With only a few weeks left to enroll in classes for next year, students meet with Princeton High School guidance counselors.
By: Jessica Beym
From filmmaking, engineering drawing and business ethics to 3-D studio art, jazz theory and Mandarin Chinese, there is a lot eighth-graders at Cranbury School have to look forward to next year when they attend Princeton Regional High School.
While the students have until August before they start worrying about the first-day jitters, they have only a few weeks to decide which classes to enroll in.
To help them decide, Princeton High School guidance counselors Dana Karas and Jennifer McGann met the students on their own turf Wednesday morning to talk about what their new school will have to offer.
The counselors introduced the 70 students to the concepts of a course credit, talked about grade point averages and offered an extensive list of clubs and extracurricular activities.
"What if I can’t do any of those?" one student asked.
"Then we’ll find something for you. We’ve been extremely creative over the years," said Ms. McGann.
Most students said they already found a class or activity that interested them such as Rebecca Lipschutz and Hailey Walsh who were excited about trying out for the dance team. Matthew Hartman said he might consider joining the math club or signing up for computer programming and Kelly Chambers said she plans to enroll in a few business classes. And almost all of the students eagerly raised their hands when Ms. Karas asked if they planned on participating in a sport.
While presenting the list of academics, Ms. Karas pointed out some of the popular classes such as filmmaking, public speaking, instrumental band and dance.
"You can really take some of these things and go as far as you want with them," said Ms. Karas.
While the students seemed most excited about long list of electives, the counselors stressed that there are some classes students are required to take.
Many of the electives also have prerequisites that the students must sign up for early on.
In order to graduate from PHS, students must accumulate a total of 120 credits, which includes four years of English, gym and health, three years of math, social studies and science as well as other courses. Students must also complete 50 hours of community service, which they can begin their freshman year.
The school also offers basic skills and special education classes as well as advanced placement programs through Princeton University. PHS also partners with the Mercer County Technical School, which offers vocational classes such as fire science and cosmetology.
If adjusting to a heavy course load in the fall isn’t enough, the students will also be meeting new teachers and friends.
To ease the transition, each freshman will be a part of a peer group and a small learning community in his homeroom. Ms. Karas said these groups give students a place to ask questions and form a new network of friends.
"Our job at Princeton High School is to make it a wonderful experience for you," Ms. Karas said to the students.
"The kids in Cranbury are moving from such a small environment to a school of 1,250 kids," Ms. Karas said after the meeting. "This sets the framework for what to expect."