1. English Department Mary Ellen Phelan, Supervisor A book is a gift you can open again and again. – Garrison Keillor

2. How to Read and Why Teaching students to examine texts deeply, evaluate the author’s craft and purpose, and develop an understanding of greater themes and ideas are important reading skills that students need in order to comprehend and appreciate texts. -- Christopher Lehman and Kate Roberts Falling in Love with Close Reading

3. “The Red Wheelbarrow” so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens. -- William Carlos Williams, MD

4. Focus on the Skills for the 21 st Century Career and College Readiness Time Management Research Writing Critical Thinking Effective Writing Problem Solving Analytical Skills Media Fluency Collaboration Innovation Creativity

5. Focus on the Common Core Standards Writing For example: Research projects to answer a question or synthesize multiple sources on a subject to demonstrate understanding of the subject under investigation. Speaking & Listening For example: Use digital media strategically in classrooms to model the effective use of audio, visual, and interactive elements in presentations. Language For example: Write and edit work so that it conforms to MLA style guidelines. Reading: Literature For example: Demonstrate knowledge of 18 th -, 19 th -, and 20 th- Century texts and compare and contrast their themes and literary approaches. Reading: Informational Texts For example: Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including how it emerges and is shaped and refined by specific details; provide an objective summary of the text. Informational texts to be the source of 70% of academic information across the school curriculum.

6. Reading -- How does literature connect to our everyday life? -- In a world of information overload, what are the essential questions? Writing -- How can we help students connect their thinking to their writing? -- What tools and tactics will prepare our students to reach their academic potential? Critical Thinking -- How can we help students recognize morality and aesthetics in their reading and writing? Listening and Presentation Skills -- What communication and multi-media skills do students need in the 21 st Century? Time Management -- How can we help students focus on achievement given the temptations of technology and social media? Our Essential Question: How can data drive student achievement?

7. College Prep for students who have a passing average in English; to advance to an Accelerated class in 10 th grade, students need a 95% average in their 9 th - grade College Prep course. Accelerated for students who have at least an 80 average in English and a 7 th - grade NJ ASK score of Proficient; to continue in an Accelerated class in 10 th grade, students must maintain an 85% average in their 9 th -grade Accelerated course; to advance to an Honors class, students need to achieve a 95% average in their Accelerated course. Honors for students who have at least a 90% average in 8 th -grade English, a 7 th -grade NJ ASK score of Advanced Proficient, and a teacher recommendation. To continue in an Honors class in 10 th grade, students need a teacher recommendation and an average of at least 85%. Students who are dropped from Honors to Accelerated or from Accelerated to College Prep will need a teacher recommendation and an an average of 95% to move into the more rigorous class in the next school year. Academic Placement and Criteria

8. English Sequence All students take four years of English. Students are assessed annually for placement in the next appropriate level. All students are encouraged to enroll in electives. 9 th Grade : College Prep, Accelerated, Honors 10 th Grade : College Prep, Accelerated, Honors 11 th Grade : College Prep, Accelerated, AP Language and Composition 12 th Grade : College Prep, Accelerated, AP Literature and Composition

9. ~~ Ninth-Grade Syllabus ~~ Fiction, Nonfiction, Drama, Short Stories, and Poetry

10. English Department Electives Creative Writing I and Creative Writing II Women and Gender in Western Literature Shakespeare I and Shakespeare II Philosophy I and Philosophy II MultiCultural Literature Fantasy/Science Fiction American Humanities Graphic Novels Visual Image Journalism All students are encouraged to participate.

11. English Department Clubs School Newspaper: The Arrowhead Literary Magazine: Folio Fusion Club for the Arts Philosophy Club Diversity Club Anime Club

12. Closing Thoughts “XCVII” by Emily Dickinson To make a prairie it takes a clover and one bee, -- One clover, and a bee, And revery. The revery alone will do If bees are few.

13. My office is always open. Feel free to contact me. 908-647-4800, ext. 6849 or mphelan@whrhs.org.mphelan@whrhs.org Questions / Comments