CHARLES DICKENS'S WRITING DESK                                                                                                                        Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life, or whether that station will be held by anybody else, these pages must show. To begin my life with the beginning of my life, I record that I was born (as I have been informed and believe) on a Friday, at twelve o'clock at night. It was remarked that the clock began to strike, and I began to cry, simultaneously. from David Copperfield by Charles Dickens Welcome to Eighth Grade Pre Advanced Placement Language Arts. One of our goals at Lake Dallas Middle School is to prepare our students for success after graduation.  Pre Advanced Placement courses are designed to prepare the Eighth Grade student for higher learning.  Studies have shown that students who complete PreAP and AP courses are:         More likely to exercise leadership         More likely to graduate with a double major         More likely to specialize in stringent majors         Twice as likely to go into advance study         Perform significantly better than cohorts who did not take Pre AP and AP courses         Increase scores on nationally accepted exams (SAT, ACT, CLEPT, TASP         More likely to complete more college course work in 4 years My name is Wanda Sanders. My favorite pastime is, of course, reading.  This love of literature led me to pursue a career where I could share this love with young people.  I have taught AP and Pre AP English for twelve years at the high school level and am excited about teaching eighth grade this year. I also love the new technology that we have available to us and enjoy painting, creating greeting cards, cooking and studying Mayan Archeology.  I have a degree in English Literature with a focus on British Literature, a minor in Speech Communication, and a certification in Computer Technology Applications.    I am a Master Teacher for the Intel Corporation and have taught computer classes at local colleges. I know that this year will be an exceptional one, and I look forward to working closely with parents and students in order to instill that love of learning and motivation that is necessary to success.