Weeks Twenty-Two & Twenty-Three
13-24 February 2012

Quote of the Year
"When your work speaks for itself, don't interrupt." Henry J. Kaiser

Scripture of the Week:
"Since we have such a hope, we are very bold.'” II Corinthians 3:12

One of the "truths" that we Americans believe about ourselves is that we are, as a culture, fearless.

Timid people wouldn't have crossed the Atlantic Ocean in frail boats to an undiscovered land. Cowards wouldn't have left East Coast civilization behind in the 1880s to travel overland to settle in California. Wimps wouldn't have stood their ground facing Santa Ana's immense army at the Alamo. Americans consider themselves courageous. It's in our history. It's in our blood.

Individually, however, we may not be quite as brave. We confront mean and powerful people. We're stressed; we don't particularly want or need confrontation. We kind of just want to be left alone. Personal courage is fantastic in theory. In practical terms, however, most of us just can't afford its cost.

Satan knows this about us. That is why we so often face situations where our courage is tested. We might not be called upon to burst into a burning building to save a child or tended to an accident victim alongside the freeway. Yet, we daily face opportunities to stand firm and strong in our beliefs. Perhaps our friends are gossiping about someone at lunch. Maybe our classmate's test paper is too close to our own, allowing a mutual sharing of answers. There are a hundred potential opportunities available each day to courageously stand up for what we believe...or simply go with the flow.

Sadly, I have to admit that the second option is often the one I choose.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, loves us so much that He allows us to make our own choices through free will. Sometimes, those choices are not good ones. Yet, truth be told, we don't have to be brave on our own. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God gives us the courage to live our faith each day in practical terms. As St. Paul wrote in II Corinthians, quoted above, our hope in Christ's love allows us - perhaps even encourages us - to be bold in our dealings with others.

And if we're bold, we can shape nations.

Let's learn!

Together, with you, in His service,
KGSmith
k.smith@crystalcathedral.org

PS: For your convenience, downloadable PDF forms of syllabi, calendars, and major assignments for for each class are posted below.

Eighth Grade Language Arts

Monday (2/13): Grammar
Tuesday (2/14): Be sure to have read Wind in the Willows, Chapter Nine; Quiz
Wednesday (2/15): Be sure to have read Wind in the Willows, Chapter Ten; Quiz
Thursday (2/16): Be sure to have read Wind in the Willows, Chapter Eleven; Quiz
Friday (2/17): Grammar

Monday (2/20): Presidents' Day (No School)
Tuesday (2/21): Be sure to have read Wind in the Willows, Chapter Twelve; Quiz
Wednesday (2/22): Wind in the Willows Wrap-Up
Thursday (2/23): Examination: Wind in the Willows, Chapter Eight; Quiz
Friday (2/24): Research Paper

Literary Genre (English I)

Monday (2/13): The Princess Bride
Tuesday (2/14): The Princess Bride
Wednesday (2/15): The Princess Bride
Thursday (2/16): The Princess Bride
Friday (2/17): The Princess Bride

Monday (2/20): Presidents' Day (No School)
Tuesday (2/21): Composition
Wednesday (2/22): The Princess Bride
Thursday (2/23): The Princess Bride Wrap-Up
Friday (2/24): Examination: The Princess Bride

American Literature (English II)

Monday (2/13): Be sure to have read Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 13-16; Quiz
Tuesday (2/14): Be sure to have read Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 17-18; Quiz
Wednesday (2/15): Composition
Thursday (2/16): Be sure to have read Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 19-21; Quiz
Friday (2/17): Be sure to have read Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 22-24; Quiz

Monday (2/20): Presidents' Day (No School)
Tuesday (2/21): To sure to have read Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 25-27; Quiz
Wednesday (2/22): Composition
Thursday (2/23): Be sure to have read Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 28-30; Quiz
Friday (2/24): Be sure to have read Huckleberry Finn, Chapters 31-33; Quiz

British Literature (English III)

Monday (2/13): Be sure to have read John Keats (L: 744-756); Quiz
Tuesday (2/14): Be sure to have read John Keats (L: 744-756)
Wednesday (2/15): English Romantics Wrap-Up
Thursday (2/16): Romantic Poetry: The Practice Examination
Friday (2/17): Examination: Romantic Poets

Monday (2/20): Presidents' Day (No School)
Tuesday (2/21): Romantic Poetry Unit De-Briefing
Wednesday (2/22): Composition
Thursday (2/23): Be sure to have read Frankenstein, Prologue to Chapter 2; Quiz
Friday (2/24): Be sure to have read Frankenstein, Chapters 3-5; Quiz

World Literature (English IV)

Monday (2/13): The Sad Tale of Dante Alighieri
Tuesday (2/14): Be sure to have read The Inferno, Cantos 1-5
Wednesday (2/15): Be sure to have read The Inferno, Cantos 6-10
Thursday (2/16): Be sure to have read The Inferno, Cantos 11-15
Friday (2/17): Be sure to have read The Inferno, Cantos 16-20

Monday (2/20): Presidents' Day (No School)
Tuesday (2/21): Be sure to have read The Inferno, Cantos 21-25
Wednesday (2/22): Be sure to have read The Inferno, Cantos 26-30
Thursday (2/23): Be sure to have read The Inferno, Cantos 31-34
Friday (2/24): Examination: Dante's Inferno

Advanced Placement English

Monday (2/13): Examination: "Picture from the Past"
Tuesday (2/14): Legal Briefing Preparation
Wednesday (2/15): Legal Briefing (Jessica)
Thursday (2/16): Legal Briefing (Brittany)
Friday (2/17): Legal Briefing (Rebecca)

Monday (2/20): Presidents' Day (No School)
Tuesday (2/21): Be sure to have read The Martian Chronicles; Examination
Wednesday (2/22): The Martian Chronicles
Thursday (2/23): A.P. M/C
Friday (2/24): Flashcard Exam: Social Sciences

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