The 2018-2019 school year marks the addition of two new courses that are offered to Fair Grove High School students. One of the newly introduced classes is Practical English & Lit of the Bible, which is taught by Mrs. Wahlquist. The other fresh incorporation into the curriculum is Music Theory/Appreciation with Mrs. Palomo.

“Typically new classes are added to accommodate large classes,” remarked High School Counselor Tonya Peck. This was the case for Practical English & Lit of the Bible, which was added to fulfil the Communication Arts credit requirements of the large senior class, she added. “Other times,” Mrs. Peck noted, “new classes are added based on interest.” Music Theory/Appreciation was added in this fashion.

Music Theory/Appreciation is a third hour class taught by band teacher Mrs. Palomo. “Music theory is the study of how music works, and how we use that information to write music today,” explained Mrs. Palomo. “Music appreciation is a general history of music, as well as applying that to today’s music as well as music from around the world and developing an understanding of how they’re similar and different.”  Music Theory/Appreciation is replacing Jazz Band, which was much more exclusive due to the fact that participants were required to know how to play an instrument. Music Theory/Appreciation is open to anyone, not just band students.

Practical English & Lit of the Bible is a seniors-only class offered fifth hour, with Practical English in the fall and Lit of the Bible in the spring. Practical English “… will cover basic resume writing, cover letters and job applications, persuasive writing, letters to the editor, word study, friendly letters, commonly misused/misspelled words, etc.,” said Mrs. Wahlquist, who instructs the course. Concerning Lit of the Bible, Mrs. Wahlquist said, “It is strictly a literature-based class. We will read and analyze the stories as literature, not on the religious elements of the stories.” Since the sophomore class this year is smaller than it has been in the past, one English II course was removed to accommodate Practical English & Lit of the Bible.

Students do exercise some control over which courses are added. A list of potential classes to be offered can be found on each student’s Six Year Plan which is on the Google Drive. If enough interest is expressed and a teacher is available, the course may be included in the curriculum.