If you're not quite sure what's going on at school, check out my calendar
for a list of up-coming events. With everything going on, students sometimes
forget what's going on, both inside the classroom and out.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to contact
me. The best way to reach me is via email at TSorensen@darienps.org
Email will lead to the quickest response, but you can also leave a
message on my voice mail at ext. 3612.
Thank you for your cooperation and patience.
And now for my beginning of the year parent homework assignment!
PARENT PROJECT: In a Million Words or Fewer...
Tell Me About Your Scholar!
Yes, you are getting a homework assignment! In talking to some teachers a few
years back regarding how to start the year off, I came across this parent
writing assignment called "In a Million Words or Fewer...," which was a huge
favorite, and a huge success. The reason behind it is simple: it can take us
a great deal of time to truly get to know your child. This activity gives you
a chance to tell me what you think I should know about your scholar. This is
my fifth year doing this assignment, and I have received nothing but
fantastic feedback from the assignment. This piece is a great way to open the
lines of communication at the beginning of the year. I read every one of them,
and I will not share your comments with any other person, including other
Green Team teachers, unless you tell me in your message that I can.
Your scholar is in for a great experience in English this year. The
curriculum is rigorous, but very valuable. There are several goals in this
curriculum. My central themes in class this year will ask students to explore
the concepts of change and isolation. These are two ideas that I’m sure many
of your scholars have experienced over their time at Middlesex, and it’s
important for them to understand and deal with the issues that revolve around
these two concepts as they finish here and head to the high school next year.
This should be a very exciting and busy year. The key is communication. As in
years past, you can access information about your scholar’s English class
experience by using my web site, which is listed below:
http://teacherweb.com/CT/MiddlesexMiddleSchool/MrSorensen/H0.stm
If your scholar has not had me in the past, you will see that I keep much
more than just my homework on the site. You will also find links to Internet
sites we are currently using, occasional handouts in Microsoft Word, a link
to my email address, and a link back to the Middlesex homepage. We will also
keep a calendar of events for the Green Team and Middlesex.
Finally, back to the assignment. I know many of you have extremely schedules,
so please take your time with this. With that said, there must be a deadline.
Please get "In a Million Words or Fewer..." to me no later than Friday,
September 17th. You can either send it to school with your scholar or e-mail
it to me at tsorensen@darienps.org.
Good luck,
Tim Sorensen,
English, Green Team