CLASSES:
ENGLISH 9 is a year-long class designed to introduce students to high school reading and writing. Students in both Regular and Honors will read Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli, The Odyssey by Homer and Gareth Hinds, and Animal Farm by George Orwell. Honors students will also read Anthem by Ayn Rand and Big Fish by Daniel Wallace.
Students will also learn to write five-paragraph and persuasive essays, fiction stories, and personal essays. They will refine their speech, presentation, research, and grammar skills, as well as design small projects on their own which fit with the books we're reading while also giving them a chance to strike out on their own and find something they're interested in.
ENGLISH 10 is a year-long class designed to build off the reading, writing, and grammar skills students learned in English 9. All students in English 10 will read Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. Students in Regular will also read Monster by Walter Dean Myers, articles on current events, and short stories; students in Honors will read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and a dystopian novel of their choice, along with a fourth-quarter piece that is TBD.
Students will also continue writing and refining persuasive essays and fiction stories, while students in Honors will be introduced to literary analysis and essays, which will introduce students to AP-level reading and writing.
AMERICAN LIT & COMP is a year-long class for juniors and seniors. This class is designed as a month-by-month survey of American history as seen through the eyes of its people. Short projects are also a requirement of these monthly units, and students will have some freedom over what they choose to work on.
Students will also work on their writing skills, which includes college-level research essays, persuasive essays, literary analysis, and personal writing. Students will also work on scholarship and college admission essays, employment skills, and financial literacy.
APPLIED TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS IN HUMAN RELATIONS is a year-long class for juniors and seniors. It is also transcripted through NTC, and students who successfully complete this course will recieve 3 credits.
This class is designed to ease the transition into life after high school, when many of our students will be entering the work force, joining the military, or attending 2-year or technical schools. Students will learn jobs skills, such as writing resumes and cover letters, interviewing for a job, writing budgets, strengthening teamwork skills, and giving oral and written reports.
Students will also be educated in financial literacy, which includes lessons in personal finance, taking out loans, buying insurance, planning for retirement, mortgages, and organizing financial accounts. As part of this, students will complete at least three projects throughout the year in which they must research and write project proposals, submit a budget, and track their expenditures to better understand these concepts.
WORLD LIT & COMP is a year-long class for juniors and seniors. This class is designed as a comprehensive survey of myths, religions, and civilizations throughout the world. This includes Mesopotamia; the Aztecs, Incas, and Maya; Christianity, Judaism, Islam, and Hinduism; and modern-day China and India.
Students will also work on their writing skills, which includes college-level research essays, persuasive essays, literary analysis, and personal writing. Students will also work on scholarship and college admission essays. During the 2015-2016 school year, students will also begin working on employement skills and financial literacy.