RICHARD MONTGOMERY HIGH SCHOOL
250 Richard Montgomery Drive
Rockville, Maryland 20852
(301) 610-8000
Summer 2014 Assignment for Bridges English 10 Students
Dear incoming students,
Welcome to the Bridges English 10 class. I am excited to help you become stronger readers, writers, speakers,
and thinkers this school year. Some of you also have the additional goal of passing the English HSA before
graduation. To prepare for our time together and help me get to know you and your needs more quickly, please
complete these two activities by the first day of class:
1.
Please write me a one-page typed letter introducing yourself. I will attach an example letter to this
assignment introducing myself to you. In your letter, tell me about yourself as a person and as a student:
where you are from, what languages you speak, what your best talents are, what is important to you and
your family, and what you want to learn this year. Think about what makes you special and let me know
how I can help you achieve your best results.
(10 completion points for one page letter)
2. On a computer, go onto the Internet and type in https://www.ted.com/talks/browse
This website has short, 20 minute videos of experts in Technology, Entertainment, and Design (TED)
who talk about what is most important to them. Sample some of these speeches and find one that
interests you. There are over 1700 TedTalks on subjects ranging from medicine to skateboarding to
creating comics. My favorite talk is by Isabel Allende, the Chilean novelist, who talks about the
importance of passion.
Listen to the talk you like best all the way through, then write a summary of the main ideas of the
speaker. Be sure to title this with the name of the speaker and give me the web address so I can listen to
it too. (If you want to listen to my favorite, the URL for Isabel Allende’s TedTalk is
https://www.ted.com/talks/isabel_allende_tells_tales_of_passion)
Write as clearly and correctly as you can, typing your final version. At the end of your summary, add a
second paragraph to tell me why this particular TedTalk interested you and why it was special. We will
share these when we meet. This also helps me understand how you think and write so that I can be a
better teacher for you this year. (10 completion points for two developed paragraphs)
See you soon! Be sure to complete both assignments so we can start the year strong. I think you will
really enjoy the TedTalks website. There are many famous and brilliant speakers who are there to teach
you more about the world for free, any time of day or night. Stay safe and have a joyful summer.
Regards,
Davina Thrower Smith
English Teacher
Richard Montgomery High School
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(Here is an example of a letter, in which I introduce myself to you)
Dear Bridges Student:
Although we have not yet met, I would like to tell you a little about myself so that you will feel more
comfortable in our classroom 261. I will start with personal information since that reveals more about me as a
person. You might see me walking to school every day, if you get to school very early. My husband and I live
six blocks from the school in a very old house with two cats, about two blocks away from the Rockville Metro.
We have two grown children and four grandchildren, ages 8 (the twins Juliette and Ben), 10 (Francesca), and 12
(Lilianna) who live in Colorado. Our favorite activities are traveling to new places and visiting our family,
camping out, practicing yoga, watching films and reading, and working in our garden. Here is a picture of me in
Mexico, standing on top of one of the pyramids at Teotihuacan. My husband and I both love
traveling to Mexico for whale-watching, camping, and shopping. You will probably meet my
husband Jack since he helps out on field trips (we both love field trips) and with special
projects at school. We have been married 27 years and he makes me laugh and happy every
day.
I have to admit that I did not like high school very much when I was a student; there were too many
rules and little freedom. However, I loved college because I could study what interested me. I earned a
bachelor’s degree in English from Hood College and a Master’s Degree in Literature from American
University. I later taught at American University for a few years before I decided to work with younger
students. I decided to do this because I thought I might be of more help to children; most college students,
especially at private universities such as American University, already have good basic skills. I am proud that I
am a National Board Certified Teacher, a distinction I earned 11 years ago.
This fall I will begin my second year teaching English 10 to Bridges students. It was my favorite class
last year because the students were interesting and came from 12 different countries. I also teach AP English
Literature to seniors and a Creative Writing elective class for students who want to play with language,
experimenting with short story writing, poetry, and prose. Perhaps you will take this elective this year or next. I
have been teaching at Richard Montgomery High School for eight years but have taught English to everyone
from middle-school students to college students over the last 20 years.
My strengths as a teacher are that I am strong in the skills my students are trying to learn: reading,
writing, and critical thinking. I am passionately interested in literature and also organized and patient. However,
I sometimes become impatient with students who don’t take their education seriously or who are mean to others
and fail to treat people with respect. I believe that all people deserve respect. But my experience with my first
Bridges class last year was very positive: my students were kind, well-mannered, and considerate of the feelings
of others. We will have a great year together, learning about the world from our books and from each other.
Welcome to our classroom.
Regards,
Davina Thrower Smith
Bridges English 10, AP English 12, and Creative Writing Teacher
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