The Roslyn High School will continue expanding its science, engineering, math and music programs in the 2016 to 2017 school year.
In a presentation to the Board of Education, Roslyn High School principal Scott Andrews outlined a number of new classes that will be offered to students in the different departments.
“These classes are determined by student interest, as high school classes should be,” Andrews said.
The district is introducing music classes including the Roslyn High School Chorale, a treble chorus, theatre one, and advanced placement music theory.
The science program will expand to include a new biology and animal-care course, while the health department will offer a CPR certification class for students.
The math department will expand its computer science program to include an AP computer science and principles course that will not require a prerequisite class.
The district’s engineering program is also adding a new civil engineering and architecture course.
“Students will build something like a shed,” Roslyn High School science teacher Bill Marvin, said. “They will learn about construction and everything that goes into building a shed, including zoning codes. They’ll move on to a residential and even commercial building.”
The program will over students the opportunity to utilize the building design software Revit.
“The software we’re using is the same software architects use,” Marvin said. “They’re taking their passion from outside and bringing it inside the classroom.”
The high school began their Project Lead The Way engineering program for the 2014-2015 school year, and added a wide array of STEM classes that let students get a hands on feel for working on a team, designing, drawing and building products, said science department chairperson Tom Lynch.
In this year’s program, students were given the opportunity to develop projects such as self guiding robots, an automated assembly line, and were able to reverse engineer and improve on an object they could find in their own homes.
“To see the excitement of the kids in these classes, this is what they want to do,” Marvin said. “The kids in this course, we give them an assignment and before you can even say ‘go’ their brains are already working.”
Board of Education Vice President Clifford Saffron asked the science department to “please keep bringing these programs.”
“Yes, please, whatever you need just let us know,” board President Meryl Waxman Ben-Levy added.
Deputy Superintendent Alison Brown said she was very grateful for the work the teachers in the science department have been doing.
“I just wanna thank Mr. Lynch for bringing this idea, what these teacher have to do to get the training, its the whole summer, so this isn’t by chance or accident, this is true training for our children, so I have to just thank them,” she said.
