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Teacher Biography

Hello, I am Mrs. Nichol, and I have been teaching at CPS since 1985. Through the years I have taught English to all of the grades in the high school, but mostly I teach 9^th and 10^th grades. 

I am married and have two children, David and Lisa.  They are both happily married now.  David graduated from Central Michigan in 2004 and is self-employed.  Lisa graduated from Michigan Tech in 2008 and is living and working in Tucson, AZ.

My husband and I enjoy gardening, camping, hiking, fishing, snowshoeing and other outdoor activities. We have added Tucson as one of our occasional destinations.

My schedule for 2009-10 is as follows:

First hour English 9 is 8:06 - 9:06

Second hour English 9 is 9:10-10:00

Third hour English 10 10:04-10:54

Junior High Lunch 10:54-11:24

Fourth hour GAD 8 11:28-12:18

Fifth hour English 10 is 12:22 - 1:12

Sixth hour Prep 1:16-2:06

Seventh hour Distance Learning 2:10-3:00

I am available for tutoring, conferences, and phone calls before school as I am usually here by 7:30 a.m., during my prep and after school.  Appointments for conferences are preferred, though not required.

Course Descriptions for English 9 and 10

These classes are designed to meet the Michigan high school Content Expectations. They cover writing, speaking, expressing, reading, listening, viewing, literature and culture, and language.  Students read a variety of forms of literature, study vocabulary, grammar and writing. Students read Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare in English 9, and students in English 10 read Night, a novel length autobiography by a Holocaust survivor plus Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Mrs. Nichol’s Room Rules

1.     Caring

A.   Saying nice things and sharing compliments with others

B.    Being considerate, kind and respectful in all your actions

C.   Lending a helpful hand to those around you

D.   Being the person others can count on

2.     Choices

A.   Making every decision carefully

B.    Thinking everything through responsibly

C.   Exercising your freedom to choose

D.   Deciding what is right and doing it

3.     Effort

A.   Achieving goals through commitment

B.    Giving your best in everything you choose to do

C.   Trying without giving up or giving in

D.   Making the most of every opportunity

4.     Honesty

A.   Being truthful to others

B.    Being truthful to yourself

C.   Doing what’s right regardless of who’s around

D.   Being someone others can trust

5.     Respect

A.   Treating others the way you want to be treated

B.    Showing kindness and consideration

C.   Liking yourself enough to be yourself

D.   Accepting others for whom they are

6. Responsibility

A. Being in control of your own behavior

B. Being trusted with important jobs

C. Having your work finished on time

D. Doing your part when working together

Accelerated Reader

The CPS IMC has marked the books in the Accelerated Reader program with a green dot on the binding. Because of this, students have called them green dot books for years.  Students are to read the books then take a test in their English classrooms on a computer. Depending on a book’s length and reading difficulty, each book is worth a certain number of points.  The longer and harder the book, the more points it is worth. 

Students in grade 9 need 15 points per marking period while 10 graders need 20 points.

This number of points will earn the student a 100% for that grade.  If they have some points, but not all of the points, they will receive a grade that reflects the percent they have earned.

The scheduled due dates are just before the end of the marking periods.

The grades will be recorded half way through the marking period then updated each Friday as students add more points.  This is updated weekly through the final due date.

Students may use books from many sources, including the CPS library, the public library, purchased or borrowed books.  Students should make sure the book they wish to read is on the list of tests available before they read the book. To see if a particular title is a green dot book, go to: www.arbookfind.com . Also high school students need to make sure their books are at the 4.0 reading level or higher.