All students must complete 4 years of English. The Regents exam is taken at the end of the third year.

English: (Grade 9) In this year long course students will be introduced to a variety of authors and writing styles through a humanities curriculum. Texts studied may include The Epic of Gilgamesh; Beowulf; Oedipus Rex; Antigone and the Tempest. In addition, students will have a large writing component to this course. Essay writing; structure; grammar; research skills and test-taking strategies will be emphasized.

English: (Grade 10) Students will be exposed to World Literature, which may include writers such as Edwidge; Dandicat; Chinua Achebe; Elie Wiesel; Laura Esquivel; Frank McCourt and Jane Austin. Students will also continue to work on formal essay writing and creative writing.

English: (Grade 11) This course covers American literature from Native American folk tales to World War II. Texts read include works by Hawthorne; Emerson; Whitman; Twain; Fitzgerald and Steinbeck. In addition students prepare for the English Regents Examination during this course. Attention is given to the types of essays included on the exam and students learn the format and skills for successfully taking the exam.

English: (Grade 12)  Students in the 12^th grade English classes will be exposed to a myriad of writers, poets, essayists and playwrights, depending on their teacher. Texts studied include Miller’s Death of a Salesman, Shakespeare’s Othello and Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. In addition, students continue to work on essay writing and creative writing.

AP English: (Grade 12) This is a survey course meant to deepen the appreciation a student has for literature, as well as prepare them for the AP Literature and Composition Exam. The year-long course covers literature from the 19th century to the 21st century, mostly from Great Britain. Works and authors that have been covered include Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales; Shakespeare’s Hamlet; Woolf’s Mrs. Dalloway; Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as well as works of the Metaphysical, Romantic and Victorian poets.

Tutoring is available for students every day after school. Students should consult with their English teacher for scheduling purposes.