OUR TWO FRESHMAN COUNSELORS WILL BE AVAILABLE VIA EMAIL AND PHONE FROM MARCH 21ST TO 25TH TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS REGARDING COURSE REQUESTS: LAST NAMES A-L CONTACT MR. COLLETTI: CCOLLETTI@BCP.ORG OR (408) 537-9288 LAST NAMES M-Z CONTACT MR. SARRETT: ESARRETT@BCP.ORG OR (408) 537-9265
English You may select either: English 1 English 1 Honors If you select English 1 Honors, you must take the English Exam on Wednesday, April 13th from 4:30-5:30pm in the Liccardo Center. Please bring a blue or black pen. The English 1 Honors exam consists of two parts: an objective section and a subjective essay. Students will be asked to examine a poem in detail, answer specific questions, and compose a short essay. The subjective portion is evaluated according to structure, depth of analysis, focus and style.
Social Science
The freshman curriculum includes one semester of either World History: Axial Age to the 1700’s or Rhetoric. Rhetoric enrollment is limited and students are selected by the instructor based upon their submitted essay. Students selected for Rhetoric will not be able to take World History. (The other semester of the freshman year is completed with a Visual/Performing Arts class.) You may select either: World History: Axial Age to the 1700’s Thematic exploration of world history from the Axial Age to the 1700’s that focuses on the development of close reading, analytical writing skills and the interpretation of primary documents. Rhetoric This course provides the student with an introduction to written and oral techniques of persuasion, argumentation, exposition, discussion and the analysis of controversial current issues. Students will develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening skills and will learn how to research, analyze and organize materials for effective oral presentation and argument. The pace of this course is rapid and designed for the student who is both self-motivated and disciplined in study skills. Excellent time management skills are required. Students who wish to pursue the competitive speech and debate program are especially encouraged to take this course. (Students who are accepted into Rhetoric are discouraged from taking an independent/summer debate camp, as campers will not be allowed to debate until the second half of their freshman year.) If you select Rhetoric, submit the following to Mrs. Jones (kjones@bcp.org) by May 6th: 1) A paragraph explaining why you would like to be enrolled in Rhetoric and; 2) A typed essay agreeing or disagreeing with the statement: “Agree or disagree with the following and explain why: The United States ought to promote democracy in the Middle East.”