Physics regular offered to sophomores next year

In response to parent and student interest, sophomores will be able to take a regular physics class next year, according to assistant principal Brian Safine.

This year, science teachers Kirk Davis, Jenny Garcia, and Matt Welander are teaching a total of eight regular Physics classes. But due to the increase of students taking the class, there could be additional sections of the class next year.

The teachers who will be teaching the classes next year have not yet been determined, but some incoming sophomores.

“I chose [to enroll in Physics next year] because I definitely like Physics more than Chemistry, and I really want to go deeper into the subject since it's so interesting to me,” freshman Ashley Feng said.

Feng said she is also planning on taking AP Physics in the future, but because Chemistry is a prerequisite for AP Physics, she will most likely take Chemistry junior year or outside of school.

For incoming sophomores like Feng who decide to take Physics next year, Welander said there will be some topics the Physics class covers that they would have learned in Chemistry, such as significant figures, dimensional analysis and thermodynamics.

“There will be a couple of instances they may feel like they’re behind the juniors and seniors in class, but I don’t think that’s a big deal,” Welander said. “Those are pretty small topics and I think if a student is advanced they can learn those topics pretty quickly.”

To help the sophomores catch up to the upperclassmen in those areas, Welander said he’s planning on providing them  with some extra resources and help.

But despite this new course offering to sophomores, sophomores must complete Chemistry in order to enroll in more advanced science courses like AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Environmental Science, Astronomy and even AP Physics itself.

“Some of those students may do it by doubling up in science,” Safine said. “Some of them may just be doing it by reversing the chemistry and physics sequence in 10th and 11th grade, but the ultimate idea was giving students choice in terms of their science discipline after completing biology.”