Gong hei fat choy!

 Today, I will send out an email with a link to the very amateurish video I made for "Meet the Teacher" and also an attachment of our course outline for your families.  Please let your parents know that if they want to keep in touch with the class activities, they can always look here to see what we are up to.

Since tomorrow is Chinese New Year and we are not in session, there will be no journal assigned, but you should continue to work on your Shakespeare monologue.

Grade 9's, I would like you to write a very brief play (less than one page) which explores a current event through a comic lens.  It can be based on your play which you will perform today, or it can be about something else.  Make sure you make the setting clear and give the characters names.  

Here is an example:

Setting: Mar-a-lago (the "southern White House")

Donald Trump:  (watching tv and sitting on his golden throne)  I can't believe these lawyers.  They're making the case for the other side!  How much am I paying them?

Melania:  You said they should be happy for all the press exposure and that they should do it pro bono, now that you aren't the president any more.

Donald Trump:  What?  I AM the president.  If they counted the legal votes, I'd still be in the White House!

Melania:  I didn't like the White House.  It's so old, and nothing is gold.

Donald Trump:  But I was the leader of the free world.  I set a turkey free!  (gets out his cell phone and starts typing busily)

Melania:  Barron!  He's at it again.

Barron (walking in, texting on his own phone)  Dad, you promised you wouldn't use your phone for two weeks.

Donald Trump:  And I am a man of my word.  (he continues to type and glances up at Barron)  And who are you?

(Barron and Melania look at each other.)

I'm sure you can do better than this.

Senior Drama:

Let's try and get some solid ideas for our "month of love" presentation.  Directors/Scriptwriters -- jot down your ideas and be ready to present them on Tuesday when we come back!

Everyone -- read your Juliet speech out loud at least ten times.

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I hope you all have a great Lunar New Year celebration.  It is the year of the ox, and may we all, like the ox, be patient, hard-working and determined to do our best, no matter what bumps we encounter along the road.