Good by testing! Hello poetry!

April 20, 2015

Dear Parent(s)/Guardian(s),

Your students have worked hard since spring break to complete the Smarter Balanced tests for English/Language Arts. I have been so impressed by their level of focus and dedication. Testing is over during my class time -- hooray! -- however, students who have not yet finished will be pulled out of 1st period to complete their tests.

April is National Poetry Month and we will be starting our poetry unit tomorrow. Between the summer weather and post-testing burnout, the 8th graders could use a little fun and inspiration. I would like to show them the film Dead Poets Society with Robin Williams. Instead of using it as a culminating activity, I would like to use it as a starting point for inspiration and for discussion.

Although the film is rated PG, it has a couple of scenes with more serious, adult content. The first is a scene at a high school party where one of the characters gets drunk. The other involves the suicide of one of the main characters. The scene is not graphic, but it is evident that he has taken his life.

Dead Poets Society is a film with many deep and powerful messages, especially for teens. It addresses not only the power of words and poetry, but also themes such as, conformity, creativity, daring vs. caution, following vs. leading, and of course, "seizing the day."

I believe the film has a lot to offer this age group and that viewing it, discussing it, and writing about it will be a valuable experience for your child. It can also serve as a great starting place for discussions that you can have at home on a variety of subjects, including peer pressure, teen suicide, and academic/social stress. Ms. Kobs has been addressing these topics throughout the year in health class.

If you would prefer that your child not view and discuss Dead Poets Society, please contact me as soon as possible so that I can make alternative arrangements. It will not impact your child's grade in any way.

I'm looking forward to keeping your 8th graders interested and challenged this last quarter of the year!

Carpe Diem!

Leah Hermes