January 13, 2014
Dear SMA Parent or Guardian,
Reading is a central focus at SMA, and as we begin a new school year we would like to share some thoughts about
reading with you.
Reading is a skill. The only way to get better at reading is to read—this holds true for excellent readers as well as
reluctant readers. With this in mind, our goal for your son or daughter is to read 15 pages a day this school term. For the
average student, 15 pages a day translates to approximately thirty minutes of reading every day. We will do our best to
motivate your student to read academically as well as for fun. Some of the reading will be assigned, but your child will have
the opportunity to select his or her own books to read independently, for the 15 page daily reading requirement.
To help your cadet reach the 15 pages a day goal, most teachers have worked hard to develop their own classroom
libraries. These libraries are available to cadets who choose to read them for independent reading. Research supports that
availability of books is a major motivating factor in getting students to read. Students who are surrounded by books at school
and at home read more. Student who read more, read and write better. We have found that having classroom libraries has
dramatically increased the amount of reading our students do.
We want you to know that we are sensitive to having appropriate reading material in our classroom libraries. That
said, what is considered “appropriate” may vary from one parent to another. Please be aware that the selections in our
classroom libraries, just like any public and school library, range from elementary-level to senior high-level reading material.
All have been approved and recommended by the American Library Association, the International Reading Association, and
the National Council of Teachers of English. We ask you to remain aware throughout the year to the books your child has
chosen to read and assist in gauging appropriateness.
Rest assured that the books in the classroom libraries are never assigned. They are checked out on a voluntary basis
only. Some students use the library often; others find books in the SMA library, public library, or elsewhere. Any student
who uses the classroom libraries is asked to have a parent or guardian sign this document indicating that the classroom
library letter has been read and understood.
In addition, as part of our English II and English II Honors curriculum this year, we will be viewing several short films,
movies, or documentaries. Some of these films are rated PG or PG13; others have not been rated, or are unrated educational
films. While I have attempted to list all of the movies that might be shown in class this term, please know that any movie
used in my curriculum has been carefully reviewed by me for appropriate viewing and contains nothing more than the
average person views on a typical television commercial during prime time viewing. These videos are used to reinforce what
we are learning in class and are directly tied to the curriculum and related assignments, so it is important that students view
them if at all possible. A separate assignment will be provided for students whose parents do not approve of material with
specific ratings, and there will be no penalty for opting not to participate.
Please mark the boxes on the attached page, sign and date the form, and return it to me by the end of the week. I
greatly appreciate your prompt response.
Sincerely,
Sharon Mitchell
Captain Sharon Mitchell
English II & English II Honors
See back
Captain Sharon Mitchell
English II & English II Honors
Below is a list of possible videos and explanation of educational validity during the 2012-2013 year:
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The Last Lecture – an inspirational Disney film about education and values that was inspired by
Randy Pausch’s National Bestselling Book.
The Veldt – part of the Ray Bradbury television series in relationship to story, There Will come
Soft Rains (Literature book)
Of Mice & Men – 1992 version with John Malkovich and Gary Sinise (accurate movie version that
follows the book). We will only watch this if we read the novel this semester.
2081 – Based on Kurt Vonnegut’s Harrison Bergeron (Lit. book)
Five People you meet in Heaven – accurate movie based on novel by Mitch Albom
March of the Penguins – we will watch this film for note taking skills practice.
The Sound of Thunder – Hollywood version based on the Ray Bradbury’s short story (Literature
book)
Antigone – Greek version that accurately follows the Greek tragedy (Lit book)
Iron Man – based on Greek god Thor.
Smoke Signals – movie with curriculum designed to increase reading comprehension.
Parental Acknowledgement Form
My child has permission to view films, movies, and/or documentaries in class as checked below:
________ PG
________ PG-13
________ R (note: none of the above-mentioned movies carries this rating)
________ not rated (many television programs and documentaries fall into this category
________ unrated educational films
Parent/Guardian Signature:
_________________________________________________Date_____________
Student Name: _____________________________________________________