An inclusive, independent boarding high school
The overall goals of the English program are to develop students’ appreciation of literature, encourage a lifelong habit of reading, and guide students to speak, listen, read, and write with increasing depth and sophistication. Students may study classic works such as The Catcher in the Rye, Macbeth, or Jane Eyre, learning about the historical context of the work and spending time discussing how a classic work relates (or doesn’t) to their lives, as well as to the current social or political world. The curriculum also includes many contemporary authors such as Toni Morrison, Tim O’Brien, and Julia Alvarez, and students explore how these texts connect to the world they live in and the literature that came before. Students practice many modes of writing, including poetry, personal narrative, fiction writing, and analytical essay writing. The class encourages all students to find their voice, to think of themselves as capable writers, and to develop habits for getting support and feedback to improve their writing. Longer-term writing assignments are broken into manageable parts, and there is an emphasis on the process of writing (brainstorming, outlining, drafting, getting feedback, revising), not just the final product.
The English department also exposes students to opportunities outside the school. In the past several years, we have taken part in the VERMONT YOUNG PLAYWRIGHTS PROGRAM, the SHARE YOUR HEART, SHARE THE WORLD poetry workshop, held a VISITING WRITERS SERIES, and even hosted a NIGHT OF POETRY at Phoenix Bookstore with our student poets and local writer, David Huddle. We love giving our students opportunities to meet writers, be exposed to local events, and find ways to share their work with the world.
In English class, students grow academically and personally. Literature is a springboard for them to consider their own intellectual, creative, and moral development. Some skills that are developed in the English curriculum are: