English

In York’s literature-based English courses, students learn to read critically, think logically, write clearly, and speak confidently. Courses feature diverse authors and texts so that students can fortify their understanding of themselves, others, and the universal human experience. Courses balance a foundation in vocabulary, grammar, and composition with close reading and analysis. Through rich discussions, students engage with peers in scholarly discourse. Toward the goal of preparation for college-level writing, we teach writing as a reflective, metacognitive process as students explore a variety of modes--poetry, short stories, literary analysis essays, research papers, and the personal essay. Peer evaluation and individual writing conferences with the instructor aid the development of authentic voice and style. York provides additional opportunities for creative expression and authentic publishing via Ars Gratia Artis, York's Literary Magazine; Cafe Night open mic events; participation in regional Poetry Out Loud competitions; and hosting of visiting authors. 

Requirements. In Grade 8, students enroll in English I for the full year. In Grades 9-12, English is required each year in order to receive a York diploma.

  • English I

    Literature is an adventure of discovery, and in English I, students will focus on stories that center self-discovery. Upbeat and energetic, this class approaches literature as an opportunity for enjoyable collaboration while building the skills of class discussion, deep reading, and writing for a variety of audiences. Students will explore works of various genres, with authors ranging from William Shakespeare to Harper Lee to Trevor Noah. Coursework reinforces students’ familiarity with basic elements of literary analysis and introduces them to more advanced analytical concepts, promoting strong critical thinking
    skills while bolstering English mechanics. Students expand their comfort with writing excellent paragraphs, advancing to the point of constructing coherent analytical and personal response essays. The goal of this course is to meet students where they are while exploring the frontiers of their abilities and moving them towards the academic expectations of a challenging high school English curriculum.

  • English II

    Ninth grade English takes students on an unconventional journey through literary history. From works as old as The Iliad to its 21st Century retellings, students will examine how ancient tales resonate in our contemporary world. They will explore speculative fiction as a throughline from Ursula K. Le Guin to N. K. Jemison, they will analyze in both graphic memoir and film what it means to come of age in wartime, and they will embody the politically paranoid populace of Macbeth in a Shakespeare acting workshop. Meanwhile, students strengthen their argumentative writing skills through literary analysis as well as a debate unit, compelling them to develop points and counterpoints using ethical frameworks. At the end of the course, students will have the opportunity to reimagine a classic text through any of the storytelling genres they will have encountered along the way.

  • English III

    How can one person’s story impact us, inform us, change us, and stay with us? Students will explore the power of a story in English III, a literature-based course that invites students to think deeply and critically about literature while building their strengths of reading, writing, speaking, and analyzing. Students will read novels, essays, plays, short stories, and poetry, all with an eye towards how narrative is constructed and interpreted, and how stories build our understanding of the world and the human condition. Students also explore and develop their own story as they write and deliver their Sophomore Oration—a York tradition celebrated by our supportive community that bolsters confidence while offering a unique public-speaking experience. Within this focus on the power of narrative, students will continue to strengthen their skills as close readers, deep thinkers, perceptive writers, and articulate presenters. They will write frequently, formally and informally, through analytic and personal essays, journals, and response forums. They will also cultivate their abilities to build arguments and think cooperatively through frequent student-led discussions and small-group collaborations.

  • English IV

    Over the course of English IV, students study a wide array of literary texts about “the American experience,” with the meaning of that phrase becoming clearer as the year progresses. The carefully selected texts not only provide great insights about life in America, they also provide a variety of examples of literary devices and rhetorical strategies. One of the reasons that we read great texts and great writers is that our reading fortifies our own writing. By critically analyzing how our writers write, we learn how to write better ourselves. As students practice writing through essays and shorter writing assignments, they will strive to use feedback on their earlier projects to make subsequent compositions stronger.

  • English IV-YAS

    Over the course of English IV, students study a wide array of literary texts about “the American experience,” with the meaning of that phrase becoming clearer as the year progresses. The carefully selected texts not only provide great insights about life in America, they also provide a variety of examples of literary devices and rhetorical strategies. One of the reasons that we read great texts and great writers is that our reading fortifies our own writing. By critically analyzing how our writers write, we learn how to write better ourselves. As students practice writing through essays and shorter writing assignments, they will strive to use feedback on their earlier projects to make subsequent compositions stronger.
     
    Assignments and assessments in English IV-YAS are longer and more challenging than those in regular English IV. For example, YAS students are given additional projects and supplementary readings, including scholarly literary criticism and documents that contextualize the main readings. Finally, YAS students are expected to participate vibrantly and regularly in class discussions.
     

  • English V: Composition

    In the first semester, all seniors take a writing-focused course, fulfilling the composition requirement for English V. We are writing more than ever, from informal tweets, texts, and posts in our daily lives to the more formal writing that college, graduate school, and professions demand. Each scenario presents a different context and audience, different needs, and good writing that clarifies, informs, and persuades. This course will make you a more confident and skilled writer, a stronger rhetorical analyst, and a more proficient practitioner of the writing process. This is an opportunity for you to take risks, reflect and explore, and develop an authentic voice. Each section of English V: Composition will be taught using a critical literary lens to guide and ground our readings, discussions, and writing.

  • English V: Anatomy of the Grotesque

    The second semester focuses on genre, fiction-centered analysis, fulfilling the literature requirement of the senior year in English. The spooky, the creepy, the uncanny, and the unexplainable will be common threads through reading and writing in this course, as well as the inspiration for discussions, presentations, and creative projects. In some classes, students read short stories; in others, they write them. We use a variety of critical lenses to drive discussion of how authors develop fear and discomfort in their audience while simultaneously addressing social issues.

  • English V: The Bad Place

    The second semester focuses on genre, fiction-centered analysis, fulfilling the literature requirement of the senior year in English. The inverse of the “good world” of eutopia, dystopian literature explores how the social and political choices made by individuals and cultures create what is an ultimately nightmarish world; these narratives serve as criticism against real life injustice and tyranny. In this course, students engage with analyzing fiction as well as current events, civics, and the news to better understand the patterns and themes of dystopian storytelling that are so compelling to modern audiences. Students spend time reading, discussing, critiquing, and interpreting these events and narratives as well as engaging in creative writing of their own.

  • English V: Folklore and Fakelore

    For every Disney princess movie, for every round of Bloody Mary or tale of tortoise and the hare, millions of people have passed along a story without writing down a single word. In this 12th Grade English course, students examine works that existed first in an oral tradition: fairy tales from around the globe, indigenous North American mythology, and urban legends in the internet era. Students will also try their own hand at creative storytelling in a fiction workshop with a visiting author. Primary sources as well as critical texts will lead students to question the very meaning of authenticity—to ask, what separates “folk” from literature? How does digital virality mirror oral tradition? What recurring archetypes underlie the stories human beings tell across all time and space, and what might this reveal to us about who we are, who we’ve always been?

Faculty

York School

9501 York Road
Monterey, CA 93940
Phone: 831-372-7338
We inspire and prepare a diverse community of creative, independent thinkers.
Since 1959, York School has created an exceptional college-prep experience for our youth: inspiring them to develop intellectual curiosity; challenging them to create and try new things; and preparing them to be passionate contributors in college and in life.
York School is committed to equal opportunity in educational programs, employment and campus life. The School does not discriminate on the basis of age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, parental status, race, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status in any access to and treatment in School programs and activities.