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The student is the center of the English curriculum. Courses are organized around themes that matter to young people---identity, relationships, cultural issues, and values. Readings, films, and activities invite students to explore these themes in relation to their own experience. Classics like Romeo and Juliet or modern young adult works like Please Stop Laughing at Me challenge ninth graders to examine issues they care about. Sophomores are encouraged to investigate the beginnings of western culture as well as the riches available to us as members of a multicultural society. Enduring themes of American literature---our relationship with nature, the importance of independence in American society, and the struggle to find meaningful values---are central to junior year. Seniors, as they prepare to leave Cathedral High School, focus on understanding of the self through classics like Macbeth as well as modern works in English. As they explore the themes of our curriculum, students develop reading, writing, language, and research skills, but also speaking and listening, and especially, thinking skills. They are prepared to enter a challenging world with not only the necessary skills, but also the ability to adapt those skills to new situations.
English is a four-year program with opportunities for enrolling in an Honors Program beginning in sophomore year or in an Advanced Placement Program in junior and senior years. Students learn through active participation in learning teams, reading and writing workshops, and the development of a portfolio. Juniors and seniors may also elect the enrichment courses, Media Issues, Creative Writing, and Greek Mythology.
