Freshman Math Summer Homework Packet. Name: Date:

Freshman Math 2016-2017 Summer Homework Packet Name: __________________________________ Date: ________________ Dear Noble Academy Student: Welcome ...
Author: Joel Stevens
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Freshman Math 2016-2017 Summer Homework Packet

Name: __________________________________ Date: ________________

Dear Noble Academy Student: Welcome to the Noble Academy Mathematics Department. We are excited about the school year that is fast approaching! We want to prepare you to be successful in mathematics class. This success depends primarily on one thing—your hard work. The purpose of this packet is to make sure you understand some basic math concepts before the first day of school in August. This packet is designed to help you remember the topics you may have already covered in school. Follow the directions on each page of this packet. Show ALL of your work for ALL problems. This packet must be completed and turned in the first day of school. This packet counts towards your grade in your math. You will receive a LaSalle (a one and a half hour homework detention) the first day of school if A) this packet is not fully (every single problem) complete, B) not ALL of your work is shown, C) your work is not high quality work. Be sure to bring this packet with you on the first day of school. See you then! Sincerely, 9th Grade Math Teachers (If you have any questions regarding this packet, please e-mail Ms. Colgan ([email protected]).

REQUIRED MATERIALS YOU WILL NEED **Students are required to bring the following with them EVERY DAY. Students should have these materials by the first day of class.        

2 or 3 inch binder Expo Markers Tab dividers for their binder (will need at least five different tabs) Graphing Paper College rule notebook Mechanical pencils (no regular pencils that require sharpening are allowed) 2 color pens (red or blue is preferred) Calculator o Graphing calculators are strongly preferred because they will need them in their more advanced math classes in future years anyway. It would be helpful if they could start using a graphing calculator from day one. The best ones are the Texas Instrument TI-83 Plus or TI-84 Plus (approximately $100 dollars). o Other SCIENTIFIC calculators are also accepted. We recommend the Texas Instrument “TI-30X IIS” model, which is approximately $15 o Casio brand calculators are NOT recommend

EXETER PROBLEMS You will be completing “Harkness” problems every day for homework in Freshman Math. Harkness problems not only challenge your critical thinking, but also your determination to give 125% effort on solving a problem that you will most likely struggle with. For the next four Harkness problems, you can use any and all resources to solve these problems (e.g., math books, internet). Even if you are not sure about your answer, we expect work to be shown and your best effort to be given. If you need to show more work than what this space provides, that work MUST be stapled to this packet before the first day of class. In addition, you MUST write a paragraph about how you solved or attempted to solve each problem. A paragraph has a minimum of five sentences.

HARKNESS PROBLEM #1 Light travels at about 186 thousand miles per second, and the Sun is about 93 million miles from the Earth. How much time does light take to reach the Earth from the Sun?

HARKNESS PROBLEM #2

How long would it take you to count to one billion, reciting the numbers one after another? First write a guess into your notebook, then come up with a thoughtful answer. One approach is to actually do it and have someone time you, but there are more manageable alternatives. What assumptions did you make in your calculations?

HARKNESS PROBLEM #3 It takes 1.25 seconds for light to travel from the Moon to the Earth. How many miles away is the Moon?

HARKNESS PROBLEM #4 Many major-league baseball pitchers can throw the ball at 90 miles per hour. At that speed, how long does it take a pitch to travel from the pitcher’s mound to home plate, a distance of 60 feet 6 inches? Give your answer to the nearest hundredth of a second. There are 5280 feet in a mile.

EXETER PROBLEM #5 You have perhaps heard the saying, “A journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.” How many steps would you take to finish a journey of 1000 miles? What information do you need in order to answer this question? Find a reasonable answer. What would your answer be if the journey were 1000 kilometers?

Environmental Science 2016-2017 Summer Homework Packet

Name: __________________________________ Date: ________________

Science Summer Homework Mandatory: YOU NEED TO COMPLETE EVERY PAGE TO RECEIVE CREDIT!

Welcome to Freshman Environmental Science! This coming year we will be studying all about the environment from who lives in it to how we use (and sometimes abuse) it! We also do experiments with data analysis throughout the year, as well as tons of readings about science and our world. To make sure you are ready to learn this year, please complete this packet which is due on the first day of school!

Email any questions to: [email protected] See you in August! Best, Mr. Krahulec

Introduction to Independent and Dependent Variables The independent variable (IV) is what the scientist changes (manipulates), to see if/how it will affect the dependent variable (DV), which is what the scientist measures. For example: IV: Number of text messages sent # of text messages sent Cell phone bill ($) DV: Amount of Cell phone bill 1000 50 Trend (Relationship): The more text messages you send, the 2000 100 higher your cell phone bill. OR For every 1000 text messages 3000 150 bill increases by $50 Your sent turn!the Usecell thephone graph/tables to identify the independent variable, dependent variable, and the relationship between the two (how are they related?). IV: DV: Trend:

IV: DV: Trend:

IV: DV: Trend:

Correct example: Science Vocabulary (GAC) Use the following process for each of the vocabulary words.

A: Write the actual definition from a dictionary or the internet.

C: Create a connection to the word by drawing a picture or writing a sentence using the word.

Word

G: Write a 1 sentence guess definition for the word.

environment All the plants and animals in the world. Everything around us. Includes the natural world and things produced by humans. Complex web of relationships.

I am happy when the plants and animals in the environment are alive and the air, water, and rocks are free of pollution.

Word

Increasing

Decreasing

Refute

Valid

Word

Word:

Word

Proportional

Optimal

Consistent

Inconsistent

Word

Word:

Word

Range

Approximate

Abundant

Diminish

Word

Word:

Word

Correlation

Replicate

Generalization

Contradict

Word

Word:

DIRECTIONS: You need to read the following article, annotate, and answer the questions. For your annotations, you will need two different colored highlighters (or markers). 1. Highlight the main idea of each section in one color.  Sections are separated with a bold heading. There are four (4). 2. Highlight unknown words (any words you do not know) in another color.  Look up those words and write the definitions in the margins. 3. Write at least three (3) questions you have about the article in the margins.

This is the margin

Answer the following questions based on the article. 1. What is the main idea of the section “Surprises From Nature”? a. PET is a particularly strong form of plastic that is hard to break down. b. The Japanese study that found the new bacteria was very carefully done. c. Enzymes are produced by all living organisms, including bacteria, and help to break down food. d. Scientists believe the bacteria developed new enzymes over time as a result of plastic garbage buildup. 2. Based on the section "Seeking Other Useful Bacteria," which of the following statements would Professor Enzo Palombo AGREE with? a. The only way bacteria changes is if scientists put it in a laboratory with only one kind of food. b. There is a chance that there may be other kinds of plastic-eating bacteria out there, but it does not look good. c. There is hope that scientists may find other kinds of plastic-eating bacteria that can help clean up the garbage.

d.

We don't need to worry about garbage in the oceans anymore, because the plastic-eating bacteria will clean it up.

3. Which excerpt from the article is the BEST summary of the entire article’s main idea? a. Nature has begun to fight back against the vast piles of garbage dumped into its soils, rivers and oceans. b. A team of Japanese researchers has just discovered a bacteria that can break down one of the world’s most-used plastics: polyethylene terephthalate, also known as PET, or polyester. c. The Japanese research team studied hundreds of samples of PET pollution before making the discovery. They eventually found a colony of bacteria using the plastic as a food source. d. Other tests found that the bacteria almost completely broke down low-quality plastic within six weeks. This was extremely fast when compared with other things that have an appetite for PET, such as a certain fungus enzyme. 4. Based on the article, why isn't the new bacteria useful on the floating trash piles in the oceans? a. b. c. d.

There is not enough of the bacteria yet to spray effectively. The bacteria breaks down some kinds of floating plastic, but not all of it. The bacteria only breaks down PET, and the floating plastic is a different kind of plastic. The bacteria cannot break down PET, and most of the floating plastic is made out of PET.

5. According to the article, what is one reason why plastic-eating bacteria is considered to be a very important discovery? a. b. c. d.

A different bacteria is already used to combat oil spills. Millions of tons of plastic pollute the natural world every year. Only about one-sixth of plastic produced every year is PET plastic. There are new methods of recycling and new biodegradable plastics that can break down on their own.

Freshman English 2016-2017 Summer Homework Packet

Name: __________________________________ Date: ________________

Dear Student, Welcome to 9th grade Composition! This coming year, we will become masters of the English language through learning how to write effectively and think critically. We are very excited about the upcoming school year and all of the success we will achieve together. As a first step, we have assigned this summer homework packet. This packet is designed to help you review some of the skills that we will be building in class. It is imperative that you complete all of the work included in this packet. You may type your essays or hand write them very neatly. Please bring them to class on the first day of school in August. Sincerely, Ms. Kelenyi ([email protected]) Ms. Hafner Packet contents: 1. Argumentative essay expectations 2. Short story “The Lady or the Tiger” 3. Autobiographical essay expectations

Argumentative Essay Directions: Read the short story “The Lady or the Tiger.” Write an argumentative essay responding to the prompt: Did the princess tell her lover to open the door concealing the tiger or the woman? Explain the reasons behind your opinion and use examples from the text to support your answer. As you write, remember the following points:       

The essay should be five paragraphs including an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. It should be typed and double-spaced using size 12 Times New Roman font, or very neatly handwritten. The introduction should begin with an attention grabber that leads into the thesis statement, which is the main idea of the paper (responds directly to the prompt). The body should include three paragraphs that have topic sentences, examples, explanations, and closure. The conclusion should restate the thesis, summarize the main points of your essay, and leave the reader with closure. You may use first person pronouns (I, me, my, myself); however, do not use any second person pronouns in your essay (you, your, yourself).
 Do not forget to proofread and revise your essay. Your argumentative essay will be assessed using the following rubric.

Your argumentative essay will be assessed based on the expectations below. Focus/Organization: The essay includes a clear thesis statement that addresses the prompt. A clear and consistent point of view is used.
Supporting details are presented in an effective order. Elaboration/Support/Style: Adequate supporting details are included.
Specific examples from the passage support mature ideas.
Body paragraphs are well-developed.
Action verbs and effective language achieve the writer’s purpose. Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics: The writing is free of misspellings, and words are capitalized correctly.
Sentences are punctuated correctly, and the piece is free of fragments and run-ons. The paper is neat, legible, and presented in an appropriate format.

The Lady Or The Tiger? By Frank Stockton In the very olden time there lived a semi-barbaric king, whose ideas, though somewhat polished and sharpened by the progressiveness of distant Latin neighbors, were still large, florid, and untrammeled, as became the half of him which was barbaric. He was a man of exuberant fancy, and, withal, of an authority so irresistible that, at his will, he turned his varied fancies into facts. He was greatly given to self-communing, and, when he and himself agreed upon anything, the thing was done. When every member of his domestic and political systems moved smoothly in its appointed course, his nature was bland and genial; but, whenever there was a little hitch, and some of his orbs got out of their orbits, he was blander and more genial still, for nothing pleased him so much as to make the crooked straight and crush down uneven places. Among the borrowed notions by which his barbarism had become semified was that of the public arena, in which, by exhibitions of manly and beastly valor, the minds of his subjects were refined and cultured. But even here the exuberant and barbaric fancy asserted itself. The arena of the king was built, not to give the people an opportunity of hearing the rhapsodies of dying gladiators, nor to enable them to view the inevitable conclusion of a conflict between religious opinions and hungry jaws, but for purposes far better adapted to widen and develop the mental energies of the people. This vast amphitheater, with its encircling galleries, its mysterious vaults, and its unseen passages, was an agent of poetic justice, in which crime was punished, or virtue rewarded, by the decrees of an impartial and incorruptible chance. When a subject was accused of a crime of sufficient importance to interest the king, public notice was given that on an appointed day the fate of the accused person would be decided in the king's arena, a structure which well-deserved its name, for, although its form and plan were borrowed from afar, its purpose emanated solely from the brain of this man, who, every barleycorn a king, knew no tradition to which he owed more allegiance than pleased his fancy, and who ingrafted on every adopted form of human thought and action the rich growth of his barbaric idealism. When all the people had assembled in the galleries, and the king, surrounded by his court, sat high up on his throne of royal state on one side of the arena, he gave a signal, a door beneath him opened, and the accused subject stepped out into the amphitheater. Directly opposite him, on the other side of the enclosed space, were two doors, exactly alike and side by

side. It was the duty and the privilege of the person on trial to walk directly to these doors and open one of them. He could open either door he pleased; he was subject to no guidance or influence but that of the aforementioned impartial and incorruptible chance. If he opened the one, there came out of it a hungry tiger, the fiercest and most cruel that could be procured, which immediately sprang upon him and tore him to pieces as a punishment for his guilt. The moment that the case of the criminal was thus decided, doleful iron bells were clanged, great wails went up from the hired mourners posted on the outer rim of the arena, and the vast audience, with bowed heads and downcast hearts, wended slowly their homeward way, mourning greatly that one so young and fair, or so old and respected, should have merited so dire a fate.

But, if the accused person opened the other door, there came forth from it a lady, the most suitable to his years and station that his majesty could select among his fair subjects, and to this lady he was immediately married, as a reward of his innocence. It mattered not that he might already possess a wife and family, or that his affections might be engaged upon an object of his own selection; the king allowed no such subordinate arrangements to interfere with his great scheme of retribution and reward. The exercises, as in the other instance, took place immediately, and in the arena. Another door opened beneath the king, and a priest, followed by a band of choristers, and dancing maidens blowing joyous airs on golden horns and treading an epithalamic measure, advanced to where the pair stood, side by side, and the wedding was promptly and cheerily solemnized. Then the gay brass bells rang forth their merry peals, the people shouted glad hurrahs, and the innocent man, preceded by children strewing flowers on his path, led his bride to his home. This was the king's semi-barbaric method of administering justice. Its perfect fairness is obvious. The criminal could not know out of which door would come the lady; he opened either he pleased, without having the slightest idea whether, in the next instant, he was to be devoured or married. On some occasions the tiger came out of one door, and on some out of the other. The decisions of this tribunal were not only fair, they were positively determinate: the accused person was instantly punished if he found himself guilty, and, if innocent, he was rewarded on the spot, whether he liked it or not. There was no escape from the judgments of the king's arena. The institution was a very popular one. When the people gathered together on one of the great trial days, they never knew whether they were to witness a bloody slaughter or a hilarious

wedding. This element of uncertainty lent an interest to the occasion which it could not otherwise have attained. Thus, the masses were entertained and pleased, and the thinking part of the community could bring no charge of unfairness against this plan, for did not the accused person have the whole matter in his own hands? This semi-barbaric king had a daughter as blooming as his most florid fancies, and with a soul as fervent and imperious as his own. As is usual in such cases, she was the apple of his eye, and was loved by him above all humanity. Among his courtiers was a young man of that fineness of blood and lowness of station common to the conventional heroes of romance who love royal maidens. This royal maiden was well satisfied with her lover, for he was handsome and brave to a degree unsurpassed in all this kingdom, and she loved him with an ardor that had enough of barbarism in it to make it exceedingly warm and strong. This love affair moved on happily for many months, until one day the king happened to discover its existence. He did not hesitate nor waver in regard to his duty in the premises. The youth was immediately cast into prison, and a day was appointed for his trial in the king's arena. This, of course, was an especially important occasion, and his majesty, as well as all the people, was greatly interested in the workings and development of this trial. Never before had such a case occurred; never before had a subject dared to love the daughter of the king. In after years such things became commonplace enough, but then they were in no slight degree novel and startling. The tiger-cages of the kingdom were searched for the most savage and relentless beasts, from which the fiercest monster might be selected for the arena; and the ranks of maiden youth and beauty throughout the land were carefully surveyed by competent judges in order that the young man might have a fitting bride in case fate did not determine for him a different destiny. Of course, everybody knew that the deed with which the accused was charged had been done. He had loved the princess, and neither he, she, nor anyone else, thought of denying the fact; but the king would not think of allowing

any fact of this kind to interfere with the workings of the tribunal, in which he took such great delight and satisfaction. No matter how the affair turned out, the youth would be disposed of, and the king would take an aesthetic pleasure in watching the course of events, which would determine whether or not the young man had done wrong in allowing himself to love the princess. The appointed day arrived. From far and near the people gathered, and thronged the great galleries of the arena, and crowds, unable to gain admittance, massed themselves against its outside walls. The king and his court were in their places, opposite the twin doors, those fateful portals, so terrible in their similarity. All was ready. The signal was given. A door beneath the royal party opened, and the lover of the princess walked into the arena. Tall, beautiful, fair, his appearance was greeted with a low hum of admiration and anxiety. Half the audience had not known so grand a youth had lived among them. No wonder the princess loved him! What a terrible thing for him to be there! As the youth advanced into the arena he turned, as the custom was, to bow to the king, but he did not think at all of that royal personage. His eyes were fixed upon the princess, who sat to the right of her father. Had it not been for the moiety of barbarism in her nature it is probable that lady would not have been there, but her intense and fervid soul would not allow her to be absent on an occasion in which she was so terribly interested. From the moment that the decree had gone forth that her lover should decide his fate in the king's arena, she had thought of nothing, night or day, but this great event and the various subjects connected with it. Possessed of more power, influence, and force of character than any one who had ever before been interested in such a case, she had done what no other person had done she had possessed herself of the secret of the doors. She knew in which of the two rooms, that lay behind those doors, stood the cage of the tiger, with its open front, and in which waited the lady. Through these thick doors, heavily curtained with skins on the inside, it was impossible that any noise or suggestion should come from within to the person who should approach to raise the latch of one of them. But gold, and the power of a woman's will, had brought the secret to the princess. And not only did she know in which room stood the lady ready to emerge, all blushing and radiant, should her door be opened, but she knew who the lady was. It was one of the fairest and loveliest of the damsels of the court who had been selected as the reward of the accused youth, should he be proved innocent of the crime of aspiring to one so far above him; and the princess hated her. Often had she seen, or imagined that she had seen, this fair creature throwing glances of admiration upon the person of her lover, and sometimes she thought these glances were perceived, and even returned. Now and then she had seen them talking together; it was but for a moment or two, but much can be said in a brief space; it may have been on most unimportant topics, but how could she know that? The girl was lovely, but she had dared to raise her eyes to the loved one of the princess; and, with all the intensity of the savage blood transmitted to her through long lines of wholly barbaric ancestors, she hated the woman who blushed and trembled behind that silent door.

When her lover turned and looked at her, and his eye met hers as she sat there, paler and whiter than anyone in the vast ocean of anxious faces about her, he saw, by that power of quick perception which is given to those whose souls are one, that she knew behind which door crouched the tiger, and behind

which stood the lady. He had expected her to know it. He understood her nature, and his soul was assured that she would never rest until she had made plain to herself this thing, hidden to all other lookers-on, even to the king. The only hope for the youth in which there was any element of certainty was based upon the success of the princess in discovering this mystery; and the moment he looked upon her, he saw she had succeeded, as in his soul he knew she would succeed. Then it was that his quick and anxious glance asked the question: "Which?" It was as plain to her as if he shouted it from where he stood. There was not an instant to be lost. The question was asked in a flash; it must be answered in another. Her right arm lay on the cushioned parapet before her. She raised her hand, and made a slight, quick movement toward the right. No one but her lover saw her. Every eye but his was fixed on the man in the arena. He turned, and with a firm and rapid step he walked across the empty space. Every heart stopped beating, every breath was held, every eye was fixed immovably upon that man. Without the slightest hesitation, he went to the door on the right, and opened it. Now, the point of the story is this: Did the tiger come out of that door, or did the lady? The more we reflect upon this question, the harder it is to answer. It involves a study of the human heart which leads us through devious mazes of passion, out of which it is difficult to find our way. Think of it, fair reader, not as if the decision of the question depended upon yourself, but upon that hotblooded, semi-barbaric princess, her soul at a white heat beneath the combined fires of despair and jealousy. She had lost him, but who should have him? How often, in her waking hours and in her dreams, had she started in wild horror, and covered her face with her hands as she thought of her lover opening the door on the other side of which waited the cruel fangs of the tiger! But how much oftener had she seen him at the other door! How in her grievous reveries had she gnashed her teeth, and torn her hair, when she saw his start of rapturous delight as he opened the door of the lady! How her soul had burned in agony when she had seen him rush to meet that woman, with her flushing cheek and sparkling eye of triumph; when she had seen him lead her forth, his whole frame kindled with the joy of recovered life; when she had heard

the glad shouts from the multitude, and the wild ringing of the happy bells; when she had seen the priest, with his joyous followers, advance to the couple, and make them man and wife before her very eyes; and when she had seen them walk away together upon their path of flowers, followed by the tremendous shouts of the hilarious multitude, in which her one despairing shriek was lost and drowned! Would it not be better for him to die at once, and go to wait for her in the blessed regions of semibarbaric futurity? And yet, that awful tiger, those shrieks, that blood! Her decision had been indicated in an instant, but it had been made after days and nights of anguished deliberation. She had known she would be asked, she had decided what she would answer, and, without the slightest hesitation, she had moved her hand to the right. The question of her decision is one not to be lightly considered, and it is not for me to presume to set myself up as the one person able to answer it. And so I leave it with all of you: Which came out of the opened door - the lady, or the tiger?

Autobiographical Essay An autobiography is a history of a person’s life written or told by that person. If we break down the word autobiography, we get the following: “auto” means self; “bio” means life; “graph” means write. Thus, autobiographical writing is self-life writing. Directions: Write about yourself! Write a creative autobiography that will help us get to know you better and show us how you flex your creative muscles. Follow the instructions below for paragraph organization. However, you may (and should) include other information. Do your best to use descriptive language, imagery, and rich details throughout your essay in order to paint a clear picture of you and your past experiences. Read through the excerpt from Chapter 2 of Dreams from My Father by Barack Obama included at the end of this packet for examples of descriptive language and rich details in an autobiographical text. 









Paragraph 1 will be about you and only you. Introduce yourself as you would to someone who does not know you. Some ideas to include might be your name, birthday, birthplace, and ethnicity. Use vivid vocabulary to describe your personality and include some of your likes and dislikes. Explain what you like best about yourself. What makes you unique? Paragraph 2 will be about you and your family. Who are the people you are related to? Briefly describe your parents, grandparents, brothers, and sisters – anybody close enough to be considered “family;” you may even include your pet, if you have one. What kinds of activities do your family members enjoy doing together? What are some of your family traditions? What are some of your favorite family memories?

Paragraph 3 will be about you and school. What other schools have you attended? What do you like about school? What do you dislike about school? Describe some experiences you have had at school in the past. What subjects do you most enjoy and why? What subjects do you least enjoy and why? What are your goals for this school year? Paragraph 4 will be about you outside of school. Describe how you fill your time when you are not at school. What are your hobbies, interests, and favorite pastimes? Explain how you became interested in these activities and what holds your interest in them. Describe your involvement in your community. For example, do you volunteer at the local park or do you participate in church activities? Paragraph 5 will be about your future plans and goals. Discuss what you think you might like to do with your life in the future. What kind of work or career are you considering and why? Explain what you have already done or are doing now to prepare for that job or career. What type of life do you envision for yourself someday? What do you see yourself becoming in the years after you graduate from Noble Academy?

As you write, remember the following points:   

The essay should be five paragraphs as outlined above. It should be typed and double spaced using size 12 Times New Roman font, or very neatly handwritten. The introduction should begin with an attention-grabber that leads into the rest of your self-introduction. Don’t forget that a good paragraph has at least five sentences. Usually, the first sentence of a body paragraph is the topic sentence, and it lets your reader know what the paragraph will be about. All

 

the other sentences are supporting sentences, such as examples and explanations, that relate to the topic sentence. You may use first person pronouns (I, me, my, myself); however, do not use any second person pronouns in your essay (you, your, yourself). Do not forget to proofread and revise your essay.

Your autobiographical essay will be assessed using the rubric below. Focus/ Organization: The essay clearly addresses the prompt. A clear and consistent point of view is used. Supporting details are presented in an effective order. Elaboration/ Support/ Style: Adequate supporting details and specific examples are included from the author’s to support mature ideas. Body paragraphs are well developed. Action verbs, descriptive details, and effective language achieve the writer’s purpose. Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics: The writing is free of misspellings, and words are capitalized correctly. Sentences are punctuated correctly, and the piece is free of fragments and run-ons. The paper is neat, legible, and presented in an appropriate format.

-The following excerpts are taken from Chapter Two of Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father. In 1967, the young Barack moved to Indonesia with his mother and remained there until 1971 when he was sent to live with his grandparents in Hawaii. It had taken me less than six months to learn Indonesia's language, its customs, and its legends. I had survived chicken pox, measles, and the sting of my teachers' bamboo switches. The children of farmers, servants, and low-level bureaucrats had become my best friends, and together we ran the streets morning and night, hustling odd jobs, catching crickets, battling swift kites with razor-sharp lines – the loser watched his kite soar off with the wind, and knew that somewhere other children had formed a long wobbly train, their heads towards the sky, waiting for their prize to land. With Lolo [Obama's stepfather], I learned how to eat small green chill peppers raw with dinner (plenty of rice), and, away from the dinner table, I was introduced to dog meat (tough), snake meat (tougher), and roasted grasshopper (crunchy).

That's how things were, one long adventure, the bounty of a young boy's life. In letters to my grandparents, I would faithfully record many of these events, confident that more civilising packages of chocolate and peanut butter would surely follow. But not everything made its way into my letters; some things I found too difficult to explain. I didn't tell Toot and Gramps about the face of the man who had come to our door one day with a gaping hole where his nose should have been: the whistling sound he made as he asked my mother for food. Nor did I mention the time that one of my friends told me in the middle of recess that his baby brother had died the night before of an evil spirit brought in by the wind – the terror that danced in my friend's eyes for the briefest of moments before he let out a strange laugh and punched my arm and broke off into a breathless run.

There was the empty look on the faces of farmers the year the rains never came, the stoop in their shoulders as they wandered barefoot through their barren, cracked fields, bending over every so often to crumble earth between their fingers; and their desperation the following year when the rains lasted for over a month, swelling the river and fields until the streets gushed with water and swept as high as my waist and families scrambled to rescue their goats and their hens even as chunks of their huts washed away. The world was violent, I was learning, unpredictable and often cruel. My grandparents knew nothing of such a world, I decided; there was no point in disturbing them with questions they couldn't answer. Source: Obama, Barack. "Chapter 2." Dreams from My Father. New York City: Broadway, 2004. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 9 Nov. 2010. Web. 4 May 2015.

Freshman Reading 2016-2017 Summer Homework Packet Name: __________________________________ Date: ________________

May 2016 Dear New Noble Academy Student, Welcome to The Noble Academy! We are so happy that you are joining the Academy family. High school is an exciting time because it presents a multitude of new challenges and opportunities. Your first step towards being prepared for the Academy is to complete an important assignment that is required for your literature class. This assignment includes learning about the 7 Habits—7 useful tools that shape the culture of our school. You can think of the text, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens by Sean Covey, as your personal survival guide—these habits will provide you with the skills that you need to be successful at the Noble Academy and in your relationships with family, friends, and teachers. This summer reading assignment will be collected and you will be given a test on this material within the first few days of school. Below you will find the specific tasks that you must complete. Complete all tasks ON THE PAPER PROVIDED. Your answers belong in the boxes that follow each question. Be proactive, and get started on this assignment soon—if you do a chapter a week, it will be easy to complete the readings, and you’ll learn a lot, too. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact one of us via email. We will check our email throughout the summer and will respond to you as quickly as possible. See you in August! If you have any questions, or concerns, please contact one of your two possible literature teachers for next year, Ms.Miner ([email protected]) or Ms.Conroy ([email protected]) We are happy to help you with your questions. Put “Summer Reading” in the subject line, and make sure to state your name and specific reason for the email in the body of the email.

Sincerely, Ms. Miner and Ms. Conroy

Summer Assignment 2016: ReadingThe 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens Assignment Summary: First, you must read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens. As you read, complete the guide below. When you’ve finished, you will be able to identify, define, and provide examples of each of the 7 Habits. You should also be able to apply these habits to your own life. Directions: Answer the following questions thoughtfully and using complete sentences. You must put your answers on the paper provided. Pre-reading Think about the cover and the title of this book. What do you think this book will be about? What do you think you will learn? Make 2 predictions using complete sentences. 1.

2.

Part One: The Set-up Read pages 3-9. Why did Sean Covey write this book? What was his goal?

Define the following terms: Habit:

Defective:

Effective:

List some of your habits related to the following areas of your life: (for example, “I always do my homework right after school.”) School: Family: Friends:

Define each of the effective and defective habits: Effective Defective Be Proactive: Be Reactive:

Begin with the End in Mind:

Begin with No End in Mind:

Put First Things First:

Put First Things Last:

Think Win-Win:

Think Win-Lose:

Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood:

Seek First to Talk, Then Pretend to Listen:

Synergize:

Don’t Cooperate:

Sharpen the Saw:

Wear Yourself Out:

Paradigms and Principles Define the following terms: Paradigm:

Principle:

Self-paradigm:

Paradigm Shift:

Friend-centered:

Principle-centered:

Part II: The Private Victory The Personal Bank Account Explain the following terms: Personal Bank Account:

Small Acts of Kindness:

Self-esteem:

PBA deposits:

PBA Withdrawal:

Honest:

Think of your own life recently. What are some deposits you have made? What are some withdrawals you made? Describe them using details. Deposits Withdrawals

Habit 1: Be Proactive Define the following terms: Proactive:

Reactive:

Change Agent:

Can-do People:

No-can-do People:

Self-awareness:

Willpower:

Victimus virus:

Circle of Control:

Describe a time when you were proactive. What were the effects of your proactive actions?

Describe a time when you were reactive. What were the effects of your reactive actions?

Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind Define the following terms: Personal Mission Statement: The Brain Dump:

The Big Lazy:

Negative Labels:

The Retreat:

Wrong Wall:

What are the five keys to goal setting? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. What do you want to accomplish? Create a goal for yourself for… August of this year:

The end of freshmen year:

The end of high school:

Habit 3: Put First Things First Define the following terms: Procrastinator:

Prioritizer:

Yes-man:

Slacker:

Comfort Zone:

Courage Zone:

Priorities:

Willpower:

What are the three steps to planning weekly? 1. 2. 3.

Part Two: The Public Victory What is a public victory?

How is it different from the private victory?

What is a relationship bank account?

Choose one of your relationships. It can be with a parent, sibling, or friend. Then identify several deposits and withdrawals that you have made lately. Be specific. This RBA is about my relationship with: Deposits

Withdrawals

Habit 4: Think Win-Win Define the following terms: Win-Lose:

Win-Win:

Lose-Win:

Lose-Lose:

Tumor Twins:

Select a word of your choice from this chapter that you did not know:

Reflect: Provide a real life example from your experiences of a Win-Win situation. Provide detail.

Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood Define the following terms: Spacing Out: Pretend Listening:

Selective Listening:

Word Listening:

Self-centered Listening:

Mimicking:

Mirroring:

Genuine Listening:

Select a word of your choice from this chapter that you did not know:

Habit 6: Synergize Define the following terms: Diversity:

Minority:

Linguistic:

Logical/mathematical:

Bodily/kinesthetic:

Spatial:

Musical:

Interpersonal:

Intrapersonal:

Prejudice:

Ignorance:

Cliques:

Stereotypes:

Labels:

Teamwork:

Synergy:

Plodders:

Innovators:

Followers:

Harmonizers:

Show-offs:

In what parts of your life do you already synergize? Provide three examples from your personal or school life.

Part Four: Renewal Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw Explain each of the following dimensions: Physical dimension:

Mental dimension:

Emotional dimension:

Spiritual dimension:

What are three ways you can sharpen the saw this school year while you’re working so hard?

Keep Hope Alive! What is the main idea or main message from this section of text? Explain in a few sentences.

Make sure this packet is complete—it is your first major grade of the school year! We are looking forward to meeting you! Questions? Feel free to email your reading teachers. Ms. Conroy [email protected] Ms. Miner, [email protected]

Freshman Advisory 2016-2017 Summer Homework Packet Name: __________________________________ Date: ________________

Welcome to The Noble Academy! We are excited to support you as you transition to high school. This packet will be due to your advisor on the first day of school. First, read the packet thoroughly, then answer the questions at the end in complete sentences. If you have questions or concerns when completing the packet, please email Ms. Conroy at [email protected]. Below you will find information regarding some of the most important information to prepare you for the first day of school. As you read, please think of any questions you might have so that you can ask your advisor on the first day of school. Advisory Advisory meets each morning for 20 minutes, with the exception of Wednesdays, when it meets for an hour. The goals of advisory are as follows: 1. Provide students with an adult who can help them navigate high school systems and support them in meeting the various Noble requirements to ensure that they get promoted to the next grade level. 2. Give students a group of peers that they can lean on so that they feel like a larger part of the community. 3. Assist students in developing organizational and social/emotional or “soft” skills like problem solving, perseverance, and kindness. Merits and Core Values The Noble Academy has four important core values. These values are so important to the staff and students at our school that each of our hallway is named after a core value. Each member of The Noble Academy community, students and staff alike, is expected to embrace and embody these values. Our four core values are 1. Good is the Enemy of Great a. Students should never accept “Good” they should strive to be “Great” in everything they do. 2. Pride in Team, Pride in Me a. Each team is only as strong as its weakest player. At school, we are all on the same team that works together to learn and push each other to be at our best. Each student should embrace opportunities to help others around them because when we help a fellow student everyone wins! 3. Take Risks, No Fear, No Shame a. At The Noble Academy students are expected to take risks to improve their learning. A student should never feel afraid or ashamed in a classroom to ask a question or pose an idea. 4. Be Kind, Be Noble a. Students should strive to commit acts of kindness each day. No matter how big or small what you do is, it will make someone’s day better. Being kind is part of being Noble! Merits are earned when students exemplify a core value. Merits may result in a student being entered in a raffle for prizes or tickets to various events or amusement parks or special recognition. When a student receives five merits in one of the core value categories they will earn a shirt that they are permitted to wear on Fridays with the rest of their full uniform.

Some ways to earn merits include: A. Helping a student that is having trouble with the lock on their locker (Be Kind, Be Noble) B. Making sure everyone in your group understands a math problem before moving onto the next one. (Pride in Team, Pride in Me) C. Going to a teacher to get help on a concept even when you have an A in the class (Good is the Enemy of Great) D. Posing an important and thoughtful question during a class discussion (Take risks, no fear, no shame) LaSalle Homework is taken seriously at The Noble Academy. Homework is collected or checked everyday in every class. Your homework each evening is preparation for the material you will discuss and learn in class the following day. Completing your homework each night is crucial to your learning and the success of your classroom team. We focus on rigor and high expectations in class and at the Harkness table, so when you come unprepared, it hurts yourself and your classroom team. If you turn in an assignment that is incomplete or do not turn in a homework assignment, you will earn a LaSalle and receive an incomplete homework grade. An incomplete assignment is any assignment that does not meet the expectations and guidelines that the teacher sets. For instance, if you are assigned 10 math problems and you only complete 9, you will earn a LaSalle. If you are assigned 12 pages of reading and you only read and annotate 11 pages, you will earn a LaSalle. LaSalle provides you the opportunity and space to complete your homework on the day it is due from 4:20-5:30. LaSalle is helpful because you can use that time to complete the assignment you missed and resubmit it the following day so that you are never behind in your schoolwork. If you earn a LaSalle you must serve your LaSalle on the same day it is earned. Failure to serve the LaSalle will result in 4D, an automatic detention. When you report to the LaSalle room, you must be seated, silent, and working by 4:20. Bring your LaSalle form, the homework you still need to finish, and everything you need from your locker for that evening (including all homework, supplies, backpacks, and outerwear.) YOU are responsible for calling home during passing period, lunch, or after dismissal between LaSalle and letting your parents know, there will be a phone available in the LaSalle room and in the main office. Demerits A student can be assigned from 1-4 demerits for a rule infraction. More serious infractions may earn more severe consequences as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct. Below you will find a few example of infractions and the corresponding number of demerits. a. Chewing gum – 4 demerits b. Tardy to school: 1. Less than 1 minute – 1 demerit 2. 2. Tardy to school more than 1 minute 2– 4 demerits c. Tardy to class (not in assigned seat when the bell rings): 1. Less than 1 minute – 1 demerit 2. 1 minute to 3 minutes – 2 demerits 3. Tardy to class more than 3 minutes – 4 demerits d. Cell phone or audible electronic device (including headphones) visible, audible, or used during school hours without staff permission – 4 demerits and confiscation of the device until parent retrieves item from school e. Dress code violations that can be corrected immediately (such as an untucked shirt) 1. 1 demerit no warnings will be given and 4 demerits given if not corrected 2. Dress code violations that cannot be corrected immediately (such as no belt) – 4 demerits

Detentions/Demerit Cycles A student is issued a three-hour detention for each multiple of 4 demerits he/she earns within a twoweek cycle. For example, 4 demerits within a two week cycle equals 1 detention and 8 demerits within a two week cycle equals 2 detentions. Demerit cycles coincide with the progress report cycles and are reset after the two week period ends. Thus, if a student receives only one, two, or three demerits within a two-week period (or have one, two, three remaining demerits after detention(s) have been issued), these demerits reset to zero. Attendance Attendance is one key to success as a Noble Academy student. Important learning takes place every day in each class that you have. New material is introduced, rigorous discussions take place, and mastery quizzes and tests are given. When you miss one day of school you risk falling behind on material and missing assessments. A strong attendance record is crucial to maintaining a high GPA. Absences may be excused only for illness, doctor’s appointments, observance of a religious holiday and death in the immediate family, or for a verifiable family emergency. These absences can be excused only if a written note from the legal guardian is received in the main office within 48 hours of the student’s return to school. A doctor’s note on official letterhead or other official documentation is required for an absence period of more than 2 consecutive days and for a doctor’s appointment. If a student is going to be absent, the parent/guardian should inform the school’s main office before classes begin. Tardy to school four (4) times counts as an unexcused absence from school and counts towards a student’s absence total for the school year. For excused absences and absences due to suspension, make up work must be allowed and generally, students are given as many days to turn in work as they were absent. For example, if a student is absent for two days, he or she would have to turn in make-up work by the second day he or she returns.. For unexcused absences make-up work does not have to be given. Early dismissals or late arrivals: If at all possible, students must make medical or other appointments after school hours or on weekends.

The Noble Academy Advisory and Behavioral Expectations Directions: Answer the following questions in complete sentences. This will be your first grade for advisory. If this is not completed on the first day of school, you will receive a LaSalle. 1. What are the four core values at The Noble Academy? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ___ 2. Think of an example of something you have done already that exemplifies one of our school values. Examples can be from school, an extracurricular activity or sport, or at home. Good is the Enemy of Great: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Be Kind, Be Noble: _____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Take Risks, No Fear, No Shame: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Pride in Team, Pride in Me: _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 3. What are the three goals of advisory in your own words? 1. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 2. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 3. ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ 4. What is a merit? What can you do to earn merits at The Noble Academy? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ___ 5. What is a demerit? What can you do on your first day at the Noble Academy to ensure you do not earn any demerits? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________

6. How many demerits can you earn before earning a detention? How long does each demerit cycle last? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ 7. What is a LaSalle? What is the purpose of LaSalle? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ 8. What is the consequence if you skip a LaSalle? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ 9. What can you do the first week of school to ensure you do not receive any LaSalles? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ 10. What is considered an excused absence? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ 11. How many tardies do you have to earn before it counts as one unexcused absence? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ 12. How many days does will you have to make up missed work in your classes after an excused absence? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________

13. How do you plan to get to school everyday? How long will your commute take you? When do you need to leave your home to arrive at school early each day? _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________ 14. Write down one additional question you have based on this packet. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Use the space below to write a letter to your advisor. Your advisor will support you as you transition to high school and throughout your four years at The Noble Academy. Your letter should include answers to the following questions. Feel free to add additional information and details as you see fit. Your advisor is looking forward to meeting you on the first day of school! -What are your favorite subjects in school? -What are you looking forward to this year? -What makes you nervous as you transition to high school? -What are your favorite hobbies or extracurricular activities? -What neighborhood do you live in? -What elementary school did you attend? -Was there adult at your previous school that helped support and guide you? What made them special? ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________

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