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I hope I remember how to do this!!!
ALL-NEW STUDENT PERFORMANCES!!!!!!
JUNE 6, 2007 - Finally!! We are ready to show the world the student-poets of Great Neck South! I am also updating this page with new performaces by other students from this year. I hope you enjoy these works! Click here to check out the 2006-2007 poetry website. All sorts of music from this year has been published on Alan Ginsberg's website:
Click here to hear "No Nukes" by Noah Pardo, Ethan Mermelstein, and Adam Belfer. Rap Songs from the fall Max Silverstein does the writing and Brian Geffen does the rapping on these two new tracks. It's obvious these guys enjoy their work as they rap about looking towards the future, working for success, and enjoying the best life has to offer.
This is a song by Kathleen Siapno and Melody Tran.
Click on the picture to go to Elena and Maryellen's poetry website!
Rambling Basketball Blog; Freshman Deadlines Shift
Tuesday, March 6, 2007 - Yesterday I was out sick and it was killing me to think of my students in class without me. I rested all weekend through Tuesday morning with one exception: Saturday afternoon's championship game for the Lady Rebels. Watching Colette, Ariel, Aislin, and Maril lead this team to a 19-3 season and a shot at a title was the sports highlight of my year. I wish I had seen more games than just the two playoff contests. Ten years ago I was coaching girls basketball and teaching English in Suffolk County. When I got the job at South in '98-'99 I was also brought on as an assistant on the girls varsity. That year we won about six games and lost to Garden City by at least 40. (It was sweet to see them go down to our Rebs - in an amazing game that started with GNSHS falling behind 15-3!) I likely would have taken over as head coach the next season had I not decided to leave teaching and study broadcast journalism (M.A, Syracuse '00). While I was at school contemplating a career as a sportscaster, the school hired Coach Umstetter. And, as the saying goes . . . the rest is history. Seems like it was a good thing for our girls hoops program AND our creative writing program that I decided to take that year off. To conclude: Great job, girls!! And, great job by all the students who came to the game -- especially the seniors. You enjoyed a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime experience. Freshman: I want to reschedule the deadlines for the research project. Check the 9H tab for the new deadlines. DAY RE-ADJUSTING; GO LADY REBS!!
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2007 - Normally, I don't enjoy hearing my phone ring at 6 a.m., but when it's notification of a snow day .... well, it's a welcome call! I already had taken a shower, put in my hair gel, and eaten my oatmeal when Mr. Amelio phoned in the good news. Still it wasn't too hard to go back to bed -- until 10 a.m.! Many juniors e-mailed me about the big Macbeth test and research-paper deadline. Delaying the test makes sense to me; plus, I had already announced you could turn in the research paper on Monday with no penalty. I want to encourage as many of you as possible to see me one-on-one this week. And, use the checklist! Here's the revised schedule for my 11 A.P.: 2/27 Tuesday: Research paper WHIP and goal-setting session; finish Polanski video to Act II conclusion. 2/28 Wednesday: Class doesn't meet. 3/1 Thursday: Macbeth exam - all material covered to date. 3/2 Friday: Research paper workshop - Print up what you have and bring it in. 3/5 Monday: Research paper due - Late penalty is 5 points per day. No excuses accepted.
Presidents' Week Vacation; Website Updated
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2007 - Time for another week off! I will be enjoying the sunshine and tennis in South Florida and I hope you find some time to relax during this time away from school. You're going to need to save your energy: March is the cruelest month for high-schoolers. The month of March includes zero vacation days! And, both the freshmen and the juniors will be hammering away at research reports. Meanwhile, the seniors will face distractions at every turn as they try to accomplish their creative goals. I wish you all the best of luck at earning the grade you desire. Sign up for 1-on-1 time if you need my help with anything! I have updated the website to reflect the third-quarter goals ... including a quiz on Macbeth after vacation for the juniors. (That's AP for ya'!) Freshmen, you won't have any more library time in class; now you're on your own to accomplish your research. When we return from break you will (finally!) write that in-class essay. On Monday you'll take notes on a speech or video and on Wednesday you will do the writing. This is a test that counts twice, so please review your other essays and all lessons on expository technique and sentence variety. If you need something over the break, drop me an e-mail at weiny@optonline.net. Second Quarter Closes; More Music Made
TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2007 - We are halfway through the year and my students continue to make me the proudest teacher in the school. The senior creative writing classes are over and two new ones are about to begin. The seniors were amazing in the fall and accomplished hundreds of poems, memoirs, and mind maps in addition to a few plays, songs, eulogies, editorials, and videos. I have three new pieces of music for you to listen to - unfortunately, they only play on the school's computers. Enjoy!
Keep working hard!!!!!!!!!!!!! - Mr. Weinstein Three-day Weekend - And, A New Song! FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2007 - MLK Day is here and the school's celebration is one of the best days of the year. I hope you enjoyed it! Here's VIDEO of a new song written and performed by Kathleen Siapno and Melody Tran: Envy.
Click here if you are at home.
The First Entry Of 2007! THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2007 - Welcome back to school! That was a much-needed vacation. As many of you know, I went to Israel with my brother. This trip was really special. If you are interested in seeing the complete trip album, send me an e-mail - it's on Ofoto, so you need an invite. The end of the term is in sight. Most of my students are hammering away at the creative requirements and I applaud your efforts! Seniors -- think about your portfolios. Jrs. -- think about the researched-argument paper. Freshmen -- think about studying Caesar outside of class. Blog Entry: Two Weeks And Some Links
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2006 - Progress reports are back! On Wednesday evening I will be putting in my interim comments. Hopefully, you have demonstrated some progress for me to report! There are two full weeks of school remaining until Winter Break. This is a great time to catch up on your creative work so it won't be a major concern in January. Seniors, remember that the second-quarter grade period ends mid-January. The end of the quarter is reserved for portfolio work. We will be spending time in the computer room to create these projects - which count as the final exam for the class. Here are a few links that might interest all of you: "How To Bring Our Schools Into The 21st Century" - Time magazine devoted this week's issue to the education. There are several articles here about how educational practices can improve to better equip today's teenagers for tomorrow's world. "Digging Deep For Their Essays" - A Newsday article devoted to Long Islanders who are writing the college essays. An Exercise In Expository Technique SUNDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2006 - This essay task is taken from an actual SAT. I wrote this essay under the 25-minute guideline and then typed it up exactly as I wrote it. You can try writing the essay yourself and then compare your essay to my own. After my essay is an analysis of how it demonstrates the expository techniques I teach in class. Whether you are writing a critical lens, an AP style-analysis, or a college essay, it all starts with understanding the expository techniques. These lessons include: thesis, topic sentences, supporting evidence, quoting sources, sentence variety, and voice.
Assignment: What motivates people to change? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Click here to read Mr. Weinstein's Essay in response to this task. Also, freshman -- would you like a copy of my "Tell-Tale" paragraph? I wrote it during extra help on Monday afternoon. Stop by and ask me for it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Deadlines Nearing For Extra Credit! TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2006 - Four weeks until Winter Break! Two of the extra-credit deadlines are approaching:
Gobble, Gobble: Get The Extra Credit!! SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2006 - It's just about Thanksgiving weekend and it's time to take a break from our studies and enjoy time with our families. This is also a great weekend to reconnect with your friends who are off at college. Wednesday morning is the traditional alumni breakfast and I encourage you to say hello to our former schoolmates who will be visiting. I won't give any assignments over this vacation, but there will be exams to consider upon returning. So, don't lose touch with our class lessons. Of course, this is also a nice time to do some outside reading. The second-quarter extra credit offering is two free "finals" to be used any way you like. In order to achieve the extra credit, students have to accomplish three goals: publish an art/poetry piece on my bulletin board, contribute to my website, and submit two pieces to Exit 33. I hope all students will take advantage of this opportunity and share their writing with audiences. Enjoy your weekend, turkeys! Messages Of Encouragement MONDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2006 - As second quarter gets underway, I want to urge the seniors to stay focused and give it their best possible efforts. Second-quarter grades are often requested by the colleges, and the guidance department has reminded the faculty that admissions officers read the comments also. So, don't leave anything in the tank if you are trying to get into a great school. Earn an A+ and a great comment this quarter! Juniors: We know the pressure is on and times are stressful. Keep your head in the game, work hard, and it will all pay off for you. If the SAT is a concern - start studying now. We'll do Narrative Of the Life Of Frederick Douglass and another book to be determined this quarter. Freshmen: Now that you know what to expect, higher grades will be expected from you! Sign up for a one-on-one meeting if you want extra help! You can look forward to studying John Steinbeck's The Pearl and some other literature yet to be decided. I want to direct all viewers to the "student performances" tab. There are two new rap songs by Max Silverstein and they are terrific. Max wrote and rapped them, with help from Brian Geffen. There's only a week and a half until Thanksgiving, but it's an important time. Ace your quizzes and essays this week and you'll be off to a great start in the new marking period. Again, all students should be saving their creative work on computers and in hard copies for the portfolio. The First Quarter Is In the Books
TUESDAY - NOVEMBER 7, 2006 - The first marking period has come to an end and it's been a great experience working with all of my students. I am so impressed at how much grammar, literature, vocabulary, creative writing, and expository technique we studied and accomplished. You should be very proud of yourselves! Remember to save all your creative material for the portfolios at the end of class! In the next marking period, I'd like to emphasize how important it is to explore new creative genres and to take risks. To that end, I am going to offer some extra credits for students who participate in making music and reciting poetry for this website. More discussion on this topic will come in the next week or so. If you have other ideas, as always, let me know them! Keep up the great work! Trick or Treat: It's Up To You
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25 - Halloween is just around the corner, and the first quarter is winding down. Try to finish strong! Let's wrap things up on a good note. We've done lot of good work and many of you deserve to be proud about your accomplishments. I know I've learned a lot already this year -- from new writing strategies to Hemingway and Steinbeck to (gasp!) punctuation lessons. I hope I've taught as much as I've learned. Of course, my favorite part has been reading your original writing. The effort I have seen these past two months just blows me away. My students have accomplished the following already: published a letter to an editor, written for the school newspaper, created a video, done digital art, worked on a book, drafted a play, made mind maps, collaged photos, collaborated together, wrote a song, killed the college essay, made memoirs, and - of course - produced poetry. Keep up the great work! Stay safe and enjoy the holiday next week. Blog Entry: PSAT Weekend Is Here WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2006 -- This weekend the juniors and sophomores are taking the PSAT. Good luck to you!! I suggest the following books for students preparing for the SAT: The Official SAT Study Guide (published by the College Board) and Kaplan's SAT Strategies For Super-Busy Students. The first book is the ONLY place to examine real SAT tests (all other prep guides produce questions that are LIKE the SAT). The second book is good because of the chapter entitled "21 Grammar And Usage Errors." You could learn more from this chapter than four years of high school English.
Freshmen: I suggest that grammar and usage chapter from Kaplan's book. Also, it couldn't hurt you to take a look at the reading comprehension passages. So many tests you will take in your future are reading comprehension - start practicing now. - Mr. Weinstein (click to e-mail) Blog Entry: Creative Deadlines Approaching TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10, 2006 -- The end of October signifies the end of the creative writing period. Please get your submissions in to allow for time for the revision process. Students MUST meet the creative writing requirements to achieve the grades they desire.
Blog Entry: Playoffs and Progress Reports SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2006 -- Let's Go Mets! M-E-T-S Mets Mets Mets! Too bad the Yankees forgot how to hit the baseball. What happened to the Bombers?? Progress reports are done...I hope you've been making progress... Freshmen and juniors have quizzes coming up after the three-day weekend. There's a lot of material to cover, but I'm confident you can get it done. This is a good chance to raise your grade! Please get going on creative writing submissions. Don't wait until it's too late. I always edit as quickly as possible; although, that can be up to a week. Seniors - Great job, people. The workshop time has been wonderful. Keep up the great work! Many of you need to get working on the memoir requirements. Memoirs might need a week to get edited, so, don't wait!! If you hope to write your college essay in this class, stop waiting. Get it done. I encourage all students to design original projects if you have good ideas. Feel free to incorporate technology in your creative submissions. Today, a skateboarding video was turned in and many students have been utilizing the digital camera to add artwork to pieces. I say, Bravo! Enjoy your Columbus Day weekend. Afterwards, there's one month left in the first quarter.
Applause, Accolades, Plaudits, and Commendations
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2006 - This is a shout out to the students who had mind maps on display during the Open House. Keep up the great work!
2006-2007 Welcome It's nice to see the students again! |
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A special congratulations is in order to the LADY REBEL BASKETBALL TEAM. Colette, Aislin, Ariel, Maril, and all the girls have put together a remarkable 18-2 season and are playing in the county semifinals on Wednesday at Freeport. Good luck!!!!! 
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April 28, 2008
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