Perhaps honor and integrity are passé. I hope not. I can also understand being busy, but to shrug off a book because it's 500 pages or because it would simply be easier to cheat is either lazy or dishonest. To be a member of the AP class at Sheboygan Falls requires integrity. You will be expected to read and think and express that thinking verbally and in writing. Believe it or not, it will be clear who has read the books and who has not.

There is little I can do to prepare students for a rigorous test if they are not willing to do the work required for success. And students who are not willing to do the work should honestly think about their motives for being in a rigorous class. If you think you are someone who will try to get by and fake your way through, you should see your counselor as soon as possible for another route to graduation.

To not read is to not be part of the group, and to not be part of the group would be a tragedy. We read and think and write, not just because it sharpens our minds, but also because it helps us understand who we are and why we are here and how we ought to live. We read some great stuff in this class and talk about really cool ideas. And Sophie's World is not just some big book. It's an introduction to the world of ideas. So, if that's not interesting to you, you should find a different class. Because if you are just sitting there all year while the rest of us "get it," you're going to be awfully bored and you won't be much fun to have around.