English

Department Member		610-343-6212
Ms. Stephanie Belefonte	Department Chairperson	x4212	sbelefonte@shanahan.org
Mrs. Margaret Cusatis		x4273	mcusatis@shanahan.org
Ms. Shaun Esbensen		x4270	sesbensen@shanahan.org
Mrs. Joan Hayes		x4229	jhayes@shanahan.org
Mrs. Marie Langevin		x4262	mlangevin@shanahan.org
Mr. Joseph McCormick		x4282	jmccormick@shanahan.org
Mrs. Deborah Snyder		x4247	dsnyder@shanahan.org
Mr. Matthew Sweeny		x4256	msweeny@shanahan.org

The English Department of Bishop Shanahan endeavors to convey to its students the heritage of their language providing students with an appreciation of the language as a communicating tool. Thus, special attention is given to recognizing the power of language to communicate, to influence, to interpret, and to appreciate. This command of language is conveyed through the skills of vocabulary, grammar, usage, reading, thinking, analyzing, writing, and speaking taught in each grade.

Since literature is the passing down of human experience and thought, the approach to literature by the department will be handled with reverence and care, realizing that the contact with the work of the writers is more important than their history. Since association with the beauty of precise and ordered thought almost inevitably leads to a greater appreciation of the universe and its Lord, we, as members of a Catholic high school, consider the study of language arts to be one of the most important components of the curriculum.