All courses are limited to a maximum of 15 students. School-year courses are comprised of twelve one-hour lessons. Summer courses are comprised of five two-hour-twenty-minute lessons.
All courses will be held at 4662 Barranca Pkwy, Irvine, CA 92604. Courses are $600.
The Essay and Debate course covers the art of persuasive argument. Students learn how to develop a thesis and how to use evidence to back up their point of view.
They will learn how to write effective introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs, and they will also hone their public speaking skills by arguing their point of view with students who have developed contrary arguments.
The Narrative course covers nonfiction and fiction story writing. Topics include plot development, effective openings, character development, active/passive voice, detailed descriptions, sentence variety, and effective verb use.
The aim of the course is to make the students better storytellers, and in so doing also make them more insightful readers.
Have you ever seen a TED talk? The aim of the Research and Presentation course is to have students produce the youthful equivalent of a TED talk.
Research strategies, dynamic expository writing, voice projection, positive body language, and effective slide development are all topics covered in the course.
In addition to honing their presentation skills, students will learn how to synthesize data into clear, engaging reports, and also build confidence and leadership skills.
Students will learn how to use various sentence structures, apply punctuation and grammar rules, and incorporate figurative language to improve their writing.
Students will also study the meanings and etymology of words in order to expand their active vocabulary.
Students will closely analyze a selection of published essays, poems and narratives.
In the process of aligning their own writing to that of each master text they study, students will learn how to organize their writing, practice effective word choice, and develop sentence fluency.
Inspired by poetry from around the world, as well as song lyrics from popular artists and musicals, students will write and recite their own original poems. Students will analyze elements of poetry, such as theme, symbolism, assonance and consonance, mood, and syntax, which are valuable concepts in all types of writing.
Using ChatGPT as a tool to spark their narrative and expository writing, students will generate questions, find related content, search through alternate responses, and receive feedback on their work. They will practice using AI in their writing, understanding its limitations, and learning from the process to develop their own voice.
NOTE: The curriculum of each course is different from trimester to trimester. However, essential strategies will be woven throughout each trimester. Summer courses will cover the highlights of the school-year courses.
COURSE SCHEDULE ***Summer and 2025-2026 School-Year Schedules Now Posted***:
2. Wait for confirmation of your class selections. DO NOT PAY UNTIL YOU RECEIVE CONFIRMATION. All classes are $600.
CANCELLATION POLICY:
Cancellations more than three weeks before the start of the course will receive a full refund. Cancellations between three and two weeks before the start of the course will receive a 75% refund.
Cancellations between two and one week before the start of the course will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations less than one week before the start of the course will receive a 25% refund, and cancellations during the course will not be refunded.
No makeup classes will be offered.
About the Instructors:
Heather Manchester earned her B.A. and M.A. in English from Stanford University. At U.C. Irvine, she earned her teaching credential with a Crosscultural, Language and Academic Development (CLAD) Emphasis.
Heather taught 6th grade in the Accelerated Program for Academically Advanced Students (APAAS) for twelve years in the Irvine Unified School district, winning “Teacher of the Year” at Santiago Hills Elementary for the 2013-2014 school year.
Eric Manchester earned his B.A. in English from Stanford University with an emphasis in Creative Writing and earned his teaching credential and Masters in Education from U.C. Irvine.
Eric taught 4th Grade in the Accelerated Program for Academically Advanced Students (APAAS) for twelve years in the Irvine Unified School District, winning teacher of the year at Santiago Hills Elementary for the 2007-2008 school year.