Situational Writing Format

Dear all, for the format of situational writing, whether you put in a SENDER'S address is dependent on whether you are in the SAME ORGANIZATION. If you're writing out to someone else in a formal capacity, then go ahead and put an address. If you're writing as a student to a member of the staff, you DON'T need an address.

If you're still unsure, use the following format for FORMAL LETTER (necessary stuff in highlights):
_______________________________________________________________________
Sender's address
Sender's postal code

DATE

Recipient's name
Recipient's title / post in organisation

Dear (Recipient),       (<-- note the comma!)

Re: (Purpose of letter)


(body of letter in sensible paragraphs)

Yours sincerely,       (<---- Capital Y, small letter s, note comma!)

SIGNATURE
FULL NAME
SENDER'S DESIGNATION (if any)

Vocabulary for Narratives

Appearance

1. rangy build (lean and muscular figure)
2. running to fat (nearly obese figure)
3. grizzled and hoary old men (gray-haired, gray-bearded, tough old men)
4. aquiline features (very sharp features)
5. perspiration rolled down in tiny rivulets
6. pleasingly plump figure
7. nails that had been gnawed into jagged stumps
8. slender pianist fingers (very elegant fingers)
9. long raven tresses tumbling down her back (long wavy black hair)
10. hair gelled into spikes (spiky hair)

Posture/actions

1. shoulders slumping as if he/she had been defeated
2. insolently leaning against [vertical support]
3. devil-may-care swagger
4. smug and self-satisfied saunter / sashay (for females only!)
5. huddled together in a corner for safety
6. wringing his/her hands while he/she tried to find an excuse
7. fingers flexed and relaxed in an effort to calm (oneself) down
8. hobbled painfully along the pathway
9. rubbed the back of the head, as if embarrassed to be caught in a lie
10. lounged confidently in the seat, aware that all eyes were on him/her.

Description of indoors

1. musty darkness of an unused room
2. dust motes danced up the narrow shaft of light
3. All sound was deadened by thick curtains
4. the room glittered with assorted brightly-colored knickknacks
5. spartan room with hardly any furniture, let alone decorations
6. opulent furnishings spoke of a taste for luxury, if not of style (not a stylish room!)
7. the room was slightly cluttered, indicating the busy lives of the owners
8. every surface was polished to a mirror finish (everything is gleaming)
9. papers littered the surface and there was no organization evident to the naked eye (a very messy desk)
10. Floor-to-ceiling windows allowed sunlight to flood into the room, giving it a cozy atmosphere

Description of outdoors

1. heat shimmered over the pavement (very hot day)
2. rain hammered on the roads and the drains were churning with miniature rapids and assorted debris
3. leaves brushed and whispered high above in the canopy
4. sandy grit stuck to his/her ankles (walking on sandy or pebbly ground)
5. veritable maze of alleys and side streets, all crammed with push carts and stalls (in a city with lots of small shops and small alleyways)
6. wide-open field, where tiny white and pink flowers dotted like stars in a verdant sky
7. gray-blue expanse of water, interrupted by occasional white lines of foam slowly washing up ashore (the sea)
8. The brisk wind danced about, whipping dead leaves into frisky jogs about the pavement
9. sun beat down relentlessly, baking everything in its sight
10. sloshed wetly through puddles of muddy water

Description of emotion/attitude using physical cues

1. eyes glimmering with [emotion] (nearly overwhelmed by happiness or sadness)
2. obstinate set of his/her jaw (showing stubbornness)
3. gleeful smirk (very satisfied smile)
4. diamond-hard glint of his/her eyes (showing determination)
5. lazy slouch over his/her desk
6. forceful strides headed towards [whatever location] (indicating sternness or determination)
7. shy shuffling of feet and lowered heads
8. cleared his throat pompously (wants to show that he's important)
9. rebellious snarl and the squaring of her shoulders (defiant and aggressive)
10. timidly edging forward

Nearly exams...

Okay, here are some things to take note:

1. Always, always, always label your questions. Which one did you answer?

2. Write legibly. Meaning: IT MUST BE READABLE BY A NORMAL HUMAN ADULT.

3. Don't use correction liquid i.e. Liquid Paper. That thing is sticky, messy and generally makes it harder to read your work (see point 2). No word out on correction tape, but if you know you always make mistakes, use one or cross out neatly.

Sites for Language revision

http://web2.uvcs.uvic.ca/courses/elc/studyzone/

http://www.englishcorner.vacau.com/grammar/grammar.html#htmltbls

Grammar etc. available

Taylor Mali on what teachers make

This is on behalf of all teachers :)

Adventure

One-sentence or two-sentence plot :)

Exploration

One-sentence or two-sentence plot :)

Companionship

One-sentence or two-sentence plot :)

Life

One-sentence or two-sentence plot :)

Competition

One-sentence or two-sentence plot :)

Money

One-sentence or two-sentence plot :)

World Cup, One Goal

I don't know how many of you are watching World Cup 2010, but while you enjoy the grace and poetry of football, do give a thought to the tens of thousands of children who are deprived of an education in Africa.

Join 1Goal - just add your name and email address. Stand up for a basic human right - the right to have access to basic education.

Just click here "join1goal".

Holiday Assignments

Hi hi...

1E3 and 1E4, the only holiday assignment you're getting is the reading assignment that Ms Michelle Lee so thoughtfully came up for you. DO IT PROPERLY OR I WILL THUMP YOU on her behalf.

4E3, you can be envious and all, but too bad, muahahaha.
1. Comprehension - given. There's one more coming your way.
2. Essay: Five topics. Choose 2, one to plan and one to write.
a. Adversity
b. Competition
c. Write about a time when you did something you regretted and tried to put things right.
d. Write about a time you did something special for a family or a friend.
e. (I can't remember. I'll put it in later.)

Literature exams...

1E3 and 1E4, I'm gonna really, really, really pound you guys when I see you.

Wear helmets.

2E1, I haven't gotten to you yet. Let's hope you don't need to be thumped. Also, please write a reflection on the Haunted House project - what you liked, what you thought was the most impacting, what we learned as a class etc. Please provide pictures if there are any. Email me your responses - subject heading: Reflections on CME Haunted House project.

Floating Garbage in the Pacific Ocean

Least you think it's a pile of figurative crap I'm talking about...

Here's the wikipedia entry

And here are some photos:

That's a man in a boat in the center of the island of garbage.

A satellite image - that odd pale-colored whirlpool thingy is the garbage patch.

Near Mid-year exams again...

To all my students:

Fight!

Good luck with exams!

(Remember to rest well too :)

A piece of writing to share...

The following was one of my compositions when I was about fourteen. I found it while clearing out my old textbooks and edited it again. Hope it's useful in helping you to write your own personal recount essays.

My Family

There are times you might wish you were different from everyone else around you.

Stronger. Faster. Smarter. Richer.

But most often you probably wished you were the same as them. For instance, the same as Richard, who’s good at Maths; the same as Emily, who’s popular with the girls and finds it easy to talk to boys; the same as Annie, who’s good at all the sports she’s ever come into contact with, and is a karate champion; the same as Keith, who’s able to put together a brand-new computer from scratch; the same as Veronica, whose mother was pretty and tall and whose father was nice and jovial and generous, and donated thousands of dollars to the school.

You know you’re not the same. And it takes a long time before you can stop wishing you were.

I was eight when my not-sameness was brought home to me. I had always sort of known that I was different. It’s not hard to see why once you get past the difficulty with the a-b-c’s (which I had; I kept writing ‘F’ and ‘S’ the other way round). My friends talked about their daddies and mummies. I liked to listen, because I didn’t know what to say.

One day my dad brought me to school. Usually it’s my mum who did so, but she was sick, and she thought that it was ‘high time that man did something that resembles fatherliness’.

My mum really dislikes my dad. I don’t know why. I picked up on it when I was about five, but I also knew instinctively that it was better to pretend to be stupid and not say a word. But I was eight. I was carrying my new black backpack with its tiny gorilla swinging from a zip, and daddy was holding my hand and leading me to the faded blue metal gates. He had come by the house to pick me up especially that morning, and I rode to school in a white Mercedes. It was different from my usual school bus rides, because the bus was small and dark and rickety, and the driver had greasy long hair and he looked at us funny.

“Hi Patricia,” said Mr Wong. Mr Wong was my Chinese teacher. He pronounced my name oddly, something like ‘Partisia’, but I knew better than to correct my teacher in front of daddy.

“Good morning Mr Wong,” I said brightly.

Mr Wong smiled at me and my dad. “Is this your grandpa?”

Time seemed to slow. I could feel the embarrassment trickling in, bit by teeny bitty bit, like ice-water dripping off an ice cube and each drop hitting that ticklish spot on the back of your neck and you can’t move away.

“No,” I said, not looking at daddy. “He’s my father, Mr Wong.”

Mr Wong looked embarrassed too, and I felt even more embarrassed than before, so I said bye to both adults without looking at them and ran, pell-mell, into the school and up the stairs and round the corner until I reached my desk and I threw my bag into my chair and stood there panting.

“What’s wrong?” my best friend Linda asked.

“Nothing. I just wanted to see how fast I can get to class from the school gate.”

Later my English teacher came in and told us to write about our families. I stared at the paper for a long, long time, trying to know what to put down on paper.

Every Day

Every day, I remind myself of my good fortune:

I have my health and I have my job.

I have my friends and I wake up in the morning.

I have a place to stay, enough to eat, some time to play.

I have my family to love, and I have people who love me.

And then I add a short prayer:

To those suffering in the world, may their sufferings be eased.

To those who hunger and thirst, may their hunger be sated and their thirst be quenched.

To the world, stop the nonsense and let's live harmoniously.

To the planet, an apology: I will try to live greener.

To God (or Gods, as the case may be), forgive and forget what I did wrong, help me live right, and may the weather be exactly what it needs to be.

Just something that takes up 20 seconds a day.

Review of How to Train a Dragon

This movie was far more enjoyable than I had expected, and I had expected quite a bit. It's light-hearted, but not silly, and the core of the story - a boy learning to find his true self and relating to his father - is always evident (Michael Bay, learn).

I'll give it an 8 out of 10 - it's intelligent, mostly, but could have used a little more on the interaction between father Stoick and son Hiccup. Overall an enjoyable film for anyone.

From Ms Michelle Lee... (yes, the other Ms Lee)

1E3:

The Joys of Camping

Your homework is to do a fifty-word summary based on the five points we have discussed in class.

LET YOUR ABSENT FRIENDS KNOW. Submit on Monday.

P/S: This is real life - when you don't study, you become our entertainment.

'The Blind Side' review

I've just watched 'The Blind Side' and it is an uplifting, heartwarming story. Though I know next to nothing about American football, I enjoyed it greatly. The heart of the story is NOT about football but about being a good person, and the value of honor and courage.

There are times when I felt the story became a touch too sentimental, but the acting - especially Sandra Bullock's and Quinton Aaron's - grounded it. There is an added bonus that it is a true story, and it is thus especially touching that there are still good, decent people out there, who do the right thing because it is right to do so.

I'm not gonna go into the story, because I don't want to be spoilerish, but do keep some tissue with you.

All in all, I strongly recommend the show for everyone.

The Lottery

Click on the link below to read the story.



The Lottery by Shirley Jackson



In your comments, please answer the following questions:



1. Did you expect this ending?

2. Why did the author set the story on a summer afternoon?

3. On a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest), how many marks would you give to the author?

Personal opinion lah!

Just to be clear on a few things:

1. I'm not a fan of Twilight. A vampire that has no fangs is kinda silly.

2. I'm a rabid fan of Buffy. Probably way before your era.

Hence, the video below was a wonderful thing for me. Totally cool - for people anti-Twilight like I am.

For those who love Edward Cullen, I recommend you don't click the video below.

Ninja Deer! and something else...

The photo is quite darn amazing - just goes to show how little we know of our own planet and its possibilities.

Also, just to put a smile on your face....

Vernice Goh, Tan Wee Kee, Marian, Shi Min (1E4)

Mrs Sumiko bowed back to Mrs Itosan and told her, "Good evening Mrs Itosan. I'm sorry to inform you that Izumi had gotten into trouble and had to compensate the school a sum of money. He was running in the parade square during recess when he accidentally fell on the ground. He suffered from some cuts but fortunately, it was not serious. After that, he went to the toilet to rinse the cut on his leg but could not turn on the tap. He got frustrated and started banging the tap. The tap broke and water come spraying out from the tap. Because of the wet floor, he slipped and fall and eventually had more bruises on his leg. We teachers had a very hard time patching him up.”
Mr and Mrs Itosan apologised and the family walked back home disappointedly.
“If only you are less careless. Look, because of this I have to compensate one hundred dollars. Thank goodness you're all right,” Mrs Itosan sighed.
“Sorry, I will be less careless next time,” Izumi said, looking at the ground.

From Eng Yee Ling and Xinyu

"Yes, everything is alright. Don't worry, Mrs Itosan, Izumi has been a good boy today. He helped me to carry books and always speaks politely to everyone. I wanted him to stay back to help me to do something for the lesson tomorrow. Hope you don't mind," said Mrs Sumiko.
"Really? It is unbelievable! I thought he was in trouble again as he always gets into trouble at home," said Mrs Itosan, pleasantly surprised.

Loh Jun Qi and Denise Ang, 1E3

"It is the first time I have seen such a obedient child, but the problem is that Izumi is just too clumsy," Mrs Sumiko replied to his parents. Mr and Mrs Itosan sighed as they looked at their son.
"This is such a disappointment.... May I know what had happened?" asked Mr Itosan.
"During PE , the students were having fun playing and running about when Itosan tripped over a small rock on the floor. In the class when the students were having lessons , Itosan stood up and went to sharpen his pencil when he knocked over a vase. On the way to the washroom, Itosan did not noticed a puddle of water on the floor and he slipped. But luckily, all these incidents did not cause any serious injuries," said Mrs Sumiko.
Mrs Itosan heaved a sigh of relief. After listening to Mrs Sumiko's account, Itosan looked at his teacher and his parents. He felt that he had been a disgrace to them.

Atiqah Khan, Vania, Fardiana and Suzy (1E4)

“Did Izumi get into trouble?” whispered Mrs. Itosan to herself.
Mr. and Mrs. Itosan walked to Izumi and Mrs. Sumiko. Hoping not to hear a bad remark about Izumi from Mrs. Sumiko, they had planned to say goodbye to Mrs. Sumiko and walked away with their son in tow. Unfortunately, they were stopped by Mrs. Sumiko.
“I’m sorry Mr. and Mrs. Itosan. I’m actually here to talk about Izumi’s behavior. He knocks down the test tubes and beakers in the science lab constantly. Does he have any medical problem in hand-eye coordination?” queried Mrs. Sumiko.
“No Mrs. Sumiko. He’s just very careless. I’m so sorry for Izumi's carelessness,” said Mr. Itosan feeling ashamed.
“It’s okay. I hope that from now on Izumi would be more careful when he is handling things,” said Mrs. Sumiko with a gentle smile.
Izumi felt very disappointed as he had actually made his parents ashamed. Izumi waved goodbye to Mrs. Sumiko as he and his parents walked out ofthe gate. Along the way home, there was no conversation between him and his parents. Finally, Izumi ended the silence.
“I’m sorry mum and dad. I’m sorry that you keep on hearing bad remarks about me instead of good ones,” said Izumi, feeling that he was a useless son at that moment.
“It’s okay Izumi. Nobody is perfect. It's just that you have to learn from your mistakes. You have to try not to repeat your mistake if you really intend to change,” Mrs Itosan told her son.
After hearing the advice from Mrs. Itosan, Izumi made up his mind. He took more care in his work and soon, he was less clumsy and started to receive compliments from his teacher.

Jolene Chang , Celine , Chelsea and Charlene (1E4)

Mrs Sumiko smiled and said, "Izumi is fine except for the cut on his leg. He fell down during recess while he was playing catch with his friends and hurt himself. I guess he will just have to rest that leg well for a couple of days before he will be up for games and running again."
"Oh, okay. Thanks for your help, Mrs Sumiko."
They walked to the carpark. As they got into the car, Izumi's mother said with a long, drawn-out sigh, "Izumi, you are always injuring yourself! When will you stop making me worry about you?"
"I don't know, Ma," answered Izumi truthfully, and sighed himself.

Koh Ren Hao, Irfan, 1E3

Mrs Sumiko sighed heavily.
Mrs Itosan immediately knew this was a bad sign. She looked at Mr Sumiko, and then at Izumi.
Mrs Sumiko started the conversation again by giving an account of some of the things Izumi did in school that day. “Your son is a very careless boy. I am afraid that he will meet an accident any day sooner. I am sorry but I am not cursing your son. I really hope your son will change his ways as he had a very unfortunate day today.”
"How bad was it?" asked Mrs Itosan.
Mrs Sumiko then said, “He started off well during the first lesson today. Then, he tripped on a stone. He broke the hamster’s cage and the science teacher had to clean it up himself, in case Izumi made more mistakes.”
Izumi kept repeating that he was sorry and would not do it again. They bade Mrs Sumiko goodbye. Mr and Mrs Itosan got into the car, glancing at their son in the rearview mirror.
“Sorry mom,” muttered Izumi.
“You need to change, boy!” Mrs Itosan said. “If you keep this up, you will surely get into an accident just like Mrs Sumiko said!”
Izumi sat at the back quietly, reflecting on what he had done and how to change his carelessness.

May Yee & Zi Yin 1E3

Mrs Sumiko greeted the Isotans. She then sighed before saying, "Izumi was very careless during the first few periods of the day. He scalded his tongue and bit it while eating hot noodles. He then fell and injured his chin. Thankfully he was not seriously injured."
"Thank goodness!" cried Mrs Itosan.
Mrs Sumiko smiled and went on, "In the last few periods, Izumi was a good role model in class. He was an attentive listener and a good student. Therefore, I have chosen him to be the temporary class chairman."
"Really?" exclaimed Mr Itosan. "Well Izumi, we will have your favorite Kobe beef as a reward for your excellent behaviour today."
"Thank you daddy! Goodbye Mrs Sumiko!" said the boy happily. Izumi grinned as he thought of the delicious Kobe beef waiting for him.

Syafiqah, Meghana, Suzanna, Jonathan 1E4

"As if! " the teacher blurted. "Your son barely escaped punishment on the first day of school! "
At break, Izumi was playing with his pencil case. He threw it into the air, and was thrilled to see it come back to him. As he was tall, he was made to sit beside the window. He threw the pencil case once more, unaware of the trouble he was about to cause. The pencil case flew out of his reach and headed straight for the window.
It smashed through the window, shattering it into pieces. Izumi realized he was in hot soup. Tears welled up in Izumi's eyes and he took to his heels . He thought he could escape as it was the first day of school and the teacher would not recognise him .
He was wrong! Izumi turned a corner and came face to face with the principal. Beads of perspiration trickled down his forehead. He had come out of the frying pan and landed in the fire.
Seeing shattered glass pieces and the petrified Izumi, the principal was curious.
"Did you do this?" he quietly asked Izumi.
Izumi bit his lower lip and burst into tears. He explained what he had done and apologized profusely.
Hearing the explanation, the principal told Izumi that he would need to inform his parents of his mistake and that he would be punished with replacing the glass of the window.
Mr and Mrs Itosan sighed. Sometimes, they thought privately, it would be nice to have a son who was less clumsy.

Basyirah Balqis, Durra, Nur Ain and Sufian, 1E4

Mr. and Mrs. Itosan were sick with anxiety. They felt uneasy when they saw that Izumi was with Mrs. Sumiko, his teacher.

“How is Izumi Mrs. Sumiko?” Mrs. Itosan enquired curiously.

Mrs Sumiko appeared concerned. She replied that Izumi had been a very careless boy, but he had to be responsible for whatever he did. He had swept up the broken bits of the vase that he had accidently knocked over. He did not rely on his teacher to do it for him.

Izumi turned an innocent face to his parents. His parents did understand his problems but they sometimes found him exasperating.

“I am sorry for what I have done just now. I did not do it on purpose. I promise I won’t repeat this silly mistake,” stammered Izumi.

His parents rolled their eyes at this apology. They took a deep breath and tried to suppress their rising irritation. Izumi kept saying this to them whenever he had made a mistake but he was still careless and clumsy, and he never appeared to really want to change. His parents and Mrs. Sumiko sent him to one side and then had a little conversation.

Izumi was trembling with fear. After the little conversation, Izumi and his parents bade Mrs Sumiko goodbye and headed for home. Izumi's parents were disappointed. They wanted Izumi to be more alert and cautious but they could not think of anything to stop him.

“Are you guys still angry with me? I thought that I have told you guys that I am sorry,” stammered Izumi.

“It is not because of that. You always repeat your mistakes, and you never learn from them. You are very careless, Izumi.I don't know what we can do so that you can change your bad attitude,” fumed Mrs. Sumiko.

Mr. Sumiko just kept quiet and concentrated on his driving. Izumi did not dare to make any sound. He sat at the back seat with his mouth zipped. 'I think that time has really come to change my bad attitude,' thought Izumi miserably.

Ng Jia Jia and Sher Ting (1E3)

Mrs Sumiko replied with a sigh," Izumi happened to pee in his pants during science lesson when he saw a cockroach in his science textbook. Then he fell while walking and bit his tongue when he fell. He also spilt a hot bowl of noodles on his pants and scalded his leg. Thankfully it was not very serious."

"Oh my god! My poor son, are you alright? Let me see your leg!" Mrs Itosan fussed worriedly. Izumi was very embarrassed and ashamed. He thought, "What an unlucky day! Today is the first day of school. It should be a lucky and happy day but why is it torture for me?"

Nur Marina, 1E3 (who is your partner?)

"Yes by now," Mrs Sumiko said.Mrs Sumiko told Mrs Itosan that Izumi had been very careless.He came rolling down the slope even though it was not slippery.He also bit his tongue when he was eating his sandwich and wet his clothes while washing his hands.But apart from all that, he was fine.

1E3 - comment please!

Mrs Sumiko said, "Everything's alright but..."

"What's wrong?" Mrs Itosan asked anxiously.

Mrs Sumiko said in a sad manner, "Today we went to the school eco-garden to observe the plants during Science lesson and unfortunately, he fell into the fish pond. During recess, he slipped on a puddle of soup and fell again. He suffered bruises and grazes on his knee. After recess during PE lessons, he was hit by a basketball on his head.Fortunately, he did not suffer any serious injuries. For the rest of the day, I kept him by my side in case of more accidents."

- Words in blue are edits from Ms L :)

By: Jolene,Diyana and Janwin :)

Good advertisement

This is SHOWING, not TELLING, and it's one of the best darn commercials I've ever seen.

Homework!

1E3: P205-207, continuation of story. Email patricia.lkr@gmail.com (remember to put in your names!) and wait for it to be posted :)

4E3: News article review.

Click, read, comment. For everyone.

Previously...

sorry for the late post. In case you haven't caught up, these are assignments I set for everyone:

4E3: FMSS 07 prelims. Grammar book p18-19, 30-34, selected exercises. TYS 09 paper.

- to submit: Edusave forms, Consent forms, 'Survival' essay (a number of you still owe me this essay) and EL projects. No submission = no marks.

1E3 and 1E4: Spelling list sentences.

There are tests coming up this week and next week, so please be prepared - both EL and Literature classes!

[-__-]* SICK.

Yes peeps, sick. Like sore throat and crankiness and coughing my lungs out sick.

In any case, hope you had a good day today.

Take care, love you all lots.

Week 4 and we're hangin' on!

OK... Go!

[I wanted to embed, but embedding is disabled. Click HERE for the video.]

Here's a summation of homework handed out this bright, lovely Monday Morning:

4E3:

Grammar handbook, p18 - 19, exercises B and C; p 30-34, exercises A, B, E, G, and H.

TYS Nov 2009 Paper 2 (Comprehension & Summary)

1E3:

Journal & Straits Times - Choose five pictures that are able to represent the stories they were from. Then, choose one story out of the five stories where you took the pictures, and write a news review of around 50 - 80 words.

Tiring Tasks

4E3, you have lots to do :)

1. Spelling in Week 4. Spelling + meanings

2. Essay: Survival. Think on the bright side - I'm generating more work for myself!

2E1, CME homework! I gotta have it and soon.

Your ideas are pretty cool~ I'm looking forward to it [^^]

I really want to watch this.

Week 3 and no Sec Ones!!!

Yay.

Not that I hate you kids, but... yay. More free time.

You will need to listen a few times + a basic grasp of Spanish to enjoy this clip, but essentially it's a poem about being a woman. Here's to all the strong ladies in your lives, people.

Anyway....

4E3 - Narrative Writing: Dialogue Exercise Four is HOMEWORK. Due NEXT LESSON.

Week 2 has ENDED!!

1E4: Literature Homework

-- Is Mr Wormwood a likeable character? Why do you say so? Use evidence from Chapters 2 - 6

-- write in foolscap

4E3: Reading Set A

-- How is this reading about Anne Frank relevant to your life as a Singaporean teenager?

Spell-o-matic

Spelling for everyone this week!

4E3, you know how it will go :) Remember the three additional words I threw in for you as well.

1E3 and 1E4, you've copied the spelling words, so just get ready for the actual spelling.

Hand in all journals and EL projects (for 4E3) this Friday, 15 January 2010.

For literature students, prepare A3 size paper for mind-map, as usual.

Meow.

Just because I like cats :)

Anyway, some interesting words and phrases used in the clip:

1. out of their league - in a situation which they have no chance of succeeding, especially due to lack of skill or aptitude

2. intrigued - fascinated; interested

3. threatened - exposed to danger; unsafe; vulnerable

4. turns her attention to - becomes more concerned/focused on (something else)

Assignments and notices for today are all for Sec 1 students (hey there!):

1. EL Journal - decorate your journal and answer the question, 'If I were an animal/plant/object, what would I be (and why)?'

2. Literature (1E4) - read Chapters 2 & 3, prepare A3 paper for mindmap.

That's all!

Lots of lists like these

Random Engrish sign from Japan. Anyone understands Japanese here? Maybe you can translate.

Another random link below...
If you, like me, enjoy reading lists, here's a site you might like: listverse.com

Notices for 4E3:

1. Collecting $13.70 per student for two books - one TYS and one Grammar

2. Spelling (15 words) in Week 2.

2010 feels like 2009

I'm still writing 2009 on my personal notebooks... It's impossible to switch my mindset immediately, at least until February. If I sign the date on your assignment as 'something something 2009', just let it be, okay?

Anyway, assignments assignments assignments.

2E1: Welcome :) For Literature, you have to find answers to 2 questions

1. Why is Macbeth called 'the Scottish play'?

2. Why didn't theaters like putting on this play?

4E3: English projects are due 15 JAN 2010 (NEXT FRIDAY). Stop asking me.

Bring the narrative plan you did in class today for the next lesson and we'll write the introduction.

Sherlock Holmes

I think it's still up right now at the cinemas.

I gotta say, I've been looking forward to this since I first saw the trailer. It has almost everything I like: action, mystery, interesting characters, and Robert Downey Junior. Jude Law as Watson was a surprise but it fit too.

If you have yet to catch it, go take a look. It's not too complicated but it is a pretty good story told by wonderful actors and a confident director (Go, Guy Ritchie!).

Besides, anything that shows intelligent people in a light that is away from 'NERD' or 'GEEK' is fabulous.