ELA Grades 9-12
The English department at G.W. Hewlett High School offers a wide variety of programs that include Regents, Honors, Advanced Placement, and College Level Courses. We provide our students with a myriad of opportunities to carefully select courses designed to meet their unique needs as learners. In all classes, texts with diverse perspectives are selected to encourage lively academic conversations and debate.
NYS Standards are used as guides in order to prepare all students for success in both college and careers.
The New York State English Language Arts Regents, which is taken in 11th grade, is a three-hour exam that requires students to read, analyze, and write about both literary and informational texts. It is composed of three tasks: Reading Comprehension (Task 1), Argument Essay (Task 2), and Text-Analysis Response (Task 3). Task 1 of the exam requires close reading of at least three texts, (poems, articles, essays, excerpts etc.) followed by 24 multiple-choice questions. Task 2 of the exam includes close reading of four to five texts, with an emphasis on informational texts and may contain graphics. A topic will be provided directing students to compose an argument essay with a claim and evidence based on the sources. For Task 3, students read one informational or literary text and write a two- to three-paragraph response that identifies a central idea in the text and analyzes how the author’s use of one writing strategy develops that central idea.
At G.W. Hewlett High School, all 11th grade students are scheduled to take the NYS ELA Regents in January.
Students who wish to participate in the AP Capstone Program are eligible to take the Seminar course in 10th grade for English credit. The Capstone Research course can be taken in either 11th grade or 12th grade as an elective. Students who successfully complete both Capstone Seminar and Capstone Research Course are eligible for a Capstone Certificate.
More Information About the Capstone Program
In addition to traditional English courses, the high school offers a full sequence of theater courses. There are five theater class electives; Introduction to Theater, Theater Workshop 1/2, College Theater Workshop 3/4, College Theater Workshop 5/6 and College Modern Drama. Theater courses help students to improve their public speaking skills. The Theater Sequence at Hewlett High has proudly been named a Program of Excellence by the New York State English Council.