New Paltz High School recently hosted its first annual Elective Fair for students in Grades 8 through 11, so that they may become more aware of the impressive array of classes and programs offered to them during their high school years.
“Students collaborated with teachers to create posters, presentations and promote the various elective courses at the High School,” explained Assistant Principal Kathleen Schneck-Suma. “Student volunteers presented the options for the upcoming school year. Student visitors were free to explore the options and had opportunities to find out more from their peers.”
The bustling cafeteria was filled with tables stacked with classroom projects, course descriptions, and other educational materials. The diverse menu of electives included Spanish 3 through 6, Interior Design, Civil Engineering, Childhood Development, Journalism I & II, Personal Finance, STEAM Manufacturing, Robotics, and more. The electives run for either a quarter, full semester, full year, and some courses, such as Accounting or Entrepreneurship, even offer transferable college credits.
Grade 9 student Quinlin King expressed interest in learning more about food preparation, while his classmate, Matthew Figueroa, said the Forensic Science class appealed to him. Grade 10 student Alasdair Young said he was eyeballing Black History and Women’s History classes. “I want to continue studying the topics that I have been studying,” he said, adding he may possibly continue those studies in college.
The table with the most buzz was Media Arts Sequence, which included courses such as Video Editing, Film Production, Digital Design, and Computer Graphics. Grade 12 students Daniel Cullen, Joshua Laudati, and Ella Constable, who represented these classes, were eager to speak to their younger cohorts about what to expect. “I enjoy the program’s group work, the projects, and especially the classroom environment,” said Laudati.
Many students swooned over the sophisticated technology and equipment. “We are so lucky to have these programs at our fingertips,” Constable remarked. “A lot of people don’t have access to this. And it’s a lot of fun. We have a great time making videos.” Many of the video projects created in the media arts courses are featured on the school’s daily broadcast news and viewed by a larger audience outside of the classroom.
