| NAME | COURSES | |
| Julie Nguyen |
Julie.Nguyen@burnabyschools.ca English Department Head |
|
| Soyeon Cho | Soyeon.Cho@burnabyschools.ca |
|
| Doreen Larisch | Doreen.Larisch@burnabyschools.ca |
|
| Michelle Rhodes | Michelle.Rhodes@burnabyschools.ca |
|
| Erin Seong | Erin.Seong@burnabyschools.ca |
|
| Amanda Underwood | Amanda.Underwood@burnabyschools.ca |
|
| Giuliano Vigna | Giuliano.Vigna@burnabyschools.ca |
|
WRITING CONTESTS
Check out all the writing contests you can enter! For more information about a contest or to obtain an entry form, see Ms. Binning, or check the wall in the English wing.
Voice of the Mind Writing Contest
Take part in Cariboo Hill’s very own writing contest. You can submit poems or prose (prose word limit = 500 words). There are great prizes for category winners at each grade level!
COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
ENGLISH 8
English 8 is the first of five (5) required years of study in the English Language Arts, and forms the essential foundation for further work in the English Department. The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the format of secondary school English classes, establish good study habits, and begin study of the units that will reappear in their journey through secondary school English courses: writing skills, poetry, short fiction, the novel, and drama – the play. Great effort is made to support these young students in their beginning studies, from both a curricular and social perspective, to ensure that they leave the course with a strong sense of self and their ability to interact with works of literature.
ENGLISH 9
English 9 is a course prescribed by the Ministry of Education for all students. It builds on the units introduced in English 8, and prepares students for success in senior English courses.
ENGLISH 10
English 10 is a course prescribed by the Ministry of Education for all students. It builds on the units introduced in English 8/9, and prepares students for success in senior English courses.
Students will receive 4 credits total, for two 2-credit course options: 2 credits for Focused Literary Studies 10 and 2 credits for ONE of the following course OPTIONS: Creative Writing 10 or New Media 10.
Focused Literary Studies 10/EFP Literary Studies 10 is designed for students who are interested in the study of literature. Giving students the choice of a range of literary topics allows them to follow their passion and at the same time, students will
- increase their literacy skills through close reading of appropriately challenging texts,
- enhance their development of the English Language Arts curricular competencies, both expressive and receptive,
- expand their development as educated global citizens,
- develop balance and broaden their understanding of themselves and the world,
- develop higher-level thinking and learning skills.
Creative Writing 10 is designed for students who have an interest in creative expression through language.
- The course provides students with in-depth opportunities to become better writers through the exploration of personal and cultural identities, memories, and stories in a wide range of genres.
- Within a supportive community of writers, students will collaborate and develop their skills through writing and design processes.
- This course is intentionally grounded in the exploration and application of writing processes, inviting students to express themselves creatively as they experiment with, reflect on, extend, and refine their writing.
New Media 10 is a program of studies designed to reflect on the role of technology in today’s society and the increasing importance of digital media in communicating and exchanging ideas. New Media students will be provided with a set of skills to be educated citizens in an increasingly digital world.
English First Peoples New Media 10 is designed for students who are interested in exploring the increasing importance of digital media in communicating and exchanging ideas. This area of choice provides students with opportunities to think about the use of new media and its effects on individuals and on First Peoples communities and cultures. Students will work individually and collaboratively to develop skills needed in an increasingly complex digital world as they demonstrate understanding and communicate ideas through a variety of digital and print media.
ENGLISH 11
English 11 is a course prescribed by the Ministry of Education for all students. It builds on the units introduced in the junior levels of the English Language Arts and prepares students for success in senior English courses. Students are required to take at least one of the following courses. They may take more than one in either grade 11 or 12 for elective credits.
CREATIVE WRITING 11
From the splendid illustration and simple stories of children’s literature to the solemn profundity of a personal epitaph, Creative Writing 11 follows the progress of human existence, providing strategies for effective composition and improved creativity across a variety of genres. Students are encouraged to perceive these life writing assignments as part of the process of making meaning and memory from mere words upon the page. The course provides students with in-depth opportunities to become better writers through the exploration of personal and cultural identities, memories, and stories in a wide range of genres. Creative Writing 11 offers both charm and challenge to those students selecting it as a senior English elective in grade 11 or 12.
NEW MEDIA 11
This is a program of studies designed to reflect the changing role of technology in society and the increasing importance of digital media in communicating and exchanging ideas. This course is intended to allow students and educators the flexibility to develop an intensive program of study centered on students’ interests, needs, and abilities, while at the same time allowing for a range of local delivery methods. New Media 11 recognizes that digital literacy is an essential characteristic of the educated citizen. Coursework is aimed at providing students with a set of skills vital for success in an increasingly complex digital world by affording numerous opportunities to demonstrate understanding and communicate increasingly sophisticated ideas through a wide variety of digital and print media. Compared with New Media 10, New Media 11 features tasks and texts of greater complexity and sophistication. As well, the Grade 11 course extends the depth and breadth of topics and activities offered in New Media 10.
EFP Literary Studies + New Media 11
This program is designed for students who are interested in studying First Peoples literature and examining the evolving role of technology in today’s society, especially the increasing importance of digital media in communicating and exchanging ideas and engaging in social advocacy. Students delve deeply into First Peoples oral and written literature in a range of media to explore various themes, authors, and topics. This provides a foundation for students to think critically and creatively as they continue to explore, extend, and strengthen their own writing and communication. Students examine the increasingly complex digital world and have opportunities to demonstrate understanding and communicate sophisticated ideas through a wide variety of digital and print media.
GRADE 12: Every student must take English Studies 12 or English 12 First Peoples.
ENGLISH STUDIES 12
The required English Studies 12 course builds on and extends students’ previous learning experiences in ELA and EFP 10 and 11 courses. It is designed for all students and provides them with opportunities to refine their ability to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts and to achieve their personal and career goals. As well, it will teach students to think critically and creatively about the uses of language, and to explore texts from a variety of sources that reflect diverse worldviews, allowing them to deepen their understanding of themselves and others in a changing world. This course will contribute to Reconciliation by building greater understanding of the knowledge and perspectives of First Peoples and expand their understanding of what it means to be educated Canadian and global citizens.
ENGLISH 12 FIRST PEOPLES
This course provides all students, regardless of ethnic and cultural background, the opportunity to engage with indigenous creative expression and enter the worlds of First Peoples provincially, nationally, and internationally. Students will be exposed to various forms of text including oral story, speech, poetry, dramatic work, dance, song, film, and prose (non-fiction and fiction). EFP 12 is the academic equivalent of English 12, and students will develop the English language and literacy skills and capacities they must have in order to meet British Columbia’s graduation requirements.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH 12
Advanced Placement English 12 is offered to those students who have demonstrated an aptitude for the English Language Arts, and who wish to study at a level that previews that of first-year post-secondary study. English Literature 12 is required as a concurrent course choice in the student’s grade 12 year, since the curriculum includes material for the AP Exam in May and results in significantly higher exam results for those students who wish to achieve a score of 4 or 5. Advanced Placement is ideal preparation for those Arts or Science students who plan on attending post-secondary institutions in either Canada or the United States, and those students who score highly enough (4 or 5 out of 5) on the AP Exam can apply to specific universities for first-year credit/exemption for English courses. This course helps students to develop into self-sufficient, lifelong learners who can succeed in almost any academic setting in which they find themselves.