English Department

Bi-Monthly Report

Jan/Feb

 Sept/Oct

 Nov/Dec

During the months of January and February the English Department has made great strides in curriculum development. The school committee has approved the middle school curriculum. We are proud of the effort and time put forth by Rebecca Limoges, Jill Cory-Fague, Keith Sanzen, Wendy Bettez and Anita Hall in accomplishing this task. The high school curriculum is in the final phases of completion, and is currently being reviewed by Kristen Stringfellow. The curriculum for the high school may be coming up for review by the school committee in March or April.

The school committee has accepted the new summer reading program for high school students. In this new program, students will be required to read one novel over the summer months. The students will be supplied with both the novel and a set of study guide questions. The students must complete the packet of questions before the beginning of the school year. The study guide packet will serve as part of the assessment of the summer reading and will also help guide students in this independent reading. In the first week of September, on a designated day, all students will be required to take a leveled comprehension test regarding the novel they read. Teachers will then begin the academic year examining the novel.

The selected novels were chosen based on three premises. Firstly, each novel is a classic in that it contains a strong use of literary elements, and it is already, or will be, a work that transcends the time in which it was written. Secondly, each novel can be interpreted on a literal level (character and plot) or in a more complex context (symbolic and cultural relevance). Thirdly, each novel connects to the thematic context set forth for each grade level in the standards-based curriculum. Listed below are the novels for each grade:

8 to 9 Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

9 to 10 A Lesson Before Dying

10 to 11 Catcher in the Rye

11 to 12 Lord of the Flies

On January 18 the high school and middle school faculty participated in a professional day. Jill Corey Fague, Wendy Bettez and Rebecca Limoges conducted a seminar for the middle school faculty regarding reading and thinking across the curriculum. The high school faculty attended sessions on Writing Across the Curriculum, Looking At Student Work, and Linking Student Learning With Assessment.

We would like to congratulate Maggie Stormont on her successful Coffee House held on January 10. According to all of those involved, the student literature presented was inspiring.

Ruth Trainor

Nov/Dec

The High School English Department met twice in November and once in December to work on its proposed standards-based curriculum. The department has embraced this opportunity to reformulate and reconsider texts for each grade level. Some of the proposed changes include setting a thematic basis for each grade and choosing an average of four core classical texts relating to that theme. It has been proposed that the tenth grade cover the Colonial Period of American history for the last part of the year, leading students into the American Revolution at the beginning of eleventh grade. This will allow for a greater scope of American literature to be covered.

Another issue being discussed as part of our curriculum revision is the summer reading program. The department is moving in the direction of having students read one classic piece of literature over the summer that will then tie into the thematic structure of the grade they are entering. Teachers will begin the year with a comprehension test covering this particular text, moving into further instruction in the first quarter.

The sixth, seventh, and eighth grade teachers met on December 18 to finalize their curriculum. The teachers proofread their curriculum and completed their scope and sequence.

In following with the Middle School’s improvement goal of writing across the curriculum, Becky Limoges, Anita Hall, and Wendy Battez will be attending a workshop run by Dr. O’Shea on reading, writing, and thinking across the curriculum. This workshop is part of the RIMLE grant. In late October, Becky Limoges was able to attend an Adolescent Literacy Workshop as part of the RIMLE grant. In early March, six middle school teachers, including Wendy Battez and Anita Hall, will receive training in Balanced Literacy run by Connie Prevatte. Jill Corey-Fague and Becky Limoges will be involved in an advance training session by Connie Prevatte to follow up on their basic training in the area of Balanced Literacy.

Outside of curriculum work, the members of the department continue to do exciting work in their classrooms. Maggie Stormont will be holding a Creative Writing Coffeehouse on January 10, 2002 at 7:00 pm in the High School library. Reservations are required; please contact Mrs. Stormont at 647-4120. Students presenting at this coffeehouse are in Mrs. Stormont’s Creative Writing Class. They have finished this quarter writing short stories, and will be writing poetry next quarter.

Chris Morello and Maggie Stormont took their senior classes to see The Christmas Carol at Trinity Repertory Theater on December 5. Another field trip to Trinity is planned for March 2002.

Sept/Oct

The English Department held its first meeting on September 4, 2001. Several issues were discussed at this meeting, including the standardization of department writing rubrics. The department is excited to begin work on this project in November. This will be a challenging project that the department will continue to work on throughout the year.

The High School English Department continues the creation of a new standards based curriculum, working closely with Assistant Superintendent Kristen Stringfellow and Principal David Light. Development of this curriculum was discussed with Mrs. Stringfellow at our October Department meeting. We are proud to say that the middle school English curriculum is scheduled for a review by the school committee in November. Last September, Rebecca Limoges, Keith Sanzen, Jill Corey, Anita Hall, and Wendy Bettez put the finishing touches on the Middle School Language Arts curriculum.

On October 5, the high school and middle school participated in a professional day. Two members of the High School English Department ran a session on Web Creation and Design. The middle school teachers focused on cross-curricular writing for their professional day. Cross curricular themes such as "Measuring-up," "Survivor," "Architectural Dig," and "The Human Body" were created by each of the teams at the end of the program.

In October, Maggie Stormont took her eleventh grade classes to Salem, Massachusetts, and to Trinity Repertory Theater. Chris Morello continues to do a great job as Student Council Advisor. We're not sure our gym will ever be the same after "Clash of The Classes!"

The English Department's budget for the 2002/2003 school year has been completed and is entering the review process. The thrust of the budget focuses on the upcoming enrollment, which is comprised of a large number of incoming students.