Three new courses have been proposed to the Board of Education for next year’s curriculum. An accelerated math program, a Spanish films class and Advanced forensics are being considered for next year’s students.
Advanced forensics was offered by Science Department Chair John DeLuca and science teachers David Rollison and Heather Wirkus. The only current opportunity for forensics students is the semester-long course, which doesn’t allow students to fully experience or explore the entirety of the class’s potential.
“I want to be able to add more labs, more techniques into our forensics program that we don’t have time for in our semester class,” Rollison says.
Spanish 6 is not a current course opportunity, so students presently taking Spanish 5 will not have a language course to take next year. Language Department Chair Maria Zachery and Spanish teachers Joseph Barahona, Waldina Hernandez and Catalina Deluca presented the new Spanish films course. The class would allow for those students who have exhausted all current spanish opportunities to continue to take a language course.
The Spanish film class allows students to use their language skills in real time, while they develop a more meaningful understanding of the culture’s importance.
“It is going to immerse our students in exploration of complexities of hispanic culture, history and identity through the lens of film,” Zachery said
In addition, an accelerated math class that combines algebra 1 and geometry into one class was pitched by Math Department Chair Stephen Porco, and math teachers John Wetzel, Stacey Delmhorst and Nicole Guiliani. It would allow students who may not be able to attend or afford summer courses to accelerate in math. Because students are exposed to the foundations of Algebra 1 and Geometry in eighth grade, less time will be spent relearning concepts allowing for a clearer path in math for students.
“It is an alternate pathway for students who are prepared for a faster-paced environment and can handle a combined curriculum,” Porco said.
This course allows students who may not have had the opportunities to advance quickly in math, to still receive the benefits of someone who has.
“As mathematics has become increasingly more coveted,” Wetzel said, “the department wishes to afford students different places/times in their math career to advance and master its content.”
Because Advanced Forensics is a full year course, it will allow students to further analyze forensics techniques. For example, instead of just covering hair and fiber within the trace evidence unit, students will learn techniques like paint matching, fracture matching and tool marks that students otherwise would not have time for. Whether this course will be offered as an honors or an ECE course is still up for debate.
“Advanced forensics is for those students who want to pursue [forensics] at a high level” Rollison says, “and want to go into this as a possible career pathway.”
