English

  • Teachers and Courses:

    Mr. Ryan Conway:
    rmconway@yorkcsd.org (Department Chair)
    English 11 and English 12

    Mrs. Stephanie Ely: 
    smely@yorkcsd.org
    English 8

    Mr. Edward Green: 
    eggreen@yorkcsd.org
    English 10 and English 12

    Mrs. Jessica Liberatore
    jlliberatore@yorkcsd.org
    English 7

    Mrs. Carrie Wyder:
    cmwyder@yorkcsd.org
    English 9 and English 12
    Senior Electives Offered:
    • Communication Arts: General communications study. Deals with the theory and models of communication. Topics will include listening, discussion and debate as time and interest allow. Available any quarter except first.
    • "Her" Story - Women in Literature: The students will read a variety of types of literature by and about women; examining the lives and careers of women writers, learning about what motivated them to write, and searching for similarities among women writers of different cultures and times. They will be encouraged to discover common themes and topics in their reading, class discussions, and writing assignments, and will complete individual reading/research projects as well.
    • Irish Literature: This course will examine what makes Irish literature unique. We will look at the foundations of Irish literature beginning with stories and poems from the 18th and 19th centuries. From there we will read some more contemporary artists. A central theme in this course is how the transition from Ireland to America is represented in literature. We will read the novel Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt, which deals heavily with this topic. Other authors to be read include James Joyce and Sean O’Faolain.
    • Early English Literature Shakespeare: Two plays, Macbeth (a tragedy) and The Taming of the Shrew (a comedy) are read and discussed at length. The symbolism and themes in Macbeth are covered through class discussions. It is a rather "heavy" play that has applications to modern society as well as that in Shakespeare's day. The Taming of the Shrew, which also has a universal theme, is much lighter in nature and is an excellent play to show the versatility of Shakespeare.
    • Poetry Creative Writing: The students will read and discuss poems by contemporary poets, and will at least attempt to write some poetry themselves. They will begin with fairly simple written responses, progress to more detailed analyses of individual poems, and finally complete a written reading and research project on one poet, analyzing significant poems by that author, and making an oral or visual presentation to the class.
    • Short Story: The students will read and discuss short stories, focusing mainly on contemporary writers, and may even choose to write an original short story of their own. They will complete a written reading and research paper on one author and his or her work.
    • Honors English: This is a comprehensive English course for accelerated students, whose overall combined average in English 9, 10, and 11 is 85% or better. It will be a literature-based course with approximately eight novels or plays being read. Additionally, there will be an abundant amount of expository and creative writing expected. Grammar will be sprinkled in at the discretion of the teacher. Students, who sign up for and pass this class, will meet their English requirement for the senior year. Students, who pass this class and in addition, pass four ten-week English mini-courses, will receive a five-unit sequence in English.
    In order to be accepted into the Honors English course, a student must have an overall three year English average of 85 or better or have the permission of the teacher.