English 9

Teacher: Stacia Floberg

Students will explore a variety of literature by reading all-class and free-choice novels, poetry and short stories. All literature will be examined from a Christian perspective. Grammar and punctuation will be reviewed. Many types of writing will be developed with numerous writing assignments each semester.

Reading selections will include the following:

• 1st semester: Romeo and Juliet (No Fear Shakespeare Version) and A Christmas Carol (Dover Publication)

• 2nd semester: Will include a classical free-choice book unit, poetry unit and some short stories

English 10

Teacher: Stacia Floberg

Grammar will be reviewed briefly at the beginning of the year to be employed in a variety of writing assignments throughout the year. Students will read literature from around the world.

• 1st semester: Selections from the Bible, parts of The Iliad and The Odyssey and Julius Caesar (No Fear Shakespeare Version)

• 2nd semester: Modern day free choice selections (to be provided by teacher and approved by parents) a

The end of the year will conclude with a project and presentation.

English 11

Teacher: Erica Dick

This writing intensive course is a student’s opportunity to try a variety of creative writing genres as well as grow in their knowledge of and exposure to various forms of literature. We will work on developing strong writing style, voice, understanding of story structure, compelling characters, as well as continue building dexterity in argumentation and rhetoric. We work extensively on the writing process.

Students will study a variety of literature including short stories, folk tales, children's literature, poetry, and student choice novels. With each selected work, we will investigate the cultural-historical backgrounds and worldviews that influenced each author. Students will create a portfolio of their own creative and argumentative work through the year.  

Class workbook and literature selections provided by the teacher. Information about class novels will be given closer to the start of the school year. 

English 12: Communication and College Writing

Teacher: Stacia Floberg

Principles of Communication (COM-100) Offered during the first semester of English 12, this dual credit introductory course analyzes the human communication process, focusing on interpersonal, group, and public speaking applications. It covers foundational skills like audience analysis, message development, and nonverbal delivery, integrating Christian perspectives on communication ethics and practice. 

College Writing (ENG-140)

Offered during the second semester of English 12, this dual credit course focuses on developing effective written communication skills, emphasizing the writing process of pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and reflecting. Students produce personal and expository essays while evaluating, synthesizing sources, and engaging in peer feedback. 

Anatomy and Physiology

Teacher: Kaily Colla

Content covers organ systems of the human body in detail. Labs will include extensive use of microscopes as well as dissection and other physiology-related labs to foster critical thinking, proper lab techniques, and collaboration. Lab reports will be completed throughout the course to develop communication and scientific writing skills. Students will be making one formal presentation during the year on topics related to the subject material. The basis for this course is Genesis 1 – God’s creation of life, specifically human life, and its value as His special creation. This is an advanced biology course that fulfills a 2-credit science course for the Core 40, or it may be used as an elective.

Prerequisite: High School General Biology

Biology

Teacher: Preston May

Students complete an overview of the processes of life and a general study of various types of living organisms in creation. Beginning at the microscopic level and ending with a study of animal life and plants, students gain an understanding of the complexity, unity, and diversity of life. Students complete reading, basic notes, lab analysis and research for various projects at home. In class, labs and activities will be completed and more notes will be given as needed. In the second semester a series of dissections are completed as a part of a study of the 5 kingdoms of life. Students are assessed with quizzes, lab reports, and tests for each chapter. Each quarter there will be a notebook check, a participation grade, and a writing assignment related to specific topics for the quarter. Study skills and proper lab procedure are emphasized in the course to prepare students for future high school science courses.

Chemistry

Teacher: Preston May

This lab Chemistry course is a foundational introduction to chemistry needed to prepare the student for college-level work. It introduces the following topics: classification of matter, atomic structure, spectroscopy, chemical bonding, molecular geometry, stoichiometry, solutions, acid/base and reduction/oxidation reactions, thermochemistry, thermodynamics, kinetics, and chemical equilibrium. Experiments will demonstrate concepts and provide valuable experience in measurement, processes, data collection and analysis. Access to a course website is available with videos of help with practice problems, chemistry demonstrations, and discussion of various topics. Students need to have successfully completed Algebra 1 and should plan to spend ample time at home mastering material from the book.

Prerequisite: High school Algebra 1

Forensic Science

Teacher: Christie Paul

Students learn many aspects of forensic science including fingerprinting, securing a crime scene, hair analysis, blood spatter analysis and more throughout the year. Students read and take notes on their own. In-depth labs and activities will be completed in class. More in-depth notes will be given in class and students will participate in discussions as well. Students are assessed by quizzes, lab completion and procedures, related activities, chapter reviews, and tests. Students earn a high school lab science credit for this course.

Prerequisite: High School level Biology

Integrated Chemistry and Physics

Teacher: Pamella Berger

This course combines key concepts from both chemistry and physics. Students will learn atomic structure, the periodic table, chemical bonding and reactions, states of matter and phase changes, Newton’s 3 laws of motion, the 4 laws of thermodynamics, energy, properties of waves, electromagnetism, sound and light. ICP curriculum is designed to simplify mathematical calculations to place more emphasis on conceptual understanding.

A significant portion of our class time together will be hands-on activities and experiments to learn through direct observation and data analysis.

Students are expected to keep up with reading and taking notes. Assignments will range from writing short essays, research projects, lab reports, and class participation.

Algebra I

Teacher: Megan Taylor

This course is a study of Algebra 1 at the high school level. It is designed for the advanced 8th or 9th grade student who has mastered pre-algebra skills and excels in math. Prior knowledge of equations and linear relationships, including graphing, is required. Topics of study include multi-step equations and inequalities, functions, linear equations, systems of equations and inequalities, exponents and exponential functions, polynomials, quadratic functions and radicals.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Pre-Algebra

Algebra II

Teacher: Megan Taylor

This course is recommended as a second year Algebra course for the high school student, following successful completion of Algebra I. (Teacher’s preferred sequence: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2)

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Algebra I

Geometry

Teacher: Megan Taylor

This course is a comprehensive course in Geometry, with an emphasis on deductive thinking and proofs. Students will be challenged in the basics of Euclidean Geometry and the proof process. There is a strong application of Algebra throughout the course. Students will find their reasoning skills greatly improved. The deductive and inductive reasoning skills developed will carry over into every academic field, and will help students prepare for college entrance exams. The class will include daily homework as well as both at-home and in-class tests.

Prerequisite: Algebra 1

Pre-Calculus

Teacher: Megan Taylor

This course presents the concepts and skills necessary before taking a college level calculus course. Study includes: trigonometric relationships and functions, analytic geometry, and discrete math topics. We will regularly use a graphing calculator in this course. This upper division course is appropriate for the advanced student who enjoys being challenged in math.

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry

Calculus

Teacher: Megan Taylor

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Pre-Calculus. Class is only available for 11th and 12th grade students.

Explore the concepts, methods, and applications of differential and integral calculus. Students will solve problems by applying their knowledge and skills. They will determine expressions and values using mathematical procedures and rules, connect representations, justify reasoning and solutions. Students will use correct notation, language, and mathematical conventions to communicate results or solutions.

Government and Economics

Teacher: Jon Streeter

Politics surrounds us. It fills our news feeds online, shouts at us from our televisions and radios, and overwhelms even our family gatherings and social encounters. Why is this the case? This class seeks to answer that class by bringing politics “close to home,” so to speak, by teaching students how our government works, why it works the way it does, and how it could be better. Whether students are Republicans, Democrats, or have no interest at all in the world outside their Instagram feeds, Government class will equip them to think carefully about politics and politicians, to question their motives and look deeper than the soundbytes. It will also help them begin to develop a political philosophy and worldview that will guide them when they exercise the most important freedom they possess as Americans: entering the voting booth and casting their ballot for the leaders of this country. This course is designed to give students an overview of how the American government and economy functions and its relationship to the average citizen. The goal of this class is to motivate students to learn more about their country’s affairs and to develop and maintain a political philosophy that will guide them as they participate in the American democratic system and vote for our nation’s leaders. In the fall semester, students will learn about the structure, function and philosophies of the American federal and state governments. Government class will also include discussions of current events and their impact on daily life in the United States. The class will be taught from a bipartisan viewpoint, incorporating and comparing the beliefs of both major political parties, and students will be encouraged to develop and defend their own viewpoints and opinions on political affairs.

Economics class goes beyond the scope of sound budget decisions at the individual level and opens students’ eyes to how the actions of our government directly shape our financial futures. Beginning with a study of supply and demand that focuses on business strategies and marketing, the class then progresses to a survey of monetary policy (which often unnerves students as they begin to understand the Federal Reserve and fill out IRS tax forms), and concludes with a broad look at the different philosophies of economics and how they are reflected in today’s political climate. Again, regardless of one’s political or economic beliefs, this class will benefit all students and teach them how to listen to our leaders talking about our money and to make sound decisions in the polling place. In the spring semester, students will examine how the American economy functions and both the macro- and microeconomic levels. They will see how individual behaviors and decisions play important roles in the health of the nation’s economy and will study the various philosophies that influence our nation’s leaders as they guide and direct its affairs.

US History

Teacher: Jon Streeter

The study of history is far more than names and dates, facts and figures. It is a wonderful narrative of the past filled with thrilling stories of men and women who have shaped the world in which we live. This class is a narrative-based survey of the history of the United States of America. Far more than a presentation of facts to be memorized, this class presents the story of American history in the words of those who witnessed the great moments of the past from the Founding Era to the end of the Cold War. More importantly, US History challenges readers to think critically and form their own opinions on a variety of subjects. Through the lens of both America’s great leaders and average citizens, students will grapple with a number of serious topics and begin to develop a worldview that will shape their lives long after they leave high school.

This course is designed for high school sophomores and juniors, though students in any grade may enroll. US History will end with the conclusion of the Cold War and the challenges of the 21st century which began on September 11, 2001. Our nation changed forever on that date, and as we discuss the ramifications of the 9/11 attacks, students will be introduced to major themes and topics which will be at the center of Government & Economics class the following year.

World History

Teacher: Jon Streeter

The study of history is far more than names and dates, facts and figures. It is a wonderful narrative of the past filled with thrilling stories of men and women who have shaped the world in which we live. This class is a narrative-based survey of mankind’s journey through time. Far more than a presentation of facts to be memorized, this class presents the story of human history in the words of those who witnessed the great moments of the past from ancient Greece to the Second World War. More importantly, World History challenges readers to think critically and form their own opinions on a variety of subjects. Through the lens of humanity’s greatest thinkers, students will grapple with a number of serious topics and begin to develop a worldview that will shape their lives long after they leave high school.

This course is designed for high school freshmen and sophomores, though students in any grade may enroll. World History will end with the Second World War, a turning point in history in which the ancient powers of Europe and Asia were supplanted by the rising nations of Russia and the United States; it thus leads into a study of American history in the next school year.

Wednesday “In Focus”

For World History, Wednesday classes will provide opportunities for in-depth discussion of relevant historical and current-day topics that show the importance of learning lessons from the past. This will replace a good deal of their at-home assignments with the goal of reducing the overall homework load. Students will also be tested on their comprehension of course material some weeks as a replacement for at-home exams.