Freshman Robert Potter watches a video about the basics of coding. Students work at their own pace through interactive lessons. “I like it because the more you work the more fun it is,” junior Ethan Johnson said. Photo by Amy Cassell.
Courses offer new opportunities for students
WHS added three new elective classes to this year’s schedule, Earth and Space Science, Business Law and Intro to Computer Science.
Intro to Computer Science, taught by Amy Cassell, is new to WHS due to a grant through Amazon Edhesive. This course can be a semester or year-long class and can be taken up to three years. With each subsequent year, students will be involved in more advanced programs. Students in Intro to Computer Science learn coding in their first year through an online program called Code Sculptor. There are eleven students currently enrolled in Intro to Computer Science.
“It’s fun and easy if you know what you’re doing,” sophomore Jacob Daley said. “I’m looking forward to learning different languages of code and learning to code video games.”
“The students are doing surprisingly well so far,” teacher Amy Cassell said. “They come in ready to work and seem to enjoy it.”
Earth and Space Science has been added back to the list of electives at WHS. In this course, students will explore geology, oceanography, meteorology and astronomy as well as theories over plate tectonics, and the formation of Earth, our Solar System and the universe. Teacher Brandi Miller hopes to take her class of ten to the Cosmosphere and Strataca Salt Mines in Hutchinson.
“It is good to give students another science elective,” Miller said. “There was room in the schedule and we thought Earth and Space Science would be a good option.”
Another class returning to the WHS schedule is Business Law, taught by Jeron Weisshaar. Business Law was added due to a change in requirements to graduate. Computer Applications, previously a class required to graduate, was dropped from the list of graduation requirements and is now only offered once in the class schedule. This opened a class period and Business Law was reintroduced to the schedule.
“There were a few options of which to choose from to add,” Weisshaar said. “But with the current state approved Business Pathway, it was the only one that really could be added.”
There are two students enrolled in Business Law. Topics discussed in Business Law include ethics, civil and criminal law, the court system, and contracts.
“I’m glad Business Law was added this year,” senior Falisha Willier said. “I’m interested in Law as a career and this class could help in the future.”
— Hannah Mumpower, @Hlmump01
The Charger 
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