Gradebook Closing

Information about the grade book closing...

The grade book for the zero period class will close Friday morning at 8:30 AM.  After that time, I will not take any late work or test retakes or makeups.  The zero period exam is Monday morning, December 18th.  Students may start taking the exam at 7:15 AM.  Their exam is designed to be finished within the 50 minute class period.  Zero period will not meet December 19th-21st.  Zero period will resume on Tuesday, January 9th.

The grade book for all high school level classes will close on Monday at 3:00 PM.  After that time, I will not take any late work or test retakes or makeups.  High school exams start on Tuesday, December 19th, and finish on Thursday, December 21st.  Wednesday and Thursday are both half days. 

Any student who misses their exam will be given a zero for the exam.  They will have an opportunity to make up their exam after the Winter Break.  There will be no retakes allowed for the semester exam.  If you have any questions, please email me:  julie.mcconathy@gcisd.net

Have a wonderful break!

End of the 3rd Week

This Friday is the end of the first three weeks of this grading period.  Grades will close at 4:30 PM on Friday, so all makeup work--including tests and quizzes must be submitted to me by 8:45 AM on Friday morning.  Remember, you may turn in one late assignment per grading period and may retake one test or quiz grade.  Please come see me or email me if there are any questions.

The 1st grading period is ending soon!

The first grading period is ending on Friday October 20th; as such, the grade book closes that afternoon.  All make up work--whether they are tests, quizzes, or school work--are due to me by Thursday October 19th at 4:30 PM.  Any make up times need to be scheduled with me so that I can check my calendar for meetings.  Anything not made up by October 19th will become a zero in the grade book.  Please talk to me ASAP if you have a concern or need to make up a test or quiz due to illness.

Update: T-shirts!

On Monday, I will start taking money for the Latin Club and National Latin Honor Society t-shirts. The Latin Club shirt is red and will be $20.

The National Latin Honor Society Shirt is purple and will be $25.  

T-shirt Designs

Here are the designs for the Latin Club t-shirt and for the National Latin Honor Society t-shirt.  I will get cost estimates in a few days.  In the mean time, take a look!!!!!

If you missed the National Latin Honor Society Meeting.....

Here is what we talked about!

NLHS Agenda 9-5

Progress Reports

Grades will close this Friday at 4 PM for the first progress report period.  If you are missing any tests or quizzes, they must be made up by Friday morning so that I can update your grade accordingly.  If you are missing any daily grades, it may be too late to make them up so please check with me!

Quick Thoughts

Here are a few things from the first seven days of school:

1.  The district is still working on trying to get the Latin students in GCISD access to their e-books of our new textbook.  I hope this situation is resolved soon.

2.  My blog has pages for each individual class period.  On those pages, I am putting updates on what was done in class during that class.  Please make sure that you check that page for what we did in case you/your child was absent.

3.  Our first Latin Club meeting of the year will be Tuesday Sept. 5th at 4:15 PM in my room. Students from both high schools are welcome to join.  I understand that there are other extra curricular activities going on after school, so you may still join even if you can't come to the meeting. Just bring me $10 for your dues and you're in!  We will have a t-shirt eventually, but we will announce that information at a later date.

4.  This year, we will start having activities through the National Latin Honor Society.  Students who joined Latin Club during the 2016-2017 school year and achieved a score of 90 or better each of the grading periods were given a certificate of recognition at the end of last school year--that means they are members of the National Latin Honor Society!  Our first meeting will be on Tuesday Sept. 5th at 8:15 AM in my room.  Dues will be $5 and we will discuss some community service possibilities and also other activities at that time.

Latin I Zero Hour Class Information

Latin I Zero Hour Information

I apologize for not being able to attend the zero hour meeting on Thursday, but here is some basic information about the Latin I class.  If you have any questions, please feel free to email me:
julie.mcconathy@gcisd.net

Lunch

If you have Latin as your "lunch" class, we will be taking A lunch, so you will go to lunch first and then come to class.

Supply List for the 2017-2018 School Year

Salvete, vos!  That's Latin for "Howdy, y'all!"  Here's the supply list for all Latin levels for the upcoming school year.  Please also remember to supply your student all the way through the end of the year!

• pens, pencils, a red/purple pen for grading, and a highlighter
• paper or a spiral
• folder or notebook to hold work and notes
• a Latin dictionary for home.  While there are online dictionaries available for use, they do not always provide the best definition or even give the definitions of common phrases.  
• 5 packs of 100 3x5 notecards
• one box of Kleenex

Donations to the classroom are always accepted but here are some needs that I know we'll have:

• colored paper
• box of ball point pens
• box of pencils, preferably non-mechanical

Have a wonderful summer!

The school year is now over!  Hooray, we made it through!  Please feel free to email me over the summer if you have any questions or need anything (recommendations?).  I will be gone most of the month of July.

I have deleted all the pages for the various classes for the time being.  Follow me on twitter @mcconathyghs to see pictures from my travels over the summer--I'll be seeing Hadrian's Wall in July!

I hope everyone has a fun and safe summer and I will see you in August!

Mc

Are you coming back to Latin?

If you are returning for even more Latin next year, let me keep your notes for you!  I will keep them over the summer for you so that you don't lose them when you (or your mom) cleans out your backpack.  This will prevent you from having to do a lot of writing when we return for the next school year.

For Those Students Wanting to Exempt....

It is GCISD policy that, in order to exempt, all grades and absences must be maintained up until the exam day.  Every student exempting must continue to do their class work and do well on their tests right up until exam time or they will be removed from the exemption list and will have to take the exam.  If you have any questions about exemption qualifications, please contact the counseling office. If you have any questions about your/your child's grades or absences, please contact me.

High School Exemptions Are Open!

Exemptions are now open through May 19th at 11:59 PM--there are no exceptions!  Please see the district website for the requirements that must be met before applying for an exemption.  I ask my students to let me know so that I can double check that they are in fact eligible.  If they're not eligible to exempt my class, this gives them an opportunity to exempt another class instead.  Please contact your student's attendance clerk for any questions about absences.

Zero Hour Exam Change

Due to some of the schedules at the middle schools next week, I am moving my exam to Tuesday May 23rd.  Any student absent on that day will take the exam on Wednesday May 24th.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Zero Period--Week of May 8th

This is a reminder that the zero period class will not meet on Wednesday May 10th or Thursday May 11th due to testing at the middle school campuses.

Latin I Test Canceled

Since we are running out of time, I have decided to remove the Noun Test from the Latin I testing calendar.  Please email me if you have any questions.

AP Testing Begins on Monday

AP Testing begins on Monday at both GHS and CHHS.  This means students may be missing tests in their class to take these exams.  However, the district still has one more progress report between now and the end of school and I need to have grades as close to correct as possible.  If you miss a test in my class, please be ready to make it up the day you return.  It will help keep your grade up to date and it will also mean I do not have to contact you and your parents to get this made up.  Remember that I will enter grades of zero for tests and quizzes that are not made up in a timely manner.  If you have any questions, please email me.

May 2nd and May 3rd

There will be no shuttles between the two high schools on May 2nd and 3rd due to testing on both campuses.  Students will either be given an assignment on Friday or Monday or one will be placed in their Google Classroom.  Please email me if you have any questions.

Latin I Tutorials

Beginning Tuesday April 25th, I will be holding Latin I only tutorials for those who are struggling and would like to do better or even just come in and get a review.  They will start at 4:15 PM and will last an hour.  I know it is inconvenient for the Zero Period students, but they are more than welcome to attend as well.  If you want to come, just let me know and tell me what you would like to work on so that I can find a good review activity.

Make Up and Retake Day

The Latin I and Latin II PAP students have been offered an opportunity to retake one test or quiz that they failed for full credit.  I never do this.  The Latin I students will retake any test or quiz of their choosing on Thursday April 20th and the Latin II PAP students will retake any test or quiz of their choosing on Friday April 21st.  They must have told me by the end of the school day today which test or quiz they are retaking.  If they have not, then they will not be able to retake a test/quiz.  If they are missing any tests or quizzes due to absences, they will not be able to retake a quiz as they will be making up the missed test.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Zero Period Class Schedule

Zero Period will not be meeting the following dates due to middle school test:

May 2nd and 3rd
May 10th and 11th

Students should report to their home campus those mornings.

For Latin III PAP

We formally start the Aeneid this Wednesday.  I have already suggested that the students have at least Book I completely read and the story questions completed as well.  This is so that we can discuss any issues or provide help to one another as we move forward in the story.  This means that the students will need to have Books II-IV read and the story questions answered for Friday April 21st.  We will be moving at a pace of about one to two books (chapters) every class period and have a test covering every four books.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask me.

AP Discussion Questions

Two discussion questions about the English readings of Caesar from Book I, Chapter 11 have been posted in the AP Google Classroom.  The students will be required to participate in at least one discussion in order to receive credit for the assignment.  The discussion will close on Thursday April 20th at noon.

AP Study Sessions

We will be meeting at Market Street from 9 AM to 12 PM Saturday April 22nd and Saturday April 29th to have study sessions for the AP exam on Friday May 12th.  There are other review sessions on the Google Calendar so please check there for other dates, times and places.

The study session on the 22nd will be a review of advanced grammar concepts from Latin II and III.

The study session on the 29th will be a group AP practice test.

Homework

As we round the corner and head for the end of the school year, I wanted to take a moment and remind the students that there is sometimes real homework and not just studying for a test.  Many times homework is finishing class work that we started during the class period.  Sometimes, it's an additional practice that will help them prepare for their upcoming test/quiz.  Much of the homework that I am assigning right now is not coming back to me at all and I am having to give zeroes.  These zeroes are wrecking very high grades--in some cases, dropping a student who usually has a 100 average down into the low 80s.  Please check with your student in regards to homework and please check Family Access and Google Classroom to see that assignments are being completed.  Quick Reminder:  Only work done in the Google Classroom will be shown in the Google Classroom.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to me!

Thanks,
Mc

A Funny for You!

Here is an Ecce Romani meme I found on Twitter.  I laughed so I thought I would share it here.

Ecce Meme

Better Late than Never

I know we are well past St. Patrick's Day, but here is an article about things that the Ancient Romans found lucky.  Maybe you can use one during the upcoming Testageddon!

Good Luck and the Ancient Romans

Last Grading Period

The last grading period of the 2016-2017 School year began last Monday (March 27th).  We will be racing towards the end of the year and dealing with testing, reviews, and exams along the way.  If you/your student are going to be gone, they are still responsible for what is learned and done in class. Tests and quizzes, in order to keep grades as current as possible, need to be made up in a timely fashion or I will have to enter a zero.  Several of our assignments are in the Google Classroom and some students are not finishing them in the allotted time, so please check it regularly.  Lastly, as we move to the end of the school year, the kids start running out of supplies, pens, pencils, paper, etc. They need to have these supplies so that they can do their paper assignments and take tests.  Please make sure that your student is well supplied to get through the school year!

Thanks,
Mc

Goodbye from Ms. Silkey

Sadly, Ms. Silkey's time with us has come to an end.  We had miscalculated how long she was going to be with us and Friday was her last day.  She wanted me to tell you all how much she enjoyed being at GHS and how much she enjoyed learning from you and with you.  See everyone on Monday morning!!!!!

Notecards

Howdy!  It's getting closer and closer to the end of the year and we are now out of the notecards that the kids use to make their extra credit vocabulary cards.  If you could donate any to the cause, we would really appreciate it.

Also, double check with your student about the state of their school supplies.  So many times the kids run out of the staples (paper, pencils, etc) towards the end of the year and then they can't do their work properly.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Have a wonderful Spring Break!

Salvete, omnes!
  I hope you all have a wonderful Spring Break and come back rested and ready to make the end run to June!

The End of This Grading Period

The current grading period will end the Friday after Spring Break.  There have been lots of absences due to illness and field trips.  My make up folder is still pretty full.  If you or your student has been absent, please double check that everything is current.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to email me!

Latin Funnies from Twitter

If you are on Twitter, consider following Ecce Romani Memes as there are some good ones there.

End of Progress Period 6

This Friday marks the end of the Progress Report Period 6.  There have many students absent over the past few weeks, so grades may not be completely accurate.  This grading period ends on Friday March 24th.  If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me!

AP on Feb. 21st

The AP Latin class will be taking D lunch on February 21st.  Please come to class at the correct time!

Last Day.....

Wednesday February 15th will be the last day for students to enter their course selections for next year.  If you have any questions or issues, be sure to contact your counselor for help!

Felix Valentines Diem!

The Latin classes have been hard at work making Valentines this year ahead of the big holiday. Below is a picture of the Valentines made by the GHS Latin and French students.  Amor et l' amitie!

Phones

I'd like to take a moment to remind students (and parents) about when it is appropriate to use phones/electronic devices in the Latin classroom:
1.  When I say "You need an electronic device", you can have your phone out.  It means you should also be working on the assignment that I have given you and not looking at videos on You Tube, Snapchatting, etc.
2.  When you are done with your Latin work for the day and we are waiting for others to finish up.  If you are texting, etc. when you're supposed to be working, that means you may be missing important instructions, not completing your work in a timely fashion, etc.
3.  Using your phone during a test or quiz is extremely inappropriate!

AP Test Payments

Next week, Feb. 6-10th, GHS will be taking payments for students who are taking any AP Tests this school year.  If you have any questions, please contact assistant principal, Catherine Henry, at the GHS front office.

Welcome, Ms. Silkey!

For the first time in my 18 years of teaching, I have a student teacher.  Her name is Ms. Erin Silkey and she is currently attending the University of Dallas.  She will be with us through the end of April. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me!

Signing Up for Classes Next Year

It's hard to believe that it's only January, but we're talking about signing up for classes for next school year!  As your student starts look at course selections for next year, here is what they should sign up for:

Current Latin I students should sign up for Latin II PAP.
Current Latin II PAP students should sign up for Latin III PAP.
Current Latin III PAP students should sign up for AP Latin.
Current AP Latin students should sign up for Independent Study--Latin.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me.  If you're not sure if your child is ready to move on, let me know and we can discuss the next class in the sequence.

Make Up Work and Tutorials

If you are absent due to illness, you are not alone.  The flu is going around with a whole host of other things.  If you have been absent and missed any tests or quizzes, please see me when you return so that we can schedule make up times that are convenient to both our schedules.

If we learned something new while you were gone, a tutorial may be necessary just so that I can make sure you are understanding any new concept.  Talk to me about scheduling an AFTER SCHOOL tutorial so that we can catch you up!

End of Progress Report #5

Today is the end of Progress Report period #5.  I will be spending this afternoon updating grades as best as I can.  We've had a lot of illness so there may be a few holes.  If you have any questions about grades, feel free to email me and I will get back to you when I can.

T-Shirts

Friday Jan. 27th will be the last day to buy a Latin Club t-shirt.  They are $19 and are not school specific.

Latin I First Semester Reflection

I had the high school Latin I students write about their experiences in the first semester of Latin.  I asked several questions and here are a few of the topics and their responses:

Biggest Challenges in Learning Latin
the cases and numbers of nouns
the conjugations of verbs
retaining the vocabulary
words changing their forms as their use changed

What They Could Do to Become a Better Latin Student
study the extra credit flash cards that they make for the vocabulary test
FOCUS
refresh their knowledge on a regular basis
be more proactive when struggling
tutorials
not wait until the last minute

What They Would Like to See From Me as Their Teacher
more time going over notes
more practice Quizlets to practice their new learning but also to intensify their knowledge and understanding of the language
more optional practices/assignments/assessments in the Google Classroom

Latin I Goals for the New Semester
read and understand Latin fluently
say simple Latin sentences
retain information