bag. We also have prize drawings along the way and special events in the library. At the end of the contest, our top readers get to go on a field trip. Our past win-ners have taken a tour of a bookstore, been treated at an ice cream parlor, and had lunch at a Mexican restaurant. It is a very fun month for our avid readers.

E-LIBRARY The e-library is the new addition to our libraries. We are in the “baby” stages, but are so excited about the future of this growing e-library! At this time, we have 45 e-books in our

collection and will be adding to it. You can check this e-library out by visiting the following website: https://wbb32594.follettshelf.com. The visitor username is: capital-christianschool. The visitor password is: cougars. This e-library can be used on computers, iPads or Androids. There is also a free Follett digital reader app that can be downloaded from either Google Play or the App Store. Each student has a log-in and password to access our e-library. Please contact Mrs. Cranshaw with any questions about our e-books and for student passwords.

HS LIBRARY

Happy New Year! The New Year allows us to reevaluate are routines, goals, and dreams. Some of our features for the HS library will be highlighting biographies and featuring teen devotionals. Starting your day with a devotional is a great source of encouragement. Besides books we are featuring student art work from the Collage, showcasing the various media pieces throughout the library. There are also vibrant Photoshop posters developed by students. Please come by to check them out. The library is open daily from 8:00am-4:00pm. In addition, we have some new biographies on Eric Le-Grand and Shawn Johnson. Also, some new military books on Captain Scotty Smiley, Jerry Boykin with Special Opera-tions unit, and Navy SEAL Adam Brown who all display tremendous amounts of courage. Some activities to come are Chinese New Year in February and Black History Month. In March we will be focusing on Women’s History Month. �

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Support local theatre and delight yourself by seeing the Light Opera Theatre of Sacramento performance of Into the Woods. This musical features familiar characters from Grimm's fairy tales: Cinderella, Rapunzel, Lit-tle Red Riding Hood, the Wolf, and Jack and the Giant, as well as the Witch, the Baker and his wife. They come together in the woods on their own quests to make their wishes come true. What happens in the end is surprising, especially for those who have never seen Into the Woods.

Cost: $15 for students / $20 general

Shows: 2/1 at 8 pm 2/8 at 8 pm 2/15 at 8 pm 2/2 at 8 pm 2/9 at 2 pm & 8pm 2/16 at 2 pm & 8pm 2/3 at 2 pm 2/10 at 2 pm 2/17 at 2 pm

Order Tickets: http://www.lightoperasac.org



ccs english quarterly 3-2012-2013 - ccs english department

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