Welcome to Ripon High School! Each year breathes a new energy of curiosity and possibilities for both students and myself. As the school year starts, I would like to share with you what is valued in my classroom and how you can help your student at home.
All Students Are Readers My focus this year is that all students see the potential for themselves to discover a love of reading. Okay, maybe not love, but a peaceful coexistence. Over the years, I have heard from countless students that they "have never read a book before" and they prefer "hands-on activities". I've listened to students bash reading like school-yard bullies calling it "stupid", "boring", and "useless". As someone who has dedicated a career to books, you can see how this breaks my heart. The daily expectation for my class this year is that we start every single class with Penny Kittle's Book Talk activity followed by 10 minutes of reading with the book of the student's choice. There are numerous resources for students to check-out books to bring to class: our classroom library, the RHS library (open from 7:30 AM-4 PM), and the Ripon Public Library with its own Teen Section! All three libraries work together to bring new and engaging books to our teens in hopes of finding each student the right book.
How can you help?
Ask your teen what he/she is reading! Let them tell you about the book and what they find interesting about their novel.
If you enjoy reading, let them know what you have recently read and how you felt about it.
Keep a small collection of 5-10 books at home for your student. The Book Exchange in Manteca has wonderful low prices on Young Adult fiction.
Donate books to our classroom library! These are books available to all students and is the greatest contribution you can make to our classroom. Click on the following link to see our Classroom Wishlist, many of these titles have been recommended by past students. (Hint: Buy USED! Amazon has a 'Used' option or pick these up from The Book Exchange. I won't tell!)
All Students Are Writers We write for a variety of tasks during the year: to persuade, to inform, the argue, to analyze, to vent, to heal, and to tell our stories. I want students to find their own unique voice through writing and to feel empowered by their own experiences. Every student has a story that only he or she can tell and we want to hear it. Writing is a skill like any other. It takes practice and patience. We write to grow as authors and as people.
How can you help?
Ask your student about what we are writing in class.
Encourage your student to attend the Writer's Workshop on Mondays and Wednesdays at lunch to get help on their writing.
If you have a favorite author, let them know!
I am optimistic to share this year with your student, and I can't wait to get the year started!