ELA & Humanities
K-8 ELA & Humanities
English Language Arts & Humanities Mission
The mission of the MPTCS English Language Arts and Humanities Department is to develop lifelong learners who are curious, engaged, and empowered. Our goal is to build strong literacy skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening through rigorous, high-quality instruction grounded in the Science of Reading. Through culturally responsive teaching, authentic learning experiences, and strong Tier 1 curriculum, we nurture every student’s creativity, voice, and confidence. The students we educate will be effective communicators and critical thinkers, equipped to lead and contribute in a diverse, global society.
English Language Arts & Humanities Vision
Think Critically. Read Purposefully. Write Powerfully. Speak Confidently.
Literacy in The Village
Elementary (K-5) Program
MPTCS provides a comprehensive, evidence-based K–5 literacy program aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards and grounded in the Science of Reading. Students receive 135 minutes of uninterrupted literacy instruction daily, integrating reading, writing, language development, foundational skills, and small-group instruction.
Our balanced, research-based approach includes Reading Mastery, EL Education, and i-Ready to ensure that all learners receive targeted support. Instruction is anchored in the Five Pillars of Reading—phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
Students engage in:
- Read Aloud to build background knowledge and model fluent reading
- Shared Reading to strengthen decoding, fluency, and comprehension
- Small Group Reading for differentiated, targeted instruction based on student data
- Independent Reading to build stamina, fluency, and application
- Writing Workshop to develop skills across genres using the writing process
Our mission is to provide linguistically responsive, rigorous learning experiences that help students become confident, capable thinkers, readers, writers, and communicators. Instruction is intentionally connected to student identities, cultures, and lived experiences.
Specialized early literacy support is provided through Reading Mastery and targeted intervention. Identified students receive systematic small-group instruction in phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, with progress closely and consistently monitored.
Middle School (6-8) Program
MPTCS believes that Language Arts empower students to think critically, communicate effectively, and analyze the world with independence and insight. Our Grades 6–8 humanities curriculum integrates reading, writing, speaking, listening, and research to prepare students for high school and beyond.
Students receive 90 minutes of English Language Arts instruction daily, aligned to the New Jersey Student Learning Standards and EL Education modules. This extended instructional time ensures focused reading, writing, and discussion routines that strengthen literacy across content areas.
The middle school program emphasizes:
- Deep comprehension of complex literary and informational texts
- Evidence-based writing across genres
- Academic vocabulary and language development
- Structured discussions, debates, and presentations
- Research skills, digital literacy, and civic literacy
Classrooms incorporate inclusion support to ensure differentiated access for all students. The program is designed to support diverse learners through scaffolded instruction, collaborative learning structures, and data-driven planning.
Performance tasks within EL modules provide students with authentic reading, writing, and speaking opportunities while building deep background knowledge and disciplinary literacy.
K-8 Humanities Resources
HS ELA Faculty
Ms. Winsome Demetrius, ELA Teacher and AP Language
Ms. Deanna Hailstork, ELA Teacher
Mr. Tim Logan, ELA Teacher
Mr. Juan Lourenco, ELA Teacher
Mr. Zordan Moffatt, ELA Teacher
Mr. Shaun Saunders, ELA Teacher
Ms. Alexandra Richardson Singletary, ELA Teacher and AP Literature
Ms. Ayanna Wells-Crudup, ELA Teacher
High School (9-12) English Language Arts Program
Our English Language Arts/Humanities program aims to prepare our students to be critical thinkers, purposeful readers and expressive, effective communicators.
The ELA/Humanities program is based on the following principles:
- Language is a tool for communication. Scholars learn to use language to communicate their thoughts, feelings, and ideas.
- Reading is a process of meaning-making. Scholars learn to read for understanding by actively engaging with the text.
- Writing is a process of self-expression. Scholars learn to write for a variety of purposes, including to inform, persuade, and entertain.
- Speaking and listening are essential communication skills. Scholars learn to speak and listen effectively in a variety of contexts.
Our ELA/Humanities utilizes several tools, strategies, curriculum and opportunities which include but not limited to:
- Savvas My Perspectives
- iReady
- HMH
- BFW
- Freedom on My Mind (African American Studies)
- The Language of Composition
- Literature and Composition
- AP and honor level course offerings
- Content-based field trips
High School (9-12) History Department Mission Statement
Our History Department empowers students through a culturally relevant curriculum that honors diverse narratives and perspectives. Focusing on historical literacy, academic research, and community engagement, we cultivate student agency—preparing our scholars to interpret the past, engage the present, and shape the future as informed, active citizens.
Core PrinciplesThe History program is based on these six key principles:
- Historical literacy empowers citizenship. Students learn to communicate historical arguments through writing, discussion, and presentation, preparing for informed civic participation both in and out of the classroom.
- Historical inquiry is a process of investigation and interpretation. Students learn to ask questions, analyze sources, and construct evidence-based arguments about the past.
- Multiple perspectives shape historical understanding. Students learn to examine events through diverse cultural, social, economic, and political lenses to develop nuanced interpretations.
- Cultural relevance grounds historical study in student experience. Students learn to explore histories that reflect their own identities and communities while discovering connections between their lived experiences and broader historical narratives.
- Civic and community engagement transforms learning into action. Scholars apply historical knowledge to real-world challenges through voter education, community oral history projects, advocacy initiatives, and partnerships with local institutions.
- Academic research develops disciplined inquiry skills. Students learn to conduct rigorous historical research by formulating research questions, locating and evaluating sources, synthesizing information from multiple perspectives, and presenting findings through formal academic writing and presentation.
Core Textbooks and Digital Platforms
- New Visions Curriculum
- BFW Publishers
- ACHIEVE Online Learning System
- The Case Method
- Essex County Vicinage: NJ Law Day
- Gilder Lehrman Institute for the Study of American History Associate School
- OER Project
- Next Gen Personal Finance
Specialized Courses
- Newark History
- AP Government and Politics
- AP African American Studies
- AP Psychology
- AP U.S. History
Links:
HS History Faculty
Dr. Johnnie Brooker, History Teacher and AP Psychology
Mr. Gianluca Pagano, History Teacher
Mr. Bradford Pazant, History Teacher
Dr. Davis Shaw, History Teacher
Mr. Charles Shepherd, History Teacher
Mr. Sachin Singh, History Teacher