Recently, Southern Lehigh High School made several new and exciting changes to next year’s program of studies. These include several new courses, renamed courses, changes to prerequisites, easier to follow deadline calendars, and career planning information.

New courses this year include an academic level calculus class, a second level of the Multicultural Foods class (Careers in Food Service), a second level of Portfolio (Portfolio II), and a course called Intro to Engineering Design (IED).

“The intro to engineering design class is particularly exciting because it’s an honors level course,” principal Mrs. Beth Guarriello said. “This gives those LCTI superstars and kids who are good with their hands a chance to take an honors course where they wouldn’t normally because they’re not necessarily ‘literature people’ or what have you.”

This class is a substitute for the required Foundations of Tech class, which is merely an overview of concepts, according to the program of studies. The new IED class is a more practical and hands on approach. IED incorporates into the curriculum Project Lead the Way (PLTW), a nationwide program that is very well respected within the engineering world, endorsed by educators and alums alike.

Careers in Food Service will be taught by Mrs. Danika Wall, who also teaches Parenting the Young Child, Clothing Concepts, and Multicultural Foods.

“Careers in Food Service is pretty much what it sounds like,” Mrs. Guarriello said, “It’s an extension of the Multicultural Foods class.”

The purpose of the class is to further explore culinary arts and apply them to real life food service career service occupations. Each unit will cover a different type of food service career, such as baking and pastry making, food trucks, and lifestyle blogging.

Portfolio II will be taught by Mrs. Courtney Bathgate, who also teaches Portfolio I, Computer Graphics, Drawing and Painting, and Photography.

“This class is primarily for students who have already been accepted into a[n art] program,” Mrs. Bathgate said, “so most likely seniors who have already taken Portfolio I.”

The course will expand on concepts introduced in Portfolio I for the first half of the year, and by the second semester it will be a fairly independent class.

Renamed elective courses this year include Child Development, formerly Parenting and Young Child Development, and Computer Graphics, now called Graphic Design.

In the English department, there is a change in prerequisites. If a student would like to move from college prep to honors level English, a grade of 90 or above is required in the previous year’s English class. If an honors student would like to continue in the honors track, a grade of 80 or above is required.

The beginning of the program of studies provides several resources for students.

• A deadline calendar for the course selection process outlines what changes may be made and when.
• A college planning calendar outlines what processes a student must go through each year in order to be most successful in the college application process.
• A school overview can be submitted along with an application to any college or university.
• Lastly, there is career pathway information detailing which courses may be beneficial for certain careers, along with a list of careers in each of the four pathways, organized by level of post-secondary education required.

To view the 2019-2020 Southern Lehigh High School Program of Studies online, visit slsd.org, go to High School, then Guidance, then Course Selection. Or you can visit https://www.slsd.org/Page/1535