Reminder: If you have not signed in (using your D11 log in) at the top under "User Options," you will not be able to view the documents on my website. Please check your D11 email and the Calendar link to the left at least 3 times a week. Starting no later than 4/7/2020, I am posting English 8 (Eng8) and AP Lit (AP) assignments on the calendar. Open up the link(s) and read carefully. Most assignments will have directions, attached links, and due dates. Note: new assignments may appear and overlap on the calendar. Reminder: If you have not signed in (using your D11 log in) at the top under "User Options," you will not be able to view the documents on my website.

"There are things known and there are things unknown, and in between are the doors of perception." - Aldous Huxley

UPDATE 3/30: This week (3/30 – 4/03) I, as well as your other teachers, are working on opportunities for your distance learning. These will start to roll out next week. You should also expect one of your teachers (most likely your 2^nd period teacher) to be contacting you by phone. If you have not heard from someone by Thursday, please reach out and make sure that Palmer High School/District 11 has your current contact information. Also, please make sure that you can access your District 11 email. Contact Mr. Vankirk or Mrs. Owens via email to assist you with this. I want to provide meaningful and relevant ways for you to continue to show what you know, grow, and look towards your post-secondary future. If you are a student who is wondering about what we are going to do for our classes during this time, as soon as I have answers, I will post information on my website as well as try to contact you through the District 11 Loop. I am also working on setting up “office hours” for you to ask questions about course work. If you are an AP student, we are still waiting for AP/College Board to finalize the testing options. My understanding is that they will have some decisions by April 3^rd. I would like to provide some review learning within the first full week of April that may include AP Literature videos and My AP Classroom.This is a trying and uncertain time for students, families, and our community. Know that I am thinking about you all. I want you to take care of yourself and your loved ones, and please practice social distancing.

3/19/20 Update Extended Closure to 4/17 = AP Students please finish reading Things Fall Apart, and check back at the end of the month for follow-up Assignments. Also, double check your log-in access to My AP Classroom that you joined with me at the beginning of the school year. (It's the on-line platform through AP/Collegeboard where I had you do some multiple choice practice.) In the beginning of April, as needed, I may assign you some practice assessments. Here is a link if you need assistance with remembering your password etc. https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/join-your-class-online ALSO, please continue to work on your Independent Inquiry Project. You should finish reading Source 2 and begin work on Sources 3 and 4. Then, use the documents posted in Assignments (to the left) to create your Annotated Works Cited which will be turned in to Turnitin.com at the end of April. ENGLISH 8 STUDENTS - Finish your reading your choice novel and start reading a new one (great time to read these days!) and start working examining your novel for presentation ideas (see Assignments link to the left - Individual Tasks). I am putting aside our class novel, The Road, so don't worry about that. Finally, take care of yourself and others: wash your hands, wipe down hard surfaces, and practice social distancing :), and remember to live in the moment with postive thoughts and consider how you can impact your own thoughtful future. 

2020 Students: With the newly implemented closure next week (3/16-3/20), please double check posted PPTS AND assignments in your class' folder to the left. Because of the early  closure, I have posted some new directions and documents. AP Students: Obtain a copy of Chinua Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart to read over the two weeks. I have also linked the supplementary readings for the play, DOAS, as well as the Socratic Seminar prompts in Assignments.  We will reconvene the first day back, once we know more about the schedule, on what we can/will do with these texts (see the PPT slides).English 8 Students: Please read your choice novel over the next two weeks. I have posted several documents in the English 8 Assignments under Choice Novel Summative Tasks, Choice Novel Summative Individual Tasks, as well as the Summative VV presentation model. Please begin to work on these to the best of your ability. Finally, if you cannot obtain a copy of Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Road to read through the first half of the novel on your own, you should read a summary of Sections 1 – 10 at https://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/r/the-road/summary-and-analysis/section-1

Hello, Terrors, and thanks for visiting my page!

I am Mrs. Durland, and I have taught in District 11 for over 24 years.

The images and ideas here reflect a little bit about me.

Please use the email link to the left to contact me and the "Calendar" and class tabs to access daily PowerPoints, handouts, and assignments.