All sessions are the same course. Students enrolled in this course are typically incoming Branson students.

Grade: Rising 9th Grade

Session I: June 17 to June 27, 2024 (except June 19) (canceled)

Session II: Aug. 5 to Aug. 15, 2024, Monday through Thursday, 9 AM to 12 PM

Session III: Aug. 5 to Aug. 15, 2024, Monday through Thursday, 1 PM to 4 PM

Cost: $945 early bird pricing; $990 after March 31 

Instructors: Branson English teachers

Course Description: Freshman English class poses a number of challenges for new high school students; teachers will expect 9th-graders to annotate their readings and to write analytical essays in which they make complex arguments supported by textual evidence. In this intensive course, students will refine their critical reading abilities and strengthen their writing skills. Regular class activities include close examination and discussion of key elements in stories and essays and consistent writing practice, including forming varied complex sentence structures and using sophisticated vocabulary. Students will work to develop effective arguable claims, organize their ideas, incorporate evidence, review punctuation and grammar, as well as revise and edit their work. At the end of the course, each student will receive a detailed analysis of their writing and goals to address challenges in English class during the following year. As this course draws on practices and exercises employed by Branson's 9th Grade English Team, students will enter high school with skills and strategies to succeed in their early high school career.