English I is a study of literature designed to acclimate students to high school level reading, writing, thinking, and communicating. Freshman English encompasses literature in all genres; the reading list is chosen with an eye for strong characters that succeed despite hardship. By studying these characters and their stories, students are introduced to various perspectives from the past and the present. Through study and discussion based curriculum, our students develop understanding and empathy making their "hearts larger than the world."Drafting and revising are guided by detailed teacher feedback and individual conferencing. Vocabulary studies in freshman English further develops students' reading and writing skills as they are asked to interact with and utilize new vocabulary throughout the year.

English I at the honors level encompasses the study of literature in all genres; the reading list is chosen with an eye for strong characters who succeed despite hardship. By studying these characters and their stories, students are introduced to various perspectives from the past and present. Through study and discussion based curriculum, our students develop understanding and empathy making their ""hearts larger than the world."" English I H covers materials at an accelerated pace, and is reading and writing intensive. English I H is preparation for the English II H and the AP track through its elevated course expectations and attention to specific rhetorical and analytical elements expected at the AP level.

English II is the study of contemporary and classical  American literature.  Literary study will be infused with historical applications for a better understanding of the social and historical context of the readings, while keeping within our campus mission to develop an awareness and appreciation  for the beliefs and practices of others. Students will participate in meaningful dialogue, they will read and analyze literature, and they will create writing pieces that  seek to empower them to develop their own voice, encourage them to explore their creative talents, and prepare them for their future English courses.  Students will be encouraged to deepen and develop a love of great literature.

English II H is the study of contemporary and classical American literature at an accelerated pace and is writing-intensive.   Literary study will be infused with historical applications for a better understanding of the social and historical context of the readings, while keeping with our campus mission to develop an awareness and appreciation for the beliefs and practices of others. Students will participate in meaningful dialogue, they will read and analyze literature, and they will create writing pieces that  seek to empower them to develop their own voice, encourage them to explore their creative talents, and prepare them for their future English courses. English II H is preparation for the AP/ACCP  track through its elevated course expectations and attention to specific rhetorical and analytical elements expected at the AP/ACCP level.

Students will explore the universal voice of literature with an increased awareness of revolutionary themes, content, and purpose, particularly when it comes to communicating the “Other’s” conscience. Students will analyze compelling storylines and individuals who contribute to the larger lessons found in 21st-century literature and life, and more importantly, students will develop and showcase a more complex awareness of issues surrounding social justice, personal values and beliefs, and their ever-evolving places in the world. The culminating paper or project will showcase students’ own revolutionary voices as they situate themselves as valuable, socially-involved members of society.

Students will explore the power of women’s voices at the college reading and writing level, examining women’s voices and their impact on the evolution of literary traditions. Students will examine texts that compare women’s experiences and views from different cultures and parts of the world. Featured genres include fiction, creative writing, poetry, and speeches, with students self-selecting works of interest within these categories. The culminating paper or project will involve students’ own authorial voices as contemporary women writers.

Students will identify a specific need or problem impacting our community today. This topic will serve as the focus for a research paper that will evolve into an action-based social entrepreneurship project. Other written assignments seek to empower students to develop their own voice, fine tune their writing craft, and prepare them for writing in a variety of modes at the college level. Students will communicate and collaborate professionally as they work in small teams with community partners to produce their culminating project.

Students will examine and compare how stories are told and characters are developed in film versus in written narratives. A variety of film techniques will be explored and applied along with a review of basic literary terms to help students better examine the two art forms. Literature choices vary from year to year often based on contemporary topics such as modern social justice, women's empowerment, and respecting diversity. A variety of writing assignments are used as evaluations such as critical reviews, screenplays, persuasive essays, as well as a major research paper or project. A short unit on filmmaking and the completion of a short film as part of a group project is also required as part of this unit of study to help students get hands-on experience with filmatic storytelling.

AP English IV is an in-depth college-level study of literature with an emphasis on advanced literary analysis and composition. With a foundation of both English II Honors and English III AP, English IV AP students are equipped to read, dialogue, and analyze college-level prose and poetry. The content, too, continues to allow students to foster an understanding and empathy for the other, the marginalized through the literature they read (both contemporary and classic). Readers continue to actively dialogue about situations where conflict occurs and by empathizing with these characters' strife, an awareness develops. Our young women emerge self-confident in their identities, yet empathetic to those around them. Seniors must demonstrate sophisticated language usage, varied diction and syntax, grammatical and mechanical clarity, critical thinking skills, and independent/self-guided study. Seniors generate, draft, and polish a college admissions essay and numerous extensive critical analyses throughout the year in addition to writing assignments of varied modes and lengths. Essay revision throughout the year is guided by detailed teacher feedback. English IV AP prepares students for the AP English Literature and Composition exam in May, through which they may gain college credit.

English III introduces students to literary works and cultural expressions across cultural, geographic, and linguistic boundaries. Students will read, analyze, and write about various literary genres, potentially including novels, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, drama, and graphic novels. We will discuss these works in relation to their socio-cultural and political contexts as well as in relation to the question, why read literature? Students demonstrate critical thinking and analytical skills, library research skills, audience awareness, and sophisticated language usage including varied diction and syntax and grammatical and mechanical clarity. Essay revision throughout the year will be guided by detailed teacher feedback.

AP English III is an in-depth college-level study of literature with an emphasis on advanced literary analysis and composition. With a foundation of English II Honors, English III AP students read and analyze college-level prose and poetry. The content allows students to foster an understanding and empathy for the other through the literature they read (both contemporary and classic). Students emerge self-confident in themselves and empathetic to others. Students demonstrate critical thinking and analytical skills, library research skills, audience awareness, and sophisticated language usage including varied diction and syntax and grammatical and mechanical clarity. Essay revision throughout the year is guided by detailed teacher feedback. English III AP prepares students for the AP English Literature and Composition exam in May, through which they may gain college credit.

This course introduces students to college-level reading, writing, and rhetorical analysis. Students will analyze and create texts, focusing on threshold concepts of writing, multiple rhetorical situations, and cultural matters related to writing. Students will also learn to analyze, revise and edit their own work, and use academic documentation. Seniors generate, draft, and polish a college admissions essay and critical analyses throughout the year in addition to writing assignments of varied modes and lengths. Essay revision throughout the semester is guided by detailed teacher feedback.

The Global Impacts Microschool is a  year-long, multi-credit course bundling English III AP Literature & Composition, Global Health, and Environmental Theology. This course places emphasis on gaining a multi-perspective understanding of the world we live in. Rooted in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, students explore urgent global topics such as quality education, good health and well-being, sustainable consumption and production, sustainable cities and communities, and life on land through an interdisciplinary lens that challenges our understanding of and place in the world. Content is presented in the context of community (local and global) partnerships, current research, literature, case studies, labs, and place-based experiential learning. Utilizing the design thinking framework, students take the lead in choosing and implementing learning projects that address the UN SDGs and ultimately engage in research with community experts in Kansas City and in Kenya to develop well-rounded, sustainable solutions to real-world problems. This course culminates in a required and fully-funded field study with The Young Conservationists at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya and the presentation of a formal research proposal primed for adoption. In order to ensure equitable and inclusive access, Sion is committed to partnering with students to secure full funding. The student-developed  mission statement of the Global Impacts Microschool is to empower the next generation of solutionaries with the courage and agency to broaden perspectives and confront global challenges.