Beginning the 2015-2016 school year, new classes have been added. Students now have the opportunity to take Computer Science and Software Engineering, Pathway to Teaching Careers, Human Body Systems, Mandarin Chinese, and Journalism Broadcast Writing and Production.

Two of the new classes, Human Body Systems and Computer Science and Software Engineering, are apart of the Project Lead the Way program. Human Body Systems is the second year of Principles of Biomedical Sciences, where students investigate career opportunities within the medical field. Human Body Systems focuses on the several functions of the human body, while students take on the role of a biomedical professional. Computer Science and Software Engineering, on the other hand, is the first of four computer science course offerings. The class teaches students to create apps, automate tasks in a variety of languages, find patterns in data, and interpret simulations.

The PLTW Biomedical Sciences program plans to phase in the third year course, Medical Interventions, in the 2016-2017 school year, and the fourth course, Biomedical Innovations, in the 2017-2018 school year. The PLTW computer science program plans to phase in its second year course, Computer Science Applications, in the 2016-2017 school year, its third course, Simulation and Modeling, in the 2017-2018 school year, and its fourth course offering, Artificial Intelligence, in the 2018-2019 school year.

Pathway to Teaching Careers provides students with information on the practices of learning and teaching. This pathway is planned to be phased in over the next two years, with a Teaching Professions Internship offered in the 2016-2017 school year.

Mandarin Chinese was added as an additional option for a foreign language. Currently, only one level, Mandarin Chinese 1, is taught.

Journalism Broadcast Writing and Production focuses on broadcast news, rather than just printed media. This differs from the other course, Journalism, in that it doesn’t cover printed media.

writer: Olivia Biele