La Quinta High School
Denise Halstead, Principal
Chris Cumberland, Assistant Principal
Erin Lara, Assistant Principal
Mark Nguyen, Assistant Principal
17 June 2011
Dear Tenth Grade Honors Students and Parents:
Welcome to the English 2 Honors program at La Quinta High School. English 2 Honors is a
rigorous, standards-based course that will revolve around reading, writing, grammar, listening,
and speaking. Although these seem on the surface to be simple skills, this class will utilize these
elements of English to reach deeper and more complex levels of analysis and understanding.
Undoubtedly, this will be a challenging year, but it will be an exciting and rewarding year as
well.
To begin the year and to foster the analytical techniques necessary for success during the regular
school year, students will read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee as a summer reading
assignment. The book will be available in the La Quinta High School bookstore until the end of
the school year. Students should bring the book with them on the first day of school. In English
2 Honors, students will continue to annotate their texts, and this is a crucial element of the
summer reading assignment. If a student would like to highlight or write in his or her book, the
novel may be purchased at bookstores or online. Attached is the assignment that will be
discussed and utilized upon returning to school in September. Additional activities relating to
the study of the novel will be completed during the first month of school as well.
Hopefully, the summer reading experience will help prepare the student for the challenges in the
upcoming school year. Students should enjoy reading the novel, but also think critically about
its content and style. Reading should be pleasurable, but we must dig deeply into the novel to
truly appreciate its value. I hope that in addition to being rigorous, this class is fun, so please
return in the fall rejuvenated and excited about English!
If you have any questions about the assignment or the program, please feel free to email us at
either ggeil@ggusd.us or ccampbell@ggusd.us
Sincerely,
Christina Campbell
English 2 Honors Teachers
Greg Geil
10372 McFadden, Westminster California 92683 Telephone 714-663-6315 Fax 714-775-7307
www.laquintahs.org
GARDEN GROVE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT - Laura Schwalm, Superintendent