English Language Arts

Grade Level: 7
Prerequisite: None
Length: Two semesters
Description: English 7 provides a literature-based program which promotes self-confidence in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Skill-building through the writing process, a focus on combining paragraphs into essays, and comprehension of literature are emphasized. 

Grade Level: 7
Prerequisite: Assessment scores
Length: Two semesters
Description: English 7 Advanced is a course providing a literature-based program which promotes self-confidence in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Emphasis is placed on higher-level cognitive skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Skill-building through the writing process, a focus on combining paragraphs into essays, and interpretation of literature are stressed. 

Grade Level: 8
Prerequisite: Assessment scores
Length: Two semesters
Description: English 8 is a course providing a literature-based program which continues to promote self-confidence in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Emphasis is placed on the interpretation of literature with focus on values and themes. Critical thinking and collaborative skills are emphasized.

Grade Level: 8
Prerequisite: Assessment scores
Length: Two semesters
Description: English 8 Advanced is a course providing a literature-based program which continues to promote self-confidence in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Emphasis is placed on the interpretation of literature with focus on values and themes. Critical thinking and collaborative skills are emphasized.

Grade Level: 7
Prerequisite: None
Length: One quarter
Description: This quarter class is an introduction to theatre. The students will develop sensory and emotional perception by experiencing dramatic elements, actions, and characterizations. Students will also learn how to evaluate performances.

Grade Level: 7, 8
Prerequisite: One or more years below grade level with comprehension difficulties; teacher, counselor, and/or parent recommendation
Length: One and/or two semesters, repeatable
Description: This is a reading course for students who have not yet become grade-level readers. This program focuses on improving students’ phonemic awareness, reading comprehension skills, and spelling. Emphasis is placed on increasing students’ reading strategies, application of flexible decoding strategies, reading vocabulary, and metacognitive strategies for reading both narrative and informational text with comprehension and fluency. This class takes the place of an elective class. Students enrolled in Reading/Literacy Plus are concurrently in a grade level English class.

Grade Level: 8
Prerequisite: None
Length: Two semesters
Description: Beginning Journalism is an introductory course that allows students to use the skills involved in writing, designing, and producing news articles. Students enrolled in this course will plan, sell, and distribute the school yearbook. Students will practice project planning, writing, design, layout, sales, advertising, and business management skills related to the production of the yearbook.