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English
The English Department at Pinkerton Academy strongly believes that a four-year language arts curriculum is essential for all students to prepare them for successful post-secondary pursuits. Effective communication skills optimize students’ potential for living and working productively in a global community. In addition, the study of literature and nonfiction enhances students’ understanding of themselves and helps them realize and appreciate the diversities, commonalities, and complexities of human existence. To this end, the curriculum focuses on a series of competency skills: Argumentative Writing, Informational Writing, Narrative Writing, Reading Literary, Reading Informational, Research, and Speaking/Listening.
Students are given every opportunity to acquire the many skills necessary to become effective writers, readers, researchers, speakers, listeners, and thinkers through a sequential program. All students choose from required courses that are leveled AP, Honors, A, B, C, Explorations, or Foundations. This selection is based on achievement, post-secondary goals, motivation, scholastic responsibility, teacher recommendation, and parental approval. Leveling is intended to challenge students’ abilities and to allow them to reach higher levels of success. In addition, students have opportunities to explore other interests through a variety of electives that supplement the required courses.
Freshman Academy English
The Pinkerton Academy English program begins with a full year of coursework starting in the 9th grade. As students transition to the more rigorous expectations of high school, Freshman Academy courses emphasize both academic accountability and perseverance. Students are expected to demonstrate effective management of deadlines throughout the writing process and to participate in regular practice for reading, grammar, and vocabulary. Freshman coursework also introduces students to independent research on both assigned and independent topics, familiarizing 9th graders with technologies that they will utilize throughout their high school careers.
Curriculum
In general, 9th grade English curriculum is comprised of units that offer students opportunities to master essential skills in a variety of academic categories:
Writing
The forms of writing practiced throughout the Pinkerton English program are broken into three categories:
- Argumentative
- Informational
- Narrative
Reading
The 9th grade reading standards encourage study in the following genres:
- Poetry, using Homer's The Odyssey
- Fiction, using short stories and novels, including Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird
- Drama, using Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
- Informational Text, in the form of news, magazine and database articles
Speaking and Listening
The ability to communicate clearly and listen thoughtfully is strongly emphasized in all English coursework. Areas of focus include:
- A student's ability to engage in and propel discussion in a variety of settings
- A student's ability to adapt the style and tone of their speech based on the task at hand (e.g. an informal discussion vs. an oral presentation)
- The refining of speaking and listening skills through continuous feedback from both teachers and classmates
Research
Research is essential in deepening students' understanding of any given topic, whether completed as part of a large project or done informally in class. Research skills include:
- A students' ability to analyze different sources of information for credibility and relevance to the task at hand.
- A students' ability to summarize and represent researched information
Frost English Center
The Frost English Center is located next to the Senior Cafeteria in the Spaulding Arts and Humanities Center and is open before school and during all periods of the school day, except Lunch 4.
No teacher pass is required to use the facility during study halls or lunch periods. If the facility is full (24 students), students will be sent back to their assigned rooms.
The English Center is staffed by an English teacher. Students must check-in with this supervisor in order to scan their IDs in and be assigned a workspace.
The English Center’s purpose is to allow students to compose, revise, and edit drafts with teacher support, to complete other English work, read silently, and conduct research independently; the English Center supervisors are always available for assistance.
Students are to use their computers for school academic use only. The school’s Internet Acceptable Use Policy is strictly enforced. The English Center is not available for socializing or student group work.
Seniors who come into the English Center from cafeteria lunch will not be allowed to return to the cafeteria. They should eat lunch first and then enter the English Center, remaining for the rest of the period.
Using the Frost English Center
- Check in with the supervisor and scan your ID. The supervisor will assign you a workspace.
- You are to use a computer in the English Center for school (academic) use only. You may not play games or or do anything else that is not school-related.
- Do not print over ten pages.
- Students who use the English Center during lunch periods must remain in the English Center once they sign in.
- Never give or share passwords and/or accounts with another student.
- The English Center’s purpose is to allow students to compose, revise, and edit drafts with teacher support, to complete other English work, read silently, and conduct research independently; the English Center supervisors are always available for assistance. It is not a place to socialize with friends or do group work.
English Center Lunch Periods Policy
- Seniors who come into the English Center from the cafeteria will not be allowed to return to the cafeteria. Seniors should eat lunch first and then enter the English Center, remaining for the rest of the period.
- Students in the English Center during lunch periods are not allowed to leave.
English Center Infractions
A major infraction, such as going to inappropriate sites and sharing passwords and accounts, will be handled by the IT Department and the Administration. Usually, students lose Internet privileges for at least two weeks.
Failing to do school-related work in the English Center (socializing, phone use, etc.):
- 1st Offense: Warning
- 2nd Offense: Banned from the EC for a week
- 3rd Offense: Banned from the EC for two weeks
- Subsequent Offenses: Banned indefinitely and must meet with Department Head/Administrator before reconsidering access to the English Center.
Depending on the circumstances, Administration and/or the English Department Head reserve the right to suspend privileges for longer periods than stated above.
Required Summer Reading
Rising freshmen and sophomores have required reading for the summer. These books center around a theme that will be explored in their English classes. See the attached pdfs for the reading for each level.
Email Mrs. Jyoti Demian, English Department Head, with any questions.
Contact Info
Name | Position | |
Ann Bienvenue | Teacher | [email protected] |
Shay Boisvert | Teacher | [email protected] |
Clairee Bordeau | Teacher | [email protected] |
Teresa Brown | Reading Specialist | [email protected] |
Lani Buskey | Teacher | [email protected] |
Timothy Cain | Teacher | [email protected] |
Emily Carr | Teacher | [email protected] |
Parker Cavallaro | Teacher | [email protected] |
Jonathan Chabot | Reading Specialist | [email protected] |
Crystal Chapman | Teacher | [email protected] |
Suzanne Chappell | Teacher | [email protected] |
Mike Cicale | Teacher | [email protected] |
Ms. Kiara Connolly | Teacher | [email protected] |
Andrew Cook | Teacher | [email protected] |
Jeffrey Cournoyer | Teacher | [email protected] |
Jyoti Demian | Assoc. Dean of Academics | [email protected] |
Joseph Dion | Teacher | [email protected] |
Samantha Donnelly | Teacher | [email protected] |
James Faulkner | Teacher | [email protected] |
Ameila Gay | Teacher | [email protected] |
Tammy Gamelin | Teacher | [email protected] |
Jennifer Gentile | Teacher | [email protected] |
Steven Harrington | Teacher | [email protected] |
Julie Kraft | Teacher | [email protected] |
Nicole Lemire | Teacher | [email protected] |
Rob Lemire | Teacher | [email protected] |
Samuel Littlefield | Teacher | [email protected] |
David MacNeill | Teacher | [email protected] |
Emily McAvoy | Teacher | [email protected] |
James McMahon | Teacher | [email protected] |
Colby Millsaps | Teacher | [email protected] |
Corbett O'Connell | Teacher | [email protected] |
Stephanie Raudonis | Lead Teacher | [email protected] |
Julia Rourke | Teacher | [email protected] |
Rebecca Sasso | Teacher | [email protected] |
Lyndsay Scanlon | Teacher | [email protected] |
Heather Spellman | Teacher | [email protected] |