Sophomore English continues the course of study begun in the first year. Skills are refined, expanded, and enhanced. Basic grammar is reviewed and new material introduced throughout the year. The lower division writing sequence continues with a review of paragraph writing, which leads into the year’s emphasis on descriptive, narrative, and expository essay writing.
Students will write approximately 10-12 papers in a variety of rhetorical modes. The writing becomes not only more formal, but increases in length as well, with students writing multi-paragraph expository essays by the end of the first quarter.
The reading of literature includes all the major genres: novel, drama, poetry, short story, and essay; however, the study of literature shifts from an organization by form to an organization by themes that reveal an insight into the human condition.
Juniors cover the literature of the United States from the Puritan Era to the present. All the forms of literature which have been studied specifically in themselves during the first two years are now studied as they emerge historically through the imaginative lives of major U.S. authors. This course complements the study of American History, which is also taken during the junior year.
The students’ writing aims at greater and greater control over the expository essay and specifically at developing analytical theses on literature. Students will write at least twelve papers during the year in various rhetorical modes including the personal narrative (at least 1), the expository essay (5-7), the synthesis essay, the timed quick-write, and the creative composition.
After consulting with their teachers, students taking this course may opt to take the AP Language and Composition examination. Both this course and the honors course prepare students to pass the Junior Writing Exam taken in the second semester. Students who do not pass this exam with an acceptable score must take Literature and Composition: Non-fiction during the senior year.
Seniors may structure their senior English courses with one AP course, or two single-semester classes from Individual Authors, Genre, or The Act and Art of Writing. Students may choose their two courses from the same area.
The frosh requirement, Introduction to Ethnic Studies is a one-semester course, designed to develop a student’s understanding of identity formation and systemic inequalities.
The Social Science Department endeavors to produce a learning environment where young men and women, in the tradition of St. Ignatius, become aware of their responsibilities to God, themselves, and their fellow human beings. Courses allow students to delve deeper into history, providing them with a better foundation to base their understanding of current events. Each course will also develop writing and critical thinking skills in ways that promote cross-disciplinary understanding. Lastly, our course catalog will help to foster a growth of students’ cultural competence by providing variety in perspective and sources in the hopes of developing cultural humility, a key tenet of Jesuit philosophy.
Sophomores take Modern World History, a one-year course, which begins with the Age of Exploration and Conquest (late 1400s) and studies major world civilizations and events through the 21st century.
The Social Science Department endeavors to produce a learning environment where young men and women, in the tradition of St. Ignatius, become aware of their responsibilities to God, themselves, and their fellow human beings. Courses allow students to delve deeper into history, providing them with a better foundation to base their understanding of current events. Each course will also develop writing and critical thinking skills in ways that promote cross-disciplinary understanding. Lastly, our course catalog will help to foster a growth of students’ cultural competence by providing variety in perspective and sources in the hopes of developing cultural humility, a key tenet of Jesuit philosophy.
Juniors take a full year of U.S. Histories and Cultures, covering the period beginning in the colonial era and concluding in the 21st century. The course tracks the major events and movements of our country, along with covering historically underrepresented narratives, to gain a deeper and more complex understanding of our nation’s history.
Juniors and seniors have the opportunity to apply for Honors in any Social Science course. Designed for students with a demonstrated history of academic achievement, the Honors curriculum challenges students with college-level coursework (e.g. a college-level research paper) and real-world experiences (e.g. a city council meeting). Honors students receive honors weighting in SI weighted GPA and UC/CSU GPA calculations.
A sophomore will choose one of our daytime Arts course offerings, and can additionally participate in before/after school Arts programs.
Some of the Arts courses we offer during the regular school day are: Studio Art, Dance, Drama, Music Appreciation, Sculpture, AP Music Theory. Before and after school students can take a variety of classes, most of which are by audition only, including Chamber Singers, Orchestra, Jazz Band, Pep Band, Mixed Chorus, Fall Play, Technical Theater, Stage Crew, Dance Workshop & the Spring Musical.
A senior can expect to take the second semester of the Arts class sequence begun in sophomore year, and can also participate in before/after school Arts classes.
Some of the Arts courses we offer during the regular school day are: Studio Art, Dance, Drama, Music Appreciation, Sculpture, AP Music Theory. Before and after school students can take a variety of classes, most of which are by audition only, including Chamber Singers, Orchestra, Fall Play, Jazz Band, Pep Band, Mixed Chorus, Fall Play, Technical Theater, Stage Crew, Dance Workshop & Spring Musical.
Frosh students explore the complexity and depth of human experience from a Catholic perspective. Guided by the Catholic belief that people encounter Divine Mystery in and through relationship with the world and other people. Special focus will be on forming students to do a faith that does justice, exploring questions of inclusion, conscience, culture and identity. Toward this end, all students participate in the Frosh Retreat in the context of this course. The retreat includes a service project and reflection activities organized by the Campus Ministry Department. Finally, students will conclude the year examining the relational and sexual dimension of human experience, probing ancient wisdom for guidance in discerning how to live towards greater healing and liberation.
Sophomores wrestle with the same question Jesus asks his disciples “Who do you say that I am?” The confusion that ensues among his followers is emblematic of the struggle that Christians and non-Christians alike have had throughout history to answer that very question. In this course, students will be challenged to offer their own unique contributions to the discourse on the identity of Jesus. They will grapple directly with the question Jesus posed to his disciples by developing responses based on multiple and intersecting paradigms: the personal, the historical, the theological, and the anthropological to name just a few.
