Cutting-edge courses rejuvenate curriculum

September 4, 2012 — by Sabrina Chen and Ashwini Velchamy

With the start of the new school year, the school has made several changes to the curriculum in order to better serve the diverse student body.

With the start of the new school year, the school has made several changes to the curriculum in order to better serve the diverse student body. These changes include the addition of an AP European History course and a trigonometry/precalculus course.
According to social studies teacher Jerry Sheehy, AP European History, which was last taught four years ago, has made its comeback in the school’s course offerings because of student demand.
“Students have been asking for it the past few years,” Sheehy said, “particularly this year’s senior class.”
He aims to ensure that this year’s students enjoy the class and “pass the word on so [the school] can have this class next year and the year after.”
In the long run, Sheehy hopes that AP European History will become a fixed offering in the social studies department.
“We have a wide variety of interesting topics to examine, and I have a great bunch of students with whom to take the journey,” Sheehy said.
Whereas AP European History has returned to the school after a four-year absence, other changes to the curriculum such as the trigonometry/precalculus course are new additions.
According to math teacher PJ Yim, the math department felt that the disparity between trigonometry math 4 and trigonometry/precalculus honors was too great.
Thus, the department created the trigonometry/precalculus class to serve students who are strong in math but don’t have the time and energy for an honors course.
“I thought since this is junior year, it would be too stressful to take another honors class, because I’m already taking two AP and honors classes,” trigonometry/precalculus student junior Rachel Li said. 
Yim believes that it will take a few years to assess the effects of this new course.
“My sense is that this is something that was done right and everybody in the math department was on board with this,” Yim said.
Yim also remarked that the rumor that Trigonometry/Precalculus Honors will be harder than before because of the addition of the new class is wrong.
“While we will review, the level that we go back to review will change a little bit, so it gives us more time to explore current concepts with further depth,” Yim said. “We will utilize our time more effectively.”
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