Holy Spirit High School students recently took part in a classroom assignment designed to strengthen critical thinking, writing and real-world connections, reflecting the school’s goal to prepare students for academic and professional futures.
The real-world connection: discussing the movie “Home Alone” with one of its producers, Scott Rosenfelt.
During the holiday season, students enrolled in an Advanced Placement (AP) Language and Composition course, taught by Alexa Loreaux, were tasked with writing an argument essay where they had to analyze information, develop arguments and support claims using evidence drawn from prior knowledge and experience.
As a class, students selected Christmas movies they were already familiar with so they could use cultural knowledge as evidence. Many chose the 1990 film “Home Alone.”
After several days of writing, editing and revising their essays – in which Loreaux was impressed with how many of the students addressed counterarguments by acknowledging criticism of the film before defending its broader themes – Rosenfelt sat down with the students to discuss his role with the film.
“He actually told them fascinating stories about making a movie,” Loreaux said.
Rosenfelt, whose daughter is enrolled in the class, discussed how certain stunts were performed and what it was like working on set with actors such as Joe Pesci and Catherine O’Hara. He shared behind-the-scenes details, such as how Macaulay Culkin improvised the now-iconic scene where his character, Kevin, pats his cheeks and screams. He also talked about the challenges that arose during production, like not knowing if the movie would be completed due to costs.
Students said the presentation provided insight into the realities of professional work beyond the classroom.
“One thing I learned from Mr. Rosenfelt’s presentation is that working on the movie ‘Home Alone’ had many challenges before it became successful,” said Brody Ward, 16, a junior. “This taught me that setbacks are normal and that it’s important to keep going when things get hard.”
Melissa Napoli, 16, also a junior, said Rosenfelt’s discussion of honesty stood out to her.
“Mr. Rosenfelt’s presentation taught me not only about the film industry, but about honesty and integrity,” Napoli said. “Because he articulated his true opinion, Rosenfelt received a life-altering experience and opportunity that he is still praised for 35 years later.”
She said experiences like this can benefit students by offering motivation and helping them better understand how academic skills connect to future goals.
Holy Spirit Principal Michael McGhee said it reinforced the connection between classroom learning and real-world application.
“When students see how the skills they practice in class connect to real-world creativity and careers, learning becomes meaningful,” McGhee said in a statement. “Having Mr. Rosenfelt share his experience allowed our students to see that strong writing, critical thinking, and storytelling truly matter beyond the classroom.”
Loreaux emphasized that while the assignment used familiar subject matter, it remained academically demanding.
“The AP classes, and the writing that the kids are required to learn how to do is, for even the strongest writers, really challenging,” she said.
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