7th Grade English
Grade: 7th      Credit: 1.0     Pre-requisite: None

This is an introductory English course intended to introduce and familiarize students with the literary elements and the many ways that they can be used in writing and speaking.  Students will also be learning the basic processes of reading, writing, speaking, and listening as well as how these essential skills can be used in their lives outside of the classroom.  Various genres and sources of literature will be analyzed and studied throughout the course of the class.  A variety of writing assignments will be required, varying from very short to medium in length.  Journal writing assignments will be given on a daily basis.  This is a highly interactive class. 

8th Grade English
Grade: 8th      Credit: 1.0     Pre-requisite: English 7th

This course is designed to prepare students for English I.  Students will review the essentials skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  Focus is on reviewing the literary elements and how they are used in various pieces of writing, as well as studying the different modes of writing.  Students will participate in many mini writing assignments that go along with the readings as well as a few small to medium writing assignments throughout the course of the class.  Journal writing assignments will be given on a daily basis.  This is a highly interactive class. 

English I
Grade: 9th       Credit: 1.0       Prerequisite: English 7th and 8th

This course is intended to help motivated students to become competent in essential skills:  reading, writing, and language.  Students will receive instruction in a variety of reading strategies with extensive practice.  Students will also review and study in greater depth the traits of effective writing, and partake in extensive writing exercises, with a focus on short to medium-length papers.  Each student will be required to write at least one of each type of essay (Narrative/Imaginative, Persuasive/Argumentative, and Informative/Explanatory/Research).  Students will also learn the fundamentals of preparing and delivering a speech, and will be required to deliver at least one speech. 
 
English II
Grade: 10th     Credit: 1.0        Prerequisite: English 7th, 8th, and I

This course focuses on improving skills in reading and writing to meet the Oregon Writing Standards.  Students will read from a variety of sources including novels, short stories, and plays.  Assessment will emphasize comprehension, reading fluency, and improving vocabulary.  Students will also work on short to long compositions to help improve their writing skills, reviewing and improving the skills learned in previous years.

English III
Grade: 11th     Credit: 1.0    Prerequisite: English 7th, 8th, I, and II

An extreme focus will be placed on the annals of American literature from Edgar Allan Poe all the way throughout history to Flannery O’Connor.  Students will expand their learning in all three content areas: reading, writing, and language.  A variety of genres will be explored by students, which may include film and non-fiction.  Special emphasis is placed on analyzing and discussing themes in literature and their interrelatedness to real-life experiences.  Emphasis will also be placed on reviewing sentence structure and conventions so as to help students meet state standards in these areas. 

English IV
Grade: 12th Credit: 1.0   Prerequisite: English 7th, 8th, I, II and III

This course will emphasize reading comprehension, the improvement of writing skills by participating in the senior project, and increasing one’s vocabulary.  Students will read several novels, plays, and short stories for discussion and comprehension.  They will also view several films as literature.  The main focus, however, will be on the completion of a senior project, writing a research paper, and giving an oral presentation to a panel of community members.  Although the main energy of the class will be spent on the senior project, a good portion of the content covered will generate from the British Literature.

LA Lab
LA Lab is a class designed to help students improve their reading and writing skills in order to pass the state tests required for graduation. We partake in various activities including practice tests on USA test prep, individual reading, class novel reading and comprehension, and writing practice. 

Journalism
Journalism is a class where students learn the basic types of journalistic writing with focus on photojournalism.  Students practice these skills by completing the annual yearbook.