English I
1 Credit – 2 Semesters
Required course for 9th grade
This English course is devoted to studying the four literary genres (short story, poetry, novel, and drama), developing writing skills, expanding vocabulary, broadening the student’s understanding of grammar, and gaining mastery of word processing. The required literature stimulates writing assignments that range from the paragraph to the personal narrative to more formal expository prose.

Honors English I
1 Credit – 2 Semesters
Required course for 9th grade
Prerequisite: Must meet criteria established for placement
The student enrolled in Honors English I begins three years of preparation for AP English her senior year. In addition to the areas of study identified in English I, she can expect to develop and expand her analytical skills through extended reading and writing opportunities. Additional outside reading and research are required.

Reading/Writing Lab I
1 Credit – 2 Semesters
Elective course for 9th grade
Prerequisite: Placement test scores and teacher recommendation
This course is designed for the student who needs additional practice and assistance in reading and writing skills. One semester will focus on the Fast ForWord reading enhancement program. The other semester will focus on reading comprehension and writing skills. The class work is good preparation for the student both with the increased reading demands of high school and for cementing a foundation with which to begin a world language in the sophomore or junior year.

English II
1 Credit – 2 Semesters
Required course for 10th grade
Prerequisite: English I
English II builds on the writing skills and literary skills taught in English I. Composition moves from paragraphs and short themes to a more formal paper; the literature includes nonfiction, as well as poetry, drama, short stories, and novels. Vocabulary and grammar basics are reinforced, and students complete a research paper.

Honors English II
1 Credit – 2 Semesters
Required course for 10th grade
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Honors English I with at least a B average and teacher signature
In addition to the types of skill-building activities outlined in the English II curriculum, sophomores enrolled in Honors English II are required to complete expanded, independent study assignments. Additional readings, research, and writing projects are required as assigned.

(If a change from regular English I into Honors II is not teacher-initiated, students desiring to move into honors must have an average of at least A- in regular English I and complete an essay from materials supplied by the Honors English II teacher.)

Reading/Writing Lab II
1 Credit – 2 Semesters
Elective Course for 10th grade
Prerequisite: teacher recommendation
This course is designed for the student who needs the additional practice and assistance in reading and writing skills. Other communication skills may be added to this course. It is good preparation for the students both with the increased reading demands of high school and for cementing a foundation with which to begin a world language in the junior year.

English III American Literature
1 Credit – 2 Semesters
Required course for 11th grade
Prerequisite: English I & II
The junior literary study is centered on American writers. The readings serve as a springboard for writing. The direction of the writing varies from creative (short stories) and poetry to formal research and analytical papers. The standards for English composition which were introduced in English I and II will continue to be reviewed and stressed.

Honors English III
1 Credit – 2 Semesters
Required course for 11th grade
Prerequisite: Successful completion of Honors English II with at least a B average and teacher signature
See English III for a general description of the junior English curriculum. A junior who enrolls in Honors English III can expect to develop and expand her analytical skills through extended writing opportunities. Additional outside reading and research are required.

(If a change from regular English II into Honors III is not teacher-initiated, students desiring to move into honors must have at least an A- average in regular English II and complete an essay from materials supplied by the Honors English III teacher.)

English IV
1 Credit – 2 Semesters
Required course for 12th grade
Prerequisite: English I, II & III
This course is a survey study of British literature including a piece of Old English literature, a piece from the Middle Ages, a Shakespearean tragedy, an 18th century novel, and a selection of modern British literature. Students also study poetry and write a research paper.

AP English IV
1 Credit – 2 Semesters
Required course for 12th grade
Prerequisite: Cumulative grade of B+ or better in Honors English III
Score of no less than 23 on the PLAN or ACT Verbal or a score of no less than 500 on the PSAT or SAT Verbal
Overall cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better
Teacher signature
A wide variety of literary works in all genres is studied; texts range from Shakespeare to contemporary women’s poetry and contemporary novels. The course has several aims: to sharpen critical-reading and thinking skills; to improve a student’s scholarly writing; to prepare the interested student to take the College Board Advanced Placement test in English Literature and Composition; and generally, to prepare the student for college reading and writing. The student who enrolls in AP English should be prepared for the challenges of the course, which include a rapid pace of study, independent reading, frequent analytical writing and revision, and a significant amount of homework.

Creative Writing
½ Credit – 1 Semester
Elective course for 10th, 11th, & 12th grades
Creative writing is a workshop-style class. The student writes in several forms; poems, dialogues, monologues, and short stories, one act plays, vignettes, memoirs, and a variety of stimulating and entertaining exercises for the benefit of the writer’s eye, writer’s ear, and writer’s craft. Students establish a trusting community with other writers, servicing each other as an appreciative audience and as sympathetic and constructive critics. The instructional foundation of the course is that writing “talent” belongs to everyone and anyone; each student is a potentially gifted writer, and each student has experience that calls for imaginative expression and the search for her unique voice.

Film Studies
½ Credit – 1 Semester
Elective course for 11th & 12th grades
This class focuses on how to read cinematic texts as artifacts of visual culture. The aim of this course is to provide the student with a general knowledge of the history of cinema, to demonstrate how movies are made, and to introduce some of the most influential films and filmmakers of the modern film period. We will also connect the various films that we’re watching throughout the semester. While attending to these areas of focus, we will closely “read” each film by analyzing specific shots, scenes, and cuts in detail to become better readers of the visual culture around us.

Contemporary Literature
½ Credit – 1 Semester
Elective course for 10th, 11th & 12th grades
This course is designed for the student who would like to continue their literary education and development as a reader. Books for this course have been selected to encourage students to read literature as a way to personally and critically engage with the world around them as they become lifelong readers.

Women’s Studies
½ Credit – 1 Semester
Elective course for 11th & 12th grades
A one semester elective for juniors and seniors, this course will involve the study of an historical overview of women writers in and prior to the nineteenth century. Students will read selected works of women writers of the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries and be encouraged to develop and express their own voices through personal writing.