Assalamu Alaikum,

Welcome back to adventures in English! I am excited to see all of you again and even more so to meet the new students. I hope you had a restful summer and now up and ready for your minds to be whetted and your imagination to be stirred, for these are the main activities we perform in English for Grades 9th through 12th.

First and as I start my 9th year of teaching at ACA, I would like to express to you my feelings of honor and pride over being part of this unique establishment right from the onset. For those of you who do not know me, I am someone who dances her way to school because I idolize what I do for living. Teaching constitutes the “proper function” (Aristotle) of me. Therefore, I feel blessed and happy every morning of every school day.

I hold a Montessori Certification from Arizona Institute for Montessori Education (AMI), a Secondary Certification from Ottawa University and the University of Phoenix, a Bachelor Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in English Literature from Arizona State University. The Montessori Method is the springboard for my teaching and is what gives essence and efficiency to everything I do in class. I am trained in IB English, Spalding Method 1 &2, KU Writing Strategy, Structured English Immersion and Great Books Instruction. I am a Dual Enrollment instructor for English 101 and English 102. What matters the most, however, is that not only do these qualifications and training help me, but you, the most important component of ACA, as well.

This year in English and through the survey of many literary genres, you will augment your knowledge of the elements of literature and get to know from conflicts, events and human values in the books we will be reading the commonality of the human experience. Through the employment of the KU writing Strategy, you will refine your composition skills, literary analysis and research skills. Through Sadlier Oxford Vocabulary Workshop, your vocabulary will proliferate and you will consequently score better on the SAT Exam. The Spalding Method will be the tool for your perfect spelling and Great Books Series will instigate your critical reading, thinking and writing. Above all, you will be equipped with the necessary skills to succeed in high school and later on in college and/or career.

You are required to obtain a 3-inch binder with dividers. This is a must and no longer optional as it was in previous years. Create your own sections and file paper in the appropriate section immediately upon receipt so you can stay organized throughout the year. A neat binder is vital for success as you will always need the material in it for review. Check syllabus for additional supplies.

Through the use of this web site, you will avail yourself all the curricular information, classroom policies and procedures that you need to be aware of. You can keep apprised of your current grade by utilizing mygradebook.com. Passwords have been allotted to every student.

If further information is needed, please feel free to contact me at Taghreed.sbai.aca@gmail.com . Allow 48 hours for response.

I am looking forward to a great and successful year.