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April 22, 2008

Dear Parents and Guardians of English II students:

It is hard to believe it is almost May and the end of the school year is almost in sight. Many thanks to all of you who supported our school through donations to the Gifts of the Heart Auction, the upcoming Run for the Peak, and the annual fund. We are a great school because of the generous support of Peak to Peak families.

In English II, we are getting ready to begin Parallel Journeys, our last major unit of the year. Written by local author Eleanor Ayer, Parallel Journeys is the non-fiction account of two young people growing up in Europe during World War II. Helen Waterford, a Jewish woman, and Alfons Heck, a former member of the Hitler Youth, collaborated with the author to paint a picture of the war from the point of view of the young people who lived through it. Examining profound questions of responsibility, culpability, and forgiveness, the text traces the parallel journeys of Waterford and Heck through the war up to the present day. In addition to writing the book, they now tour the country sharing their experiences and warning against the dangers of intolerance. The book lends itself beautifully to discussions of our character education themes of tolerance, integrity, and difficult choices. The students will be writing their own parallel journey in conjunction with another student and will use this opportunity to continue to refine the writing process.

As always, I encourage you to support your child’s work in English this year by talking with him or her about the work we are doing at school. Please continue to check the homework page and Infinite Campus to stay informed about your child’s progress. If you ever have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me either by voice mail (303-453-4627) or email (jennifer.jouzdani@bvsd.org).

Sincerely,

Jennifer Jouzdani

English Teacher

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