English

Success in the modern world depends more than ever on communication skills. The St. John’s Prep English Department helps students acquire the skills necessary for successful communication: reading, thinking, analyzing, and writing. Through literature, writing assignments, and class discussions, we introduce students to the important issues and ideas that will help them to explore their own identity and the nature of the world around them.

Students entering the High School advance their communication skills through reading, thinking, analyzing, and writing. Each year features a signature focus. Ninth grade English begins with an overview of the study skills necessary for success at St. John’s Prep. Through exercises which involve reading and composition assignments, students learn note-taking, outlining, and organizational skills. The literary focus of the ninth grade exposes students to the study of the four major genres: novels, short stories, poetry, and drama. Tenth grade English is divided into a study of archetypes in literature and the study of tragedy. Eleventh grade English presents a comprehensive study of American literature, and twelfth grade centers on a wide-ranging study of British literature.

The difficulty of course readings and writing assignments varies by level. For example, an Honors class may read five books per quarter, while an Accelerated class may read three, and a CP class two. Similarly, while all students will write often each quarter, the degree of difficulty in the assignments reflects the level of the class.

In This Section

English Courses

English 1

In the ninth-grade English curriculum, students are not only exposed to a diverse range of literary texts but also challenged to think critically about themselves and the world around them. This inclusive approach encourages students to find their voices through various writing exercises such as descriptive paragraphs, personal narratives, analytical essays, and original poetry. The curriculum fosters a love of reading by incorporating both traditional and modern works, including a collection of short stories, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, and either Romeo and Juliet or Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare. Furthermore, St. John's Prep emphasizes the importance of developing 21st-century research skills through papers and projects. As students progress through the year, they not only enhance their writing abilities but also build confidence in public speaking through class presentations. To prove their proficiency in acquiring these various skills, students will take quizzes and tests, write papers, complete projects, and present their findings in public speaking exercises. Students who face challenges in demonstrating proficiency will receive constructive feedback and find opportunities to meet with teachers one-on-one for additional support. All of our work aligns with the school's mission and commitment to promote human dignity, compassion, integrity, justice, and service to society.

required course - grade 9 [1 credit]

English 2

In this course, students will engage in a comprehensive study of language and literature, with a focus on expanding their vocabulary, exploring poetry, conducting literary analysis and research, honing their creative and reflective writing skills, mastering study skills, delving into grammar, and analyzing literary works such as Macbeth, Lord of the Flies, and The Poet X, along with various supplementary titles.

required course - grade 10 [1 credit]

English 3

In the eleventh-grade English curriculum, students are exposed to a diverse range of American literary texts and challenged to think critically about themselves and the world around them. This inclusive approach encourages students to find their voices through various writing exercises, such as personal narratives, analytical essays, and original poetry. The curriculum fosters a love of reading by incorporating both traditional and modern works, including The Nickel Boys, The Great Gatsby, a collection of short stories, and an American play. Building on research skills developed freshman and sophomore years, students will compose a comprehensive research essay based on a work by an American author. As students progress through the year, they not only enhance their writing abilities but also build confidence in public speaking through class presentations. To prove their proficiency in acquiring these various skills, students will take quizzes and tests, write papers, complete projects, and present their findings in public speaking exercises. Students who face challenges in demonstrating proficiency will receive constructive feedback and find opportunities to meet with teachers one-on-one for additional support. All of our work aligns with the school's mission and commitment to promote human dignity, compassion, integrity, justice, and service to society.

required course - grade 11 [1 credit]
*student may substitute this class with AP English language

English 4

With a foundation of British Literature, senior classes explore critical questions, themes, and issues surrounding identity, heroism, and free will. Literature includes required titles -- Beowulf, Hamlet, and Frankenstein -- and supplementary works of a variety of authors, genres, and cultural perspectives. All students write a personal narrative, complete at least one research project using multiple sources, and compose journal responses, creative fiction, and literary analysis essays, among other techniques of writing.

required course - grade 12 [1 credit]
*student may substitute this class with AP English Literature

AP English Language

Requires successful completion of English 2 Honors or department approval) What is rhetoric? The AP Language course seeks to answer that question by examining the crucial relationship between form and content in the pages of American literature, history, and culture. The principal objective of this course is for all students to become engaging writers for a variety of audiences and purposes. The course includes a comprehensive introduction to classical rhetoric, focusing on persona, audience, rhetorical appeals, and rhetorical schemes and tropes. During the course of the year students compose a variety of expository, narrative, and argumentative papers, focusing on rhetorical analysis in close reading essays. The Advanced Placement Writing Rubric is also used to assess numerous timed compositions. At the conclusion of the course, students are expected to sit for the AP English Language and Composition Exam.

[1 credit]
prerequisite: successful completion of english 2 honors or departmental approval

AP English Literature

The Advanced Placement English program at St. John's is a sophisticated approach that is open to highly motivated students. It focuses on a class experience where the students are able to learn and to teach at the same time in an atmosphere of both lecture and discussion. It presupposes not only the highly motivated student, but also the student who has mastered the forms and skills of English usage and who is ready to attain mature and college-oriented abilities in reading, writing, analysis, class discussion, critical technique and the integration of these skills with a love for the material and its application to human experience. The students study the chronological development of English literature in its various forms. Students may also participate in a series of seminars which specifically prepare them for the AP exam's style of questions. These seminars enhance the participants' awareness of what is required for success on the AP examination in May.