Philosophy - The English Department recognizes the unique educational and emotional needs of each student. The English Department embraces it’s responsibility to teach the whole student in a student-centered approach. This approach promotes critical thinking, leadership skills, and teamwork. The English program prepares students to understand and appreciation interdisciplinary connections, especially those found between History and English programs. The English department consists of a group of dedicated, knowledgeable and flexible teachers who are aware and sensitive to the cultural diversity of the English literature covered, as well as the cultural diversity of the students.
College Prep English 1
This course challenges students to read various literary genres and focuses on English language skills such as reading, writing, spelling and vocabulary development. The literary genres to be covered include the short story, nonfiction, poetry, drama, legends and myths and genre fiction. The development of writing skills will be a focus of this class, including major emphasis on paragraph and essay writing. Essay writing includes the development of thesis statements, topic sentences, and supportive sentences. Journal writing is required for all independent reading.
College Prep English 2
This course will focus on literature, spelling, grammar, vocabulary and composition. The literature units are categorized by the seven genres: short stories, epic, folk tale, poetry, nonfiction, drama and novel. The short story unit emphasizes the elements of theme, irony, plot, point of view, symbolism, and characterization. Students will review parts of speech, subject verb agreement and punctuation. Writing skills will be developed through essays of narration, description, persuasion, and comparison/contrast.
College Prep English 3
This course focuses on American literature from the colonial period to the present day. Students will read a variety of literature by major American Writers and their time periods. It also offers a comprehensive vocabulary and grammar study, at the same time offering a detailed study of writing skills and techniques.
College Prep English 4
This course focuses on English literature from the Anglo-Saxon period to the present day. Students will read a variety of literature from each era while examining the historical impact of each era on the literature. The course also offers a comprehensive vocabulary and grammar study, at the same time offering a detailed study of writing skills and techniques. |
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Honors English 1
Honors English 1 introduces students to literature from a variety of genres including short story, poetry, non-fiction, and drama. Students will also be given writing assignments in a variety of forms including essays, creative writing, and a major research paper. Students will be working to strengthen effective reading, writing, and analytical skills. As this is an honors course, we will be moving at an accelerated pace in order to cover a wide range of literature from each genre.
Honors English 2
This course covers world literature from a variety of genres including short story, poetry, non-fiction, and drama. The students will develop the ability to think critically about the literature and communicate their ideas both orally and through writing. As this is an honors course, we will be moving at an accelerated pace in order to cover a wide range of literature from each genre. Students will be given writing assignments in a variety of forms including essays, creative writing, and a major research paper. Students will also be working to strengthen effective reading, writing, and analytical skills.
Honors English 3
This course focuses on American literature from the colonial period to the present day. Students will read a variety of literature from each era while examining the historical impact of each era on the literature. The course also offers a comprehensive vocabulary and grammar study, at the same time offering a detailed study of writing skills and techniques. Students in the honors section are expected to use personal initiative, creativity, and responsibility to develop depth of comprehension and mature responses to the material studied.
Advanced Placement English Literature and Composition
This course is designed to teach reading and writing skills at the level of an introductory college course. The course follows the curricular requirements described in the AP English Course Description and prepares students for the AP Literature and Composition exam.
Creative Writing
Creative Writing provides students with the opportunity to express themselves through writing using a variety of techniques and genres. Students will learn basic creative writing skills, with an emphasis on the writing process.
Speech
This course will discuss how human communication always occurs between two or more people, and that listening behaviors are as important as speaking behaviors. The students will learn to develop clear speaking and listening skills. Speech class will meet daily for one semester.
Journalism
Journalism will apply, discuss and practice the particular form of journalistic writ ing in its many facets. Included in Journalism is the publication of the monthly school newspaper and yearbook. Also, students in Journalism will send publications to area newspapers and the school website.
Shakespeare and Catholicism
Biographical and literary evidence proving the Shakespeare’s adherence to the Catholic faith in a time of persecution and upheaval in Elizabethan England is discussed, and Shakespeare’s works are examined. Among the plays discussed in light of Shakespeare's faith is
Romeo & Juliet , Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, Macbeth, and King.
Feminine Perspectives in Literature
This course focuses on the ways in which women have used their voices and written words to speak about their own lives and times. Focusing on coming-of-age literature and other works that speak directly to women's conditions, the curriculum features a survey of internationally-recognized female and male writers and their works. In addition, poetry and essays from diverse regions and time periods will be used. |
