For lots of kids at Sentinel, there is at least one class in their schedule they are excited to take when the time comes. This can be due to the fact that there is a wide array of kids who go here, and equally as large of a selection of courses to take. As registration for the 2024-2025 school year comes up, there are a lot of questions and comments on what students should be signing up for, what they shouldn’t, and what classes are going to have to wait for another year. We have so many electives, it just is what students are interested in — Miranda Panion
Lucky for all our Spartans, we can say that there is a class that everyone can enjoy which ranges from things like arts, engineering, writing, and hands on work. Having such a wide selection to choose from can help students establish what they enjoy doing. Not only does this make it easier as the 7 periods of the day go on, but it also sets in motion an acknowledgement of what perhaps these students will be looking forward to in their futures.
“We have so many electives, it just is what students are interested in,” our freshman counselor, Miranda Panion, comments.
When interviewing all of our counselors at Sentinel High School, there is not a moment of hesitation in diving into all the amazing courses we see making headway in our current semesters. But, something even more exciting is the classes students can be looking forward to for the next year.
Next year there will be many classes that will be starting off here at Sentinel and it’s not just in one section, but is spread through all of our different curriculums.
Theater will be introducing a new class next year called Technical Theater, where students will be able to explore what happens backstage. For lots of students, being on stage can be scary, even for something like Theater I, but now we will be able to educate our students in the works of theater like lighting and sound boards. This will not only be a fun class, but improve our shows in the years to come.
Another addition that will be helpful because of the new requirement for our financial literacy credit is Accounting. Though we’ve had it in the past, keep a lookout for it when you are looking to fulfill that new credit.
On top of these, we already have a variety of unique electives in our engineering, computer science, and art classes.
When it comes to those art classes, though many kids do enjoy our higher level art classes, our counselors do hope to see a larger enrollment in the classes in the next few years. Because we have a requirement of a fine arts credit, many students opt to take intro to art. Though this is a great class, some of those students don’t take advantage of the fact that if they take intro to art, their gate is open to take all of our other art classes. Some of these include, drawing, painting, jewelry, and ceramics. These classes offer a wonderful break in someone’s schedule to have a good time and put hard work into something they can be proud of.
On a different note, sometimes there are classes that our students take in order to line up what they wish for their future. Education 201, which breaks down the pathway of being an educator in the future. Next year there will also be an opportunity to take its new sister class, Human Growth and Development to further such a path to being a teacher.
Similarly, our Auto classes are ones our school is also trying to grow in hopes that not only will our auto one classes be full, but also 2-4 as well. A complication with this is that once you get to auto 3, it becomes a block period, which can fill up a student’s schedule rather quickly. Nonetheless, it proves to be more effective for the students who enjoy being hands on and moving during their school day.
In addition to auto classes, our counselors express that they want kids to be interested in the trades or certification programs as our society grows. Many students who look into this route don’t want to move onto the classic four year college but rather try trade school. The counselors are excited to work with all students who have different dreams for their future, and Sentinel tries to accommodate for that with the classes we offer like auto, woods, and welding.
Similarly there are also our agriculture classes that are a block period that many of our students enjoy for an applied science credit.
Other classes our students are always eager to be part of are our Food and Nutrition classes. Because lots of students are excited to get into these classes, they are always full and can be hard to be enrolled in, but nonetheless are still important for our students as they grow and further their future in their own kitchen.
Among others that students enjoy are yearbook, photography, graphic design, sports marketing, computer science, and some even opt to spend all four years of their high school career in PE classes.
Another opportunity that is important to discuss is for those who are looking for something that isn’t all about learning and need a break in their day. There are opportunities for peer tutoring and teacher assisting. Some seniors even go off campus for apprenticeships and internships, while still gaining credits.This also applies to music students that move down to lower bands or choirs to help teach and have more one on one with the younger students. These differences in classes and varieties available are what make school more accommodating and not to mention fun for our Spartan students.
Our school is very proud of the al-a-cart version of electives and classes we have here at Sentinel. Because there are so many options for all of our students, we hope there is a classroom that everyone can find peace in and enjoy going to.