Curriculum

List of 9 items.

• English

  The faculty in the English department help students develop strong writing, speaking, and analytical skills that are critical to their success in college and in a highly competitive job market. To achieve this, faculty members utilize important and diverse literature from around the world and across the centuries. 
  
  

  The sequential nature of the program, which stresses vocabulary development, correct sentence syntax, grammar, clarity, organization and analysis equips students with the tools they need to communicate in written and spoken language in a clear, original, and persuasive manner. Along the way, students increase their appreciation for good writing, storytelling and the complexity and beauty of human nature. 

  
  Bishop offers Honors or Advanced Placement courses at every grade level, which include AP English Language and Composition as well as AP English Literature and Composition.
  
  

  Electives within the English Department include Research and Writing, and Creative Writing.
  
  

  Summer reading is required prior to the start of each school year.
  
  Titles Commonly Taught
  

  Of Mice and Men	Romeo and Juliet
  Tale of Two Cities	Frankenstein
  Jane Eyre	The Kiterunner
  Grapes of Wrath	Macbeth
  The Scarlet Letter	The Great Gatsby
  A Streetcar Named Desire	The Things They Carried
  The History of Love	The Awakening
  The Crucible	Billy Budd
  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn	The Odyssey
  How to Read Literature Like a Professor	Catcher in the Rye
  Tess of the D’Urbervilles	Hamlet
  Pride and Prejudice	Crime and Punishment
  Woman Warrior	Canterbury Tales
  Night	Mrs. Dalloway

• Mathematics

  “The essence of mathematics is not to make simple things complicated, but to make complicated things simple.”
  ~Stan Gudder, Professor of Mathematics, University of Denver
  
  The mathematics faculty develop the logical, quantitative, and critical thinking skills in each student, all within a traditional course sequence.  All courses aim to utilize technology as an accompaniment to mathematical knowledge. Using a balance between the concrete and the abstract, the department presents mathematics as both a real-world tool and theoretical discipline. Students are asked to demonstrate their knowledge symbolically and verbally through discussions, written work, assessments, presentations, and projects. Here at Bishop we require that students take a math class during all four years of their time here. We are unique from other High Schools in that respect, but the goal is preparedness for college and we want to not only meet but exceed the admission requirements for the UC and CSU systems.

• Physical Education & Health

  “Take care of your body with steadfast fidelity. The soul must see through these eyes alone, and if they are dim, the whole world is clouded.”
  ~Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
  
  

  We are pleased to offer several courses in Physical Education to promote fitness and healthy lifestyles for all of our students. The impressive Najera-Schmidt Memorial Weight Room and our two gymnasium facilities offer students the best physical fitness opportunities here in Santa Barbara. The Physical Education graduation requirement can also be met by participation on an athletic team.
  
  

  In the Physical Education course, students participate in a variety of sports and physical activities, coupled with learning about the science of the human body, and physical, mental, and emotional health. For students who want to pursue fitness further, we offer weight training courses that follow the Peak Performance Project training schedule. Students participating in our weight training program work towards personal fitness and weight lifting goals, as well as training for their specific sport or recreational activity. 

• Science

  "Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science."
  ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
  
  The science faculty strive to develop the scientific mind through critical thinking and the use of inquiry-based learning. Students have the option to take courses in biological, physical, and chemical sciences, as well as engineering. Each science course promotes the understanding, appreciation, and application of scientific principles and practices, with special emphasis on human responsibility for the environment. With hands-on activities and expansive lab space and resources, our students are exposed to learning experiences that set them apart from their peers and help them excel in college.
  

• Social Studies

  We are not makers of history. We are made by history.
  ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
  
  The social studies faculty help students understand ongoing historical patterns and the interconnectedness of the human experience. We strive to provide students with the historical background and analytical tools necessary to comprehend and evaluate social, political, religious, intellectual, technological, and economic events. Through collaboration, students and teachers create classroom environments that are conducive to learning, in which a variety of learning activities are used to reach students of varying learning styles. Our aim is to inspire students to be positive contributors and responsible citizens of the world.
  

• Technology

  With our state of the art Pier & Margo Gherini Center for Multimedia Arts and Technology, our students are offered unparalleled access to multimedia equipment and technical instruction. All students are required to take an introduction to multimedia and technology class, but beyond that, they are able to take courses in Graphic arts & Technology, Television Production, Graphic Design, Sound Design, and more. With a hands-on learning experience that focuses on developing the 21st-century skills necessary to be successful in college and the workplace, our students graduate with media literacy and effective digital media communication strategies, giving them an advantage over many of their peers. 
  
  

  Each student has the opportunity to use the Center, either by taking a course in the Multimedia Arts & Technology program or by participating in cross-curricular experiences developed by classroom teachers that utilize the resources of the Center. From creating films and BDTV newscasts to learning the basics of coding to creating soundtracks or graphic arts, our students are exposed to technology and multimedia arts that awaken passions, offer creative outlets and inspire excellence.

• Theology

  “What you are is God's gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.”
  ― Hans Urs von Balthasar
  
  

  The theology faculty are committed to providing a strong academic program of the highest quality that offers a balance between academics and spirituality. The instruction is consistent with the content and traditions of the Catholic faith as determined by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles standards for curricular content.
  
  

  The Division supports students on their individual faith journeys by offering a curriculum founded in Catholic Christian beliefs that allows for reflection on the presence of God in their lives, questioning the mystery of faith, and the application of spirituality in their daily lives.
  
  

   We accomplish this by:
  
  

  • • • recognizing the value and uniqueness of each and every student as a person with religious, intellectual, imaginative, emotional, social and physical potential
      • structuring classes to enable students to develop self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-motivation in how they respectfully respond to the beliefs of others and their own by allowing for reflection on, questioning of, and application of spirituality in their own lives
      • fostering an understanding of the benefit of pursuing a lifelong engagement in the building and the incorporating of one’s personal faith journey in all aspects of their life

  
  
  

• Visual & Performing Arts

  Art begins with resistance - at the point where resistance is overcome. No human masterpiece has ever been created without great labor.
  ~Andre Gide
  
  

  The visual and performing arts faculty offer students the opportunity to develop their skills and reach their fullest potential as artists. We encourage students to enhance their technical, practical, and creative techniques so that they may communicate and express themselves in effective and meaningful ways.
  
  In all of our courses, we provide students with an experience in the arts that reflect:

  • • • Artistic Perception: Processing, analyzing, and responding to sensory information through the language and skills unique to a given art.
      • Creative Expression: Creating, performing, and participating in a given art.
      • Historical and Cultural Context: Understanding historical contributions and cultural dimensions of a given art.
      • Aesthetic Valuing: Responding to, analyzing, and making critical assessments about works of a given art form.
      • Connections, Relationships, and Applications: Connecting and applying what is learned in a given art form to learning in other art forms, subject areas, and careers.

• World Languages

  Own only what you can always carry with you:
  know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag.
  ~Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
  
  

  The world language faculty prepare students to communicate in a different language, and develop knowledge and appreciation of culture through a rigorous curriculum that encourages the appreciation of diversity. Faculty members seek to impart to students the practical knowledge of a world language, and thus, a greater understanding of the global community. Through the steps of listening, comprehending, speaking, reading and writing, students gain a deeper understanding of and appreciation for other peoples, their cultures and languages.

  
  At the beginning levels students learn basic vocabulary and grammar structures used in dialogues which increase gradually in difficulty as the students advance. Communication is the object of all languages; therefore, common language reflects common culture, history, attitudes and identity of a people. Acquiring knowledge of a second language enables students to better understand their fellow global citizens who may be linguistically and culturally different. Language is the essential bridge between individuals and nations, and can only be developed through communication.