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English

Vision/Mission Statement: The Middle School English program is rooted in Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop’s pedagogy of literature: that books serve as “mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors.” Through the use of a multicultural literary curriculum that decentralizes the white experience, the program focuses on the development of reading, writing, and language skills, and emphasizes critical thinking and analysis.
Course Descriptions:  English 6, 7, and 8 
Student progress will build cumulatively in each skill area as they move through the grade levels. Their unified curricular experience occurs through "touchstone units" per grade. These include the Own Voices Unit (GR 6); the Civil Rights Unit (GR 7), and the Holocaust Unit (GR 8). 

Each unit consists of:
  • Literature - provides the opportunity to explore a broad range of reading selections. Drawing on a variety of sources (stories, essays, poems, novels, articles, historical documents, plays, etc.), students will analyze literary conventions (character, plot structure, etc.) as well as the philosophical/social issues brought forth in the writing.
  • Writing - a strong writing focus throughout, and our students get plenty of practice in improving their academic and creative writing. Assignments focus on building students’ ability to structure and organize their writing, while at the same time developing style.
  • Language Skills - students also work on developing their language skills: vocabulary, grammar, mechanics, and usage. Solid grounding in language facilitates growth as writers, readers, and speakers.
  • Critical Thinking. The benchmark of scholarship is the ability to think critically about ideas and analyze intent and/or bias in a work. The Middle School English curriculum opens students to asking probing questions and identifying weaknesses in arguments, helping develop their ability to think deeply and meaningfully about their world.
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Sacred Heart Schools Atherton

Sacred Heart Schools, Atherton

150 Valparaiso Ave
Atherton, CA 94027
650 322 1866
Founded by the Society of the Sacred Heart, SHS is a Catholic, independent, co-ed day school for students in preschool through grade 12