By Timmy DeLouchrey & Ethan Walshe
Sports Liasion and Editor-in-Chief
As students have submitted their schedule requests for next year, they have noticed a number of new additions in the Social Studies department, including The Power of One, A+ History, and Criminal Minds/Forensics Collage. With these new additions, we thought it would be interesting to propose some classes that we would like to see added to the Westford Academy Program of Studies.
Architecture (9-12 / CP and Honors)
Architecture is a subject of high interest, as the tables were filled at the recent career breakfast. It would provide an outlet for information to help better students who are interested in physics and art and possibly pursuing a strong career in those areas. Offered at the CP and honors level, Architecture would be open to all grades, and if interest was high enough, could continue on to Architecture II.
Who Should Teach: Robert Muller
Woodworking (11-12 / CP)
Tech-Ed is taught at the middle schools in town and should be continued through high school. Practical skills such as band saw use, dove tails, wedges, and more will be inter-spliced with beginner to intricate hand-carving techniques. A good use of woodworking class is not only the material, but also to instill ideas about strict safety protocols in a situation with real consequences. Grades would be based on participation and effort.
Who Should Teach: Robert Muller
Shakespearean Studies (10-12 / CP and Honors)
English teacher Jack Holbrook has mentioned this idea as a potential class in the past. This full-year English elective would focus on the plays and poetry of Shakespeare. Ideally, each quarter would have a particular focus: one on tragedies, one on comedies, one on histories, and a quarter on sonnets. Reading would take place both in and out of class and discussion would be key. Students would be expected to utilize analytical skills during discussions and writing assignments.
Who Should Teach: Jack Holbrook
Literature and the Human Condition (11-12 / CP and Honors)
This is a course offered at Acton-Boxboro High School as a senior English elective. The focus of this course would be on how “writers have attempted to understand and depict the complexities and dilemmas of humanity.” This class would incorporate elements of Psychology and English in a synthesis of the two subjects. Possible texts could include A Clockwork Orange, The Lovely Bones, and The Bell Jar. This course would be co-taught by a Psychology teacher and an English teacher.
Who Should Teach: Scott Cruikshank & Jason Humphrey
Political Science (11-12 / Honors)
While WA already offers an American Government course, there is no class that exists currently which would focus on the study of state, nation, government, and politics and policies of government. Students would study various theories of politics, as well as analyze the relationships between political events and the principles of how politics work. The discipline intersects with many others, including economics, law, sociology, and political theory, so many facets would be explored throughout this year long course.
Who Should Teach: Donna Kavanagh
Home Economics (12 / Unweighted)
Home Economics has been a class at WA before, but was discontinued. We would like to see this return as an option for students to do some practical, hands-on learning. The class would consist of cooking and other home activities. It would be offered to seniors only, and would not be weighted toward GPA.
Who Should Teach: Gina Mustoe
Contemporary Music/Lyric Interpretation (10-12 / CP and Honors)
Contemporary Music would incorporate listening to and reflecting on songs and tracking how music has been shaped by current events since the beginning of the 1900s . Songs would be analyzed as students analyze a novel in English class. It could possibly be taught as a collage course along with a history teacher to help students better understand what events were happening at the time of the song’s creation. This course would be open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors as a semester course at the CP and honors level.
Who Should Teach: George Arsenault
Philosophy (10-12 / CP and Honors)
This semester elective would contain elements of an introductory course in Philosophy. As this course is a requisite at many universities, it would be important to give students a solid introduction to the subject before they graduate. In a seminar format, students would delve into the most fundamental questions of existence and humanity from both Western and Eastern perspectives.
Who Should Teach: Ron Koehler
Current Events (11-12 / CP and Honors)
Though Current Events is a part of a collage class here at WA, we would like to see a semester option for it. Current Events would help students keep in touch with updates and news around the world. Students are required to take three years of history, so why not take a semester of what will be tomorrow’s history? There would likely be no set curriculum for this class, as new events will occur daily, causing it to be a highly discussion-based class. Homework assignments could consist of watching the news, or reading an article about modern topics. Honors and CP would both be offered for this class for seniors and juniors.
Who Should Teach: Heather Tedesco
