With the end of this school year approaching, Nixa High School students may already be thinking of what classes to take next year.
Luckily, there are many choices as well as some new additions or changes to classes that are in motion.
There will be close to 15 new classes added or modified for next year.
“So we’re continuing to expand [the classes] a little bit,” Junior counselor Todd Mincks said. “We’re going to offer a landscaping class and then another animal science class out there as well. Band is looking at bringing in a class called instrumental techniques.”
Outside of some new classes added, some pre-existing classes will be changed.
“For example, the Birdhouse class is called advanced management for the students who worked for the birdhouse, and then Mr. Burns is looking at doing a similar thing with Nixa Live,” Mincks said. “The advanced class, he’s going to make that a virtual class as well.”
Additionally, some of the new classes also include advanced placement classes as options.
“We are tweaking some of the classes to add some more AP testing,” Mincks said. “The more that our kids have an opportunity to get the Capstone diploma and college credit in general [the better]. So we’re adding an AP to it. I know we’re adding at least one AP offering in the math department: AP precalculus.”
One of the new classes being added is animal science, taught by agriculture teacher Tiffany Kauffman.
“We’re going to focus on everything as far as animals relating to livestock,” Kauffman said “So the reproduction, nutrition, growing and how to grow. We’re going to also talk about the process of it.”
Kauffman also teaches agricultural science I and II, greenhouse management and woodworking.
“In [agricultural] AG science I, it focuses on animals but on a basic level,” Kauffman said. “And in animal science we are going to delve more in depth on those subjects. And we’re also going to tie in … food science – and so they get to take a chicken and cut it up and see the different parts of it, so basically it will take an animal from start to finish. So from raising it to the grocery store.”
Another class being added next school year is Nixa Live student production virtual fall and spring, taught by business teacher Jordan Burns.
“Students will have the opportunity to work as a team to produce a live event with the use of graphics, cameras, remote-controlled cameras, video editing, photo editing, audio and much more,” Burns said.” Students will get out of the classroom, learn by doing and work as a team to produce a professional production seen by thousands of viewers online.”
As well as having a virtual class, there is a seated option for Nixa Live.
“There’s not a lot of difference,” Burns said. “Besides the fact that the in class is more for students that are involved or students that can’t do virtual learning, and it’s going to be going through all of our equipment, learning how to use the equipment and doing a lot of training and all that kind of stuff. So it’s not a lot of difference. You still have to go to the events. We require 14 events per semester – for virtual you have to do 16 since you don’t have the seated proponent, but there’s not a whole lot of differences.”
