By Bernadette Hoover, Reporter
This year, the school is offering five new classes — Truth Through Memoir, Introduction to Calculus, AP Comparative Government, Concepts in Chemistry and Forensics — and one new club — Croquet.
Truth Through Memoir:
Truth Through Memoir is taught by Steven Denlinger. Students will be reading excerpts from well known memoirs and three books. The class begins with 12 minutes of journaling as students respond to a daily prompt. Students will also be working throughout the the semester to put together a portfolio of their best work.
“Seventy percent of their grade will come from their final polished portfolio,” Denlinger said. “It will include things like their college essay, a narrative introduction [and] a short memoir capstone piece that will be somewhere between 12 and 25 pages long.”
The class not only allows students to immerse themselves in the works of several well known authors, but it also gives them a chance to practice writing about themselves just in time for college essays.
“Memoir … is the primary genre that juniors and seniors use when they’re applying for college,” Denlinger said. “It can allow students to get to know themselves in a way that can make their college essays incredibly authentic and real.”
Intro to Calculus:
Intro to Calculus is taught by Andy Callender.
“Intro to Calculus gives students exposure to the topic of Calculus without going into the depth that AP Calculus does,” Callender said. “This gives students the option of being better prepared for a college level Calculus course without committing to the demands of an AP course.”
Callender will typically give two or three assignments per week, which he assigns on Mondays. They are then due the following Monday.
“This gives students the flexibility to complete their work on their own schedule,” Callender said.
This time-management system allows the class to focus on in-depth learning during class, as well as more project-based activities.
“Students who have any interest in pursuing math beyond high school but don’t feel they can commit to another AP course should consider Intro to Calculus,” Callender said.
AP Comparative Government:
In AP Comparative Government, which is taught by Matt Tilden, students will be analyzing and comparing the political systems and cultures of six different countries — Mexico, Iran, China, the U.K, Nigeria and Russia — to our own.
“We start the year off with sort of a basic unit on how to compare different political systems,” Tilden said. “Students have about 30 pages of reading a week and are responsible for tracking the current events for one of the six countries the entire semester.”
The class starts with singular country comparisons and progresses into a more general comparison of the numerous political systems around the world.
“I think what this class does in a lot of ways is … really broadens your view of politics in terms of how you see the American system,” Tilden said. “It makes you question, but also appreciate, our political system in ways that maybe you didn’t before.”
This class is for students who want to understand world politics and foreign relations.
“If you’re interested in current events and politics, it’s a really good class that will deepen your knowledge of things happening in the world,” Tilden said.
Concepts in Chemistry:
Concepts in Chemistry is a one-semester class, taught by Dr. Melissa Kehl. This class is for students who want just a portion of the year-long regular chemistry course.
“It’s a semester-long class that covers the basics, and also looks at how it’s applied in the real world,” Kehl said. “It covers the basic information that you need for chemistry in order to be successful on the test that’s offered instead of the EOC biology test (the new graduation science statewide test is more comprehensive and covers a bit of chemistry, biology, physics, and earth science).”
The class also ties in real-life examples by looking at chemistry in the film industry, as well as the chemistry of products such as petroleum and food. The food unit will include a trip to the Fran’s Chocolate factory to learn about the chemistry involved in the sweet treats.
Forenics:
Have you ever wondered how the characters in the movies you watch are able to solve a crime using just a single strand of hair or dirt under the victim’s fingernail? If so, forensics, also taught by Kehl, is for you.
“The students will be learning about ballistics, the effect of bullets on human tissue, DNA sampling, the act of doing an autopsy, and how to set up an effective crime scene,” Kehl said. “[They will also be] analyzing hair, glass and fibers, and looking at documents for signs of forgery.”
The semester-long class will count as either a science or a CTE credit.
There will also be guest speakers from the police department, and autopsy specialists who work in local morgues.
Croquet:
The Croquet club, led by Kehl, meets on Fridays during lunch outside on the west lawn near the cafeteria and by the parking lot. The club currently has 15 members and is an intramural sport. However, they are hoping to register to play against one of the three local high school croquet teams in Seattle.
The club is always looking for equipment donations and is open for anyone to join Although there is a uniform, it isn’t strict.
“The right uniforms are plaid shorts and argyle socks, but if you showed up without those things you can still play,” Kehl said.