Upper School English at CA is a study in interdisciplinary innovation and collaborative learning (spoiler alert: there’s a lot of student choice along the way).

The result? You’ll develop a genuine affection for literature, find your voice and the ability to articulate it with confidence and stylistic grace, and sharpen your critical thinking skills to a knife’s edge. Is literature your jam? You’re in good company. Our talented faculty (it’s their jam, too) are ready to inspire you with engaging small group work, riveting discussions, and creative projects—podcasting and video production, to name a few—that will resonate long after class. You’ll get plenty of feedback and one-on-one faculty facetime to help you along the way.

Tired of stuffy, traditional authors that feel—dare we say it—irrelevant to your world? Reach beyond the traditional canon with electives that consider marginalized voices, pressing contemporary issues, and emergent genres (contemporary post-apocalyptic fiction, anyone?). And, when we do tackle those classics, we’ll do it from a multitude of perspectives—gender, race, culture, orientation, power dynamics, and classical themes—to consider how they are, in fact, still relevant and shed light on today’s world.

Or, maybe, English isn’t your thing? At CA, it can be. Design a senior capstone project that allows you to pursue your passion—whether that’s screenwriting or sports journalism or anything in-between. We’ll help you sharpen your writing skills and your voice. (A little help from the latest grammar and vocabulary software—it adapts to where you are and helps you grow from there—doesn’t hurt).