English 9:  This is a year-long course required for all freshmen.  The 1st semester of this course will concentrate on all of the facets of grammar, mechanics and usage.  The students will incorporate all of these facets into the writing of the following types of paragraphs:  descriptive, narrative, persuasive and expository.  Students will develop topics for writing by searching Internet sites, downloading pertinent materials to research, and then using word processing to produce the finished product.  The students' grades are determined by class discussion, the completion of homework, quality of writing, quiz and test scores.  There will be approximately 2 hours of homework each week.

The 2nd semester of this course is a literature course which is organized by genres to encourage the comprehensive study of various types of literature.  The students will cover short stories, drama, non-fiction and novels.  The number and variety of selections offers choice and flexibility in meeting the curriculum requirements as well as meeting the student's needs and interests.  Weekly vocabulary studies are included in the course of study.  There will be approximately 2-3 hours of homework each week.