Welcome to a new year! While some of you are brand new to me, I'm welcoming some of you back for a second dose of Crowder-ing. I hope you've all had great summers. Mine went by wa-a-a-y too fast. I spent most of my time on my own studies; I am back in graduate school at Mercer University. I also taught two days a week and I went to two sessions of Camp FaSoLa where I taught a class I designed called Wonderful Words of Life. I was also one of the girls' counselors for the youth session. When I got to take a breath from all of that, I read and watched as much t.v. as I could. I'm a particular fan of The History Channel, BBCAmerica, and the Food Network.

I've been toying with the idea of a class website for years, and I'm hopeful that this will be successful. Be patient with me while I learn how to work this! This is brave new territory for me, so I know I'll make mistakes along the way.

In addition to this website, I make good use of edmodo.com. We will set up our accounts during the second week of school. I do everything I can to keep you informed and up-to-date about the goings-on of our class. In return, I expect you to use these resources so that emergencies do not arise and we can have a calm and productive year. Remember, there are no problems, only solutions; you get what you give; and balance is the key to wisdom.

Extra stuff for everyone.

AP Lang and Comp is a fast-paced class endorsed by the College Board. The intention is to offer students college level studies while still in high school. The class offers challenging texts and discussions in the hopes of fostering excellent critical thinking skills so that students can become better thinkers, writers, and citizens. We use American literature as our framework for discussions.

10th Grade Gifted English is a fast-paced class that offers a survey of World Literatures. We will read a variety of texts and genres that will offer students a broad view of philosophies and cultures. We will read, write, discuss, and complete assignments that will prepare students to become excellent critical thinkers, readers, and communicators.

This class prepares students for upcoming SAT and ACT tests. While the class focuses on the verbal portions of the tests, all sections are covered. We will focus on test taking strategies, test content, and vocabulary.

Starr's Mill High School
Lela Crowder