Hopatcong: New Course Offerings for High School

Hopatcong – At the October 28th Board of Education meeting, Cynthia Randina, Superintendent of Schools and Gina Cinotti, Director of Guidance, gave a presentation on the 11 new course offerings and additional academies being offered to high school students for the 2014-2015 school year. The new courses will be integrated into many departments such as Science, Technology, Business, Art, and Family Consumer Science. After conducting a student survey, courses were developed based on interest. These courses include AP Environmental Science, Business 101, Careers in Education, Culinary Arts II, Designing Applications, Fashion Design, Fashion marketing, Principals of Engineering, Sports Marketing, Video Game Design and Development, and Wood Sculpture.
In addition to the new courses students will be able to pursue multiple challenging academic interdisciplinary programs and focus on their desired career path. This structure is called “School-Within-A-School”, and supports constructive relationships between and among students and teachers by grouping students together each year to take a number of rigorous courses with increased student support and individualized attention. Such academies will include Communication/Performing/Technical Arts, Future Teachers Academy, Health Sciences, International Studies, Career Internships, Maritime Science and Environmental Arts, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). Moreover, as an incentive to those students pursuing a more rigorous course of study and earning additional credits beyond the minimum requirements for graduation a “Distinguished Diploma” will be granted.
Finally, a Community Service requirement will be created for the Class of 2018 and beyond which will increase graduation requirements to 122.5 credits. The volunteer hour requirements will be 10 hours year and upon graduation 40 hours of volunteer service will be achieved.
The “New” Hopatcong sure is living up to their name.

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