English & Language Arts

California State Seal of Biliteracy

The State Seal of Biliteracy will be awarded to graduating seniors from Petaluma High School who have mastered standard academic English and another language.

This seal will be an asset when applying for colleges and for future employment.

Students who are interested must meet the following four requirements:

1. Complete ALL graduation requirements.
2. Complete all English Language Arts requirements for graduation with an overall grade point average of 2.0 or above in those classes.
3. Score “Standard nearly met” or better on the Smarter Balanced Assessment (SBAC).
4. Demonstrate proficiency in a language other than English by fulfilling one of the following options:
   1. A score of “3” or higher on the AP (Advanced Placement) Exam in a language other than English
      OR
   2. Pass the SAT Subject Test for a Foreign Language with a score of 600 or higher.
5. Complete a four-year high school course of study in a foreign language and attain an overall GPA of 3.0 or above in that course of study.

***Talk to your counselor or World Language Teachers for more information.

See our Course Descriptions below
We recommend the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University for all MLA Style Manual Guidelines.
See the OWL Site Map for more useful information

English Classes

Heather Archibald: English 10

Paul Cochrun: English 9, ERWC (12)
Susan Contini: ELD 1, ELD 2, English 9 
Hillary Cuff: Honors English 10, American Literature (11)
Shereen Jackson: English 9, American Literature (11)

Walter Lopez: ERWC (12)
Sara Maya: English 9, ERWC (12)
Krista O'Connor: Honors English 9, ERWC (12)
Jessi Redfield: Journalism, AP English Language (11)
Hilary Smith: English 10, AP English Literature (12), Drama
Deborah Songer: RSP English 11
Hannah Takajo: English 9, RSP English 9, RSP English 10

Some of our favorite books

Heather Archibald: The Oaxaca Journal
Paul Cochrun: Love in the Time of Cholera
Susan Contini: The Yearling, Gift from the Sea, El Sombrero de Tres Picos
Hillary Cuff: Their Eyes Were Watching God, Grapes of Wrath, Wuthering Heights, The Handmaid's Tale
Shereen Jackson: Infinite Jest, Lolita, Phantoms in the Brain, 1984
Sara Maya: Phantom of the Opera, Hunting Unicorns, Journeys of Socrates, The Time Traveler’s Wife
Krista O’Connor: Song of Solomon, Their Eyes Were Watching God, To Kill a Mockingbird
Jessi Redfield: The Great Gatsby, Every Day, World War Z, Ready Player One
Hilary Smith: Pride and Prejudice, Great Expectations
Hannah Takajo: The Great Gatsby

English Department Course Descriptions

P-ENGLISH 9
A109PY YEAR (9)
Ninth grade English is a required, year-long literature-based course to develop and refine the skills outlined in the Common Core State Standards. Emphasis is on reading, writing, and critical thinking, as well as speaking and listening. Students will read a variety of literary genres (novel, biography, poetry, short stories, plays, essays, and non-fiction) from the District's approved core literature list, develop strategies for reading comprehension, and improve writing conventions. Writing is a major component of the course. This course meets the subject area - b requirement for the UC/CSU approved course list.

P-ENGLISH 9 HONORS
A109HY YEAR (9)
Prerequisite: Fall overall GPA of 3.0, at least a B in first semester English 8 class, teacher recommendation, online application
This course is designed to offer an approach to learning that is challenging, interesting, and fast-paced for strong, capable readers who are also proficient writers. There is supplemental reading that requires students to exhibit high levels of comprehension, enjoy working at an accelerated pace, and desire a deeper analysis of the reading. Writing assignments will focus on analysis, development, organization, and language. Assignments encourage creativity, abstract thinking, and consistent goal-directed behavior. This course meets the subject area - b requirement for the UC/CSU approved course list.

P-ENGLISH 10
A110PY YEAR (10)
Tenth grade English is a required, yearlong literature-based course designed to develop and refine the skills outlined in the Common Core State Standards. Emphasis is on reading, writing, and critical thinking, as well as speaking and listening. Students will read a variety of literary genres (novels, biography, poetry, short stories, plays, essays, and non-fiction) from the District's approved core literature list, develop strategies for reading comprehension, and improve writing conventions. Writing is a major component of the course. This course meets the subject area - b requirement for the UC/CSU approved course list.

P-ENGLISH 10 HONORS
A110HY YEAR (10)
Prerequisite: Fall overall GPA of 3.0, at least a B in first semester English 9 class, teacher recommendation, online application.
Students in Honors English 10 conduct a chronological study of British literature from the 19th and 20th centuries, giving them a solid foundation in British literature should they elect to take the AP English exam their senior year. Students lead classroom discussions, analyze literature using AP strategies, conduct research related to the topics of the literature, and write analytically.This course meets the subject area - b requirement for the UC/CSU approved course list.

P-AMERICAN LITERATURE
A500PY YEAR (11)
American Literature is a required English course for eleventh grade that will cover some highlights of the American canon, which could include Transcendentalism, Gothic literature, and literature from the 20th century (which may include F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Lorraine Hansberry's A Raisin in the Sun, Elizabeth Acevedo's The Poet X, and Nic Stone's Dear Martin). Emphasis is on reading, writing, and critical thinking as well as speaking and listening. Writing is a major component of the course. This course meets the subject area - b requirement for the UC/CSU approved course list.

P-ENGLISH LANGUAGE/COMPOSITION AP
A110AY YEAR (11)
Prerequisite: Qualification by application, sophomore teacher recommendation, writing sample.
Advanced Placement Language and Composition is a course in rhetoric and writing which prepares students in their junior year of high school to participate in the AP examination in May. Through the course's accelerated readings and writings, students will learn how to identify, analyze, and utilize the power of rhetoric to persuade an audience. The course involves and interdisciplinary study of American literature, and students will connect readings and writings to history, art, music, and other disciplines in order to more completely understand rhetorical structure. This course meets the subject area - b requirement for the UC/CSU approved course list.

P-EXPOSITORY READING AND WRITING CURRICULUM (ERWC)
A113PY YEAR (12)
This class will be dedicated to polishing students’ writing skills to the point where they will be fully college and career ready. The CSU system developed the Expository Reading and Writing Course (ERWC) to prepare high school seniors for college or the workforce. This course emphasizes reading nonfiction articles, which leads to an extensive amount of writing. It gives students a process they can use to approach complex texts in any discipline. The curriculum also includes longer works, such as Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Mark Haddon's the curious incident of the dog in the night-time, and Jon Krakauer’s Into the Wild. 

P-ENGLISH LITERATURE/COMPOSITION AP
A200AY YEAR (12)
Prerequisite: Placement by exam and teacher recommendation
This is a college level course that prepares students for the Advanced Placement Literature and Composition test that students take in May. The students will study English and American writers from the sixteenth century to the present day. Students write at least four essays during every six-week grading period. All units include intense study of grammar, vocabulary, syntax, and literary and rhetorical devices. The students have many opportunities to practice and improve their writing.This course meets the subject area - b requirement for the UC/CSU approved course list.

ELD LEVEL 1 – ENGLISH
A101EY YEAR (9- 12)
Prerequisite: Beginning English speaker
This is a communication-based class designed to teach basic communication skills, academic vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and pronunciation through reading, listening, speaking, and writing. The course encourages students to experience a sense of pride and knowledge related to their own cultural heritage while also developing an understanding of our local and national culture and history. The course incorporates content from the board-approved program materials tailored to the abilities and needs of the students. The course may be repeated for credit with the approval of the instructor.

ELD LEVELS 2 and 3 – ENGLISH
A102EY/A103EY YEAR (9- 12)
Prerequisite: ELD 1 and/or appropriate assessment or recommendation of instructor/ELRT
These courses extend and broaden the skills mastered in ELD 1 with an expanded emphasis from basic communication to preparing the student to successfully enter the regular English program. Students will need an understanding of basic English vocabulary and be able to speak and write in English. A greater emphasis is placed on the Common Core reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills that are aligned with the activities of a college preparatory English class. The course content may include literature from the department core curriculum when appropriate. The courses may be repeated for credit with the approval of the instructor.

P-ELD LEVEL 4 - ENGLISH
A104EY YEAR (9-12)
Prerequisite: ELD 2 and 3 and/or appropriate assessment or recommendation of instructor/ELRT
Students continue to develop the Common Core English Language Arts skills necessary for success in college preparatory and post-secondary English courses. ELD 4 requires more complex reading and assignments, including close reading and analysis of novels, plays, short stories, poems, and nonfiction. Writing assignments will include narrative, explanatory, and argumentative essays related to the literature and other course content. This course builds a foundation for all other English classes an English learner will take at Petaluma High. This course meets the subject area - b requirement for the UC/CSU approved course list. Students may only use one year of ELD 4 to meet the UC/CSU area - b requirement.

JOURNALISM
A-G Approved (9-12)
Students in this course will produce the school newspaper, The Trojan Tribune. This includes reporting, writing, advertising, ethics and responsibility of the media along with design and layout of the paper. Successful leaders are made in journalism as they run all facets of newspaper management to report the news of the school community and issues and events of concern to the students. This course meets the subject area g requirement for the UC/CSU approved course list.