English

The English Department seeks to empower all learners as thinkers and communicators. In the words of the English Language Arts Frameworks we "recognize that facility with language, which includes knowing how to read and write effectively, is vital to success and empowers learners in many ways." We encourage all students to become thinkers and communicators as advocated in the Massachusetts Common Core of Learning.

"Lifelong learners engage in constructing and conveying meaning by accessing, analyzing, evaluating, and applying knowledge and experiences for a variety of purposes, audiences, and situations."

The English faculty recognizes that writing is not only social and interactive, but also private and personal. Therefore, we offer writing instruction which respects and nurtures the development of our learners' voices. Since we acknowledge that effective writing instruction integrates language processes and skill instruction, we create writing opportunities and assignments which address a variety of purposes, audiences, and situations.

Through our literature instruction we seek to open new worlds to learners by introducing them to literature representing many genres, time periods and cultures. The English Department believes in the power of literature to expand perspectives and develop appreciation for others, and toward that end, we provide our learners with a rich variety of literary works.