1. Mary Ellen Phelan, Acting Supervisor
English Department
Mary Ellen Phelan,
Acting Supervisor
A book is a gift you can open again and again.
– Garrison Keillor

2. How to Read and Why
We read deeply for varied reasons, most of them familiar: that we cannot know enough people profoundly enough; that we need to know ourselves better; that we require knowledge, not just of self and others, but of the way things are. Yet, the strongest, most authentic motive for deep reading is the search for difficult pleasure.” -- Harold Bloom English Professor, Yale University

3. “The Red Wheelbarrow”
so much depends upon a red wheel barrow glazed with rain water beside the white chickens. -- William Carlos Williams, MD

4. Focus on the Skills for the 21st Century
Innovation
Media Fluency
Problem Solving
Adaptability
Analytical Skills
Collaboration
Creativity
Critical Thinking
Effective Writing
Information Literacy

5. Focus on the Common Core Standards
Reading: Literature
Reading: Informational Text
Writing
Visual Literacy
Speaking & Listening
Language

6. Essential Questions Reading Writing Critical Thinking
-- How does literature connect to our everyday life?
-- In a world of information overload, where are the answers?
Writing
-- How does the Internet
influence how we write?
-- What tools and tactics will
help me “ace” standardized
tests?
Critical Thinking
-- What do morality, truth, and
aesthetics mean in the 21st
century?
Listening and Presentation Skills
-- What communication skills do students need in a multi-media, on-line-
all-the-time world?

7. Academic Placement and Criteria
College Prep for students who have a passing average in English; to advance, students need a passing average in a College Prep course. Accelerated for students who have at least an 80 average in English and a seventh-grade NJ ASK score of Proficient; to advance to the next Accelerated class, students need a 75 average in an Accelerated course, or a minimum of 85 in a College Prep course. Honors for students who have at least a 90 average, a seventh- grade NJ ASK score of Advanced Proficient, and a teacher recommendation. To advance to the next Honors/AP course, students need a teacher recommendation and an average of at least 85 in English Honors, or 90 in an Accelerated course.

8. English Sequence
All students take four years of English. Students are assessed annually for placement in the next appropriate level. All students are encouraged to enroll in electives.
9th Grade: College Prep, Accelerated, Honors
10th Grade: College Prep, Accelerated, Honors
11th Grade: College Prep, Accelerated, AP Language and Composition
12th Grade: College Prep, Accelerated, AP Literature and Composition

9. Ninth-Grade Syllabus Fiction, Nonfiction, Drama,
Short Stories, and Poetry
Five Core Texts: The Odyssey, Romeo and Juliet,
Animal Farm, The Kite Runner, and Speak.

10. English Department Electives
American Humanities
Creative Writing
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Multicultural Literature
Journalism
Graphic Novels
Philosophy
Visual Image

11. Clubs and Events Outside the Classroom
National English Honor Society
School Newspaper: The Arrowhead
Literary Magazine: Folio
Fusion Club for the Arts
Philosophy Club
Yearbook Club
Trip to the Dodge Poetry Festival
Summer Reading

12. Closing Thoughts: “the drum”
daddy says the world is a drum tight and hard and i told him i’m gonna beat out my own rhythm -- nikki giovanni

13. My office is always open.
Questions / Comments
My office is always open.
Feel free to contact me at
or at