Capistrano Valley High School - El Gato Yearbook (Mission Viejo, CA)

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A LET ME ENLIGHTEN YOU - Senior Adam Santerre proves that English presentations aren ' t that bad. Oral discussions, presenta- tions, and projects were favorites for most students. ENGLISH IS A DOG-EAT-DOG WORLD — Hypnotized, Sophomore Philip Tavvil ex- presses his creativity when under a spell. English wasn ' t always grammar and serious les- sons. English 103

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ti gf(Mmm, cud IM mj ujlim I u)ad tol Great literature is simply language charged with meaning to the utmost pos- l I f yr r n f sible degree. ' ' —Ezra Pound 4bsolutes? Infinitives? Coordinating conjunctions? These terms may not always be on the tip of your tongue, but Capo students learned just what they were in English classes. Whether it ' s AP Comp, Bible Lit, English I, or Remedial English, Capo English teachers strive to be the best in different ways. Mrs. Willett is strange. She tells jokes that don ' t make sense, but they help us learn the vocab words, said Freshman Gina Crotsky. Strong composition skills, reading, and writing are all stressed, but making the curriculum interesting is the difficult part for teachers; so thinking of ingen- ious ideas is always an adventure. 1 A. LET ME SHOW YOU HOW IT ' S DONE - English teacher Sharon Cole checks writing samples. All English students wrote essays, stories, and essays to strengthen their writing skills. ► THIS MAY TAKE A LITTLE THINKING — Deep in thought, senior Kristen DeBruyn ponders Mr. Victor ' s assignment. Students found that writing was very challenging but especially rewarding. I try to relate the lessons to the stu- dents ' own experiences and the con- temporary world. That makes it more practical, said English teacher Ken Kaefer. Croup discussions, literature, and speeches also allow students to partici- pate by applying their ideas. Most stu- dents like these topics much more than . . grammar! Most like grammar least because writing is hard work . hard work that they don ' t anticipate, said English teacher Sharon Cole. However, grammar is only a minor part of the English curriculum offered here. Students also participate in Mock Trial, the Renaissance Faire, Shakespe projects, the spelling bee, and many oth- er activities. Sophomore Connie Fang won the school spelling bee, and senior Cutie Lee was runner up. Many of these activities are not only enjoyable for the students, but they are included in the District Competition for Academic Sweepstakes. The CAP exams were also heavily emphasized for sen- iors. Sophomore Razeena Hamir even said, I like giving speeches and writing be- cause I really learn from them. After all, that ' s what English is all about. J HKgL '

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T LISTENING AND LEARNING — Sophomore Caryn Locke and freshman Brit Bykerk watch as a fellow student teaches the class. Students enjoyed group discussions and participation in foreign language. ► EXPRESSING A LITTLE MODERN ART Junior Heidi Matthews creates a Christm sweatshirt in German. Foreign language st dents participated in different projects make learning fun and beneficial. w Itdt wal tluit ufoftd? arlez-vous francais? Sprechts du Deutsch? dHabla Espariol? These • phrases may seem foreign to many people, but most Capo students recog- nize at least one of them, while others have mastered them. Once when I was in a toy store, I heard a Mexican man trying to buy a doll. He only spoke Spanish, and the clerk didn ' t understand him, so I inter- preted what he was saying, said junior Deepak Chandwani. Students have found that a second lan- guage can be very beneficial and reward- ing. Through discussions, games, and grammar lessons, students learn how to comprehend and converse in French, Spanish, or German. Freshman Cindy Day even explained, Mrs. Brown makes learning fun- she even makes a funny rat Language is the expression of ideas, and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas they cannot retain an iden- tity. — Noah W ebster face to describe the vocabulary word ' ugly. ' Through examples and new lessons, foreign language teachers strive to make learning a different dimension. The most exciting program of the foreign language department was International Week, which coincided with the National Lan- guage Week in April. The entire week was filled with activities such as a food fair, contests, teacher exchanges, and other diverse curriculum. International Week is to show stu- dents how to be more ' international ' and to celebrate the beauty of foreign lan- guages, said German teacher Beth Gibb. Foreign languages definitely allow stu- dents to be more international, and it certainly comes in handy.