Five classes were added to the high school program of studies for the 2014-2015 school year at the November 24 Board of Education meeting.

The proposal was presented to the board by Eric Hamilton, assistant principal of curriculum and instruction. The proposal added classes to the P.E, Fine Arts, and Math departments, as well as made changes to four existing courses.

The Curriculum Office will fund the addition of these classes, which will cost $11,850, $4,500 for textbooks and $9,900 for equipment for a total of $26,250, according to the Board of Education meeting’s written proposal. Individual course prices are broken down at the end of each section below.

“I think adding to the curriculum shows well for the school. I think it shows the high quality and professionalism of our staff and that they are willing to make a change,” Hamilton said. “Ultimately, we are trying to be responsive to your needs.”

P.E. Program Revamp

After students completed final exams in their respective P.E. classes last year, they also completed a survey on different classes being considered. Based on student interest, the department proposed three classes to be added to the offering as of next year. These classes will be offered to sophomores through seniors, as freshman will still be required to take Freshman P.E. class.

Adventure Education 1:

Tentative cost $12,150

• Students will develop leadership and collaboration skills through teamwork using activities that include a traverse wall and a portable challenge course
• Students will be able to take this class once per year.
• Most expensive addition to the curriculum with $9,900 including for the traverse wall, portable challenge course, and other equipment.

Fitness for Life:

Tentative cost $2,250

• Students will participate in group fitness activities such as Yoga, Zumba, step aerobics, power-walking, and kickboxing

Personal Fitness:

Tentative cost: $2,250

• Students will set fitness goals and developing a plan to achieve those goals.

Team Sports and Individual Sports, two classes currently offered, will be combined into one semester-long class and given the new name Lifetime Sports.

“We feel that some of the material that is covered can be combined,” Hamilton said. “So basically we’re taking the best out of Individual and best out of Team Sports and making one class.”

Media Production:

Tentative cost: $1,100

• Ran by the fine arts department.
• Students will use digital media to “produce documentaries, podcasts, public service announcements, movie shorts, music videos, and other media outlets”.
• A possible partnership could be made with the District 95 Film Festival, improving participation in the program which began last year.
• Available for sophomores through seniors.

Calculus

Tentative Cost $4,000

• The school will now offer a college preparatory calculus course.
• Currently, the only math classes after algebra, geometry and pre-calc are AP courses.
• “We are going to counsel kids who took algebra in middle school to take geometry,” Hamilton said. “Let’s say you were a junior taking Advanced Math/ Trig. Senior year, what do you take? We had a gap where you either had to go and take AP Statistics, or not take math at all. You could also take Honors Pre-Calc, which hopefully we prepared you for. What we asked was, ‘what is a course that can prepare students for college, but is not for those who are pursuing a career in math or science?’”
• The class “Advanced Math/ Trig” will be renamed “Pre-Calc.”

“We are going to change the name of [Advanced Math/ Trig] to Pre-Calc because what you’re really doing is Pre-Calc, right? So, let’s call it Pre-Calc,” Hamilton said. “It was also confusing some colleges on our students’ transcripts because they didn’t recognize the name.”

Other Changes:

Along with the combination of Team and Individual Sports to create Lifetime Sports and the renaming of Advanced Math/ Trig, two other changes will be made to current classes for next year. Advanced Journalism, the third tier of the school’s journalism program, will be changed to an honors level course, and Family and Child Development Extension will be changed to Child Development 5, 6, 7, and 8.