The WHS college prepatory (CP) English courses utilize the Odell Education curriculum.  This curriculum develops and enhances the skills of close reading, thoughtful writing-- formal, reflective, and creative--respectful speaking and listening, reflection, research, vocabulary and grammar [development], collaboration,  and critical thinking. The Odell Education curriculum  "is [also] dedicated to fostering creativiy and critical thinking" with "approaches to equip...and empower...students with the literacy essential for success in college, career, and civic life."

The English Departments also offers courses, free of charge, that can result in college credit. Those courses are the Advanced Placement Language and Compostion, Advanced Placement Literature and Composition, University of Rhode Island one semester concurrent enrollment 3 college credit course entitled "Writing to Inform and Explain" (WHS calls it College Writing) and the University of Rhode Island Intro to Literature 4 college credit concurrent enrollment class. 

Within each course, whether CP, AP, or College Credit, teachers guide students to bring forth their best creative/critical thinking skills, analytical processes, argumentative/rhetorical skills, and creative talents. In addition, students learn to challenge, question, and/or consider the deeper meaning of topics and texts as they develop their ELA, civic, and life skills. 

Beyond the challenging grade level courses, our electives also offer opportunities to investigate and enjoy other aspects of English curricula. Whether they experiment with form and voice in Creative Writing I or II, find deeper meaning in viewing/reading film in Film I or Film II, learn to investigate informational literacy and write like a journalist in Journalism, or develop their rhetorical speaking and voice skills in Public Speaking, students engage in materials as personally challenging and enlightening as they are enjoyable. 

Each year, students build upon the prior year’s learning as they develop into students who gradually learn more about the human experience, and  their role in their own lives. They grow into more confident readers, writers, arguers, thinkers, speakers, creators, and architects of their futures.