Department Lead: Lea Lewis
Room: 323
Phone: 310-378-8471 Ext. 43623
Email: [email protected]
The English Department at PVHS is a proud team of thirteen teachers who lead over twenty-five core and elective classes.
English classes range from regular English courses to vigorous college-level courses. English teachers are committed to preparing students for the diverse literary demands of the 21st century.
Therefore, teachers and students utilize a variety of technology tools such as: Google Classroom, Prezi, Kahoot, Flipgrid, Nearpod, and Pear Deck.
English teachers, however, have not forgotten the importance of good old pencil and paper. “For annotation, a hard copy is really important,” explained junior year teacher Angie Mogilesfky.
Writing, speaking, and thinking skills need hands-on guidance in an equally non-tech classroom environment.
Mogilefsky added, “It’s good for students to learn both ways. They don’t know the situation they’ll be in after high school.”
The PVHS block schedule is especially useful to the English department.
“With the two-hour block schedule, I can teach the students new concepts and then have them work together in groups with their devices to share information and build something they can present in the latter half of the class,” said AP Language and Composition teacher Cindy Damon.
“They not only get to learn in the class, but also process and demonstrate in class.”
The block period also allows for in-depth class discussions and Socratic Seminars.
All English courses emphasize careful reading, responsible thinking, and clear, precise expression of ideas.
Students study literature representing a broad range of historical and cultural perspectives, as well as a range of diverse voices and authors.
“It’s important to intertwine history and culture into literature, because it gives students a perspective of the environment that bore those literary works,” said Damon.
“As readers and learners, we have to know what was on the minds and what was the authors’ priorities during their time.”
Writing Program
This methodology allows English teachers and all students at PVHS to have a common language when discussing and writing essays.
Honors and Advanced Placement Courses
PVHS offers English 1-3 Honors and English 3 Language AP and English 4 Literature AP.
National English Honors Society
The National English Honors Society (NEHS) is a national organization exclusively for high school students and faculty who, in the field of English, exhibit high standards of academic excellence