English
The English Department’s curriculum is based on a sequencing of skills that ranges over three levels:
- Middle School, Grades 6-8: Middle school instruction is literature-based. A variety of literary models — historical, cultural, classical, contemporary, and personal — introduces students to a wide range of reading types. These experiences are complemented by a writing program that simultaneously acquaints students with the foundations of the writing program while using class readings to develop those foundations.
- High School, Grades 9-10: The curriculum of the ninth and tenth grades reinforces the literary and writing skills of the middle school while expanding on them to incorporate a wider range of personal readings and writings. Instruction focuses on developing student sensitivity to the nuances of language and the depths of thought, requiring students to move beyond content to shaping and understanding content so as to apply it to their lives. The intent of the first five years of instruction is to provide students with the skills necessary to perform well in the elective courses offered their junior and senior years.
- High School, Grades 11-12: The elective system enables students to apply learned skills to the study of a variety of cultures, concepts, and values. Electives offer students the opportunity to dig deeply into literary surveys, writing programs, and contemporary and classical thought.
Eleventh and twelfth grade students choose from a variety of rotating courses, enabling them to study topics of interest. Courses are described in the Curriculum Catalog.
