ENGLISH DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

GENERAL GOAL: The goal of the English Department is to develop in our students an appreciation of all genres of literature, to develop critical reading and writing skills, and to prepare the students for college reading and writing. Furthermore, our goal is for students to successfully complete the New York State Standard Assessment and successfully prepare our students for the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT I). The English department also offers an HONORS program for students. This program demands a sophistication in critical analysis, and introduces students to critical theory as a means for interpretation. 

ANTHOLOGY OF LITERATURE: Students in grade 9 work with a Prentice Hall anthology which exposes them to every genre of literature. Each year students are expected to build on the critical reading and writing skills of the previous year, and attain expertise in these areas. In addition, students in the 9^th grade participate in a writing intensive program using Writers Inc. 

ENRICHMENT READINGS:  Students in grade 9 are expected to read additional classic or contemporary plays and novels each quarter. Assignments are given on a regular basis, and the students are assessed periodically. Recent selections for 9^th grade include: METAMORPHOSIS, MACBETH, CATCHER IN THE RYE, MAUS, ANTIGONE, HEART OF DARKNESS, and MERCHANT OF VENICE. 

PORTFOLIOS: The English department uses the portfolio system. Every student has a permanent portfolio of his literary essays from 9^th through 12^th grade. Critical literary essays, in all stages of development, are stored here so that teachers and students may confer. 

WRITING: Composition is a strong component of the English program. Emphasis will be put on thesis writing; literature based analytical writing, creative writing and research writing. Each year will concentrate on several writing projects. Preparation for the New York State regent’s examination will begin in freshman year.                                                             

            9^th - Students will begin to write literary analysis in thesis format with an emphasis on “Critical Lens.” Students will participate in a long term research project to be determined by the department. MLA standards are considered.

            10^th – Students will continue to perfect their thesis writing through critical lens essays and comparison and contrast essays. Students will be responsible for a major research project which will develop skills in each stage of the research process including MLA standards. Reading and interpreting works of non-fiction is also considered.  Projects will be developed among grade level teachers.

            11^th – Students will continue intense practice in all four tasks of the English Regents.  Sophistication of literary analysis in a literature based thesis essay is a focus as well. Students will participate in interdisciplinary research projects.  Students will begin professional resume writing in the spring, and must submit a personal resume to the Guidance department as well as to the English department. Personal college essays are also considered.

            12^th – Students will continue to develop sophisticated college level essays. All seniors will be required to submit a major term paper by Easter as a graduation requirement. Students will complete the personal essay which is used with their college applications. 

In addition to course work, all students are encouraged to participate in activities such as the FORENSICS LEAGUE, the literary magazine (THE PHOENIX), the school newspaper (THE CRUSADER), the school yearbook (THE SHEPHERD), and various contests sponsored by colleges and organizations in the area. 

STEPINAC VOCAL ARTS ENSEMBLE

The Stepinac Vocal Arts Ensemble is a full-year class open to students of all year levels. Presently there are 50 students in the ensemble, which is available to students with the desire to sing. The students learn a varied repertoire of music from sacred to pop standards and show tunes. The group lends its singing talent to numerous school and community functions. They sing for school masses and liturgies throughout the school year, including the Graduation Mass in June. For the past several years, the Stepinac Vocal Arts Ensemble has performed in Poughkeepsie, New York and most recently in Westchester to benefit Hospice Tree of Life. In March 2004, 2005 and 2007, the group was selected and performed at Walt Disney World in Florida for Disney Magic Music Days. The students appear in the Christmas and spring concerts. Many members perform in the annual spring musical. The group also takes field trips to Broadway two times per year. 

INTRODUCTION TO MUSIC

Introduction To Music is a half-year general music education course open to ninth graders. Students learn the basics of music: the elements of music, theory, composers, and orchestra. The course also presents many varied styles of music from Bach to the Beatles. Students are required to have a textbook and grading is based on class work, homework, and tests. The students participate in the Christmas and spring concerts. They also take a field trip to the Broadway theatre.

STEPINAC CRUSADERS BAND

The Stepinac Crusaders Band participates in many events during the school year. These events include Columbus Day and St. Patrick’s Day parades. The band also performs in the Christmas and Spring concerts and plays for many school events. 

INTRODUCTION TO ART

Introduction to Art is a foundation course for tenth graders, which is organized around the study of the elements of Art and the principles of design. The students develop artistic concepts by working with various media and techniques. Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional work is created in this beginning level course. 

STUDIO ART

Studio Art is a course for twelfth graders that concentrates on developing skills in painting and drawing. Acrylic paint, oil pastels, and colored pencils are the mediums of choice in this class. Students participate in an in depth study of color and value as they express themselves through various projects.

ART PORTFOLIO

Art Portfolio is a class for twelfth graders designed for the more serious art student. Students are prepared for college level work as they define already developed skills. They have more freedom to experiment with different mediums as they create projects suitable for their portfolios.

GOAL

The Mathematics Department offer to the students a variety of courses designed to meet the different levels of mathematical ability and achievement, while at the same time providing a solid foundation for further study in college. Courses are offered at three different levels of ability: Honors, Regents, and Advanced Placement. Every student is required to satisfactorily complete four years of mathematics. 

FRESHMAN YEAR   IntegratedAlgebra

Topics include: Solving linear equations and inequalities, quadratic equations, systems of equations and inequalities, rational equations, operations with polynomials, operations with algebraic fractions, factoring, linear and quadratic graphing, right triangle trigonometry, operations with irrational numbers, permutations, histograms and box-and-whisker plots, scatter plots and line of best fit, empirical probability, probability of dependent and independent events, and problem solving.

SOPHOMORE YEAR  Integrated Geometry

Major concepts/skills include: Quadratic equations and inequalities, radical equations, equations of a line, equations of a circle, midpoint and distance formula, median and altitude of a triangle, geometric shapes on the coordinate plane, parabolas (vertex and axis of symmetry), locus, logic, congruent and similar triangles, deductive proofs, parallel lines, angles of polygons, quadrilaterals, mean proportions of triangles, tangents, secants and chords of a circle, angle measurement with a circle, and constructions.

JUNIOR YEAR   Integrated Algebra II and Trigonometry

Major concepts/skills include: Absolute value, quadratic, and radical equations, rational equations and inequalities, polynomial and trigonometric equations, exponential and logarithmic equations, advanced factoring, rules of exponents, graph of y=e , logarithmic properties, trigonometric functions, trigonometric graphs, special triangles, unit circle, law of sines and cosines, trigonometric proofs, complex numbers, radian measure, permutations and combinations, theoretic and empirical probability, independent and dependent probability, correlation coefficient, and standard deviation.

SENIOR YEAR

Advanced Placement Calculus: This course is a college course in both content and structure. It provides an introduction to the basic concept of differential and integral calculus, together with appropriate applications. The main topics covered include: The theory of limits, the techniques of differentiation and integration and their applications to related rates, curve sketching, maximum and minimums problems, velocity and acceleration, area and volume, and other physical problems. The students will be prepared to take the Advanced Placement exam with the possibility of earning credit in college mathematics

Pre-Calculus: This course provides a transition from high school level material to college level mathematics. Topics discussed include a review of algebra, complex numbers, polar and rectangular form, theory of equations, partial fractions, inequalities, absolute value, the conic sections, theory of elementary functions, matrices and determinants, mathematical induction, vectors, limits, asymptotes, and graphing rational functions.

College Algebra and Trigonometry:  Topics discussed include a thorough treatment of trigonometry (both numerical and analytical). Algebraic topics include operations with polynomials, operations with fractions, complex number system, theory of equations, matrices determinants, systems of inequalities, linear programming.

Business Mathematics: Topics include Income taxes, checking and savings account, loans, balancing a checkbook, installment buying, credit cards, discount and markup, financing a car, insurance, renting versus buying, buying a house, paying taxes and making investments.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION (Grade 9-12)

Physical Education classes consist of team and individual sports focusing on fitness.  Values such as; sportsmanship, teamwork, respect, and fair play are emphasized. The grading is a pass/fail system based on preparedness and participation. A student is graded according to his potential.

HEALTH EDUCATION (Grade 10)

The objective of the Health Education course is to develop each student physically, socially, and mentally. This course is a requirement from the state which covers a broad spectrum of health topics. Areas that are covered in the class include self-esteem, body systems, diseases and disorders, STD’s, safety and first aid. Students are also provided with information and concepts about drugs and substance abuse. This class also examines the impact that drugs can have on individuals, families, and communities. The class covers the history of drugs, the social and legal aspects, and how drugs interact with the body.

NUTRITION AND THE BODY (Grade 12)

This course takes a close look at how nutrition can have a profound effect on a person. This class covers the topics of carbohydrates, fats, proteins, minerals and weight in detail. Functions of all food sources, how to read a food label, and body fat testing are also covered in the class. Exercise physiology is covered in the class to help students understand the proper way to balance their weight.

 I’m not here so you can take my ideas as your own; I’m here to teach you a true method that you can use to judge the things I will tell you. And what I have to tell you is the result of a long experience, of a past that is two thousand years old.

-                 Msgr. Luigi Giussani, The Risk of Education

Statement of Purpose:

For a child of grammar school age, it is appropriate that he believes and practices his faith simply because his parents have passed that faith on to him. When the child reaches adolescence, he must begin the work of verification. If he is to grow to have a strong, adult faith, he must begin to verify through his own experience whether that faith presents the most adequate way for him to live a life of truth, meaning and fulfillment. The teacher must assist the student in this work. The teacher cannot substitute for the student’s own curiosity and freedom. Rather the teacher must attempt to awaken these and to accompany the student on the path to truth, not leaving the student alone at the whims of instinct and uneducated opinions. The purpose of the Religious Studies Program at Stepinac is to present and propose the Catholic faith to the students in a way that takes into account this important and formative moment in their lives. It is a privilege for the students to be guided in considering their faith and confronting the ultimate questions of life in a way that is not included or even permitted in a public school education.

Freshman Curriculum

1^st - 2^nd- Quarters:

The students will look at the important moments of salvation history as recounted in the Old Testament, with an emphasis on the many foreshadowings of Jesus Christ. 

Topics to be covered are:

Two Creation Stories

The Fall and Original Sin

The Patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph

Moses: the Exodus and the Ten Commandments

The Period of Judges

The Period of the Kings and the Witnesses of the Prophets

            The Post-Exilic Period

3^rd - 4^th Quarters:

The students are given a basic review of the Catholic Faith. This beginning period of the year will cover:

The Human Search for Happiness and the Desire for God

The Revelation of God and the Stages of this Revelation

God the Father

Jesus Christ, the Son of God

Witness of the Gospels and the Formation of the Gospels

Jesus Christ, Evangelizer and Savior

Jesus’ Mission, Death, Resurrection and Ascension

The Holy Spirit in Salvation History

The Mystery of the Holy Trinity

The Nature of the Church as the Continuation of the Presence of Christ in History

Sophomore Curriculum

In preparation for New Testament study, the students will consider the reasonability of the Christian proposal. This will include a reflection on the human person and the need for God and an investigation of the historical reliability of the New Testament Documents. In studying the New Testament itself, emphasis will be given to the Four Gospels, as the privileged documents which reveal the person of Jesus Christ. The beginnings of the Church will be seen through the Acts of the Apostles and selections from the letters of Paul. The year will conclude with an exposition of the Book of Revelation.

Junior Curriculum

The Junior course seeks to educate students to Christian morality and the reasons behind it. In preparation for a study on the moral teachings of the Church, students will study Christian Anthropology, i.e. the nature of the human person as discovered through the revelation of Jesus Christ. For before knowing how a human person is to act, the students must know what the human person is, i.e. the source of the person’s value and dignity. With a basis in Christian anthropology, students will then look at the moral teachings of the Church in order to understand the reasons for these teachings and how they arise from the Christian view of the person.

Senior Curriculum

The Senior Curriculum offers the students a closer look at the Person and Natures of Jesus Christ. Students will reconsider the scriptures with an emphasis on the miracles and parables of Jesus and the salvific and historical significance of the Paschal Mystery. The course will then provide the students with a detailed look at the way the Church came to a more explicit understanding of the person of Jesus through the Christological Councils. This Christological study will also offer students a deeper understanding of Christian prayer and liturgy.