Whitefish High boosts course offerings
HILARY MATHESON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 10 years, 1 month AGO
EDUCATION REPORTER Hilary Matheson covers education for the Daily Inter Lake. Her reporting focuses on schools, students, and the policies that shape public education across Northwest Montana. Matheson regularly reports on school boards, district decisions and issues affecting teachers and families. Her work examines how funding, enrollment and state policy influence local school systems. She helps readers understand how education decisions affect students and communities throughout the region. IMPACT: Hilary’s work provides transparency and insight into the schools that serve thousands of local families. | February 15, 2016 9:00 AM
Whitefish High School is bulking up course offerings in Advanced Placement, culinary arts and physical education for the 2016-17 school year.
The new Advanced Placement courses include English Language and Composition, which replaces an American Heritage course; Statistics, a substitute for the current statistics format; and U.S. History, which replaces a history class and will cover from 1491 to the present.
The additions round out the Advance Placement program to a total of seven classes that students may choose from. Advanced Placement classes are designed as college-level courses.
The culinary arts program has been expanded to include two new options — Baking 201 and Quick and Healthy Entrées 201. Both courses follow the progression of 101-level courses. Baking 201 covers topics such as food costs, purchasing and inventory.
Quick and Healthy Entrées 201 will teach nutrition, marketing, menu selection and sustainability among other topics. Following successful completion of the class, students have the option to earn ServSafe Food Protection Manager certification.
While the high school is still discussing whether or not to add a third-year math graduation requirement as some school districts have done, it will offer Intermediate Algebra with Algebra 1 and Geometry as prerequisites. The goal is to create a math sequence where students can gain a comfort level and stronger skill set to take Algebra 2. Administrators view the intermediate class as a “pilot that may lead to increased graduation requirements down the road.”
Along with new classes, the school has reshaped the physical education offerings to be “more relevant to students and their interests.”
Lifetime Sports and Fitness and Advanced Physical Education Class will be offered to continue developing fitness and physical competence skills in sports and recreational activities. Combined, the courses replace one P.E. course currently offered.
Hilary Matheson is a reporter for The Daily Inter Lake. She may be reached at 758-4431 or [email protected].
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