English

Our English Department offers a rich program of reading and writing, a journey that not only draws on some of the best known throughout the ages but also equips you to address the challenges of modern life, fostering your personal growth and development.

Prepare to embark on a journey of critical reading and thinking, essential life skills in a world filled with multimedia messages. You’ll not just engage with great literature, but also explore the profound human questions it raises. Our program is designed to keep you on your toes with creative, dynamic assignments, such as critically examining a podcast or even making an animated film based on a scene from “Hamlet.”

We’ll challenge you to formulate arguments, weigh and select evidence, reason logically and effectively, write a clear narrative, express personal views, use language imaginatively and present all of the above in clear, grammatically correct prose.

You’ll find yourself in a vibrant learning environment, surrounded by intellectually and emotionally engaged peers. Our classrooms are a space where your love for language and ideas is not just respected, but celebrated, fostering a sense of belonging and value.

Our dynamic curriculum includes courses in humanities and classical and contemporary literature. We offer advanced placement classes and the Creative Writing Signature Experience, a unique opportunity to develop your passion for creative writing through elective classes and extracurricular activities. This experience includes workshops with published authors, open mic nights, and the chance to publish your work in our annual literary magazine.

This is the best time in human history to be in an English class. There are more ways to access texts, more ways to connect with literature to experience and more ways to share and refine your ideas about a text. We take full advantage of that opportunity.”

Matthew Roach – English Department Chair

chart your course

The possibilities are (almost) endless. Download the English Curriculum Pathway to guide your academic journey from beginning to end.

download the pdf

OUR FACULTY

Kurt Bennett

Kurt Bennett

English Department Chair
Head Coach, Boys Thirds Basketball
B.A., Amherst College
M.A., Middlebury College
kbennett@peddie.org
609-944-7528
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Alexa Beckstein

Alexa Beckstein

English Teacher
Assistant Coach, Girls Varsity Soccer and Girls Junior Varsity Basketball
B.A., Conneticut College
abeckstein@peddie.org
609-944-7528
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Drew Davis

Drew Davis

English Teacher
Assistant Coach, Indoor Track
M.Ed., University of Pennsylvania
BA, Lafayette College
ddavis@peddie.org
609-944-7528
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Grant Edwards

Grant Edwards

Assistant Director of College Counseling
Head Coach, Boys Varsity Cross Country
B.A., Princeton University
M.A., Dartmouth College
gedwards@peddie.org
609-944-7528
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John Kauffman

John Kauffman

English Teacher
Head Coach, Boys Varsity Rowing
jkauffman@peddie.org
609-944-7528
Joseph La Bella

Joseph La Bella

English Interim Department Chair
Assistant Coach, Boys Varsity Soccer
Assistant Coach, Boys Varsity Baseball
jlabella@peddie.org
609-944-7528
Jan Denise Loughran

Jan Denise Loughran

English Teacher
Dean of Students, 10th Grade
A.B., Princeton University
J.D., Villanova University School of Law
M.A., Middlebury College
jloughran@peddie.org
609-944-7621
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Joseph Murtaugh

Joseph Murtaugh

English Teacher
Assistant Coach, Varsity Rowing
B.A., University of Virginia
M.Ed., University of Virginia
jmurtaugh@peddie.org
609-944-7528
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Marc Onion

Marc Onion

English Teacher
Chaplain
Head Coach, Boys Junior Varsity Soccer
M.A., New York University
B.A., Boston College
monion@peddie.org
609-944-7517
Matthew Roach

Matthew Roach

Director of Teaching and Learning for Citizenship and Scholarship
Head Coach, Girls Varsity Soccer
B.A., Williams College
M.A., Bread Loaf School of English
mroach@peddie.org
609-944-7542
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Catherine Rodrigue

Catherine Rodrigue

Associate Head of School
Assistant Coach, Cross Country
B.A., University of Georgia
M.A., University of Virginia
crodrigue@peddie.org
609-944-7579
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Ami Shah

Ami Shah

English Teacher
B.A., Columbia College
Ph.D., University of California
M.A., University of California
ashah@peddie.org
609-944-7528
Leigh Wood

Leigh Wood

English Teacher
B.A., Denison University
M.A., University of Idaho
lwood@peddie.org
609-944-7528
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Tristram Wood

Tristram Wood

Director of Academic Support
Head Coach, Girls Junior Varsity Lacrosse
B.A., Hartwick College
M.Ed., University of Idaho
twood@peddie.org
609-944-7526
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