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Parents and Students: Welcome back to all! Hope you had a wonderful Summer. I am sure that you are ready for another exciting school year. My name is Ms. McTiernan. My philosophy of education is that students should not only gain knowledge, but the desire to be lifelong learners. William Butler Yeats once said, "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire." I will do my best to spark students' interest in English and in learning about the world. PLEASE feel free to contact me at anytime for any reason. The best method of contact is my e-mail because I check it frequently during the day and also at night, but you can also use my phone extension at HS West. Thanks so much and I will speak with you soon! |
 I
am a graduate of Siena College. I
earned a masters degree in Curriculum Design and Instructional
Technology from the University of Albany, and a masters degree in
Educational Administration from Massachusetts College of Liberal
Arts. I have been teaching
at Shenendehowa for over eight years now. I am a member of the 9th
Grade Committee - which works hard to give 9th grade students the
best transition
to high school life, and I am an advisor for the HW Club. I teach
both Regular 9 and
Honors 9 English; working
closely with my colleagues on an
interdisciplinary level. I have also been trained as a co-teacher,
which allows me to work even more closely with the special education
program. I am married and have two daughters, an eight year old and
a four year old, and a step-daughter who is twenty-one. While I
believe that education is a privilege and is very important, I
constantly try to respect that school is not the only thing going on
in your lives. Please let me know if you have more questions about
my educational or personal background. Ms. McTiernan |
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Summer Reading: I know it's rough to get the students to read over
summer vacation, but it helps them exercise their mind and stay
connected to school for an easier transition. The lists for
Shenendehowa are on the
high school library webpage. While it is only strongly
recommended for all regular 9 students, it is required for Honors
students, and they should read the assignment carefully, as they are
required to read directly from the list of assigned books. |
1. Complete an Independent Reading Project (list of projects is located on the resources page), for any book read inside or outside of class. Only one project per novel, and each project can only be chosen once. Please see me with questions.
2. Short Story Analysis. Read a short story appropriate for 9th grade level; stories can be found in anthologies in the library, or online by googling "short stories." Print out or make a copy of the story, complete a short story analysis sheet for the story (link is located at the top of the honors calendar), and submit them both to me.
Extra Credit Options for Second Quarter:
1. Attend the play Arsenic and Old Lace, put on by
the Shenendehowa Drama Club. This play will be running November
15th-17th in the High School West auditorium. Purchase a ticket
for one of the performances (the cost is $10 and the tickets will go on
sale at the beginning of November ). After seeing the play, write
a one-page, typed, double-spaced reaction to the performance (should not
be merely plot summary). Edit, print, attach the ticket stub to
the reaction and submit. Here is a link with good information for
how to write
a proper review.
2. Enter the Poetry Out Loud contest - This consists of memorizing two
poems that you will recite on stage in front of competitors and judges.
The Shenendehowa school competition will be held on Wednesday, December
21st, right after school in the High School East Little Theater. Please
le me know in advance if you are planning to sign up for it. For
the school competition students need to have two poems memorized. One
poem must be a pre-20th century poem and
the other must be a poem that is 25 lines or fewer. (The pre-20th
century may also be fewer than 25 lines.) Students must select from the
list of poems on the Poetry Out Loud website (www.poetryoutloud.org)
One student from the school-level competition will be selected to
represent Shenendehowa at the regional competition. You do not
have to win in order to get the extra credit.
3. Complete an Independent Reading Project (list of projects is
located on the resources page), for any book read inside or outside of
class. Only one project per novel, and each project can only be
chosen once. Please see me with questions.
4. Short Story Analysis. Read a short story appropriate for
9th grade level; stories can be found in anthologies in the library, or
online by googling "short stories." Print out or make a copy of
the story, complete a
short story analysis sheet for the story (link is
located at the top of the honors calendar), and submit them both to me.
Extra Credit Options for Third Quarter:
1. Complete an Independent Reading Project (list of projects
is located on the resources page), for any book read inside or outside
of class. Only one project per novel, and each project can only be
chosen once. Please see me with questions.
2. Short Story Analysis. Read a short story
appropriate for 9th grade level; stories can be found in anthologies in
the library, or online by googling "short stories." Print out or
make a copy of the story, complete a
short story analysis sheet for the
story (link is located at the top of the honors calendar), and submit
them both to me.
3. Attend the musical, put on by the Shenendehowa Drama Club.
Beauty and the Beast will run Thursday-Saturday March 7th-9th at 7:00,
and Saturday, March 9th at 2pm in the High
School East auditorium. Purchase a ticket for one of the
performances (the cost is $12 for students and $15 for adults. Tickets will go on sale
during lunch periods starting February 25th,
outside the cafeteria, or by filling out a request form from the website
http://shendrama.weebly.com, or at the door. Tickets are assigned
seating. After seeing the musical, write a
one-page, typed, double-spaced reaction to the performance (should not
be merely plot summary). Edit, print, attach the ticket stub to
the reaction and submit. Here is a link with good information for
how to write
a proper review.
4. Enter the Shakespeare recitation contest -
This consists of memorizing a Shakespearean monologue that you will
recite on stage in front of competitors and judges. The
Shenendehowa school competition will be held on Tuesday, February 7th,
right after school in the High School East Little Theater. You must
complete a competition entry form (see me or Ms. Putnam at high school
east) by Monday, February 6th. One student from the school-level
competition will be selected to represent Shenendehowa at the regional
competition. You do not have to win in order to get the extra
credit.
1. Complete an Independent Reading Project (list of projects is located on the resources page), for any book read inside or outside of class. Only one project per novel, and each project can only be chosen once. Please see me with questions.
2. Short Story Analysis. Read a short story appropriate for 9th grade level; stories can be found in anthologies in the library, or online by googling "short stories." Print out or make a copy of the story, complete a short story analysis sheet for the story (link is located at the top of the honors calendar), and submit them both to me.
3. Attend library book club discussions. These are held two Thursdays a month, listen to announcements or see posting in the room for dates.
TBD