With course selection in full swing at Cinnaminson High School, underclassmen have begun meeting with their counselors to discuss their schedules for next school year. In addition to the traditional courses offered, come September there will also be three new classes available for students to take at CHS. The classes include an English elective and two science courses. These new offerings will provide students with a chance to explore their specific interests while also equipping them with new skills and valuable knowledge. 

Having been previously offered at CHS, the Holocaust in Literature elective has returned. Having prior experience teaching the course, English teacher Laurie Hyland was passionate about bringing the class back. With one section of the course being offered, Hyland will teach the elective offered to students in grades 9-12. The class will give students an opportunity to explore the historical and literary aspects of one of the darkest times known in history.

“It’s good to always be aware of this really dark time in human history and just looking at the stories of survival… if we aren’t aware of the past, we are doomed to repeat it,¨ English supervisor Charles Kind said. 

According to Kind, students will get a better look at what life was like back then through the expression of writing. Reading first-hand accounts from victims will provide students with a better understanding of how people felt and what they went through during this difficult time period. The goal of the course is to provide students with an overview of the Holocaust in 1933-1945 while learning to accept others and understand different cultures. As part of this course, students will view videos, participate in discussions, and complete projects.

In addition to the Holocaust in Literature elective, CHS will also offer two new electives in the science department: Marine Biology and Sports Medicine. Science department supervisor Edward Palmer explained how the science department worked together and conducted a survey to come up with these new courses.

“We were looking to bring in some new electives that would interest a number of students,” Palmer said.

Offered every other year, the sports medicine elective is a course for both students who are involved in sports and for those who are just interested in learning about them. 

“Essentially in this class, you are going through what is necessary to become an athletic trainer,” Palmer said. “This class will expose students to practicing taping, wrapping, treatment and evaluating injuries.”

According to Palmer, one of the major components of the class is job shadowing. All students enrolled in the class will spend five after-school sessions with CHS Athletic Trainer, Travis “Iggy” Igboin where they will assist and evaluate him working with the student athletes at CHS. This hands-on experience will help students interested in pursuing careers in fields such as physical therapy, nursing, and physiology among others. At the end of this course, students will also be certified in CPR.

The other new elective in the science department, marine biology, will give students an opportunity to explore the deep blue without leaving the classroom. 

“The marine biology course is focused on fish… essentially of the Northeast Sea,” Palmer said. “It’s a hardcore biology course.” 

Palmer elaborated on the class and explained that it is focused on the fish of the sea, specifically consisting of the Delaware River, Atlantic Ocean and other closely surrounding bodies of water. Students will have the chance to study oceanography and associated fields to better understand and learn about the organisms that live in our waters.  

As specific fields of study within the science department, both of these science electives will cover topics in detail that could help students find their interests and inspire them to pursue exploring these areas in the future. Sophomore Emme Smith is interested in signing up for the new sports medicine class.

“I feel like this class will be interesting, I want to be an ER nurse so I think this class will help me to better myself in this field and help me later with my career,” Smith said.                                              

Smith stated how she has played sports her whole life and plans to continue in college. She said she already has the background interest and now will have the opportunity to learn more things related to sports with the opportunity to take this course. 

These courses will be finalized and ready for students to take in the upcoming 2024-2025 school year.