English

The English Department at The Frederick Gunn School encourages our students to develop an increasingly independent approach to learning. Our faculty teach and model skills that are constantly reinforced throughout the curriculum. This progression is not as linear as it is spiraling, always returning to familiar points at an increasingly sophisticated level. Our students work towards a realization of the following goals:

  • to read closely and carefully for comprehension

  • to think and to write from an increasingly analytical perspective

  • to write effectively in a variety of modes (expository, literary-critical, creative)

  • to express thoughts, ideas, and assertions with increasing clarity, precision, and conviction

  • to develop and enrich vocabulary

  • to strengthen our understanding of basic grammatical concepts

Our integrated, four-year program allows students to move from the fundamentals of grammar and rhetorical and literary analysis to Advanced Placement courses in language and literature. In the first two years, attention is paid to foundational skills. By junior year, students have begun to develop their individual voice and perspective. 

Students progress from English I (freshman) and English II (sophomore), which are also offered as honors courses, to English III or AP Language and Composition in their junior year. Courses taken during the senior year include: English IV, AP Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition, or Honors English: The Essay and Critical Theory.

An elective course invites students to lead and contribute to the student newspaper, The Highlander, for one term or more, and through their classes, students are encouraged to submit original poetry, prose and art to the literary journal, The Stray Shot, published annually. 

View English course listings and descriptions