Siri IagnemmaWith the ominous return of advertisements for back-to-school sales and plans for Labor Day cookouts, students can’t escape the feeling that summer just begun, and yet—somehow—it’s already time to return to the classroom. For BHS students, each new year brings change: last year introduced students to a new seven-day class schedule and welcomed seventh and eighth graders to the new Middle School. This year’s changes focus more on curriculum and teachers but still promise excitement for returning BHS students.
A new history elective, AP African American Studies, will explore African American culture and experiences from ancient to modern times. According to Principal Issac Taylor, this class was chosen specifically to enable all students to see a reflection of themselves in the curriculum. Mr. Taylor commented, “For a long time, we had been hearing from students of color [that they were] looking for more curriculum that reflected their lived experience. That’s where the idea came from for AP African American Studies.”
This year will also mark the second pilot year of a new ninth-grade integrated core class: World Experience. As part of a collection of integrated courses at BHS, World Experience acts as both an English and Social Studies class to teach students writing, analysis, and group-work skills focusing on a range of interdisciplinary topics. Courses like World Experience are valuable because they expose students to complex topics that don’t neatly fit into one subject or another.
Another change resulted from the passage of the recent budget override, which provided funds for the expansion of the BHS teaching staff. The administration included students in this process by involving them in teacher interviews to hire teachers who strongly connect with students. One of my classmates, Lina Kang, was part of this hiring process and commented that she “found it interesting that [she] was able to participate in conversations with potential teachers as an equal.” As a result of these new teaching hires, expect smaller class sizes and new faces in the history, English, and science departments.
Another new program coming to BHS is the Harbor program. As a pilot for ninth and tenth graders, this program will provide students in the special education curriculum with increased support, striving to host all classes within the school and thus avoid outplacement. This will allow students to learn directly from BHS teachers and minimize extra travel. Similar programs are happening district-wide, including at Chenery, where there is a focus on language-based learning.
Of course, almost every BHS student has heard of the most significant change of all: the updated cell phone policy. Students and teachers alike are curious to see how the new policy, which prohibits all cell phone use in the classroom, will be adopted. BHS administrators designed this policy with hopes of finding a middle ground between a complete cell phone ban, as is present in some schools, and complete student control of phone use. It’s safe to say that students and teachers alike are anxious to see how this policy will impact school life.
There are even more changes coming to BHS this year, including changes to the school Wi-Fi and Chromebook policy, the introduction of new clubs, and new lunch options. Every year seems to begin in a blur of changes and new experiences for students, and next year’s high school experience will no doubt look very different from one five or ten years ago. Though shifts to familiar parts of high school life can be stressful, these changes reflect the evolution of society, student needs, and how we view education.