The English Department is made up of very talented and innovative English teachers: Ms. L. Singer; Ms. B. Bathgate; Ms. M. Lofgren; Ms. K. O’Malley; Ms. T. Philpot; Mr. J. Taylor; Mr. B. Jupp; Ms. N. Demwell; Ms. D. Moffatt.

We hold many events including our yearly Writing Competition. The top three winners in each grade are then entered into the Surrey School District Writing Contest. We also have a Speech/Debate Team. Once every year, they compete against other Surrey students. We also send some of our most talented writers to the Surrey Young Authors Conference; here, they have the chance to meet with published local authors. We believe that experiencing literature is an essential part of the development of our children but we also hope they can see that it is more than just something to study in school!

This poem...
This poem is dangerous: it should not be left
Within the reach of children, or even of adults
Who might swallow it whole, with possibly
Undesirable side-effects. If you come across
An unattended, unidentified poem
In a public place, do not attempt to tackle it
Yourself. Send it (preferably, in a sealed container)
To the nearest centre of learning, where it will be rendered
Harmless, by experts. Even the simplest poem
May destroy your immunity to human emotions.
All poems must carry a Government warning. Words
Can seriously affect your heart.
Elma Mitchell

COURSE DESCRIPTORS
English Language Arts 8
Through the integration of reading, writing, oral communication, viewing and representing, English 8 is designed to develop students’ skills and appreciation of literature and language. The activities and resources are selected to appeal to a range of interests and abilities.
For reading, materials offered for study include short stories, novels, poetry, mythology, and non-fiction. Students will read for a variety of purposes and demonstrate understanding.
In writing, students will write in a variety of formats, employing all stages of the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, editing, proofreading, and publishing. Emphasis will be on the paragraph.
Oral communication skills will be developed to suit the audience, purpose and context. In viewing, students will identify techniques used to convey meaning in visual and mass media. Representation will consist of students creating a variety of images to assist in the development and expression of ideas.

English Language Arts 9 - Prerequisite: English 8
The major goal of English 9 is to provide learning strategies for the following skills: reading, writing, oral communication, viewing and representing, English 9 is designed to develop students’ skills and appreciation of literature and language. The activities and resources are selected to appeal to a range of interests and abilities.
For reading, materials offered for study include short stories, novels, poetry, drama, and non-fiction. Students will read for a variety of purposes and demonstrate interpretive understanding.
In writing, the emphasis will be on the composition skills needed for a variety of formats. All stages of the writing process will be used: pre-writing, drafting, editing, proofreading, and publishing. Emphasis will be on the multi-paragraph composition.
Oral communication skills will focus on developing an increasing awareness of audience, purpose and context. In viewing, students will identify techniques used to convey meaning in visual and mass media. Representation will consist of students creating a variety of images to assist in the development and expression of ideas.

English Language Arts 10 - Prerequisite: English 9
The major goal of English 10 is to provide learning strategies for the following skills: study, organization, reading, writing, oral communication, library research, and media viewing. The course content includes:

• Study and response to literature (short stories, novels, poetry, plays, and media viewing)
• Study and response to the writing process (generating, drafting, revising, editing and publishing)
• Study and response to the fundamentals of effective writing (grammar, spelling, vocabulary, sentence structure, paragraph structure, and essay writing)

Students are expected to work both independently and cooperatively. Since students will be learning in an integrated classroom, they are expected to appreciate and respect the learning styles and varied points of view of other students.

English 11 - Prerequisite: English 10
The major goal of English 11 is to provide learning strategies for the following skills: study, organization, reading, writing, oral communications, library research and media viewing. The course will allow students to:

• Comprehend and respond to literary and informational communications, including both print and non-print media
• Use manual and electronic means to manage and exchange ideas, and to communicate these ideas with precision, clarity and creativity
• Develop an understanding of themselves and their world by becoming aware of how people use language for various purposes, by working with others, and by establishing relationships within the school and community.

Students are expected to work both independently and cooperatively. Since students will be learning in an integrated classroom, they are expected to appreciate and respect the learning styles and varied points of view of other students. This course follows the prescribed learning outcomes.
Assessment And Evaluation will be based on projects, presentations, responses, examinations, class participation and also improvements related to the following skills: study, organization, reading, writing, oral communication, research and media viewing.

English 12 - Prerequisite: English 11
English 12 is a mandatory course which all students, except those in Communications 12, must pass in order to graduate. English 12 draws together the learning experiences of 12 years of schooling. It encourages the development of students’ confidence, independence and appreciation in the areas of reading, writing, oral communications, viewing and representing. It continues to develop and enhance students’ appreciation of literature and language. The activities and resources are increasingly more sophisticated, but are carefully selected to appeal to the range of students’ interests and abilities.

• Students will read for a variety of purposes, demonstrate interpretive understanding and critically analyze short stories, novels, poetry, drama (e.g. a Shakespeare play) and nonfiction
• In writing, students will write in a variety of formats employing all stages of the writing process: pre-writing drafting, editing, proofreading and publishing. Emphasis will be on multi-paragraph composition
• Oral communication skills will develop a critical awareness and appreciation of audience, purpose and context
• In viewing, students will identify, analyze, interpret and evaluate techniques used to convey meaning in visual and mass media
• Students will select and create a variety of representational forms to assist in the expression, development and extension of ideas

Communications 11 - Prerequisite: English 10 with teacher/counsellor recommendation
The major goal of Communications 11 is to provide a learning program that will best meet the needs of those students who display significant weaknesses in the following skills: study, organization, reading, writing, oral communication, library research, and media viewing. The pace of this course is slower, but the content will be similar to the regular English 11 program. The course content will generally include:

• Study and response to Literature (short stories, novels, poetry, plays, and media viewing)
• Study and response to the writing process (generating, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing)
• Study and response to the fundamentals of effective writing (grammar, spelling, vocabulary, sentence structure and paragraph structure)

Students are expected to work both independently, and cooperatively. Since students will be learning in an integrated classroom, they are expected to appreciate and respect the learning styles and varied points of view of other students.
Assessment And Evaluation will be based on projects, presentations, responses, examinations, class participation, and also improvements related to following skills: study, organization, reading, writing, oral communication, research, and media viewing.

Communications 12 - Prerequisite: Communications 11 or English 11
Communications 12, an alternative to English 12, is designed for students not proceeding directly to university. Like English 12, it integrates the skills of reading, writing, oral communication, viewing and representing. It is intended to develop and enhance students’ appreciation for literature and language. The activities and resources are increasingly more sophisticated, but are carefully selected to appeal to the range of students’ interests and abilities.

• Students will read for a variety of purposes and demonstrate understanding of short stories, novels, poetry, drama and nonfiction
• Oral communication skills develop an awareness and appreciation of audience, purpose and context
• Interviewing, students will study techniques used to convey meaning in visual and mass media
• Students select and create a variety of representational forms to assist in the development and expression of ideas

English Literature 12 - Prerequisite: A love of literature Literature 12 is the advanced academic elective course in English and must be taken in conjunction with English 12.
This is a survey course in English literature. It traces the development of English Literature from Anglo-Saxon times to the twentieth century. It includes a study of the social and historical background, as well as the major writers of each literary period. Students will develop critical skills in evaluating and appreciating English literature, and their understanding of self and society should increase through a knowledge of their cultural heritage.
This course is particularly valuable for students who wish to acquire the wide reading background and critical skills necessary for university English and Humanities courses, or who plan careers in Fine Arts fields such as music, drama or art. This is a provincially examinable and scholarship course.

Writing 12 - Prerequisite: None - Open to Gr. 11 Students
This course is designed for those who enjoy writing for an audience, those who write in order to think, those who want an opportunity to share their writing, and those who want to explore a variety of forms of writing by experimenting and sharing.
Classes will be organized in a workshop format in which the majority of time will be spent either writing, conferencing with the teacher or other students, or sharing pieces of writing. Daily lessons will be brief and will focus on areas which suit the needs of the class. Regular feedback will be given during informal group sharing and conferences. It is expected that during the course of the workshop students will write regularly in class and at home, finish pieces of writing in a variety of formats and share their work.
Evaluation will take place in the form of formal conferences, a midterm, and an evaluation at the end of the semester. This evaluation will be based on an assessment of progress towards goals established during initial conferences, as well as a portfolio presentation of works selected by the student. Throughout the course, there will be opportunities to publish work through contests and outside publications. This course can be used as an academic course for entry to some university programs including Simon Fraser University.

QUESTIONS
How can I help my children in school?
Every time a report card comes around
I always hear a familiar sound:
Parents who care about their kids’ lagging grades
Wondering how they can come to their aid.

"How can I help my children succeed?
They’re falling behind. What do they need?"
"Four things," I say, "your kids need to do:
Come to class (be on time), hand in work (on time too),
And top effort is needed if the work’s to succeed,
But most important of all, your family must READ!"

"Read to them, read with them, read near them tonight
Read magazines, novels, and comics (that’s right!)
Read non-fiction, papers, TV captions too
Read something each day, 30 minutes will do.
Read anytime, anywhere, more often is better,
Read homework, school textbooks, the principal’s letter.
Read in any language, reading anything works
Even comics with heroes and villainous jerks."

"In this mission the library should be your friend,
Thousands of books it has ready to lend,
And the branches are close, finding them’s not too hard.
So go there tonight, get a library card!
Try to visit the stacks at least 12 times a year,
And take some books home...to read (let’s be clear)."

"But whether you buy all your books or you borrow,
Don’t put off reading a book ‘til tomorrow.
Your children will learn more from reading, that’s true,
But they will learn to love books only by watching you."
Jennifer Cowley

Back to Departments