District Electives Give Students Broad Experiences

Assistant Principal David Tankard outlined the elective offerings for middle and high school students during the Board of Education meeting last week. He explained that the courses enhance student learning and allow students to explore areas beyond the traditional subjects and prepare them for their futures.

Tankard, who is also the supervisor of Applied Tech/Family and Consumer Science/Business, said while most call the course offerings electives, he sees them as "career paths or opportunities for success." He explained that students who might be interested in business, accounting or fashion would take classes that fall under the electives category.

To better serve district students, Tankard said electives have been restructured since some of the older courses didn't always match what was necessary. He added that the reconfiguration of the middle school allowed some of the courses to be offered to students at a younger age. Examples include engineering, computer animation and robotics.

In the area of applied technology, Tankard explained that eighth-graders can take Science Technology Engineering Math (STEM) for a semester as an introduction. Then Biotechnology is offered for students in grades 9-12. Finally a Capstone Seminar is available for seniors who want to participate in a research course to create a solution for an open-ended engineering or architectural problem.

A Digital Media course is offered for eighth and ninth grade students, with Advanced Video Production available for those in grades 9-12. Fashion design, culinary arts and business are also offered.

Tankard said early childhood education electives will be easier to offer students going forward because of the relocation of the Sullivan Center from Our Lady of Good Counsel to the high school. He said the district will offer Child Development I in the fall where students will learn the background and theory before interacting with the preschool students. Tankard explained allowing the students to see firsthand what working in an educational environment is like is beneficial for their future careers if they choose, or to show them they may want to take another path.

Tankard said he is proud of the elective programs. "There are so many tremendous things happening in all of these departments. I just can't say enough about where we're going in the future and the things that we get to accomplish," he said. "It's tremendously exciting."

To view Tankard's PowerPoint presentation, click here.