High school

High school

curriculum

is expanded

By SHARON KILPATRICK

Rappahannock News Staff Writer

With the start of school only about two and a half weeks away, Rappahannock County High School students can look forward to some new courses this year.

“Humanities” is a new offering in the social studies department. In that course students will learn about artists, musicians, writers and philosophers, according to the course description. They will consider common themes in the humanities and their relationship to moral issues in society.

They will study critical thinking, creativity and how artists have answered the question “Why?” Eight students have signed up to take this course.

Also in the social studies department, psychology has been dropped this year and economics has been added. Instead of learning about psychology the first semester and sociology the second, students will study sociology the first semester and economics the second. This course has attracted 18 students.

There are two additions to the study of foreign languages. A fourth year of French has been added and a second year of Latin. The Latin II course, like Latin I, will be offered through the electronic classroom, with a teacher instructing the students via satellite hookup from another location.

A brief description of the Latin II course says it “will continue the study started in Latin I with an introduction to some Roman authors.” Of the ten students who started Latin I last year, six have chosen to continue with Latin II. Another eight students will begin their studies with Latin I.

In the past a few individual students have taken French beyond the third year. They have been tutored separately in the classroom with French III students or during the French teacher’s planning period. This year

See COURSES, p. 14