A Novel Time for Reading

    It is a time of transition in Mrs. Hofmann's English classroom:  a new teacher, and soon, three new novels.

    Let me introduce myself.  Greetings!  I am Jennifer Stengel, and I will be substituting for Mrs. Hofmann during her maternity leave.  I hold a Nebraska Teaching Certificate in English education and have been substituting at SPS for two years.  I am so pleased to be working with Mrs. Hofmann's hard-working students and look forward to not only delving into the following novels, but getting to know each student on a more individual level.

    This week, English 7 will begin the tear-jerker by Wilson Rawls, Where the Red Fern Grows, an adventure about a back-woods boy and his passion for his loyal hunting dogs.

    English 8 is currently completing Power Point presentations on America during the 1920's in preparation for their upcoming book, The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  This is a story of the love and demise of Jay Gatsby during his pursuit of the beautiful, Daisy Buchanan.

    Not to be outdone, English 11 will also begin turning the pages of a new novel, Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451.  This science fiction thriller revolves around our hero, Guy Montag, and his pursuit to stop the burning of books, or more thematically, his pursuit to stop those who want to squelch all independent thought.  It is a book sure to generate some interesting discussion and deep thought about the society we live in and how to prevent our rights of free speech from being taken from us.

    Finally, our speech class is beginning work on informative speeches, focusing on a career of each student's choosing.  In addition, each student will be learning to navigate the Nebraska Career Connections website (www.nebraskacareerconnections.org) to assess his or her interests, skills, and personality.  With this information in hand, the students will be able to choose a career fitting to each student's individual strengths.  These in-class speeches will begin on March 24th.

    As stated before, I look forward to getting to work with each student and would encourage any parent to read along with us as we journey through our new novels.  It is a great way to stay in touch with your child's education.  HAPPY READING!!!