Green Lane Gazette
January - 2023
Important Dates in January
- 1/10 - Biology Keystone Exam
- 1/11 - 12:05 Dismissal (All students should attend)
- 1/12 - Algebra Keystone Exam
- 1/13 - Literature Keystone Exam
- 1/16 - MLK Day - School & Offices Closed
- 1/18 - 9th Grade Takeover Day (Only 9th graders attend)
- 1/27 - ASVAB Testing
- 1/31 - End of 2nd Marking Period
Keystone Exam Information
We are set to administer the winter 2023 Keystone Exams on January 10th, 12th, & 13th. We are repeating the procedure from last year by only bringing the students on campus who are testing (and certain low-incidence students who were contacted by their teachers). Students who are scheduled to take the exams should have received an email this week with their specific testing room assignments (testing rooms will be posted in the cafeteria this week as well). Students should report with charged Chromebooks for their exams.
January 10 - Biology
January 12 - Algebra
January 13 - Literature
Students who are not taking winter Keystones will be asked to fill out an attendance form by 9:30AM each day and complete asynchronous assignments through their Canvas accounts.
FAQs
How do if know I have to report for any or all of the Keystone Exams?
Individualized emails were sent to students if they are to report for 1 or more Keystone exams. If you have questions about your Keystone Exam status, please email Adrienne Jones - adrienne.jones@bristoltwpsd.org
Is there transportation on Keystone Exam days?
Yes. Bus runs in the morning and afternoon will take place at their normal times.
What does asynchronous mean?
It means that there is no specific time that a student would have to log into Canvas to work on their assignments for class. Due dates may be in place, but not specific times for working on the material. Students who are testing are excused from daily assignments on those specific testing days.
How do I get marked for attendance if I am working asynchronously from home?
A Google form for attendance will be placed in students' first-period Canvas courses. That form must be completed by 9:30AM to count for attendance that day. Students without a first-period class must send an email by 9:30AM that day to hst.attendance@bristoltwpsd.org to be marked present.
How do I access my asynchronous work from home?
All work should be posted on each teacher's Canvas page for students to access. Questions about those individual classes should be directed to those teachers.
Do I have to attend Google Meets?
No. All work is asynchronous so it can be accessed at different times of the day. However, all attendance forms should be completed by 9:30AM that day to be marked present for that day.
9th Grade Takeover Day - January 1/18
On Wednesday January 18th, all 9th graders should report to school for a full day of activities including teambuilding, culture building, and session to help them understand how their brains work and strategies they can use to help them learn more effectively and efficiently.
(* certain low incidence students will also report and will be contacted by their teacher to confirm)
All 10th, 11th, and 12th grade students will have an asynchronous day. Students will be asked to fill out an attendance form by 9:30AM each day and complete asynchronous assignments through their Canvas accounts.
Attendance Reminders
All attendance notes, trip approval requests, and other inquiries should be emailed to hst.attendance@bristoltwpsd.org or call 267-599-2109 to speak with our attendance clerk.
English 9 courses are finishing up a unit focused on conflict and characterization, moving into a unit on the art of theater, with an emphasis on The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. There will also be a continued focus on utilizing the R.A.C.E.S. strategy for writing constructed responses. Students will continue making progress on their personalized Reading Exact Path.
English 10 courses are finishing up a unit on characterization, with a strong focus on motivation and direct/indirect characterization. Upon their return from the break, the students will begin analyzing the role “point of view” plays in literature. Students will also be examining numerous reading and writing strategies in preparation for the Keystone Exams. Students will continue making progress on their personalized Reading Exact Path.
English 11 courses are finishing up a focus on literature written in the literary era of romanticism. This included an examination of the subgenre of “dark romanticism” and the literary concept of an archetype. Upon their return from the break, the students will begin reading several works from the time period of literary realism.
English 12 courses are completing the reading of literature of the Middle Ages, which included an analysis of characterization in Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales. After returning from the break, the students will be delving into the elements of drama and Shakespearean tragedy, with a specific emphasis on The Tragedy of Macbeth.
Driver Education Students are learning how to park vehicles safely. This is difficult to understand just from theory alone, our students have the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice using the driving simulators. Students practice parallel, angle, and perpendicular parking.
Physical Education The weather has kept us in this entire month, we have changed our PE choices to badminton, dodgeball, basketball, and weight training. Students are enjoying trying to beat Mr. McCourt in badminton. Mr. McCourt will take students on 1v1 or will play against multiple students at a time. He still has yet to lose.
Adapted PE Mr. Sicilia and the adaptive PE class have been getting into the holiday spirit. Students start their class with a 6-minute walk to music! They have been working on tossing, into hoops and playing corn hole. Students Minas Kostis and Xiomara Colon get a pass out of lunch to assist the students during PE class. Both Minas and Xiomara do a great job demonstrating and helping students with skills.
Students in the social studies department have been busy!
Mr. Kotofsky's American Pop Culture class did the Pepsi Challenge. The Pepsi Challenge is a legendary marketing tool in which people blind taste test one cup filled with Pepsi and one cup filled with Coca Cola. Testers are then asked which they prefer. Pepsi won 24-21!
Mrs. Welsh's ninth grade classes reflected on their first marking period of high school. Students learned that regular reflection helps to maintain a growth mindset. Students participated in a reflection activity gallery walk and created goals for the second marking period. Students also started doing weekly reflection activities in class.
Ms. Wright’s Honors Civics classes spent the two weeks leading up to break working on a mock House of Representatives session. Students wrote their own bills, elected House and party leaders, and then debated, compromised, and voted on the bills based on House procedures.
Hola, Ciao, and Hello! Happy New Year! This month, all levels of our Spanish 2 classes will start learning how to use the 2 past tenses. Up until now, they have only been able to communicate in the present tense. Italian 2 will be reading their first novel. Some of our ELD classes have been working with Exact Path and they continue to strengthen their reading and writing skills.We continue to welcome new students from around the world to these classes. Most recently, from Ukraine.
Classroom Corner:
Sra. Gregory teaches Spanish and is the Department Chairperson for World Languages. She has an MS in Education from Saint Joseph’s University and a BA from University of Delaware with a double major in Spanish and International Relations. She formerly taught English as a Second Language and also worked in the study abroad industry. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe and The Americas. She plays the piano and enjoys traveling, playing trivia, reading, and most importantly spending time with family and friends.
Teacher Spotlight - Sra. Elizabeth Gregory, Spanish
Sra. Gregory teaches Spanish and is the Department Chairperson for World Languages. She has an MS in Education from Saint Joseph’s University and a BA from University of Delaware with a double major in Spanish and International Relations. She formerly taught English as a Second Language and also worked in the study abroad industry. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe and The Americas. She plays the piano and enjoys traveling, playing trivia, reading, and most importantly spending time with family and friends.
Truman Contact Information
267-599-2210
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Twitter: @TrumanTigerBTSD