All Classes

• As students know, Coffin will be absent this week.  To check out what has been planned for each day in all classes, please open the document below:
  • Coffin’s Classes for November 2 – November 5

Students of the Week

• Senior Women’s and Men’s Soccer Teams

NOTE:  coffinblog will not be updated daily next week as Coffin is attending a teachers’ institute in Ottawa.  Instead, a weekly schedule is posted.  If students have pressing questions, Coffin will be checking e-mail periodically during the week.  Use the Contact Coffin link to the right.

Canadian History 621

• We continued viewing the CBC documentary called The Great War, to freshen our perspective on Canada’s role on the WWI battlefields.

English 621

• Many students were so obviously overwhelmed with yesterday’s lesson that they couldn’t stand it again today.  In their absence, we distributed Echoes 12 textbooks and then had a very pleasant time reading in-class novels.

English 521

• Taking some of the unfamiliar terms from A Walk in the Woods, pairs of students wrote their own travelogue essay that employed ten of the words provided.

Student of the Day

• Afton McInnis

Canadian History 621

• Today, we watched a very cool sand art video (thanks to Kelly MacKenzie for sending that along).
• We then finished our notes and discussion regarding World War One by completing the following:
  • CEF in WWI (1917-1918)
  • The War at Home (1917-1918)
• Class concluded with ten minutes of news from a US perspective.

English 621

• Library research day for debates.  Students were encouraged to take the last half hour to look at their topic from their opponents’ perspective so as to develop counter-arguments.

English 521

• Following some personal reading time, we discussed possible novel choices for the independent novel study after mid-terms.  Novels available at the school include In the Heat of the Night, All Quiet on the Western Front, More Joy in Heaven, Catcher in the Rye, and Huckleberry Finn.  Other suggestions included The Time Traveller’s Wife and some others.
• We then read a selection from Echoes 11 entitled A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson.  We’ll study this more in depth from a vocabulary standpoint tomorrow, when we’ll also decide on novels.

Student of the Day

• Kelcy McNally

As many students know, Mr Duncan is taking a year’s leave with the Canadian military in Afghanistan.  Follow his exploits at Duncan’s Odyssey.

Canadian History 621

• Library Research Day
  • Due Today:  Remembrance Day Essays
  • Response:  Open Forum
  • Response:  In the News
  • Response:  Duncan’s Odyssey

English 621

• After some personal reading time, we were treated to a refresher about the Poetry Elements.
• Don’t forget to check out Michelle MacDonald’s Music as Social Commentary activity from last year to serve as a guide.
• Independent Novel Studies have been decided.  They are:
  • 1984:  Matthew MacInnis, Chad Dennis, Emma Carter, Wayne Mosher (copies available at school)
  • The Kite Runner:  Emma Meanor & Cody McInnis
  • A Thousand Splendid Suns:  Sarah Dunphy, Nicole Kelly, Kyla Koke, Jessica Fraser, Chelsea MacEachern
  • The Boy in the Striped Pajamas:  Raelene MacKinnon, Brandon Kok, Peter MacLeod
  • Great Expectations:  Brady McKenna & Katelyn Feehan (copies available at school)
  • Into the Wild:  Dan Hendricken, Graeme Forrest, Justin Coffin
  • Angels and Demons:  Catherine MacInnis, Daniel Hughes, Ashley MacAusland, Afton McInnis
  • Night:  Kayla McNally, Kelcy McNally, Dawson MacMillan, Matt McInnis

English 521

• Library Research Day for Symposia

Student of the Day

• JD Farrell

We welcomed Holland College Journalism’s Stephanie Davey to our classes this morning as she observed us in action. 

Canadian History 621

• We discussed the CEF in Battle (1917-1918) by talking about Vimy Ridge, Passchendaele, and Canada’s 100 Days.
• Rememberance Day Essays are due tomorrow.

English 621

• We began class by handing out the course calendar for the rest of the semester (major due dates, etc.)
• New assignments handed out:
  • Independent Novel Study (vote on the below choices and hand in ballot tomorrow):
    • Animal Farm, 1984, Brave New World, The Great Gatsby, A Separate Peace, *The Kite Runner, *A Thousand Splendid Suns, *The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, Great Expectations, The Merchant of Venice, *Into the Wild, *The Secret Life of Bees, *Any books in the Twilight series, *Angels and Demons, *The Da Vinci Code, * The Lost Symbol, Other (with Coffin-approval)
    • * copies not available in school
  • Poetry Slam! (due November 20)
  • Music as Social Commentary Analysis (due November 30)
    • Student Sample (Michelle MacDonald)

English 521

• We began with some personal reading time.
• We then handed out the course calendar for the rest of the semester (major due dates, etc.)
• New assignments handed out:
  • Poetry Wham! (due December 14)
  • Poetry Slam! (due December 16)
  • Poetry on Film (due December 18)
• Class concluded with a refresher dealing with the proper method of recording research information on index cards.

Student of the Day

• Dillon Doucette

Canadian History 621

• Today, we participated in the Million Minute Challenge for the bulk of the class. 
• At the conclusion of class, we began the process of making students more aware of their country by watching fifteen minutes of news coverage on CBC.

English 621

• Again, we participated in the Million Minute Challenge.
• Then, we played a few more public speaking games to further familiarize students with standing in front of a group of their peers.

English 521

• Library research for mid-term symposia.
• Students are again reminded to visit coffinblog research and read the following articles:
  • The Research Process
  • Using Index Cards in Research
  • Summarizing vs Paraphrasing vs Quoting

Student of the Day

• Rachel Burke

Canadian History 621

• Class began with a discussion of Canada’s (and PEI’s) government system and other chats about Canada’s role around the world.
• We then talked briefly about the tactics employed by the CEF in both Vimy Ridge and Passchendaele.  We’ll dig more deeply into both next week.
• Class concluded with The Great War, a CBC documentary about the descendants of WWI CEF soldiers walking the battlefields in Europe.
• Also next week:  we are going to get planning our Remembrance Day ceremony for November 9.

English 621

• After some personal reading time, we worked on some public speaking skills by playing a few quick games.  Expect more of these games as we approach our debate dates.
• Monday:  we’ll participate in the Million Minute Challenge.

English 521

• Since we are going to be researching our mid-term symposia on Monday, we won’t get the chance to participate in the Million Minute Challenge – so we did our reading today.
• Class concluded with a brief discussion of our schedule for the rest of the year in English 521.

Student of the Day

• Matthew MacInnis

Canadian History 621

• Test results were revealed.  Students will receive their corrected tests when Ashley and Angela write on Friday and Monday respectively.
• Students were given class time (their one and only chance remaining) to work on Remembrance Day Essays, due on Wednesday, October 28.

English 621

• Today was a library research day for our mid-term debates.  The following resolutions were submitted (and re-worded by Coffin):
• Be it resolved that:
  • the pursuit of technological convenience disregards the human experience.
  • home-schooling be accorded proper respect by the general public.
  • the Canadian Constitution be amended to include assisted suicide.
  • capital punishment be re-introduced in the Canadian justice system.
  • economic development be controlled in order to conserve the environment.
  • the United States is a superior country in comparison to Canada.
• Remember, teams have until Monday to change debate topics.

English 521

• The block began with our first round of Independent Novel Activities.  Remember, the next round occurs on Friday, December 4.
• From there, students were given a preview of a fairly casual symposium featuring the actors who voice the Simpsons characters.
• Symposium groups were reminded that their last chance to change topics is Monday, October 26.

Student of the Day

• Brittany DeCourcey

Canadian History 621

• Library Research Day
  • Baptism By Fire discussion
  • Open Forum discussion
  • Remembrance Day Essay (due October 28)
• Tomorrow, we begin planning this year’s Remembrance Day ceremony to be held on November 9.

English 621

• Editorial essays were returned.  Students should read the comments and use them constructively for the next paper to be issued (the debate’s constructive speech).
• The Great Debaters concluded.  In addition to the great story, there were many great debate techniques which we should try to employ during our in-school debates:  rhetoric, logical and emotional language, building arguments, the importance of research, etc.
• Justin then completed a book talk (his final independent novel activity).
• Tomorrow, we will continue debate research in the library.

English 521

• Independent Novel Activities were due today – but we were also booked in the library, so we took advantage of the opportunity to research. 
• We’ll continue the independent novel activities tomorrow.

Student of the Day

• Justin Coffin

Canadian History 621

• Today, we completed our test on World War One (1914-1916).
• Tomorrow’s test writers (with notes):  Sara, Ashley, Zach

English 621

• Remembrance Day Activities are due next Wednesday, October 28.
• Great Debaters will give us an idea about successful debating tactics.

English 521

• Explication essays due today.
• Remembrance Day Poems are due next Wednesday, October 28.
• In preparation for our symposium mid-term, we travelled to the upstairs computer lab and started the research process.  Students should read the following notes to ensure they are researching using the proper methods:
  • The Research Process
  • Summarizing vs Paraphrasing vs Quoting
  • Using Index Cards for Research

Student of the Day

• Dan Hendricken