English is a required class every year. Students read and write to realize and, subsequently, clarify what they know and believe. As close readers, students learn to engage both personally and analytically with complex texts and share their insights through lively seminar-style discussions. Writing instruction emphasizes graceful expression, effective use of descriptive language, and the development of strong supporting detail as students stretch themselves in a variety of genres. Writing process, revision, grammar, and vocabulary skills are interwoven throughout the curriculum as tools for making writing more vibrant and mechanically correct. Students in grades 10-12 may take English electives in creative writing, creative non-fiction writing, and effective speaking. The ultimate goal is to foster thoughtful, lifelong readers and writers who question the world around them. Since 2002, the Academy has not had an Advanced Placement (AP) English course. The Academy offers a choice of electives for seniors; each of these is a highly rigorous college-level literature and writing course. In all 12th-grade electives, students are prepared to do well on the AP exams in English.
