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Reference-work for "The Book of Masks," "The Wandering Stars," and "Student Bodies." |
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Westside High School Colors: Scarlet and gold Mascot/Team names (all teams): Dragons Class structure: Freshman, Sophomore, Junior, Senior Student population: ~2400 total (~600 per class) Principal: Jeffrey Sagansky Assistant Principals: Anthony Staufford; Garson Dow; Barbara Meek Office Secretaries: Stephanie Dunn; Christina Hale; Amanda Hammond; Yolanda Livingstone; Carmen Benitez; Brianna Vang; Damon Galvan School Librarian: Margaret DeWare School Nurse: Cecilia Schaffer
Class Times 1. 8:20 - 9:10 2. 9:15 - 10:05 3. 10:10 - 11:00 4. 11:05 - 11:55 [1st lunch; also called "fourth lunch"] 5. 12:00 - 12:50 [2nd lunch; also called "fifth lunch"] 6. 12:55 - 1:45 7. 1:50 - 2:40 8. 2:45 - 3:35
Students are required to take seven classes a day. Either their fourth or fifth period will be their lunch period (no class).
Areas and Departments
Graduation Requirements Over a four-year period, the student is required to pass 54 classes, distributed in the following manner: Non-elective requirements * 6 classes in the Language Arts department * 4 classes in the Math Core Area department * 6 classes in a third Core Area department (student's choice) * 4 classes in a fourth Core Area department (student's choice) * 2 classes in a fifth Core Areas department (student's choice) * 4 classes in Vocational * 2 classes in Arts * 4 classes in Personal Growth Certain other requirements are necessary in each of these departments. See the section on that department for details. Elective requirements * 22 elective classes in any Area or department Seniors may have one Study Hall per semester as part of their schedule. One-semester course offerings count as one "class." Two-semester course offerings count as two "classes"; however, both semesters of a two-semester course offering must be passed for either semester to count as a met requirement. Unofficial Expectations of Course Scheduling Freshman: 2 English + 2 Math + 2 Core3 + 2 Core4 + Health + 2 PE + 2 Voc. + 1 PG Sophomore: 2 English + 2 Math + 2 Core3 + 2 Core4 + 2 Voc + 1 Art + (1 PG or 1 PE) + 1 electives Junior: 2 English + 2 Math + 2 Core3 + 2 Core5 + 1 Art + 5 electives Senior: 12 electives + 2 study hall Departments and Course Offerings Note: Courses marked with an (S) are single-semester offerings, counting as one class toward the graduation requirements. All other courses are two-semester offerings, counting as two classes toward graduation requirements. Courses marked with an (R) may be taken twice for an additional elective credit. Such repetitions cannot be used as non-elective credits. Courses marked with a (T) require instructor approval to enter. Any classes denoted with a Roman numeral must be completed in sequence, with a passing grade in the lower class required for advancement to the next in the sequence. Language Arts Language Arts classes are designed to prepare the student to be able to read and write intelligently upon graduation. Emphasis is upon the reading of canonical texts and the composition of critical essays on them. Exposure to a variety of historical and cultural styles will be given, and the development and structure of literary forms will be discussed. Departmental Requirements: Students are required to pass six classes in the Language Arts department. Of these, two must be consist of either English I or AP English I, and two must consist of either English II or AP English II. A fifth credit must be drawn from any in the following list: English III, AP English III, Reading for Pleasure, Classical Literature I, English Grammar, Grammar for Writing, or Essays. The sixth credit may be drawn from any course offering in the department. My own authorial judgment on whether the classes are good or not are in brackets at the end. Course Offerings and Descriptions English I, AP English I: Open to freshmen only. An introduction to literature and reading. Books to be read and discussed include To Kill a Mockingbird, The Lord of the Flies, The Catcher in the Rye, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Fahrenheit 451, Great Expectations, The Old Man and the Sea, Flowers for Algernon, The Hobbit, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and The Hound of the Baskervilles. AP English will also read Romeo and Juliet and an anthology of Greek myths as texts. Students will be graded on the basis of short essay tests. The successful completion of a placement exam is required of a student wishing to take AP English I. [AP = Serious classes for serious students. Basic classes will vary depending on what kind of troublemakers they contain.] English II, AP English II: Open to sophomores only. An introduction to and survey of American literature. Authors to be covered include Jonathan Edwards, Washington Irving, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Alan Poe, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Thoreau, Herman Melville, Mark Twain, Willa Cather, Ernest Hemingway, Emily Dickinson, Ralph Ellison, and Maya Angelou. AP English II will also cover the Transcendentalist poets, Henry James, and William Faulkner. Students will be graded on the basis of short papers. Only students who have completed English I with a grade of A- or better, or AP English I with a grade of B- or better, may enroll in AP English II. [AP = Serious classes for serious students. Basic classes will vary depending on what kind of troublemakers they contain.] English III, AP English III: Open to juniors only. An introduction to and survey of British literature. Authors and works to be covered include Beowulf, selections from The Canterbury Tales, Marlowe, Shakespeare (Macbeth and selected sonnets), Defoe, Pope, Fielding, the Romantic poets, Charlotte Bronte, Lewis Carroll, Oscar Wilde, and George Orwell. An additional list of authors and works will be given to students, from which they will choose two books to read as an independent study. AP English III will feature an expanded list of secondary authors to choose from. Students will be graded on the basis of a series of short papers and one seven-page term paper. Only students who have completed English II with a grade of A- or better, or AP English II with a grade of B- or better, may enroll in AP English II. [Both AP and Basic will have serious students taking a serious class, since this one is not required for graduation.] English IV, AP English IV: Open to seniors only. An introduction to and survey of world literature in English translation. Authors and works to be covered include Homer, Virgil, Dante, Cervantes, Moliere, Voltaire, Goethe, Dostoyevsky, Kafka. An additional list of authors and works will be given to students, from which they will choose two books to read as an independent study. AP English IV will feature an expanded list of secondary authors to choose from. Students will be graded on the basis of three seven-page term papers and an in-class three hour exam. Only students who have completed English III with a grade of A- or better, or AP English III with a grade of B- or better, may enroll in AP English II. [Both AP and Basic will have serious students taking a serious class, since this one is not required for graduation. The AP will be the cre de la cre; the Basic class for those who just couldn't cut the AP version.] Reading for Pleasure (S)(R): Open to juniors and seniors only. A survey of English and world literature with an emphasis on genre literature, particularly the fantastical. Authors covered include Shakespeare (A Midsummer Night's Dream), Edgar Alan Poe, Lewis Carroll, H. G. Wells, M. R. James, H. P. Lovecraft, Dashiell Hammett, Dorothy L. Sayers, J. R. R. Tolkien, Arthur C. Clarke, Harlan Ellison, Ursula K. Leguin, Jorge Luis Borges, Franz Kafka and George Orwell. Students will be graded on the basis of a series of short papers. Fall and spring semesters comprising different reading lists will be offered, and students may take one or both for up to two elective credits. [Not a serious class; LA credit for students who couldn't hack the regular progression.] Classical Literature I: Open to juniors and seniors only. A survey of English and world literature with an emphasis upon canonical works. Authors and works covered include Homer (The Odyssey), selections from The Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare (Othello), Cervantes, Goethe, Dostoyevsky, Gogol, Kafka (The Metamorphosis), Borges, Orwell, and the English Romantic poets. Students will be graded on the basis of a series of short papers. [Fairly serious class, filled with students who were good enough for the regular progression but intend to concentrate on other areas. Gives them a taste in one semester of the III and IV levels they'd be missing.] Classical Literature II (T): Open to seniors only. An advanced survey of English and world literature with an emphasis on canonical works. Authors and works covered include Homer (The Iliad), Beowulf, Shakespeare (Hamlet), Dostoyevsky, Kafka (The Trial), James Joyce, and T. S. Eliot. Students will be graded on the basis of a series of short papers. Successful completion of Classical Literature I and teacher approval are required to enroll. [Fairly serious class, filled with students who were good enough for the regular progression but intend to concentrate on other areas. Gives them a taste in one semester of the III and IV levels they'd be missing.] Film as Literature (S): Open to juniors and seniors only. A survey of film, concentrating both on its historical development and the literary and cultural value of particular films. Filmmakers to be covered include Chaplin, Keaton, von Stroheim, Hitchcock, Cukor, Ophuls, Lang, Welles, Wilder, Ford, Vidor, Stevens, Ray, Spielberg, Scorsese, and Kubrick. Films to be covered include The Gold Rush, 42nd Street, Grand Hotel, The Maltese Falcon, White Heat, Notorious, Citizen Kane, Sunset Boulevard, The Searchers, Giant, Rebel Without a Cause, Singing in the Rain, A Hard Day's Night, Bullitt, Dr. Strangelove, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and Raging Bull. Parental consent is required. [The teacher takes it seriously; the students treat it as a blow-off until they discover he means it seriously, at which point they become bitter and angry and resentful, because who wants to watch and write about a bunch of dumb old black and white movies, yo?] Creative Writing I (S)(R): An introduction to the art of writing. Emphasis is given upon creative techniques such as free writing, the construction of metaphor, and elements of storytelling. Poetical forms will also be studied and used as models for assignments. Lectures will be used as introductions to student exercises. [Artsy class, mostly blow-off.] Creative Writing II (S)(R)(T): Open to sophomores, juniors and seniors only. Continuing instruction to the art of writing. Students will concentrate upon their own projects, including the writing of short stories and poems. A team of students chosen by the teacher will edit and compile a collection of literary submissions to the Westside literary magazine, DragonHearts. [Artsy class, mostly blow-off, to the distress of some few who'd really like to treat it seriously.] English Grammar: Remedial class in English grammar. The structure and elements of English grammar will be studied and practiced. [For people who can't write.] Grammar for Writing: Remedial class in English grammar with an emphasis on the composition of clear and meaningful prose. [For people who can't write even after taking English Grammar.] Essays (S)(R): Open to juniors and seniors only. In-depth study on techniques of essay writing. Students will read and analyze essays on a variety of topics and in a variety of forms, including the persuasive, the descriptive, the reflective, and the humorous. They will then craft their own. [Very small and specialized class, generally serious, but easy to blow off.] Drama (S): Open to juniors and seniors only. An introduction to drama. Plays in both English and world traditions will be read aloud and analyzed. Authors covered will include Sophocles, Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Moliere, Goldsmith, Wilde, Shaw, O'Neil, Williams, Stoppard, and others. [Very small and specialized class, generally serious, but easy to blow off.] Mathematics Don't ask me to describe the contents of the math classes. I've only included some notes on each, enough so you'll have some idea of what kind of students will be taking what kind of classes. All students must take a placement test on entering the freshman class. Only students earning a C- or better may enroll in Algebra I or Geometry; all others will be enrolled in Advanced Arithmetic. Course Offerings and Descriptions Advanced Arithmetic: Remedial mathematics, covering number operations through long division and the manipulation of fractions and decimals. Algebra I: Algebraic techniques including the solutions to equations with two variables and the plotting of graphs. Geometry: Proofs and theorems related to basic two- and three-dimensional objects. Intermediate Algebra: Open only to students earning a C or less in Algebra I. Reviews the same material but advances it through the introduction of basic trigonometric concepts. Algebra II & Trigonometry: Don't ask me, I don't remember a thing of this stuff. Statistics, AP Statistics: Only students earning a B or better in Algebra II & Trigonometry are eligible to take AP Statistics. Calculus, AP Calculus: Only students earning a B or better in Algebra II & Trigonometry are eligible to take AP Calculus. Most students will stop their math education with Algebra II/Trig (if even that). Those who go further will take Statistics or Calculus, but only the serious math nerds will take both. Only the really good ones will take both AP Stat and AP Calc. In general, Stat is for those who feel they need to take a math class at the highest level, but aren't good enough or don't feel confident enough for a Calculus class. AP Stat is for the latter who are deeply conscious of their inadequacy for Calculus. Sciences Don't ask me to describe the contents of the sciences classes. I've only included some notes on each, enough so you'll have some idea of what kind of students will be taking what kind of classes. Course Offerings and Descriptions Physical Science: Open only to freshman. Covers the basics of physics and chemistry, and covers introductions to geology, meteorology, and astronomy. Biology, AP Biology: Open only to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Covers the basics of biological functions. Only students earning a B- or better in Physical Science may enroll in AP Biology. Basic class is a solid mid-level class of some stringency, but also overrun with substandard students. AP Bio is the class the Basic class would like to be. Chemistry I, AP Chemistry I: Open only to juniors and seniors. Only students earning a B- or better in Physical Science may enroll in AP Chemistry I. For the serious science geeks, esp. at the AP level. Chemistry II, AP Chemistry II: Open only seniors. Only students earning a A- or better in Chemistry I or a B- in AP Chemistry I may enroll in AP Chemistry II. For the serious science geeks, esp. at the AP level. Physics I, AP Physics I: Open only to juniors and seniors. Only students earning a B- or better in Physical Science may enroll in AP Physics I. For the serious science geeks, esp. at the AP level. Physics II, AP Physics II: Open only seniors. Only students earning a A- or better in Physics I or a B- in AP Physics I may enroll in AP Physics II. For the serious science geeks, esp. at the AP level. Astronomy (S): Open only to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Basically a bullshit class for guys who can't hack Physics or Chemistry. [Guilty as charged, your honor!] Marine Biology (S): Open only to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Basically a bullshit class for guys who can't hack Physics or Chemistry. Geology (S): Open only to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Basically a bullshit class for guys who can't hack Physics or Chemistry. Meteorology (S): Open only to sophomores, juniors and seniors. Basically a bullshit class for guys who can't hack Physics or Chemistry. Physiology (S): Open only to juniors and seniors. Not bullshit, but not hard-core either. Something for people who are smart enough for something challenging, but either don't have the time or the stamina to tackle Physics or Chemistry. Anatomy (S): Open only to juniors and seniors. Not bullshit, but not hard-core either. Something for people who are smart enough for something challenging, but either don't have the time or the stamina to tackle Physics or Chemistry. Genetics (S): Open only to juniors and seniors. Not bullshit, but not hard-core either. Something for people who are smart enough for something challenging, but either don't have the time or the stamina to tackle Physics or Chemistry. Zoology (S): Open only to juniors and seniors. Not bullshit, but not hard-core either. Something for people who are smart enough for something challenging, but either don't have the time or the stamina to tackle Physics or Chemistry. AP Forensic Science Studies: Open only to seniors. Only students who have earned a B- or better in AP Biology and either Anatomy or Physiology may enroll in AP Forensic Science Studies. Small but solid class for motivated students, most of who are. AP Environmental Science: Open only to seniors. Only students who have earned a B- or better in AP Biology and either Zoology or Marine Biology may enroll in AP Environmental Science. Small but solid class for motivated students, most of who are. Social Studies The Social Studies curriculum consists of five clusters: * American History: US History, AP US History. * Government: American Government, AP Government and Politics, AP Constitutional Law. * Current Events: Current Issues, International Problems * World History and Geography: AP European History, AP World History, AP Human Geography * Social Sciences: Psychology, AP Psychology, Sociology I, Sociology II
Students are required to pass at least four classes in Social Studies. To meet this requirement, students must pass one class in the first cluster (counts as 2) and two classes from the remaining clusters. Students who take American Government are not allowed to take AP Government, but are allowed to take AP Constitutional Law AP classes are only open to sophomores or higher, and even then only after the successful completion of a placement exam. The completion of one AP class with a grade of B- or better may replace one and only one such placement exam for other AP classes in the Social Studies department. [This means that the first time you take an AP class you must take a placement exam. As long as you keep passing AP classes with a B- or better, you can keep taking AP classes. If you end a class with a C+ or worse, then you can't take another AP class until you pass another placement exam.] Course Offerings and Descriptions US History, AP History: Descriptive account of the United States from the European discovery of America by Christopher Columbus through the settling of the Atlantic seaboard by English colonists; the War for Independence; the creation of the United States of America; its expansion across the continent; the Civil War; and its participation in global affairs from the late nineteenth through the early twenty-first centuries. Students taking AP History will be required to write three seven-page term papers on some aspects of US history in addition to other requirements. [AP classes will be serious; basic classes probably not.] American Government (S), AP Government and Politics (S): Description of the constitutional structure of the United States and the political theory behind it. Historical account covers the development of English liberties from the Middle Ages through the early Modern period, and their gradual extension to additional groups during the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Students taking AP class will be required to write three seven-page term papers. [AP classes will be serious; basic classes probably not.] Current Issues (S): Research and discussion of domestic issues of the day, including problems of governance, economy, law enforcement, and cultural controversy. [Lots of yelling, lots of blowing class off by students.] International Problems (S): Research and discussion of international issues of the day, including problems of international governance and diplomacy, the global economy, regional wars, terrorism, and religious strife. [Lots of yelling, lots of blowing class off by students.] AP Constitutional Law (S): Description of the constitutional structure of various political systems, including democratic and republican forms (in both their parliamentary and presidential variations); monarchies (both absolute and qualified); authoritarianisms and theocracies. Simulations will be run in which students, collectively acting as governments of different types, directly study the advantages and disadvantages of each in setting and correcting policies. [Probably a serious class, probably a fun one.] AP European History: Survey of European history from the fall of the Roman Empire through the beginning of the twentieth century. Geographical scope will cover the lands encompassed by the Mediterranean Sea, the Bosporus, the Ural Mountains, the Arctic Circle, and the Atlantic Ocean. [For serious history geeks only.] AP World History: Survey of world history from ancient times. Areas covered include the Near East from the time of ancient Egypt through fall of the Roman Empire and the rise of the Muslim states; Europe from the rise of Rome through the early twentieth century; China and India from the time of the Zhou dynasty through the Communist Revolution and the end of the Raj. Brief surveys will be given to the cultures of the Andes and Mesoamerica. [For serious history geeks only.] AP Human Geography: Survey of human cultures world wide, describing their origins, development, and interaction with each other. [For serious history geeks only.] Psychology, AP Psychology: Open only to juniors and seniors. Beats the hell out of me what they'd do this kind of class at the high school level, but I've seen it in high school curricula. Probably basic psychological concepts and experiments. I suspect the non-AP class is kind of bullshitty, and the AP class only marginally less so. Sociology I: Open only to juniors and seniors. Another whose content I'm not sure about, but probably kind of a jerk-off class. Sociology II: Open only to seniors. And another one I can't really fathom. Walberg probably tries to make it hard, but the students won't take it so seriously. World Languages You can probably guess at this stuff. Vocabulary, grammar, some reading and writing in foreign languages. The "for Reading Knowledge" is language-lite. It concentrates on the grammar and pronunciation and doesn't give much vocabulary; nor does it expect you to memorize words or to understand speech in the target language. It prepares you to be able to pull down an English-(Language) dictionary when given a text and to make a rough and ready translation of it while feebly sounding it out vocally if asked. Course Offerings and Descriptions * French sequence: French I, French II, French III, AP French IV * French for Reading Knowledge * German sequence: German I, German II, German III, AP German IV * German for Reading Knowledge * Spanish sequence: Spanish I, Spanish II, Spanish III, AP Spanish IV * Spanish for Reading Knowledge * Latin sequence: AP Latin I, AP Latin II * Asian Alphabets: Covers a reading knowledge of basic Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese scripts. Note: The completion of the junior-level class with a grade of B- or better is required of a student wishing to take the senior-level AP class in a sequence. The successful completion of both French for Reading Knowledge and Spanish for Reading Knowledge with a grade of A or better is required of a student wishing to take AP Latin I; successful completion of AP Latin I with a grade of B- or better is required of a student wishing to take AP Latin II. Vocational Many of these are going to be bullshit classes, so I've not much to say about them. Mostly I'll mark them off according to the following rankings: ****: These are serious classes for people who are smart and motivated, and they will give these a good grounding in the subject. If you're not serious, the classes will kick your ass. ***: These are classes that will be good for people with a very specific interest or background, but won't be overly challenging. Most anyone can take them and do well in them, but only a minority of those who take them are sincerely and deeply interested in them. **: These are classes that can be profitable if you're interested in them, and they can prepare you for some good stuff; but they can also be easily treated as blow-off classes that you can pass without putting much work into them. *: Jokes. Gaseous puffery masquerading as a serious subject that only the teacher takes seriously, and even he probably doesn't care very much. It's safe to say that if you asked a student to describe the class he's taking, he wouldn't know what to say. Business Classes Accounting I: ** Accounting II: ** General Business (S): * Business Management (S): * Business Law (S): * Business Technology (S): ** Marketing Fundamentals (S): * Advertising Strategies (S): * Entrepreneurship (S): * International Marketing (S): * Personal Financial Literacy (S): This is designed to teach people how to write a check, use a credit card, get a loan, set up a household budget, etc. ** Career Exploration (S): Help! What am I going to do with my life? ** Career Planning (S)(R): Help! Plan my life for me! ** Computer Classes Web Page Design I (S): ** Web Page Design II (S): ** Computer Applications I: **** Computer Applications II: **** Computer Programming I: **** Computer Programming II: **** AP Computer Science: **** Note: The successful completion of both Computer Applications II and Computer Programming II with a grade of B- or better is required of a student wishing to enroll in AP Computer Science. Agricultural Education Saratoga Falls isn't a big city, and there are no other big cities within a few hundred miles, so there is lots of agricultural land around it. There are probably a large number of students who are going to go into agriculture, and the school will have a pretty good program for these. That's reflected in the rankings. Agricultural Communications (S): *** Agri-Science: *** Animal Science: **** Horticulture I: **** Horticulture II: **** Horticulture III: **** Plant and Soil Science: **** Typical sequence of Ag Ed for those interested in it: Freshman: Agri-Science Sophomore: Plant and Soil Science + Horticulture I Junior: Horticulture II Senior: Horticulture III Animal Science is usually taken either the Junior or Senior year. Ag Comm is an extra class, aimed more at those who need to know something about Ag but won't be specializing in it. Ag Ed is often paired with classes in the Industrial Arts. Industrial Arts Keyserling is an engineering school, and it's a good one, and Westside will have a program that can prepare its students to enroll and thrive there. That's reflected in the rankings. They also reflect the above-mentioned agricultural population, since these will also have a demand for some mechanical skills. Woods and Metals: ** Advanced Woodworking I: *** Advanced Woodworking II: *** Power and Energy: *** CAD-Technology: *** CAD-Engineering: **** CAD-Architecture: **** Note: The successful completion of Computer Aided Design (CAD)-Technology with a grade of B- or better is required of a student wishing to enroll in CAD-Engineering or CAD-Architecture. Journalism Yearbook (T): The end-of-the-year compendium showing all the class portraits and club activities and "school spirit" stuff. Mostly run by "popular" girls who are deeply into everything. * Journalism I: ** Journalism II: ** Newspaper: ** Visual Journalism: How to run cameras and edit video footage; also, how to appear and talk on camera without looking an utter doofus. ** Note: The successful completion of Journalism II is a prerequisite for enrolling in either Newspaper or Visual Journalism. Leadership How to influence people. The Speech & Debate stuff will be how to write and deliver persuasive arguments. The Leadership/Citizenship will be for the politician types or the flag-waving civic-minded types and will mostly consist of exhortations to be a good and noble person. Fortunately, only people who want to be good and noble will enroll in them, and these people will be too civic-minded to notice how feeble and empty the class really is. Speech & Debate I: *** Speech & Debate II: *** Speech & Debate III: *** Speech & Debate IV:*** Leadership/Citizenship I (S): * Leadership/Citizenship II (S): * Student Congress: ** Note: The successful completion of Leadership/Citizenship II is a prerequisite for enrolling in Student Congress. Only those who have successfully completed Student Congress are eligible for election to the Student Council. Art Here I'm just going to list the classes that are offered and make a few comments where they seem appropriate. Visual Arts These classes will cover painting, sketching, sculpture, ceramics, pretty much everything you can look at. Some of it will cover the history of art; most of it will be hands-on making of art. I imagine most of these will be kind of bullshitty, but the teachers will be earnest and well-meaning and helpful; and if some of the students goof off during them, that's the artist's prerogative. * Art I-Drawing * Art I-Design * Art II * Art III (R)(T) * Introduction to the Visual Arts (S) * Three-Dimensional Art I * Three-Dimensional Art II (R)(T) * Music/Visual Arts Appreciation: Art class for people who need the credit but don't want to take an art class. Music Letters after class names denote the year they may be taken (freshman: A; sophomore: B; junior: C; senior: D), but all students in each section will attend the same performance class. The teachers have blocks given over to "Individual Practice." Students will schedule excused absences in other classes so they can come in for one-on-one practice time with the director so he can give them critiques and feedback. Likely these sessions will last only a ten minutes each, and will be held for each student once every three or four weeks. * Marching Band A, Marching Band B, Marching Band C, Marching Band D * Jazz Band C (R)(T), Jazz Band D (R)(T) This is for the best of the performers in the marching band, but concentrating on the music and not the marching. They'll give concert performances, which will feature a much wider range of musical styles, though they will all be "popular" in nature. * Orchestra A, Orchestra B, Orchestra C, Orchestra D Classical music, mostly strings, but with some winds, brass and percussion represented by people who also play in Marching/Jazz Band. * Chamber Orchestra C (R)(T), Chamber Orchestra D (R)(T) This is for the best of the orchestra performers, featuring much more challenging music played much more competently. * Chorale (S)(R) The largest vocal ensemble, singing the widest range of musical styles, from classical to gospel to pop. * Concert Choir (S)(R): Open to juniors and seniors only. Smaller, specialized vocal ensemble drawn from the Chorale, concentrating on classical music. Occasionally performs with the chamber orchestra. * Jazz Choir (S)(R): Open to juniors and seniors only. Specialized vocal ensemble concentrating on popular styles of music. Occasionally performs with the jazz band. * Chamber Choir (S)(R): Open to juniors and seniors only. Specialized vocal ensemble concentrating on contemporary or gospel music. Occasionally performs with the jazz band. * Mixed Choir (S)(R): Open to juniors and seniors only. This is for the best of the chorale performers, featuring the same wide array of music, but of a more challenging type, and more competently sung. * Music Theory I (S) * Music Theory II (S) * AP Music Composition (R)(T) Preparation for music studies in a university. Music Theory I covers musical notation, sight reading, and the basics of chord progressions. Music Theory II covers advanced harmonic topics, counterpoint, and history of musical styles. AP Music Composition puts theory into practice with exercises in musical composition. The completion of Music Theory II with a grade of B- is necessary to enroll in AP Music Composition. Drama Introduction to Acting (S): Acting exercises and practices Introduction to Theater (S): Elements of theatrical production, from set design through directing. Competitive Acting (R)(T): More of Intro to Acting, but aimed at progressing to a stage appearance. Advanced Acting (R)(T): More of Competitive Acting, but covering also acting on camera. Music/Drama Production (R): Hey kids! Let's put on a show! There are two sequences, and students are expected to follow one or the other or both. Intro to Acting -- Competitive Acting -- Advanced Acting -- Music/Drama Production Intro to Theater -- Music/Drama Production The difference is that the first one is designed for the actors and directors; the second is designed for the supporting people, such as the set designers and costumers. Personal Growth Students must pass four classes in Personal Growth. One of these must be the Health class. Two more must comprise a Basic P.E. class. The fourth is an elective in either department. Health and Family Science I really have nothing to say about these. They're almost all bullshit classes designed for people who are not going to excel academically and probably are not going to have much of a career. Basically, they're to teach you how not to starve to death or otherwise kill yourself in stupid ways. Health (S): Exercise, good eating, how not to catch diseases, sex education. Family and Consumer Sciences I (S): How to clean house, do laundry, shop smartly. Family and Consumer Sciences II (S): More of the above. Food Preparation and Nutrition I (S): How to fix something other than cold cereal. Food Preparation and Nutrition II (S): How to eat in a balanced, nutritious way. Marriage and Family Life (S): Know what you're getting into before getting into it. Parenting & Child Development (S): Help! I have a baby! Interior Design (S): Don't put those drapes with that carpet! Wellness & Fitness (S): Health plus Food Prep and Nutrition in one class. Safety & First Aid (S): Life-saving techniques. Fairly hard-core, but not very hard. Physical Education In this department, an (R) means you can repeat it two more times, to take it a total of three times; this is the only department where you are not limited to one repetition. The "Basic P.E." classes are designed for freshman, but they can be taken any year. These classes will have lots of students in them, and they will be loud and chaotic and full of bullying and shoving and shirking. They are run by assistant coaches who are probably still full of earnest good will and high ideals of sportsmanship, but are slowly learning that it's impossible to keep 40 freshman--half of whom would rather kill themselves than be in a P.E. class, and the other half of whom are inventing obscenely violent ways of killing the first half--from making a shambles of it all. Students may only take two Basic P.E. classes; there are five different types. Students can take a succession of two different classes, or a repetition of the same class. Basic P.E. 1 (S) (Conditioning and Swimming): Running and swimming. Basic P.E. 2 (S) (Conditioning and Stamina): Running and more running. Basic P.E. 3 (S) (Conditioning and Sports): Running and how to play various sports. Basic P.E. 4 (S) (Conditioning and Weight-training): Running and lifting weights. Basic P.E. 5 (S) (Conditioning and Gymnastics): Running and leaping and bouncing. The Personal Fitness classes are for students who have taken their two Basic P.E. classes but that's not enough for them; so it's for sophomores and juniors and seniors. Like Basic P.E., you can only take two of them. These classes will be full of people who genuinely like the activity and sincerely want more of it, so these classes will be much more pleasant places. Any teasing will be in good fun, and there will probably be very little of it. Each PF class is of the same type as the parallel Basic P.E. class. They are run by the junior coaching staff, who are former assistants who held on long enough to get a promotion. Some of them will be relieved at the change and be very happy with their classes; the rest will have started to scheme about taking over from one of the senior coaches and will be bored and resentful of having to run the same drills and exercises over and over again. Personal Fitness 1 (S) (Conditioning and Swimming) Personal Fitness 2 (S) (Conditioning and Stamina) Personal Fitness 3 (S) (Conditioning and Sports) Personal Fitness 4 (S) (Conditioning and Weight-training) Personal Fitness 5 (S) (Conditioning and Gymnastics) The following are specialized classes for the jocks. * Weightlifting (S)(R): Straight-up picking up and putting down of heavy things. * Athletic Training (S)(R): Specialized, one-on-one physical exercise geared toward the athlete's particular needs; mostly directed toward improving stamina. * Athletic Weight Conditioning (S)(R): Specialized, one-on-one physical exercise geared the athlete's particular needs; most directed toward improving strength. And if you like to exercise but aren't keen on "sports"? * Cheerleading (S)(R): Welcome to Hell. My name is Chelsea. * Introduction to Dance (S): Fun aerobics. * Dance I: More fun aerobics. Maybe some flexibility training too. * Dance II: Even more fun aerobics. Maybe some artistic moves as well. But if you're in it for the sports, you'll enroll in one of these classes, which may also substitute for the Basic P.E. requirement: * Freshman Sports * JV Sports * Varsity Sports You will enroll in a particular sport when enrolling in one of these classes, and you must enroll in one to participate on a team. In addition to enrolling in the class, applicants for a Varsity sport must pass a tryout. Tutorial Services Westside High School has a staff of five on-site tutors to help students with their work. To use a tutor, you must schedule an appointment or series of appointments. To facilitate as many students as possible, appointments will be grouped so that students requiring help in the same subjects can be met together. Appointments can either be made during a student's free period (lunch or study hall) or during another class time with the permission of the teacher whose class time the student wishes to use for tutoring. In the latter case, a maximum of three absences may be taken during the semester from each class. Westside High School Clubs Westside High School hosts a number of clubs, some of long-time standing at the school and some that have been recently organized by students under the tutelage of the faculty. Here are the clubs operating during the current academic year. Unless noted in the description, meeting times and places are determined on an ad hoc basis. A Cappella Society [Faculty Adviser: Mrs. Hayes] A 3- to 5-person group drawn from the chorus classes at Westside. Performances are held in the community and for charity on Fridays and weekends. Practices: Every Thursday (3:45 - 4:45) in the Chorus room (Music wing). Aeronautical Society [Coach Puente] A joint venture of Westside High, Eastman High, Agape Christian Academy, and the Keyserling School, this team manages and participates in hot-air balloon excursions. Meetings held every Saturday (9:30am - 2:00pm) at Westside Athletic Fields. Angler's Club [Mr. Hagerman] Fishing enthusiasts go on weekend excursions to area lakes, rivers and streams and learn fly-fishing techniques. Excursions: Every first and third Saturday of the month. Battle Club [Mr. Leopold] Support club for school rock and jazz bands, including the arrangement of an annual "battle of the bands" competition. Meetings: Every Wednesday (3:45 - 4:45) in the Band room (Music wing). Brainwave Club [Mr. Cant] Students interested in robotics and advanced software designs use their skills to create games and robotic devices. Meetings: Every Tuesday and Thursday (3:45 - 4:45) in Mr. Cant's classroom. Caveman's Club [Coach Schell] Outdoor club that practices for hikes and camping trips into deep wilderness; expeditions are mounted during long-period vacations. Meetings: Every second and fourth Saturday (6:30am - 4:00pm) Chess Club [Mr. Kaminski] Club for the devotees of chess. Meetings: Every Monday in the library (3:45 - 4:45). Cinephile Society [Mr. Hawks] Extra-curricular club for watching and discussing movies. Rewards extra credit in the "Film as Literature" class. Meetings: Every Saturday night in the Theater (6:30pm - 9:45) and every Monday (3:45 - 4:45) in Mr. Hawks' classroom. Constitutional Club [Mr. Hartford] Students who enjoyed the "Constitution Game" from their Constitutional Government class can continue to play it in this extra-curricular form. Meetings: Every Tuesday in the library (3:45 - 4:45). Creative Club [Mrs. Goretsky & Mr. Trencher] Writers, poets, photographers, and artists collaborate to produce various media products, including picture books and comic books, for online publication. Meetings: Every second Tuesday (3:45 - 4:45) in Mr. Trencher's classroom. Dinner Club [Mrs. Heaney] Students learn and practice advanced cooking techniques. Each semester culminates in an "Iron Chef"-style competition using resources gathered during a food drive and prepared for community charities. Meetings: Every Wednesday (3:45 - 4:45) in Mrs. Heaney's classroom. East-West Club [Mrs. Wendt] Club for fostering cooperation and community spirit between Westside High and Eastman High. Meetings: Every Saturday afternoon (2:00pm - 3:00pm). Environment Club [Ms. Maxwell] Club for fostering awareness of environmental problems and solutions. Recycling drives frequently mounted. Meetings: Every Monday (3:45 - 4:45) in Ms. Maxwell's classroom. Global Awareness Club [Ms. Gladstone] Club for fostering awareness of global issues and problems such as climate change, famine and disease, social justice issues, and civil wars. Meetings: Every Tuesday (3:45 - 4:45) in Ms. Gladstone's classroom. Harmony for Hospitals [Ms. Brice] School choristers in small a cappella groups that travel about the community singing for hospital patients, residents of nursing homes, and shut ins. Practice: Every Wednesday (3:45 - 4:45) in the Theater. Investment Club [Mr. Peters] Participants invest notional dollars in real-world markets and collect profits from pledges based on their financial performance. Meetings: Every first Monday of the month (3:45 - 4:45) in Mr. Peters' classroom. Ironman Club [Coach Gossett] Enthusiasts for running, cycling and swimming participate in a mix of these activities on weekends. Meetings: Every Saturday (9:30am - 1:00pm) Justice Issues Club [Mr. Santiago] Club for fostering awareness of race, gender, and queer issues. Meetings: Every Wednesday (3:45 - 4:45) in Mr. Santiago's classroom. Language Club [Mr. Leavey] Umbrella organization for French, German, Spanish and Latin clubs. Meetings: Every first Tuesday (6:30pm - 8:00pm) in the Theater. Literary Society [Mr. Montague] Extra-curricular club for reading and discussing books. Meetings: Every Saturday (11:00pm - 1:00pm). Mentors' Club [Ms. Simeon] Participants work with clubs at the elementary and middle school level. Meetings: Every first Wednesday of the month (3:45 - 4:45) in Ms. Simeon's classroom, and when the mentored clubs meet. Murder Club [Mr. Henderson] Club for playing games of "Murder." Meetings: Every third Saturday of the month (7:00pm - 10:00pm). Publications Club [Mrs. Hart] Umbrella organization for the publication of school news sites, literary magazines, and television and radio broadcasts. Meetings: Every last Thursday of the month (3:45 - 4:45) in Mrs. Hart's classroom. Puzzle Club [Mr. Kaminski] Club for playing, inventing, developing and promoting games and puzzles. Meetings: Every Thursday (5:45 - 7:30). RPG Club [Mr. Cant] Club for role-playing gamers. Meetings: Every Monday, Wednesday, Friday (3:45 - 5:30). Science Club [Mr. Gelding] Club for science enthusiasts to explore deeper aspects of the physical sciences. Meetings: Every Tuesday (3:45 - 4:45) in Mr. Gelding's classroom. Spirit Club [Mr. Stafford & Ms. Meek] Club devoted to the creation of school spirit, working with other school clubs to create events and competitions. Meetings: Every Friday (3:45 - 4:45) in the Main Office conference room. Talent Show [Mr. Wilkes] Musical, dance, acrobatic, and theatrical students develop routines for the annual talent show at the end of the spring semester. Meetings: Every third Friday of the month (6:45 - 8:45) in the Theater. Trivial Pursuit Club [Mr. Boykin] Club for Trivial Pursuit enthusiasts. Monthly competitions are held. Meetings: Every first Friday of the month (7:00pm - 9:00pm). Wendigo String Quartet [Mrs. Heinz] String quartet drawn from the school orchestra. Performances are held in the community and for charity. Practices: Every Thursday (7:00pm - 9:00pm) in a practice room at Keyserling. Westside Chamber Orchestra [Mrs. Heinz] Small string group drawn from the school orchestra. Performances are held in the community and for charity. Practices: Every Friday (3:45 - 4:45) in the Orchestra room (Music wing). Westside High School Faculty
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