I hope you’re relaxing, my advisees. But make sure that you do your summer assignment, too. It’s worth 100 points for next year’s grade, and it’s due on the first day of Retreat. If you get stuck, call me or email me!

1. Reading. Read a book you’ve never read before. Then, type a 2-paragraph book review. Be sure to share it with me on Google Docs. Share it with markisero@lhssf.org. The assignment is on the Advisory page at www.iseroma.com. Here is the direct link.

2. Community Service. Ask yourself, “What is the one issue in my community that I care about?” Think about your community service this year. Think about the Junior Exhibitions. Think about your work in Leadership 1 and World Studies. Where do you want to make a difference? Then, find a community service placement for next year. If you can’t find anything, go to the Community Resources Guide on the San Francisco Public Library website, www.sfpl.org. Call the organization and set up your service for next year. When are you going to go? Wednesdays after school? Weekends? On the first day of Retreat, bring evidence that you have been accepted to do community service at the placement of your choice.

3. Do something productive that you are passionate about. Summer is about exploration. It’s about being productive. Don’t just watch TV. Get involved! On the first day of Retreat, be prepared to share one thing that you did over the summer that was significant and important to you.

Don’t procrastinate on this assignment! Start early, set up your summer, and have a great time. Get your rest, and get ready for sophomore year!

There are three weeks left to complete your portfolio. You’ve completed the hard part. Congratulations! Now you have to put the portfolio together. Here is the cover letter assignment. It’s due next Monday.

Now is the time to show your growth as a student this year. Now is the time to demonstrate your learning. Now is the time to do your ninth grade portfolio!

We’re starting today. Here is an extra copy of the Introduction to the Ninth Grade Portfolio. Also, you’ll need the Revision Toolbox. Today’s portfolio assignment is the Book Review, and it’s due on Monday. Remember that you can also go to the Adv page for assignments.

- by Pauline, Class of 2012 –

This book is one of the most empowering books I have ever read. This book is filled with mind-catching facts and detail that could help our environment and help us be green so that we can heal our planet. Hartmann explains how we are close to having used up all our sunlight energy. Furthermore, in just 40 more years, our children will no longer have the resources that we had in the early 1900s.

I strongly recommend this book to teens and adults. If you are into politics, current events, and the environment, then read it! Once you have finished the book, as you put it down, you will begin to see the world in a whole different perspective. It has personally changed the way I think, and has changed the way I spend my time at home and school. It has taught me to spend my time wisely for necessary things and to use my resources productively. (This book might have a hard vocabulary for some readers.)

Genre: Science / 400 pages / More info about the book
Request from LHS Library / Request from SF Public Library
Title: The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight / Author: Thom Hartmann / Reader: Pauline / Advisor: Isero

- By Marco, Class of 2012 -

This book was very interesting for me. It was about a group of kids that started out as friends in a camp, and then became like a family over the years. In the end of the book, the kids go their own ways carrying great memories and a lot of scars.

I strongly recommend this book because it is very interesting and it has a lot of adventures that really catch your attention. This book also has hard vocabulary that will challenge the reader at a great level. I highly recommend it.

Genre: Thriller / 436 pages / More info about the book
Request from LHS Library / Request from SF Public Library
Title: The Beach / Author: Alex Garland / Reader: Marco / Advisor: Isero

- By Charity, Class of 2012 -

This book is about a teenage boy and what he sees in his neighborhood. He starts traveling to different neighborhoods and ghettos in Chicago, and he notices that he is treated differently because he is African American.

From his observations, he makes conclusions about politics in our society. For example, he compares the educational system for Black kids vs. White kids. He notices that the education that Black kids receive is different and worse. In fact, he says, more money goes to building prisons rather than building public schools.

I liked this book because it was real and funny. I would definitely recommend this book to someone who cares about the problems in our community.

Genre: Social Issues / 180 pages / More Info About the Book
Request from LHS Library / Request from SF Public Library
Title: No More Prisons / Author: William Upski Wimsatt / Reader: Charity / Advisor: Isero

On Wednesday, you saw Martin give a presentation about himself and San Francisco State University. Now it’s your turn to represent your college by creating a college poster.

You’ve done the research; now put that research into a form that is visually appealing to your audience.

Here is the College Poster Assignment.

Get working on your first piece of the Freshman Portfolio, the Community Service Reflection. We’ll start it today in Advisory, and it’s due next Monday, March 2. Make sure it’s typed, double-spaced, and saved on Google Docs.

Today, advisers distributed the 2009 Week Without Walls Course Catalog. Read it carefully, and get ready for next Monday’s WWW Faire in Advisory, when you’ll learn more about your top three choices.

Hey everyone. This week’s extra credit is to link as many classes as you can to your primary ID at www.mygradebook.com. It’s 10 points for every class you link. To earn your points, come to office hours on Thursday at lunch and show me your linked account. Good luck!

For the first time in LHS history, ninth graders will participate in a 10-week workshop geared to get you thinking early about where you want to go to college.

Work hard, stay organized, and be interested. Ask your teachers where they went to college, or go up to a senior and ask them about their plans for next year.

Never lose your assignments, but they’ll be on the Advisory page just in case.

Here’s what we did yesterday: College Workshop Assignment Checklist, Workshop #1 – Why do I want to go to college?

Your rough draft of your personal statement paragraph is due to your adviser on Monday, and your final, typed paragraph is due to your workshop teacher next Friday at 11:10 a.m.

Our Advisory read a lot last semester, and today we made Book Posters to put up in a public place.

If you didn’t finish yours, make sure to do so by Wednesday.

Check out Kyara’s poster here!

You all know this already, but I just want to make sure that you’re clear that 15 hours of community service are due, documented, by Dec. 5.

This is an outcome of Advisory, so if you don’t complete it, you’ll receive an NS for first semester.

See me before Thanksgiving Break if you’re worried. (There will be many opportunities over the Holiday.)

Our first Family Meetings as an Advisory begin next week, Sept. 29 – Oct. 3. The purpose of the meeting is for us to come together to support each student toward achieving a challenging goal.

Please schedule a meeting with me by emailing me at misero@leadershiphigh.org. If I don’t hear from you, I’ll be calling home this weekend.

Here are some pics from graduation. Please send me yours!

And congratulations again. Have a good summer, but don’t get lazy. Get a job. Save some money. Get ready for college. Read a book. Think about how you’ll reach your next goal.

Well, you did it! Congratulations, my Advisory. You are now graduates!

You already know this, but I’ll always be your adviser. Please keep in touch.

I’ll see you at the spaghetti dinner in August.

Have a good summer, stay safe, and enjoy your accomplishments.

See you at 7 p.m. at Sultan for our graduation dinner. Make sure to prepare a “Final Word” for your fellow advisees. You’re almost graduates!

Don’t know where Sultan is? Check out the map below. Click on “A” for the address and driving directions. Also note where the Powell BART station is.

View Larger Map

My Advisory, I hope you enjoy your last day of school.

You’ve come to school 720 times, worked hard, and stayed (mostly) positive.

I am very proud of you.

(Sorry that not everyone’s in this one, but we’ll take more next week, I promise.)

Well, after four years, today is the last Advisory. Here’s the agenda:

1. Business (graduation, grades, and more)

2. Cards

3. Final Word

4. Twenty Questions

Because Angelica never sends me pictures, here’s mine from Prom.

Please stop telling me stories about Prom (although Amy and Jeremiah’s were funny) and get back to focusing on graduation!

Just three weeks left and you’re outta here.

Let’s make them good.

It’s never too early to start thinking about Finals. See the Finals Schedule for details. Remember, English 10 students, that your final is a computerized, multiple-choice vocabulary test on all 500 words.

Hope Prom was fun. It was good being there for 15 minutes.

Anyway, Exhibitions are this Friday. Even though you’ve received your ticket, make sure to rehearse 2-3 times. Make it good and smooth.

We’ll be doing some work during Advisory, but really, the focus of the next couple weeks will be making sure you pass all your classes so that you can walk across that stage.

It’ll be a fun few weeks.

It’s time for Senior Exhibition Workshops!

Even if you’re behind on your Exhibition, next Monday through Thursday will give you the chance to get caught up.

Come prepared to work! Bring all your stuff. Bring a positive and hard-working attitude. And be there at 7:55. Remember to take pride in yourself and in the Isero Advisory!

Next week, we have a special schedule for STAR testing.

The time each day doesn’t change. For example, you’ll start at 7:55 except for Friday, when you’ll start at 9:25. You get out early on Thursday just like usual, too.

But the biggest difference is that in the mornings, you’ll be testing. This is a very important test, so it’s important that you (1) attend, (2) be on time, (3) do your best.

Here’s a copy of the schedule. You’ll need Excel to open it: student-star-schedule-08