The Upper School English Department



The English department faculty believes that control of language is one of the most important skills a student can learn in school. Critical thinking, analytical writing, and articulate speaking are essential for success in our society; these can be learned effectively through the study of great literature.

Students who read more, speak more, and write more, learn more about their emotions, beliefs, capabilities, and needs. The study of English should be a life-long process, and building a foundation for that process is the primary goal of this department.


As teachers and students work toward that goal, they also work to master specific skills. By the time students graduate from Athens Academy they will have had multiple opportunities to master all of the following skills:
  • Close textual reading
  • Grammar, usage, and mechanics
  • MLA formatting
  • Out-of-class writing through the use of multiple drafts
  • In-class timed writing
  • Expanding vocabulary usage

Upper School English Faculty

Rebecca Ash Ley Brown
Brian Connell Maura Mandyck
Jeff Stachura, Chair Tess Hardcastle
Margaret Leary Alan Hickerson


English Course Descriptions


Last updated 07/23/2010 9:15 AM