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Department

Upper School English

The mission of the English Department at Montrose School is to teach students the fundamentals of the English language as the basis for clear expression; to encourage in them confidence, clarity, and depth in both oral and written communication; to promote self-reflection and creativity through the writing process; to assist students in developing the skills necessary for insightful literary analysis; to reinforce the character component of the school’s mission through the study of literature; to cultivate in young women an appreciation for, and love of, literature.

Genres of Literature (H1)

This 9th grade English course helps students build a strong foundation for upper school success by combining the study of classic texts with a focus on analytical writing. Through a variety of literary genres, students engage in penetrating discussions about essential questions such as: What does it mean to be truly free? What is the character of true love? Why is trust essential to community flourishing? To whom do we owe what among the diversity of relationships in society? How does what we read affect the development of our character in a free society? While students also explore narrative writing, they focus primarily on analytical skills that help them discipline their writing voice to meet the demands of argumentative logic, careful research, and scholarly tone. Grammar review focuses on building mastery and deepening connections between grammatical understanding and quality writing. Students also build vocabulary from classical roots to support critical reading and writing skills.
Genres of Literature (H2)

This 9th grade English course helps students build a strong foundation for upper school success by combining the study of classic texts with a focus on analytical writing. Through a variety of literary genres, students engage in penetrating discussions about essential questions such as: What does it mean to be truly free? What is the character of true love? To whom do we owe what among the diversity of relationships in society? How does what we read affect the development of our character in a free society? While students also explore a variety of creative writing genres, they focus primarily on analytical skills that help them discipline their writing voice to meet the demands of argumentative logic, careful research, and scholarly tone. Grammar review focuses on building mastery and deepening connections between grammatical understanding and quality writing. Students also build vocabulary from classical roots to support critical reading and writing skills.
American Lit (H)

This 11th grade course explores diverse American experiences and helps students understand American identity through a study of American classics from the Colonial period through the 20th century while sampling texts that reveal regional varieties in American culture. Drawing on works of fiction, poetry, drama and autobiographical accounts, students examine the cultural and historical roots of American Literature. Students will be presented with a variety of writing challenges that require them to draw on the close reading of texts and to connect themes among other texts examined in the course. Students also develop sound research practices and learn to create scholarly and well-developed arguments that effectively integrate evidence in their writing.
English Language & Composition (AP)

The AP Language and Composition course is designed for students who have demonstrated readiness for college-level reading and writing and who enjoy reading and writing. Readings include both nonfiction and key works of fiction in American Literature, centered around four major units: women, civics, race, and the use of resources. Writing focuses on AP essay skills and includes research projects culminating in a major research paper, as required by the College Board. All students in this class will take the AP exam in May.
Modern Literature (H)

Seniorss engage the modern age in this course, and wrestle with the kind of challenging questions that define our era, such as: What conditions promote individual flourishing, and what factors contribute to alienation? What is our responsibility to others, and whom do we define as our neighbor? How do societies overcome the fractured communities that ethnic, racial and economic divisions cause? How do we overcome betrayal, in our personal and public lives? What factors distinguish what makes us feminine, and what defines authentic equality? Students refine their creative and scholarly voices through literary analysis and poetry explications.
English Literature & Composition (AP)

The Literature and Composition AP Course is designed as a college level course for eligible seniors who love to read challenging literature. Students are exposed to a variety of genres from the classics of the western literary tradition, through which they will refine their understanding of literary and rhetorical devices as well as types of argumentation. Students will also uncover truths about human freedom while growing in self-knowledge. They will sharpen their deep reading skills for AP multiple-choice style questions while developing their analytical writing skills through a variety of argumentative and reflective essays modeled on AP writing prompts. All students in this course will take the AP exam in May.
British Literature (H)

This British Literature course expands beyond the traditional sequence of period classification in order to embrace interdisciplinary connections with the Modern European history course and to explore universal themes that transcend individual texts, which teachers weave throughout the humanities curriculum. Students explore such questions as: To whom does man owe primary loyalty? How do individuals experience redemption through their brokenness? How does one assess appearances vs. reality in sorting among friends, social groupings, spouses and nations? What is the proper vs. improper use of power? This course helps students engage in literary conversations by unpacking literary devices, decoding symbolic language, and unfolding insights through classic texts that provoke deep reflection and engaging discussions. Students will also work to refine their writing style for a variety of literary and research challenges while maintaining scholarly tone. Texts include: Sophocles's Oedipus Rex & Antigone, selections from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and Milton’s Paradise Lost, Shakespeare’s Othello, Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities, Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Wilde’s Importance of Being Earnest, Forster’s A Room with a View, Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front, and Golding’s Lord of the Flies, with Maugham’s The Painted Veil and Wilder’s The Bridge of San Luis de Rey as summer reading.