The 2018-2019 school year is coming to a close at Horizon Honors, and it’s finally time to begin selecting courses for the upcoming school year. In accordance with the trend over the past few years, secondary has added a significant amount of new electives, through both “distance” (online) and traditional methods, to better fit every student’s personal requests and interests. Horizon’s fine arts and foreign language programs have changed little to none; however, there are many new online courses being offered that fall into three categories: AP, half credit, or full credit, as well as multiple new physical education courses.

Distance classes, also known as virtual labs, are simply online classes that are taught at the student’s pace. Some are a full year’s worth of classwork, while others are only one semester long. Some new full credit virtual lab courses include career and technical education classes. These are courses that involve students who are interested in technological knowledge and starting a career ranging from Computer Science 3D Modeling, to Entrepreneurship, to Fashion. The school is also offering full credit and half credit courses specific to college preparedness to support students in the journey from college applications to graduating with all necessary credits. These classes help with SAT and ACT practice, life skills, and thinking and learning strategies. Humanities electives are also available for full credit that include African-American History and World Religions to expand individual knowledge on world and ethnic history.

Half credit online courses require two separate classes, each taken one semester, for one full credit. These courses follow the same categories of career and technical knowledge, college preparedness, and humanities elective as full credit classes; however, they offer more selection and are shorter courses. These career and technical education classes being offered include more classes along the lines of criminal justice, advertising, and hospitality, as well as military careers. New communications classes are Peer Counseling, Intro to Social Media, and Social Media I. Humanities electives are much broader, including topics such as Archeology and Gothic Literature. As for wellness and health classes, there are two offered: Nutrition and Wellness and Health Science. The science program has also been expanded, including new elective sciences such as Agriscience and Forensics.

The new P.E. classes allow for more individualized training for students. For students in competitive sports in or outside of school, the competitive sports training and performance class is offering general training to the athlete to enhance their core components. However, the school is also offering three new physical education classes specific to volleyball, soccer, and basketball. These three classes are designed to solely support the specific sport and their athletes’ training. These classes may only be taken if the student is on the school’s team or is currently playing the sport competitively outside the school.

Horizon has done a great job expanding elective classes to better fit student wants and preferences through all the new and exciting courses being offered in person and as distance classes.