High school courses

Hobbits, Orcs, wizards, dashing knights, and powerful elves are all part of the magic created in J.R.R. Tolkien’s famously epic tale, The Lord of the Rings. For years, the vivid characters within this beloved story could exist only in the readers’ minds—until it was adapted into a movie that allowed fans to finally see, through the eyes of Hollywood magic and brilliant technology, the manifestation of these characters onscreen.

Learn techniques from famous speakers throughout history while learning what it takes to make a great speech. Develop skills that will serve you well throughout your career and personal life. Bring your speeches to life by learning about body language, vocal, and other techniques. Learn about logic and reason while gaining the confidence to help create and deliver great presentations and speeches.

Students are introduced to public speaking, build confidence, and utilize modern technology to create and present a variety of presentations for different purposes and audiences; these can include informative presentations, persuasive presentations, special occasion speeches, and others. Students view, analyze, and evaluate several examples of public speaking for technique and effectiveness, including nonverbal communication (body language) and the sound and flow of speaking.

From vampires to ghosts, these frightening stories have influenced fiction writers since the 18th century. This course will focus on the major themes found in Gothic literature and demonstrate how the core writing drivers produce, for the reader, a thrilling psychological environment. Terror versus horror, the influence of the supernatural, and descriptions of the difference between good and evil are just a few of the themes presented.

Journalism I provides students with the fundamental basics of journalism. Students begin by exploring the history of American journalism, examining different media such as print, radio, television, and internet journalism. Students learn how to write a news story, a feature story, and an editorial, with a focus on research, analyzing the reliability of sources, conducting interviews, writing leads, revising, and self-editing.

Provides essential skills for future English courses as well as for writing across the curriculum and in the workplace. Patterns of development include division/classification, compare/contrast, and persuasive, along with a selection of other types such as cause & effect, definition, and exemplification. Students learn the basics of expository composition, with a strong emphasis on using the writing process to create well-structured essays.

Students review the common mythologies of the world, as well as review more recent versions of these same stories. Exploring myths and legends throughout the world, students learn about the similarities that span time and culture in storytelling. At the end of the course, the students pull together their knowledge of the three areas mentioned above and use that to create their own myth or mythology.

Come explore the world of big ideas in English IV, where you are able to choose which path you will travel first as you explore highly engaging, thematic units. Each path will guide you through a series of literary pieces that allow you to analyze the political, social, economic, and cultural messages of its time as well as its relevance to the world you live in today. Each path revolves around a central theme.

“Extra, extra, read all about it!” It’s all right here in black and white, in the pages of The Virtual Times newspaper. Published at key periods in American history, The Virtual Times takes us right into the action. The writing is clear and concise. The stories and opinions give us perspective. The sports and entertainment sections give us the color and flavor of the times.

English II uses the hero’s journey to explore world literature from ancient to modern times.  Students will practice literary analysis and composition and learn about essential grammar and literary elements concepts. Finally, students will learn narrative & research writing concepts.

Grammar is the system and structure of a language, the governing force. It provides the users of that language with collective rules, patterns, and guidelines through which they communicate with each other. Elements of Grammar will survey the important aspects of English language grammar. The course will begin by examining the smallest units of meaning and build to developing varied and complex sentences.

Join us in English I for a series of journeys. In each unit of the course, we embark on a new journey. Through the study of literature, nonfiction, and life, we will explore the unknown, search for identity and equality, and seek achievement, opportunity, and understanding. You will read to analyze the way language is used to express human motivation and will research to examine the results of actions in the real world.

In this class, students apply the writing process to creative fiction writing. Prepare to investigate, evaluate and demonstrate your understanding of key elements of fiction including plot, theme, character development, dialogue, setting, tone, sensory language, and author's purpose. Introduction to Fiction culminates with the development of a story outline that can later be transformed into a full-length story or novel.

Film and television is an increasingly relevant way to experience storytelling and its lessons in modern culture.  Film and television communicate meaning differently than written text,  and their realm is a  world of rich visual language.

Students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of British literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and socialscience. They conduct in-depth analyses of recurrent patterns and themes, structural features, and narrative literary elements and devices. Students produce writing and projects in response to literature, including biographical/ autobiographical, creative, persuasive, literary analysis, technical, and research.

Students learn the art of persuasive writing, backed by careful research, and presented in an effective manner that is free of logical fallacies. They distinguish persuasive writing from other types of compositionsand learn how to apply persuasive writing and common textual features. They apply understanding of the effects of audience and purpose on persuasive writing. Students also evaluate persuasive writing and speaking for reputability, logic, and presentation.