English

The English Department's courses operate in a relatively uncomplicated manner. All students must, of course, take English for four years. By and large, most students progress from English 1 to English 4. Other students can progress from Honors English 1 to Honors English 4 or even to Advanced Placement English, which is offered senior year.

Students are not permanently locked into either course sequence. With teacher recommendation, students averaging 90 or higher for the year can move from the college preparatory section to the honors section at the beginning of the next academic year.  Conversely, students already in an honors course must maintain a yearly average of 80 to keep their eligibility.  The department will not take responsibility for unsatisfactory performances by students placed in honors classes without department approval.

Perhaps no other academic discipline possesses the responsibilities of English.  English should lead students to discover that they have a great need for language to understand and to appreciate and, finally, to have impact upon their world.  English can lead them to know that they are not alone, that the same issues that surround and seem to threaten their lives have been part of the common experience of man forever, that laughter is still possible, and that writers of the past and present are crucial in making life worth living.