Summer Reading & Assignments

Dear Parents of SJA Students,

As our students prepare for a well-deserved summer break, at Saint Joseph Academy, we are busily planning ahead for a new school year. Educational research consistently shows something that every teacher knows from experience, and that is that students who don’t read during the summer lose ground in their reading facility and comprehension. Further, the most successful university students are those who have developed excellent reading skills through exposure to a wide variety of literature. Finally, as we seek to prepare our students for a lifetime of learning, nothing could be more important than helping them develop a love of reading. Therefore, all Saint Joseph Academy students are required to participate in our Summer Reading Program. Each student at Saint Joseph Academy must read a minimum of two books before returning to school in August. The requirements are more rigorous for students in some Honors and AP classes. For the majority of classes we’ve provided two lists per grade—called List A and List B. In general, students are to read one book from each list. The books on the lists have been chosen by the English Department to be both age-appropriate and entertaining, and provide the students with the opportunity to choose books that will interest them.

In order to complete the summer reading requirement, your student should do the following:

  1. Check the course listing to identify the English or Language Arts course he/she will be taking next year.
  2. Consult the summer reading book lists and instructions which are available on the school website, www.sja.us, or in the school office.
  3. Select the appropriate books, and complete the summer reading assignment before the beginning of school. Books may be purchased through our online book store at escobookstore.com, or through the bookstore of your choice.
  4. Students in grades 7 through 12 must be ready to turn in their completed assignments on the first day of school in August.

Thank you for your cooperation with our Summer Reading requirement. We look forward to working with you. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at mvaladez@sja.us.

Sincerely,
Melissa Valadez
English Department & Writing Across Curriculum Chair

Click on course title below to view book lists and complete instructions for summer reading assignments.

French Summer Assignments

Dear Parents and SJA French Students,

In the interest of preparing SJA French students for next year, they will be required to do the summer assignments listed on this page. It is imperative to keep in touch with the language over the summer and not forget what was learned during the course of the year.   It is my goal to have the students build reading and listening comprehension skills at their own pace during the summer.  The activities are different for each level and were carefully chosen to be both age-appropriate and entertaining. The activities vary from online games (Fr II), to YouTube videos (Fr III) to viewing Francophone movies and reading a French book (Fr AP).

I encourage the students to work on the assignments throughout the summer rather than waiting until August to begin.  Students should aim to do some practice at least every other day.

In order to complete the French Summer Assignment requirement, the student should do the following:

  • 1.       Select the appropriate French Class for the year 2013-2014
  • 2.       Read the full summer assignment and print the Worksheet that goes with it.
  • 3.       The completed Worksheet must be turned in the first day of class in order to earn full credit

 If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me by email at rlopez@sja.us.

Sincerely,

Rosa  López, French Teacher

 

Summer Reading & Assignments · Saint Joseph AcademySummer Reading & Assignments · Saint Joseph Academy