American Literature: Junior Requirement 2 Semesters - 1.0 credit. This course focuses on works from North America, with an emphasis on American Authors.  The time span covers pre-colonial times, to the present day.  All genres of literature will be covered.  Students will be required to read a minimum of four to six major works throughout the year and to analyze short stories, poems, and non-fiction pieces.  Students will continue to improve and expand their reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. Formal written essays and oral presentations continue to be essential elements of this course.  Literary vocabulary and standardized testing skills will be emphasized.  Extended projects, group projects, literary analysis, and critical thinking skills are included.  There will be a major emphasis on the composition of research papers in the MLA (Modern Language Association) format.  A cross-curriculum approach helps the students to connect literature to other subjects including Social Studies and Theology.

AP Literature and Composition: Senior Elective 2 Semesters - 1.0 credit. Students enrolled in AP Literature &Composition are REQUIRED to take World Literature during their senior year but not required to fulfill the Composition requirement. Pre-Requisite: Students are expected to have a 90% or higher average in American Literature; a positive recommendation from the American Literature teacher; and a submission and approval of the AP Literature and Composition Application.  The course will prepare every student for success as an independent, analytic reader, thinker, and writer. The course will involve learning how to read and respond to literature and to develop analytical skills.  In order to achieve this goal, the course will be fast paced and will require extensive reading and writing. All writing assignments will involve analytic exposition, based on the essay topics created by the College Board for the AP English Literature and Composition Exam. (All writing instruction in the course follows the style and form prescribed by the College Board.) Students will be required to read a minimum of seven major works throughout the year and to analyze the novel, short stories, poems, and dramatic literature.  Students should also expect to write a minimum of eight analytic papers and ten impromptu papers to prepare them for the writing expectations on the AP Literature and Composition Exam.  It is expected that all students in the course will take the AP Exam.
Composition: Juinor/Senior Requirement 1 Semester - 0.5 credit. This course will cover a variety of organizational methods, writing skills and styles.  The focus will be on the production of various types of papers on specific themes and topics.  An emphasis will be placed on research writing and creative writing.  Students will also continue to improve and expand their reading, speaking, and listening skills. Formal written essays and oral presentations continue to be essential elements of this course.  Literary vocabulary will be emphasized.  Extended projects, literary analysis, and critical thinking skills are included.  There will be a major emphasis placed on the composition of a major research papers in the MLA (Modern Language Association) format.  A cross-curriculum approach helps the students to connect literature to other subject areas. An ability to work independently is required.
English I: Freshman Requirement 2 Semesters - 1.0 credit. Reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking skills are developed and expressed by analyzing forms of literature, including the short story, poetry, drama, the epic, and the novel.  Grammar and vocabulary are taught throughout the course.

English II: Sophomore Requirement 2 Semesters - 1.0 credit (Pre-Requisite:English I). English II provides opportunities for continuing skill development begun in English I.  Reading, writing, listening, speaking, and thinking skills are developed and expressed by analyzing forms of literature, including the short story, poetry, drama, the epic, and the novel.  Grammar and vocabulary are taught throughout the course.
Journalism: Sophomore/Junior/Senior Elective - .5 credit. This course emphasizes the skills and knowledge required to produce a school newspaper. Students will conduct interviews, write in a variety of journalistic genres, discuss editorial positions, and help produce, edit, and publish the newspaper using various technologies. Students will also have opportunities to explore a variety of journalistic fields such as writing for the web, radio broadcasting, video broadcasting, and podcasts.

Speech: Freshman/Sophomore/Junior/Senior Elective 1 Semester - 0.5 credit. The basic skills and competencies needed for successful speech making will be included in this speech communication class.  A variety of in-class speaking activities will prepare students for the speech situations they will encounter in high school, college and in future careers.  The basic principles of speech preparation will be learned and these principles will be put into practice as students prepare and deliver speeches.
Story in Fiction and Film: Junior/Senior Elective .5 Semester - .5 credit. In this higher level thinking elective, students will analyze how books and stories are turned into films by focusing on written story elements, as well as the visual techniques that a filmmaker uses to capture the essence and story of a novel, short story, or play. The class will consist of reading novels, short stories, and/or a play and analyzing thei subsequent films. Assessment will be based on small and large group discussions, class debates, analytical papers, film review, and a final cumulative project where students will adapt a piece of literature and develop their own film using the techniques discussed. This class is for students who are interested in filmmaking and why filmmakers do what they do, writing for films, story adaptation or for people who juust love to watch and critique films and want more analytical reading and writing practice for college. Whiloe the class focuses more so on how the films are made and how stories are expressed visually, we will discuss also why filmmakers chose to highlight particular scenes or use particular language from a film producer and business standpoint and in relation to the original story. Parents who are uncomfortable with their child watching R-rated films should prohibit their child from taking this course. All 16 year olds will have to get written consent from a parent to take this course.

World Literature: Senior Requirement 1 Semesters - 0.5 credit. This course focuses on selected works of British and World Literature (excluding North America), with an emphasis on Shakespeare and various European authors.  All genres of literature will be covered.