Which courses should you take next school year?

Newport students recently entered their course selections for the next school year, quickly making decisions that could impact their grades, college aspirations, and careers. Unfortunately, students seem woefully unprepared or unwilling to make the best decisions for their future. After all, they don’t want their classes to interfere with their social aspirations. 

First, there are the general requirements to consider. Throughout your high school career, you will need to pass many classes offered here at Newport. Some of you may want to go for advanced math classes, while others may choose to indulge in extra social studies classes. As of now, Newport requires all graduating students to attain twenty-three credits. Whichever route you decide to take, it’s best to know what classes are offered and what they are about.

There are a few different directions you can take when it comes to math courses. While all students are required to take Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2, the requirements end after three credits. Many students choose to continue taking math classes past this. If you are advanced, you may want to take PreCalculus and Calculus. Both of these classes are taught by Mrs. Cirulli and are typically considered challenging courses. If calculus isn’t your thing, you can also take Algebra 3 or Probs and Stats. These classes are taught by Mrs. Herb and Mrs. Malantonio.

For students who enjoy the sciences, there are plenty of courses from which to choose. The main course of action for students is to take environmental science with Mrs. Chubb, biology with Mr. Bower, and chemistry with Mr. Barner. Biology and chemistry are especially time-consuming because they take up an extra period every other day for lab work. Taking these courses fulfills the graduation requirements, but more classes are available. AP Bio, Honors Physics, Forensics, and all of the agricultural sciences are just some of the science courses offered at Newport.

To graduate, students must pass with three credits of social studies courses. Freshmen usually take civics with Mrs. Shomper and follow it up with 20th-century history in Mr. Barlup’s class the following year. However, the path for more credits changes every year. AP psychology and AP US history are a couple of classes that Barlup teaches, but only one is offered each year. There are also other courses, such as world history, sociology, and economics.

English is the most necessary subject, requiring all students to take four credits. English classes start with Mrs. McLaughlin and are followed by Ms. Helmick and Mrs. Stewart. These classes include some difficult projects, such as the poetry book and the ten-page research paper. For your senior year, a few courses are available to take. One option is a dual-enrollment course with Harrisburg University of Science and Technology to get both high school and college credits. Another option is to take the advanced placement English course with McLaughlin. 

Health and physical education are also a major requirement for all students looking to graduate. Newport requires students to take at least two credits of these courses. All gym courses award students half a credit, while the required health classes award a quarter credit. If you’re more interested in health-related classes, first aid and safety, as well as nutrition, are classes that are offered.

Of course, more than just core education classes are offered. Newport requires another two credits of arts and humanities for students to graduate. Many classes fall into this category, including Spanish, chorus, concert band, stained glass, journalism, and several other courses offered through the Newport Cyber Academy Program (NCAP) online.

If you still have at least another year of high school, it’s important to look ahead at what classes will set you up for success in whatever you do after high school. I encourage you to take classes that will enhance your understanding, teach you content in a field you enjoy, and have genuinely fun coursework. There are many more courses that you can take outside of the ones in this article, which you can learn about on the school district website. Next time you go to fill out your course selection forms, make sure you check out every class available to you.