Introductory Writing, Fall and Winter Semesters, at GMA

Introductory Writing

What: In order to be successful in this Introductory Writing class, students either must be able to type their own papers or dictate to a typist, and be willing to turn in a writing assignment every week. The pace slowly leads up to three paragraph essays in a sequential way that keeps kids feeling capable as writers. It begins easily, with single paragraphs, notetaking (key word outlines), reading from notes. Then we work through writing from pictures, borrowing a conflict, a research paper, creative writing, and finish with three paragraph essays.

When: Thursdays, 12:30-1:30pm
First Semester: Thursdays, September 4-December 11, no class on October 9, 16, or November 27
Second Semester: Thursdays, Jan 22-April 23, no class on April 9

Where: at George Mueller Academy, 121 East State Street Lehi UT

Who: children ages 8-12.

Cost: $300 per year (it's a year long class, can pay in two payments of $150). Text All Things Fun and Fascinating not provided.

Bring: The All Things Fun and Fascinating text (see details below), something to write with, and paper. Homework will be expected every week on time.

Where to Buy the Text: You can buy All Things Fun and Fascinating on The Institute for Excellence In Writing website or the family owned homeschool store Love To Learn (use the code "Valerie" on the Love to Learn site and receive free shipping).

For more information about me, Valerie Harmon, click here for why I think IEW is the best writing curriculum, and click here to see my professional background on LinkedIn. Personally, I'm a Mom who custom educates (also called homeschool) my six children, lives in Lehi and LOVES teaching, reading, editing, and writing. 

Advanced Shakespeare, at GMA, Fall Semester only

Advanced Shakespeare

Are you interested in taking Advanced Shakespeare fall semester from Valerie Harmon and Heidi Sorensen, compete in the Utah Shakespeare Festival the third week of October in Cedar City, and prepare and perform a student-led 45 minute Shakespeare play in December? See details below:

Auditions: Monday July 14, at 2:30pm at 680 E State St., Lehi (Chris Jones' office). Come prepared with a memorized monologue (1-3 min) and we might have you also do a cold read.

Dates: Thursdays, September 4-December 11, no class on October 9, 16, or November 27 (We're headed to the Shakespeare Competition in Cedar City from October 9-11)

Where: at George Mueller Academy, 121 East State Street Lehi UT

Who: youth ages 13 and above who are willing to study and write and turn in homework on time

Cost: Cost: $150 per student (includes competition fees, rent for our classroom, gas, food and lodging in Cedar City for the Competition, and a stage for the December play performance (hopefully Draper, but we'll see). And hopefully it'll include a professional play or two to watch in Cedar City. :) Students will be responsible to provide their own quality costume-the costume/time period will be one of the decisions made when class begins).

What: This class is for experienced Shakespearean acting youth (ages 13 and up) to prepare and compete in the Utah Shakespeare Festival in Cedar City and put on a play by themselves (with mentoring of course) in one semester.

When: Once a week, Thursdays from 2:30-4pm, One semester

Pre-requisite: Must have experience in Shakespearean acting (Shakespeare Conquest, for example), audition, and be ages 13 and up.

Class size: 18 students

The Shakespeare Competition: students MUST be available to compete in the Utah Shakespeare Festival Competition in Cedar City October 9-11.

Homework and Other Info: Because we will only hold class once a week, students will be expected to work on competition memorization etc. at home, and practice, perform and perfect it in class with the feedback from your mentors and classmates. :)

Part of the class will be mentoring the students in a 45 minute Shakespeare play to be performed in December (hopefully at the Draper Theater, we are working out details). These Advanced Shakespeare students will take on all the roles (which may need to be auditioned for if there are more than one student who desires the role, but that won't happen until after class begins): Director, Producer, Stage Manager and Crew, Sound, Hair, Makeup, Props, Sets, Lighting and Acting.

We MIGHT take the students to Shakespeare Showdown in May 2015 to perform the play, although that will require an additional $75 per student and depends on the teachers' May schedules as well as the students' interest in going.


COMPETITION INFORMATION
October 9-11, 2014, Cedar City Utah

Go here for more information on the competition. You can even watch videos of previous competitors:
http://bard.org/competition/#.U8FipY1dUmk

Links for possible memorization and competition scenes:
Suggestions for all acting events: http://bard.org/competition/pdfs/competitionpieceslist.pdf
Here are some monologue suggestions: http://bard.org/competition/pdfs/scenesmono.pdf
Suggestions for Duos/Trios: http://bard.org/competition/pdfs/scenesduotrio.pdf
Suggestions for Ensemble Scenes: http://bard.org/competition/pdfs/scenesensemble.pdf

We will be performing in the Essex division.

These are the different competitions (in Acting) and their time limits:
Mono (one person): two to four minutes
Duo/Trio (two or three characters): three to five minutes
Ensemble (no less than four people): six to ten minutes

These are the maximum number of competitors in each Competition from our group:
Acting Competition/Monologues: 3 competitors
Acting Competition/Duo/Trio Scenes: 2 groups
Acting Competition/Ensemble Scenes: 1 scene

This is what Judges judge, and what we'll be working on in class:
Voice
   Diction (articulation, variety)
   Projection (volume, clarity)
Body
   Physicalization (appropriate to character, consistency)
   Blocking & Movement (appropriate to action of scene)
Character
   Motivation (clear and believable)
   Emotion (true and believable)
   Objectives (specifically met)
Text
   Language (clarity, pronunciation)
   Understanding (clarity of ideas, concentration, focus)
   Degree of Difficulty


Teachers: Who is Valerie Harmon and Heidi Sorensen? Valerie has taught Shakespeare Conquest for two years with Rise Up Academy. You can see play trailers for the plays here ( As You Like It 1920's style) and here (Love's Labour's Lost traditional style). Heidi Sorensen co-mentored Love's Labour's Lost this past school year with Valerie. They had so much fun, and their youth are begging for more Shakespeare even though they've graduated from Shakespeare Conquest, that Valerie and Heidi decided to put together an Advanced Shakespeare class.

AP English, Fall and Winter semesters, at GMA

AP English at George Mueller Academy is for youth ages 13 and up. Youth need to be prepared to write (typed) at home, turn homework in on time, and practice terms with flashcards. Taking the CLEP and AP Literature tests are optional but encouraged.

AP English will be taught with two goals: practice and polish essay writing and earn college credit. First semester will be reading, writing AND preparing for the CLEP Composition test. Second semester will be reading, writing AND preparing for the AP Literature test.

AP English Class details:
When: Thursdays, 10:30am-12:00pm
First Semester: Thursdays, September 4-December 11, no class on October 9, 16, or November 27
Second Semester: Thursdays, Jan 22-April 23, no class on April 9 (with the AP Literature test in May)

Where: at George Mueller Academy, 121 East State Street Lehi UT

Who: youth ages 13 and above who are willing to study and write and turn in homework on time
Cost: $300 per year (it's a year long class, can pay in two payments of $150)

NOTE: BYU favors students who take AP classes, even if they do not take the AP test. Costs of taking the tests and for the reading and writing texts are not included in the class fee. Class taught by Valerie Harmon (http://www.linkedin.com/pub/valerie-harmon/61/8a7/2b).