by: Mickey Redlingshafer
The administration is adding new classes to the curriculum for the 2012-2012 school year. Below is a list, guide and description for next years’ new courses.
Intro to Glee
According to music teacher Michelle McIntire, intro to glee is a course for beginner singers. This course will be similar to intro to voice, it will provide an environment for new singers to learn how to sing. According to the program of studies, students will learn to sing with the right posture, breathing, tone, ear and vocal health. According to McIntire this class, which focuses on non-classical, ‘fun’ songs, is one semester and will end with a recital.
Teacher: Michelle McIntire
Prerequisites: No
Signature: Yes
Offered to: sophomores, juniors and seniors
Take this course if… “You have always wanted to sing but were to afraid you weren’t good enough,” McIntire said.
Playwriting
According to the program of studies, playwriting is a course where students will learn the techniques of writing a script. According to drama teacher Shana Prentiss, students will study films and plays, and will learn how to develop their own characters, plot and script. Students will write their own one-act play at the end of the course. This course lasts one semester and is only offered first semester.
Teacher: Shana Prentiss
Prerequisites: No
Signature: Yes
Offered to: juniors and seniors
Take this course if… You should take this course if you are a senior who wants to write a senior production, or if you simply are interested in playwriting, according to Prentiss.
AP Psychology
According to the program of studies, this is a one year college level course.Students will study the behavior and mental processes of people and animals.According to social studies teacher Pat Sirrigde, the course goes in more depth regarding research techniques, scientific studies of psychology, treatment and diagnosis for social disorders and social psychology. At the end of the year the students will take the national Advanced Placement test.
Teacher:Pat Sirridge
Prerequisites: Cumulative GPA of 92% and approval of previous history teacher
Signature: Yes
Offered to: juniors and seniors
Take this course if… “You’re considering a major in psychology in college and want the experience of a college style course,” Sirridge said.
Chinese Art and Culture
According to the program of studies, this course will reflect on the history, culture and art of China. According to Mandarin teacher Valda Hsu, students will connect China’s history and culture to visuals, and will practice this by learning brush painting, calligraphy, textiles, ceramics, comics and more. This course, available both semesters, is rooted in tradition but will cover modern day Asian culture.
Teacher: Valda Hsu
Prerequisites: No
Signature: No
Offered to: freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors
Take this course if… “[You love] doing art and if you are interested in history,” Hsu said.” Also [for] someone who seriously wants to [learn] a language in the future it will be beneficial.”
Art History
According to art teacher Theresa Wallerstedt, students will be shown the most influential art throughout history and will analyze why it became so famous. Research would include learning the economic, political and religious aspects of the time the art was created. According to Wallersted, studying art history fully can take years, so this course will be a brief overview of famous art throughout history. In this one semester class, offered only first semester, students will have to do a PowerPoint project over a certain famous piece of art to share with the class.
Teacher: Theresa Wallerstedt
Prerequisites: No
Signature: No
Offered to: sophomores, juniors and seniors
Take this course if… “You are interested in art, interested in history, interested in politics [and] if you are interested in economics,” Wallerstedt said.
Illustration
According to the program of studies, this one semester course will have students study famous illustrators’ work. According to Wallerstedt, students will then practice illustrations using colored pencils, ink, markers and gauche. Students will make illustrations for original poems, and hopefully find their own personal sense of illustrating. This course is offered only second semester.
Teacher: Theresa Wallerstedt
Prerequisites: Drawing I
Signature: Yes
Offered to: sophomores juniors and seniors
Take this course if.. “[You] are interested in anime, illustrations, cartooning, characters,” Wallerstedt said.
Trigonometry/Finite Math
According to the program of studies, this one year course will begin with trigonometry and eventually begin to teach topics from statistics, finance, college algebra and probability. This course will demonstrate how math can be used in everyday life.
Teacher: Undecided
Prerequisites: Algebra II
Signature:Yes
Offered to: juniors and seniors
Take this course if… According to the program of studies, students who want an alternative to pre-calculus or college algebra and like to see math applied to everyday life should take this course.
Forensic Science
According to the program of studies, this course will introduce students to procedures used in laboratories for crime scene analysis. Students will develop observational skills and deductive reasoning. Once students have developed their forensic science skills they will work together to write their own mystery. This course is one semester, offered only second semester.
Teacher:Renee Blake
Prerequisites: Biology and Chemistry
Signature: Yes
Offered to: sophomores juniors and seniors
Take this course if… “You like watching the CSI [type] shows,” Blake said. “Because the whole class is based on mini little crime scenes and 80 or 90 percent of [forensics] is lab based.”
Advanced Musicianship
According to McIntire, this is a one-on-one course for perspective music majors. This course will help seniors prepare for their freshman year majoring in music, specifically music performance, music education and music therapy. It will focus on music theory. This is an advanced course that will be tailored for each individuals’ needs. This class is one semester and is supposed to meet three times a week, however according to McIntire, depending on how much practice and work is needed a student could meet with her more.
Teacher: Michelle McIntire
Prerequisites: No
Signature: Yes
Offered to: seniors
Take this course if… “You are interested in majoring in music in college,” McIntire said. “Specifically music performance, music education, and music therapy.”
Acting
According to the program of studies, acting, a one semester course, is for those who have always wanted to try acting but were afraid. According to Prentiss, drama I is no longer available and acting will be taking its place. Acting will be very similar to drama I, but it will go deeper into analyzing the history of acting and preforming different monologues and scenes. According to the program of studies, this course requires students to attend one theatrical production.
Teacher: Shana Prentiss
Prerequisites: No
Signature: No
Offered to: freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors
Take this course if… “[You] have an interest on being on stage, but [don’t] necessarily have prior experience or any talent really,” Prentiss said.
Theatrical Design
According to Prentiss, this course will take the place of and be similar to drama II. Theatrical design will focus on costumes, set design and make-up. According to the program of studies, students will read and discuss different plays from theatrical history. Although it is not mandatory, Theatrical design, available only second semester, is a good followup after acting. According to the program of studies, if a student takes theatrical design they are required to attend one theatrical production.
Teacher: Shana Prentiss
Prerequisites: No
Signature: No
Offered to: freshman, sophomores, juniors and seniors
Take this course if… According to the program of studies, students who are interested less in actual acting and more in set design, makeup, and costumes should take this course.
Graphic Design Portfolio
According to the program of studies, this one semester course is for seniors who have experience in graphic design and want to go into more depth and create a portfolio. This course is offered both semesters and students can take it more than once.
Teacher: Graphic Design teacher Meghan Schaefer
Prerequisites: Graphic Design, Computer Illustration or Page Layout and Design
Signature: Yes
Offered to: seniors
Take this course if… “[You] are a senior who [is] interested in majoring in graphic design in college,” Schaefer said.
Musical Theater
According to McIntire, this one semester course will focus on preparing individuals’ audition portfolios for musicals. Students will study and learn history of theater, and act out skits from famous historical musicals. This course does not only focus on signing, but dancing and acting as well. According to the program of studies, this class, offered only second semester, will end with a performance.
Teacher: Michelle McIntire
Prerequisites: Concert Choir, Intro to Glee, Drama I, Acting I or
Intro to Dance
Signature: Yes
Offered to: sophomores, juniors and seniors
Take this course if… “[You] love to sign and love musical theater,” McIntire said.
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