English

English 1, the first course in a required, college preparatory four-year sequence, is for 9th grade students who are prepared to build on their knowledge and skills mastered in middle school. This course provides the student with experience in a wide range of language arts. Emphasis is on composition skills, oral communication and literature. Attention is also given to grammar, sentence structure, vocabulary development, comprehension, research skills, and form and terminology. Students will develop more sophisticated responses to literature, learning to create and support inferences about characters, moods, themes, etc. They will read literary works of greater complexity and scope, and thereby prepare themselves for future English courses. 

This course is for 9th grade students who already possess strong reading and writing skills and are highly interested and motivated learners. English 1 Honors provides an enriched program with more extended, sophisticated writing projects and a more difficult level of literature. English 1 Honors covers all of the curriculum of English 1 but moves at an accelerated pace, requiring more reading, higher quality of writing and a deeper critical analysis of what is read than English 1 CP. 

This course is a non-weighted Honors course. 

English 2, the second course in a required, college preparatory four-year sequence, combines the influence of historical events within the context of the novels and themes taught in sophomore English. This course is meant to strengthen and expand the skills taught in English 1 with more emphasis on composition, speech, and historical and cultural influences. Emphasis is placed on developing the essay. Attention is also given to advanced forms and terminology of literature. Students will read literary works of greater complexity and scope, and thereby prepare themselves for more advanced English courses. 

This course is for 10th grade students who already possess strong reading and writing skills and are highly interested and motivated learners. English 2 Honors covers all of the curriculum of English 2 but moves at an accelerated pace, requiring more reading, higher quality of writing and a deeper critical analysis of what is read than English 2. 

This course is a non-weighted Honors course. 

The English 3 course is the third course in the four-year college preparatory sequence. The course incorporates a study of American literature through themes reflecting important components of the American character. It includes instruction in oral communication, grammar, and composition skills, emphasizing narration, exposition, and persuasion. Students begin their Genius Project in the "A" section of this class. 

AP English Language and Composition is an intensive, college-level, year-long course that addresses writing as a process and emphasizes all elements of the rhetorical framework, including the writeraudience relationship and the intervening elements of style, context, code, and message. This is primarily a nonfiction course where we will examine speeches, essays, arguments, and more. Students enrolled in this course are expected to work at the college level, applying close reading strategies to an array of challenging texts from various time periods and cultures. Additionally, students begin their Genius Project in the first trimester of this course. Students who complete this course are prepared to take the College Board AP Language & Composition exam. There is a required summer assignment to complete this course. 

The A and B portion of AP classes are weighted; the required Seminar portion is a non-weighted elective credit. 

The final course in the four-year college preparatory sequence, ERWC (formerly English 4) is designed to prepare college-bound seniors for the literacy demands of higher education through the Expository Reading and Writing Course. Through a sequence of rigorous instructional modules, students in this rhetoric-based course develop advanced proficiencies in expository, analytical, and argumentative reading and writing. The cornerstone of the course presents a process for helping students read, comprehend, and respond to nonfiction and literary texts. Modules also provide students in research methods and documentation conventions. Students will be expected to increase their awareness of the rhetorical strategies employed by authors, and to apply those strategies in their own writing. Additionally, students will complete their Genius Project in this course. 

AP English Literature and Composition is an intensive, college-level, year-long course that focuses on western literary development from the Greeks through the twentieth century, acquainting students with various genres and themes. Emphasis will be placed on a close reading of individual literary work. Additionally, students will complete their Genius Project in this course. This course is designed to furnish the serious student with an introduction to college-level literature and writing experiences. Students are expected to take the Advanced Placement English Literature exam. There will be a required summer assignment to complete this course. 

The A and B portion of AP classes are weighted; the required Seminar portion is a non-weighted elective credit.