The English Department program at Independence High School is centered around the integral idea that students learn to write through reading and to read through writing. Reading and writing are integrated in all courses. Assignments are designed to prepare students for success in both the college classroom and the workplace. Over the last decade, several new courses have been added to the curriculum. These include Creative Writing, Senior Seminar: College Planning and Gothic and Horror Literature taught by Susan Ribovich, and Independent Reading taught by Eric Magyari as well as an opportunity to earn credit for self-paced reading. Independence High School also added College Composition I and II this year, enabling students to earn college credit while taking a class in IHS from one of the faculty members.
Creative Writing is a half credit elective that any high school student could take. Students engage with a variety of narrative styles such as prose, poetry, and genre-specific and learn stylistic techniques such as dialogue, figurative language, and structure, as well as tools essential to effective writing and editing. Writers in this course explore materials drawn from established authors, peer writers, and their own work. Students practice creative composition in various genres and styles and work on strategies to avoid writer's block and enhance their creative pieces. Mez Sheehan loved assembling and reflecting on her pieces in the final writing portfolio in Creative Writing showcasing her writing talents from the sixth grade throughout her first year of high school. She was also able to introduce students to fanfiction by teaching a unit on it. Sheehan and Ms. Ribovich have discussed the possibility of creating a new club at IHS focusing on fanfiction. Naomi Klonoski, a senior in the class, enjoyed teaching her peers about screenwriting in the course. She will be working on finishing her screenplay with Ms. Ribovich for her senior project at the end of this school year.
Senior Seminar: College Planning is a half credit intended to help senior students understand the benefits of higher education, characteristics of successful students, and identification of educational goals, personal strengths and areas for development. Students spend considerable time exploring colleges and universities, completing college application requirements for admissions (including application essays), and familiarizing themselves with college resources and services. Students also learn of financial literacy, including various types of aid, scholarships, grants and loans. Given today's competitive college admissions process, a strong college application essay is critical. It can be the difference between acceptance and rejection. In this course, students develop college-level essays through planning, drafting, editing, and polishing. Also, students conduct college and scholarship searches and compose essays that truly set a particular applicant apart from the others.
“Taking the Senior Seminar course during the first half of my senior year helped me to get a headstart on the college decision and admissions process. The class also featured admissions counselors from different colleges, who taught me which questions to ask and what to look for when touring a college campus. In addition, sports and extracurriculars take up much of my time, so having a scheduled period each day to work on my common application, scholarships, etc., was very helpful. I recommend this class to anyone who doesn’t know where to start with the admissions process or is stressed and struggling to find time to work on their application or scholarships,” says senior Hillary Esper.
Gothic and Horror Literature also is a half credit elective course for sophomores, juniors and seniors. Students examine the gothic and horror genre in literature and film. They begin by defining and exploring elements of both genres. Students then explore society’s fascination with this genre by reading texts and viewing films. Students study Tim Burton, Stephen King, Alfred Hitchcock, Mary Shelley, Edgar Allan Poe, and additional authors and producers of these thrilling genres. We examine recurring themes and motifs and how they change, shift, morph with the culture and with the shifting fears of the culture. Senior Rocco Allega said, "The gothic/horror literature and film course is fascinating because it explores the psychology behind our fears and why we crave to read these pieces and watch these movies. I took the class as a sophomore and am enrolled in it as a senior working on finishing the final stages of my own short story called ‘The Ghosts He Bore.’”
The newest course added to the English curriculum at Independence High School is Independent Reading. It is a half credit elective course that enables students to self-select reading materials and to self-pace their reading. Selections can be from non-fiction or fiction, any genre at any level. Students determine their own individual paths, whether they want to explore a specific genre, subject, theme, or author. Classes provide students with time to select materials, to read, to journal their thoughts and ideas, and to engage in conversations about their reading experiences. The course is one semester, but students can elect the course multiple times over multiple years. “The intention of making a course like this available to students is to give them time to read,” said Magyari. “Each week, students have three hours or more to read what they choose.”
“Independent reading has been one of my favorite classes in my senior year,” said Senior Mia Prosinski. “From taking the class, I've regained my love for reading and creative note taking. Students in the class get to keep a journal, and document about the books they read. Whether it be writing down quotes or doodling scenes from the book, this class is sure to get you thinking creatively. The class is quiet and relaxing, in addition, I've discovered a couple of interesting books from Mr. Magyari, including Klara And The Sun and Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro. From reading these, I've discovered a new favorite author of mine. I recommend this class to anyone who loves to read, or has been always wanting to read, but never gets the chance to.”
Ella Fleming said, “Independent reading has quickly become one of my favorite courses that I've taken at IHS. It's a great way to read and understand literature in a much less stressful environment than the traditional English class. The one-on-one meetings with Mr. Magyari also definitely teaches us to better communicate our thoughts about what we're reading in a different way than we're used to. It's a super eye opening course and I'm really grateful to be a part of it!”