Focus: A Novel about What We See on the Surface and Underneath

Before "Death of a Salesman" appeared on Broadway, great American playwright Arthur Miller published his one and only novel. FOCUS is the story of a man living in 1945 New York City whose entire world is turned upside down the moment he gets new glasses. As we read together one of the first books to address anti-Semitism in America during WWII, students will have the opportunity to discuss themes such as perception vs. reality, social labeling, and how those themes relate today. Students will also read supplemental articles about Arthur Miller and hear from the instructor's personal knowledge of Arthur Miller interviews to gain a better understanding of the man and his motivations. Students may also (optionally) view the 2001 FOCUS movie starring William H. Macy and Laura Dern to add to our discussion of this powerful novel.

Focus by Arthur Miller

Mrs. Karen Morrisette

[email protected]

Karen Morrisette earned both her BS and MS in English Education from Millersville University, PA. She has taught high school English for 30 years and served as a college adjunct for 2 years. Mrs. Morrisette is retiring from public education in June, 2025 and is excited to join Schole Academy in the fall as a Latin instructor. Mrs. Morrisette began studying Latin in 2016 with Dr. Peter and Laurie Brown at the Lancaster Center for Classical Studies and continues to take classes with the Browns today. She earned her Latin teaching certification in 2021 and looks forward to sharing the beauty and benefits of Latin with the students of Schole Academy. Mrs. Morrisette resides in Lancaster, PA with her husband and has two adult children. She is a parishioner of Saint John Neumann Catholic Church. When she is not studying Latin, you can find her swimming laps at the pool.

Computer: You will need a stable, reliable computer, running with a processor with a speed of 1 GHz or better on one of the following operating systems: Mac OS X with Mac OS 10.7 or later; Windows 8, 7, Vista (with SP1 or later), or XP (with SP3 or later). We do not recommend using an iPad or other tablet for joining classes. An inexpensive laptop or netbook would be much better solutions, as they enable you to plug an Ethernet cable directly into your computer. Please note that Chromebooks are allowed but not preferred, as they do not support certain features of the Zoom video conference software such as breakout sessions and annotation, which may be used by our teachers for class activities.

High-Speed Internet Connection: You will also need access to high-speed Internet, preferably accessible via Ethernet cable right into your computer. Using Wi-Fi may work, but will not guarantee you the optimal use of your bandwidth. The faster your Internet, the better. We recommend using a connection with a download/upload speed of 5/1 Mbps or better. You can test your Internet connection here.

Webcam: You may use an external webcam or one that is built in to the computer. Webcam Recommendations: Good (PC only) | Best (Mac and PC)

Headset: We recommend using a headset rather than a built-in microphone and speakers. Using a headset reduces the level of background noise heard by the entire class. Headset Recommendations: USB | 3.5mm

Zoom: We use a web conferencing software called Zoom for our classes, which enables students and teachers to gather from around the globe face to face in real time. Zoom is free to download and easy to use. To download Zoom:

Visit zoom.us/download.
Click to download the first option listed, Zoom Client for Meetings.
Open and run the installer on your computer.
In August, students will be provided with instructions and a link for joining their particular class.

Scanner: In this class, students frequently submit homework assignments by scanning pages from their workbooks. Students and/or their parents should have easy access to a scanner and the ability to use it.

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First, read the available course descriptions, noting prerequisites, target grades, and course objectives. If you think your student is prepared for the course, go ahead and register. After registration, a placement assessment may be provided to students, depending on the course and the student's previous enrollment with Scholé Academy. Registration is finalized when the student's placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation.

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This registration will be finalized when the student's placement assessment has been returned by the course instructor with placement confirmation.