With the school year underway, students are eager to participate in engaging new elective classes, recently incorporated into the curriculum. With the addition of creative writing, robotics, AP Computer Science and advanced music composition, students will take on exciting new challenges in the Arts, Humanities and STEM departments.
Each trimester of the new creative writing course focuses on a different genre, from fiction to nonfiction to poetry. According to teacher Mariana Sierra, “Creative writing is all about experimenting with an art form. One has to be brave to create art, especially when the art itself has to go through several transformations.” Throughout the course, students will expand their writing abilities and will leave the course with a new set of skills related to imagination and revision of their writing. The creative writing course is a two-credit course offered each trimester to students during their junior and senior years.
With the addition of the robotics and AP Computer Science courses, juniors and seniors can put their critical thinking and problem-solving skills to the test as they creatively and collaboratively utilize their analytical skills. As teacher Katie Jergens explains, in these hands-on learning experiences, students are engaged as they “gain the confidence to make increasingly sophisticated design decisions.” Students are currently delving into the design and mechanics of their robots, and they are looking forward to seeing their hardware and coding skills put to use. Robotics is offered as a two-credit course for students to add to their schedule, and AP Computer Science is a six-credit course that prepares students for the AP Exam in May.
The addition of the advanced music composition course allows students who have completed the AP Music Theory course to continue their musical exploration at Trinity Hall. Arts faculty member Lauren Brancato is thrilled to teach this new two-credit course. Brancato states, "This course offers students an immersion into the structure and math of music, with multiple compositions for different themes.” After completing this course, students will have the ability to not only compose their own music but to have a deeper understanding of the foundational elements and structures found in music.
Electives at Trinity Hall allow students to explore new interests, develop their passions and hone their skills in a specific discipline. With many options within the arts, humanities and STEM curriculums, along with options for online electives through One Schoolhouse, students are encouraged to add elective classes to their schedules during their time at Trinity Hall.