"Take the first step in faith. You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step." - Martin Luther King

9th grade instruction introduces our diverse student community to their advanced academic journey and future success.  Thematic instruction anchored in enduring archetypes such as the American Dream, The Hero’s Journey, and Utopia provides an engaging focus for standards-based instruction. All classes study a wide range of full length works, selected articles, poetry, and essays. The freshman year introduces the elements of the SVHS writing program, including grammar and vocabulary development. Students compose literary and personal essays and complete an academic research paper. Independent Reading programs are an important part of the English curriculum at each level in support of our goal: multi-culturally and academically literate graduates ready for the next steps in their education.