Happy Tuesday.
        Google Classroom for English has been created. Look for your invitation and join. If you cannot get in, let me know by email and I will get you connected. I am not totally clear how different this is from what we have been doing on this website and all your connections via English class folders, but we will see. Every day a new skill!

WORDS of encouragement and urging. To each and every writer, which is each and every one of you:
You, we, are living in the most unique time ever, having to shelter in place, staying at home, like almost every other person in the world, to keep the pandemic at bay, at least in our families and neighborhood.
Do we get it? Do we understand it? What is is like living so close and so constantly with our family like this?  What do I notice about myself? My siblings? My parents? Are my parents away working during this pandemic? What do I think about that?
So, this is what I am getting to.
WRITE. JOURNAL. Those are verbs. Those are ideas to explore.
Set aside a certain time each day and just write your thoughts, what comes to mind in this remarkable time and circumstances. You will have your writing, your experience, your perspective to look back on. Your thoughts at this extraordinary time in the world will matter so much to the future you, to your future family and to your future friends. WRITE IT DOWN. WRITE. 

I trust you all have lots to do, school wise. (Wasn't there a lot yesterday?!)
Again, I want to let you know that I am seeing some of your work in your folders and it is great that you are on it. When we switch to Google classroom and I can contact you via email, there will be feedback, promise! And, oh yeah, that zooming stuff, as long as we are not conflicting with other classes.
I expect you might be busy at home, too, helping to clean and cook and trying to figure out how to talk to every single friend while not WITH every single friend.



7th-Graders -- Have you found any versions of The Call of the Wild to watch? Email me and let me know.
8th-Graders -- Tell me what you are reading and/or working on. Who has started with The Diary of Anne Frank? It's really a worthwhile one. Remember, she was writing in her most remarkable of times, even though some of her days were rather un-remarkable and ordinary. WRITE.

*At my house, my 25-year-old son does his company's work in his old bedroom. He comes out in the morning to make my coffee. We see him again at dinner. Sometimes he practices his new hobby, making bread, or just plays guitar to relax. Often he gets online with friends and they talk or play online board games and trivia. Sometimes he lets me peek in. We try to watch a movie together, or at least a funny show. Annie is getting way more walks than she usually gets. My husband, my son and I each carve out our own spaces and time as best we can each day. Is it crowded? Sometimes yes. But, we are together and I am grateful we can be, and that I can stay somewhat in touch with all of you. I miss you, I miss the other staff and teachers at school, I miss my friends, I miss the rest of my family, probably just like all of you, so, I write.

Today's prompt-
"Mostly today, I wonder about what I will do as soon as I can go out again and who I will do it with. Maybe, just myself. "  
Ponder that, if you will. Dreams are important. Be as dreamy and descriptive as possible.


TOMORROW  NATIONAL POETRY MONTH begins. It will be fun. Stay tuned.