1500-A Harlem Avenue

Baltimore, Maryland 21217

(410)396-7701(p) (410)669-5815(f)

Greetings AFSIVA Family:

Welcome to a wonderful school year at The Augusta Fells Savage Institute of Visual Arts! We are so excited that you are joining us to become involved in a rich learning experience, and we appreciate your commitment toward graduation and post-secondary success. In the spirit of Augusta Fells, and in preparation for these great endeavors, we ask that all students read the attached information, and complete the following items according to your grade level:

Incoming 11th Graders-

  • Read “What Makes a Student College Ready?”
  • Read SAT informational
  • Complete summer reading and assignments

If you are a new student to AFSIVA in grade 10, 11 or 12, please be sure to attend a very important orientation and information session on Tuesday, July 22, 2014 at 11:00 AM, in the media center.

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Summer Reading and Assignment:

Reading and writing are skills that can have life-changing consequences for young people; high level literacy skills are becoming a universal requirement in all jobs within the workforce. In preparation for this, AFSIVA realizes the need to engage students in high quality reading that they can enjoy and writing that provides a platform for them to have voice and opinion. Our goal is to address student struggles with reading, writing and engagement by providing relevant text and inspirational activities that will make students feel empowered upon entering school this fall.

We have chosen to utilize resources from Alfred Tatum’s ID: Voice: Vision: Identity program for students to complete summer reading of a novel, supplemental reading, and activity. The ID Program is designed to assist youth with the enjoyment of reading and awakening of their spirits, while shaping and making sense of their identity by finding their right to be heard and engaging with text that can connect them to long-term goals and purpose.

“ID students are invited to exercise their right tobeadvocates and to have advocateson the pages and outside the pages of what they read and write.”

With expression as a heavy focus at AFSIVA, our wish is to provide students with many opportunities to improve their comprehension and communication by engaging them in a literary community that is meaningful and significant. We wish to value student intelligence and stimulate student strength by enabling them to read, connect and write about their experiences.

Students, please read the novel, complete supplemental reading(s) and the assignment by September 2, 2014. Copies of all books are available at the school and copies of supplemental readings are posted on the school’s website. Please feel free to visit between the hours of 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM if a book is needed, or if you have any questions or concerns. Here is your assignment below:

Grade 11-

  • Novel Title:Behind the Eyes by Francisco X. Stork
  • Supplemental Reading Title(s):Undertaker by Patricia Smith

Theme: Perseverance and Becoming Resilient

Essential (Essay) Question: Is violence the solution-or the problem? Write a five paragraph essay answering this question, citing specific evidence from the following:

  • In Behind the Eyes, by Francisco Stork, observe how the character in this book gains self-definition and regains authority over his life in spite of his grueling experience in a juvenile facility.
  • In Undertaker, by Patricia Smith, find details and language that contribute to the power and appeal of the poem.

STUDENTS, A MAJOR ENGLISH GRADE WILL BE GIVEN FOR THESE ASSIGNMENTS, SO PLEASE DO YOUR BEST! WE WILL ALSO RAFFLE OFF PAIRS OF BEATS BY DRE HEADPHONES AND AFSIVA WEAR FOR ALL WHO COMPLETE THEIR READING AND ASSIGNMENTS ON TIME!

We wish you a wonderful rest of the summer and look forward to seeing you soon!

Tracy Hicks