Starting on March 3, students began to select their courses for next year. The catalog has been expanded, adding six new courses for students to take. Classes that will be cancelled will be determined during the second week of April, depending on the number of students that sign up. No teachers have been assigned yet to any of these new classes.

The process to create a new class begins with the course department. If a course department, such as English, wants to add an elective, they must remove one from the course catalog. For example, the English Department has eliminated the Public Speaking class for next year, but they are adding a new elective called English Linguistics. English Linguistics and Classical Studies (2693) is a half-year elective where “students will study the morphology (common prefixes, suffixes, and roots) of the English language through Latin Literature, art history, and other cultural icons.”

One of the biggest changes in the Course of Studies has been in the Fine Arts Department, which has changed the structure of their classes to give more freedom to the students. Starting next year, art classes will be divided into Art 1, Art 2, and Art 3. The Visual Arts branch of the Fine Arts Department will also offer Ceramics, Digital Design, Ceramics Studio, and AP Studio Art. This change was made because of a large number of requests from students for more art programs and more choices in courses.

In Art 1, which used to be “Foundations of Art,” students will receive drawing, painting, and sculpting assignments. Once students pass Art 1, they can proceed to Art 2. Art 2 will be a very open class because students will be given many choices for self-expression. Mrs. Janice Strain, a Fine Arts teacher, explained this. “If I give a student what I call a problem, such as a figure in a situation, they can decide if they want to draw it, paint it, sculpt it, or collage it,” Strain said. “They have more voice about their world and they choose how they want to express themselves.”

Students can subsequently transition into Ceramics Studio or Art 3. Art 3 is “designed to further advance students’ study in the visual arts in a specific field such as drawing, painting, sculpture, or graphic design. Students will develop a body of work that reflects their unique style and can organize a portfolio of pieces.” After that, students will be able to enroll in AP Art, where they can earn college credit.

“Just because you are in Art 1 does not mean your work is not noticed,” said Strain. “They win awards and are shown all around Rhode Island. They are not restricted and their talent and hard work does not go unnoticed or thwarted in artistic expression.”

Several changes have been made to the History Department, including the name of World History (a required history course) to Modern History. History Department chair, Lawrence Verria said nothing has changed about the course, just the name. “The reason for the name change is that Modern History speaks more accurately to what is (and has been) the course’s curriculum,” said Verria. “World History might imply that we teach major units on the Greeks and Romans, which we do not.”

A new elective in the History Department will be Contemporary History, which focuses on history from the years 1970 to 2005, and will include topics such as Watergate, the Reagan Revolution, and 9/11.

The final three classes that have been added is a second AP Spanish class (AP Spanish Literature and Culture) and two new science electives. The two new science classes are Science of Sports and Pharmacology, which are both one-semester electives. Science of Sports focuses on the physiological and biomechanical parts of exercising. It includes linear and angular motion, Newton’s Laws of Motion, work and energy, and optics.

Pharmacology will center on the physiological and chemical effects of pharmaceuticals in the body. Topics discussed will include medications for pain, diabetes, HIV /AIDS, narcotics, and stimulants.

Junior Eliza Clarke said that she plans to enroll in Pharmacology next year. “It’s always exciting to see new classes being added to the Program of Studies,” said Clarke. “I try and look for classes that interest me and [ relate to] what I want to do in the future and in college.”