Four years of English are required for graduation.  Our English classes emphasize reading, writing and speaking.  Courses are designated as College Preparatory (CP), Advanced Standing (AS) or Advanced Placement (AP).

COLLEGE PREPARATORY COURSE SEQUENCE

This course of study is designed to prepare students to succeed at the college level. Over the four years, students develop their skills in reading comprehension, interpretation of literature, formal writing, creative writing, grammar, listening, and speaking.

In the 9th and 10th grade years, students focus on analytical writing, on learning the foundational skills needed to succeed in upper division, on passing the California High School Exit Exam, and on scoring well on state and district assessments. In the 11th and 12th grade years, students review for the SAT, hone their writing skills, and develop the interpretative skills expected in college.

A class is designated as being in this track with the letters CP. 

The following are minimum expectations:
Reading	Writing
A minimum of four literary works with at least two titles from the Core Reading List. Other works from the Extended Reading List. At least one Shakespearean play.* Supplementary works to enhance the curriculum. Reading will be geared towards students who read at grade level. *Except in the eleventh grade, American literature curriculum	At least four multiple-paragraph assignments. that are the product of revision in response to a reader’s comments. Additional assignments including quick-writes, timed writings, in-class essay examinations.    Writing modes include expository, auto-biographical,  persuasive, and reflective.

ADVANCED STANDING & ADVANCED PLACEMENT
COURSE SEQUENCE

This  course of study is designed to prepare students for the demands of the Advanced Placement Examination and highly competitive colleges and universities. To be successful in the AP track, a student must read and comprehend complex literature, must be self-directed and motivated, and must be eager to work at an accelerated pace.

All classes will be open to all students who understand the course expectations and make an informed decision.  Students enrolled in this sequence of courses are expected to stay for at least one semester, and seniors are expected to take the AP exam.  To continue on the following year, a student should maintain a C grade or better at the end of each semester.

A class in the 9th and 10th grade is designated as being in this sequence with the letters AS (Advanced Standing). A class in the 11th & 12th grade is designated as being in this sequence with the letters AP (Advanced Placement).

The following are minimum expectations for AS/AP:
Reading	Writing
A minimum of six literary works with at least two titles from the Core Reading List. Other works from the Extended Reading List. At least one Shakespearean play.* Supplementary works to enhance the curriculum. Reading will be challenging and geared towards students who read above grade level. *Except in the eleventh grade, American literature curriculum	At least six multiple-paragraph assignments that are the product of revision in response to a reader’s comments. Additional assignments including quick-writes, timed writings, reflective writing responding to literature, and in-class essay examinations.    Writing modes include expository, auto-biographical,  persuasive, and reflective. Writing will reflect accelerated comprehension and mature analysis.

 

CORE AND EXTENDED CORE READING LISTS
9th Grade Core	9th Grade Extended Core	9th Grade A.S.
Midsummer Night's Dream	Great Expectations	Cry the Beloved Country*
Mythology	House on Mango Street	Frankenstein*
The Odyssey	In the Time of the Butterflies	Lord of the Flies*
Of Mice and Men	Night	The Joy Luck Club*
Nectar in a Sieve	A Separate Peace	1984*
To Kill a Mockingbird	Things Fall Apart
Romeo & Juliet
When I was Puerto Rican
10th Grade Core	10th Grade Extended Core	10th Grade A.S.
Bless Me, Ultima	1984*	The Canterbury Tales
Catcher in the Rye	All Quiet on the Western Front
The Kitchen God's Wife	Animal Farm
Lord of the Flies(CP)*	The Bean Trees
Macbeth	Brave New World
Merchant of Venice	Cry the Beloved Country (CP)*
Taming of the Shrew	Frankenstein (CP)*
	The Joy Luck Club(CP)*
	A Raisin in the Sun
	Tale of Two Cities
11th Grade Core	11th Grade Extended Core
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn	The Autobiography of Malcom X
Black Boy	Ceremony
The Crucible	The Color of Water
The Death of a Salesman	The Color Purple
The Great Gatsby	Hiroshima
The Scarlet Letter	I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Slaughterhouse Five	Invisible Man
Their Eyes Were Watching God	Streetcar Named Desire
The Things They Carried	Moby Dick
12th Grade Core	12th Grade Extended Core
As I Lay Dying	Four Plays by Ibsen
Chronicle of a Death Foretold	The Heart of Darkness
Dubliners	Metamorphosis
Hamlet	Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
King Lear	Pride and Prejudice
Oedipus/Antigone
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
Othello
Siddartha
The Stranger

PUBLICATIONS 1-2
Grade: 10-12
Duration:                  Year
Credits: 10
UC/CSU: No
Prerequisite:: Competence (grade A or B) in English or Art classes.  Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.  Recommendation of English or Art Teacher.

This class produces the school yearbook, The Elm.  Students participate in all phases of planning and design.  Overall design, artwork, photography, layout, writing, copyediting and desktop publishing are important activities.  Students are expected to meet strict deadlines, make aesthetic judgments, cooperate with other students and community representatives and practice effective leadership.

PUBLICATIONS ADVANCED
Grade: 10-12
Duration: Year
Credits:                  10
UC/CSU:                  No
Prerequisite: Completion of Publications 1-2.

Advanced students make up the editorial, layout and photography staff of the yearbook.  On campus book selling is required.

PHOTOGRAPHY 1-2
Grade: All Grades
Duration: Year
Credits: 10
UC/CSU: No
Prerequisite: None

In this hands-on class, students learn the basics of photography using their digital cameras.  They apply the principles of design to compose better pictures.  Students take photos for the yearbook as well as for their own projects.  They edit photos in Photoshop and learn how to make photomontages.  Students supply their own cameras, though a few class-provided cameras are available.

JOURNALISM 1-2
Grade: All Grades
Duration: Year
Credits: 10
UC/CSU: Yes
Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in English or recommendation of English teacher.

Our Journalism Department is undergoing rapid change to keep up with media trends of the 21st century.  As before, Journalism students write stories and use desktop publishing software to design the print edition of the school newspaper.  But today’s students also have an opportunity to produce podcasts, vodcasts, blogs, digital photographs, computer-generated graphics and other web-based methods of news delivery.  Students learn to write, research, meet deadlines, take photographs, sell advertising cooperate with peers and interact with the community while producing our top-flight newspaper, the San Mateo Hi.

JOURNALISM ADVANCED
Grade: 10-12
Duration: Year
Credits: 10
UC/CSU:  Yes
Prerequisite: Journalism 1-2 and permission of teacher.

                  Advanced students serve as lead writers and editors of the school newspaper.
                 
DEVELOPMENTAL READING 1-2, 3-4
Grade: All Grades
Duration: Semester
Credits: 5
UC/CSU: No
Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation.

Developmental Reading is for students who need additional work in comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking and study skills.  Computer-assisted instruction will be used to help students with specific reading skills as well as other subject areas (math, social science, science) when assistance in these areas is recommended.                 

 

 

English Department
Nate Johnson, chair
Keith Brasel
Lisa Burke
Patricia Fergusson
Jennifer Hofmann
Sara Iraheta
Nels Johnson
Jane McCabe
Nicolene McMullen
Ann Pappas

PUBLICATIONS 1-2
Grade:  10-12
Duration:  Year
Credits: 10
UC/CSU: No
Prerequisite:  Competence (grade A or B) in English or Art classes.  Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher.  Recommendation of English or Art Teacher.

This class produces the school yearbook, The Elm.  Students participate in all phases of planning and design.  Overall design, artwork, photography, layout, writing, copyediting and desktop publishing are important activities.  Students are expected to meet strict deadlines, make aesthetic judgments, cooperate with other students and community representatives and practice effective leadership.

PUBLICATIONS ADVANCED
Grade:  10-12
Duration: Year
Credits:  10
UC/CSU: No
Prerequisite: Completion of Publications 1-2.

Advanced students make up the editorial, layout and photography staff of the yearbook.  On campus book selling is required.

PHOTOGRAPHY 1-2
Grade: All Grades
Duration: Year
Credits: 10
UC/CSU:  No
Prerequisite:None

In this hands-on class, students learn the basics of photography using their digital cameras.  They apply the principles of design to compose better pictures.  Students take photos for the yearbook as well as for their own projects.  They edit photos in Photoshop and learn how to make photomontages.  Students supply their own cameras, though a few class-provided cameras are available.

Questions? Contact smhsyearbook@gmail.com.

JOURNALISM 1-2
Grade: All Grades
Duration: Year
Credits: 10
UC/CSU: Yes
Prerequisite: Grade of C or better in English or recommendation of English teacher.

Our Journalism Department is undergoing rapid change to keep up with media trends of the 21st century.  As before, Journalism students write stories and use desktop publishing software to design the print edition of the school newspaper.  But today’s students also have an opportunity to produce podcasts, vodcasts, blogs, digital photographs, computer-generated graphics and other web-based methods of news delivery.  Students learn to write, research, meet deadlines, take photographs, sell advertising cooperate with peers and interact with the community while producing our top-flight newspaper, the San Mateo Hi.

JOURNALISM ADVANCED
Grade: 10-12
Duration: Year
Credits:    10
UC/CSU:  Yes
Prerequisite: Journalism 1-2 and permission of teacher.

     Advanced students serve as lead writers and editors of the school newspaper.

DEVELOPMENTAL READING
Grade: All Grades
Duration: Semester
Credits: 5
UC/CSU: No
Prerequisite: Teacher recommendation.

Developmental Reading is for students who need additional work in comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking and study skills.  Computer-assisted instruction will be used to help students with specific reading skills as well as other subject areas (math, social science, science) when assistance in these areas is recommended.    

 

Buying a subscription to the school newspaper supports the free exchange of ideas on campus, promotes a climate of intellectualism, helps foster future journalists, and gives insights into what's on our high school students' minds. For more information contact newspaper advisor Patsy Fergusson at pfergusson@smuhsd.k12.ca.us .

Journalism and Advanced Journalism meet the UC/CSU “a-g” requirements.  

DEVELOPMENTAL READING
Developmental Reading is for students who need additional work in comprehension, vocabulary, critical thinking and study skills. Computer-assisted instruction will be used to help students with specific reading skill as well as other subject areas (math, social science, science) when assistance in these areas is recommended.

Prerequisite : Teacher Recommendation. Grades: 9-12