Electives
- ACADEMIC COACHING - GRADES 9, 10
- ACCOUNTING - GRADES 10-12
- ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY | BEGINNING LEADERSHIP - Grades 9-10
- ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY | ADVANCED LEADERSHIP - Grades 11-12
- College Application Seminar - Grade 12
- FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR - GRADE 9
- MILITARY HISTORY - GRADES 10-12
- PSYCHOLOGY - GRADES 10-12
- Speech and Debate - Grades 9-12
- Study Skills - Grades 9-12
ACADEMIC COACHING - GRADES 9, 10
Prerequisite: Placement based on administrative approval.
This course is designed for students who do not qualify for SERP but do require additional academic support to reach their full potential. This is not an open course, but rather an intervention program assigned to students who require focused academic success strategies based on predetermined factors. Classes are capped at 15 students to ensure a small and personalized learning environment. Two instructors are assigned to each class; one instructor focuses on Math and Science, while the other on English, Theology and Social Studies. Similar to SERP's Study Skills, students in Academic Coaching are supported in the following three areas: Direct Instruction in English and Math only (re-teaching, scaffolding, etc. of material and concepts), Case-Management (grade checks, academic forecasting, etc.) and support in Executive Functioning Skills (flexible thinking, self-motivation, task-initiation, organization, planning and prioritizing, etc.). This course is taken in lieu of an elective course and is only offered to freshmen and sophomores. Students earn a letter grade for Academic Coaching, which is factored into their overall GPA (not weighted for academic GPA).
- Homework expectation: none
- Year
- 10 credits
ACCOUNTING - GRADES 10-12
This course will follow the Accounting 1 course offered to Business Magnet Students but will go at a slower pace. The students will begin the course with an introduction to business terms so that students are familiar with basic business structure and terminology. The course will cover basic accounting skills and concepts for both a sole proprietorship and a merchandise business.
- Homework expectation: 2-3 hours per week
- Semester
- 5 credits
ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY | BEGINNING LEADERSHIP - Grades 9-10
Prerequisite: Required for sophomore officers. Optional but encouraged for freshmen officer. Students must obtain teacher approval.
This is a year-long course designed to empower the elected officers and members for the school year. Class time will be spent planning, organizing, implementing school activities, and learning life-long Leadership qualities. Students enrolled in this course will also attend after-school functions that ASB puts together. Students enrolled in this course will attend a leadership camp, including a Leadership Boot Camp totally two weeks in the summer months. Students will be evaluated on their demonstration of effective leadership and selfless service through in-class tasks and assignments, maintaining a positive and professional demeanor, and a lionheart commitment to JSerra.
- Homework expectation: none
- Year
- 10 Credits
ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY | ADVANCED LEADERSHIP - Grades 11-12
Prerequisite: Required for junior and senior officers. Students must obtain teacher approval.
This is a year-long course designed to empower the elected officers and members for the school year. Class time will be spent planning, organizing, implementing school activities, and learning life-long Leadership qualities. Students enrolled in this course will also attend after-school functions that ASB puts together. Students enrolled in this course will attend a leadership camp, including a Leadership Boot Camp totally two weeks in the summer months. Students will be evaluated on their demonstration of effective leadership and selfless service through in-class tasks and assignments, maintaining a positive and professional demeanor, and a lionheart commitment to JSerra.
- Homework expectation: none
- Year
- 10 Credits
College Application Seminar - Grade 12
The College Application Seminar Course is a 10-week program where students will learn about the college admissions process and get assistance completing their college applications. Each week we will cover different topics including how to research colleges and find the right fit, the best way to choose a major, brainstorming and writing the most effective essays, how to pay for college and apply for scholarships, tips on applying to Cal States and UC schools, and much more. College Admission Representatives will also discuss how colleges evaluate applications so students can get a better understanding of how admission decisions are made. By the end of the course, students should:
- Complete their applications and their resume.
- Have the opportunity to have their essays and applications reviewed by College Admission Representatives.
- Understand how the college admission process works and how they can be more competitive when applying.
- Homework Expectation: 1-3 hours per week (can include weekends and breaks)
- No Summer Assignment required
- Semester — 10 weeks on Wednesday mornings during 1st period (the rest of the week students have a free Period 1)
- 0 Credits
FIRST-YEAR SEMINAR - GRADE 9
This is a required course for all freshmen. The First-Year Seminar course is built to ensure a meaningful transition into high school. Students will learn about JSerra, improve their academic skills, seek out campus resources and build relationships. This introductory course is broken into three components: academics, campus life and community standards. The academic component introduces students to JSerra’s co-curricular programs, faculty expectations, Microsoft access and study skills. Further supported by the campus life component’s inclusion of Campus Ministry, extra-curricular programs, JSerra's history and available student services. The final component, community standards will integrate student health and well-being with etiquette ensuring a holistic education. Staff guest speakers, First-Year Advisors, and the instructor will foster an environment that will encourage active and collaborative learners.
- Homework expectation: 1-2 hours per week
- Semester
- 5 Credits
MILITARY HISTORY - GRADES 10-12
Military History is a semester course designed to provide the student with a comprehensive survey of the history, principles, effects, practices, and the profession of armed conflict. Students will use skills in cooperative learning, project development, and excellent standards of technical reading, writing, research, decision-making and public speaking as they study the processes and principles of warfare in the context of the complexities of modern day foreign policy. Students will develop an awareness of the awful realities of war through eyewitness accounts, oral histories, film video, pictures, and literature. They will also apply knowledge and skills in tactics and strategy in the context of historical situations, and using computer simulations, to learn the lessons of military history in relation to today's unpredictable global environment.
- Homework Expectation: 1-2 hours per week
- Semester
- 5 credits
- UC Approved
- NCAA Approved
PSYCHOLOGY - GRADES 10-12
This semester course will provide the student with an introduction to the concepts, theories, and research findings of modern psychology. This survey course will also address the biological bases of behavior, sensory and perceptual processing, learning and memory, human growth and development, social behavior, and normal and abnormal behavior.
- Homework Expectation: 1-2 hours per week
- Semester
- 5 credits
- UC Approved
- NCAA Approved
Speech and Debate - Grades 9-12
The purpose of this course, taken in the Fall semester, is to provide the student with instruction on improving their knowledge and skills of oral communication, and the course assists students in creating the materials to support such oral communications. Students will also work on improving their active listening skills and will be provided several opportunities to speak in multiple settings in a safe and inviting environment. Students will participate in debates encompassing a wide range of topics of student interest, and complete supporting materials and present both persuasive and informational speeches.
- Homework Expectation: 1-2 hours per week
- Semester
- 5 credits
- UC approved
- NCAA approved
Study Skills - Grades 9-12
Prerequisite: Students must be enrolled in SERP to be placed in a Study Skills class.
This course is for students enrolled in SERP. Classes are capped at 10 students to ensure a small learning environment. Two instructors are assigned to each class; one instructor focuses on math and science, while the other on English, theology and social studies. Study Skills is designed to provide support in the following three areas: Direct Instruction (re-teaching, scaffolding, etc. of material and concepts), Case-Management (grade checks, academic forecasting, etc.) and support in Executive Functioning Skills (flexible thinking, self-motivation, task-initiation, organization, planning and prioritizing, etc.). This course is taken in lieu of an elective course and is mandatory for all freshmen and sophomores (highly encouraged for all juniors and seniors). Students earn a letter grade for Study Skills, which is factored into their overall GPA (not weighted for academic GPA).
- Year
- 10 credits
- Homework expectation: none
Computer Science Electives
- AP Computer Science A in Java - GRADES 10-12
- COMPUTING IDEAS - GRADES 9-12
- Cybersecurity - Grades 10-12
- Data Structures Honors in C++ Grades - 11-12
- Introduction to Programming - GRADES 10-12
- WEB DESIGN - GRADES 10-12
- Game Design Honors - Grades 9-12
AP Computer Science A in Java - GRADES 10-12
Prerequisites: Must have completed Intro to Programming with an A-. Instructor approval required.
The AP Computer Science A in Java course is a year-long course designed to help students master the basics of Java and equip them to successfully pass the AP Computer Science A Exam at the end of the school year. The curriculum has been pre-approved by College Board's AP Course Audit as meeting or exceeding the curricular expectations colleges and universities have for this subject. There is a considerable amount of homework and higher order problem-solving skills are required. This is a blended class that uses an online curriculum to present all the materials and assignments.
- Homework Expectation: 1 -2 hours a week, work during breaks
- Year
- 10 Credits
- UC Approved for Honors
COMPUTING IDEAS - GRADES 9-12
Computing Ideas Level 1 introduces the basics of programming with Karel the Dog, the basics of designing a web page, and how information and images are represented with computers. This is a blended class that uses an online curriculum to present all the materials and assignments. There is no homework in this course if students use class time as intended and are not absent.
With a unique focus on creativity, problem solving and project based learning, this class gives students the opportunity to explore several important topics of computing using their own ideas, creativity and help them develop an interest in computer science that will foster further endeavors in the field.
- Homework Expectation: none
- Year
- 10 Credits
- UC Approved
Cybersecurity - Grades 10-12
Prerequisites: Must have completed Computing Ideas or obtain instructor approval.
This course prepares students with crucial skills to be responsible citizens in a digital future. Cybersecurity is an online blended K12 cybersecurity course. This year-long version is designed for students with some exposure to computer science. Students will learn cybersecurity topics including networking fundamentals, software security, system administration and the basics of cryptography and programming, all through the CodeHS web-based platform. The entirely web-based curriculum is made up of a series of learning modules that cover the fundamentals of cybersecurity. Each module is made up of short video tutorials, example programs, quizzes, simulations, programming exercises, and free response prompts. This is not a coding intensive course, but students will learn basic SQL and JavaScript, and will utilize basic HTML and JavaScript within specific contexts while being provided with support within those contexts.
This is a blended class that uses an online curriculum to present all the materials and assignments. There is no homework in this course if students use class time as intended and are not absent, however it does require extensive reading and writing, including 3 reports of 3-4 pages in length.
- Homework Expectation: none
- Year
- 10 Credits
- UC Approved
Data Structures Honors in C++ Grades - 11-12
Prerequisites: Must have completed AP Computer Science A in Java with an A-. Instructor approval required.
Data Structures in computer science focuses on different ways to store data, beyond traditional variables and lists. In this course, students will learn about advanced data structures such as maps, queues, sets, etc. while applying them in larger, real-world assignments and projects.
The Data Structures course is designed for students that have previously completed a full year computer science course, such as AP CSA. While C++ is used as the language for the course, the focus of the course is on understanding and applying advanced data structures. Prior C++ knowledge is not a prerequisite, however students should have a working knowledge of basic computer science concepts such as variables, control structures, and functions/methods in at least one programming language.
- Homework Expectation: none
- Year
- 10 Credits
- UC Approved for Honors
Introduction to Programming - GRADES 10-12
Prerequisites: Must have completed the Computing Ideas with a B- or must be enrolled in Algebra 2 Honors.
The Level 2 curriculum of Computer Science teaches the foundations of computer science and basic programming, with an emphasis on helping students develop logical thinking and problem solving skills. Once students complete the Introduction to Computer Science course, they will have learned material equivalent to a semester college introductory course in Computer Science and be able to program in JavaScript. This is a blended class that uses an online curriculum to present all the materials and assignments. There is no homework in this course if students use class time as intended and are not absent, however it does require good problem solving and logical thinking skills.
- Homework Expectation: none
- Year
- 10 Credits
- UC Approved
WEB DESIGN - GRADES 10-12
Prerequisites: Must have completed Computing Ideas or obtain instructor approval.
During the first semester, this course teaches students how to build their own web pages. Students will learn the languages HTML and CSS, and will create their own live homepages to serve as portfolios of their creations. Students will finish this course with tangible, professional, mobile responsive websites.
During second semester students will learn how to create mobile apps using React Native, a popular platform-agnostic framework. As an online blended high school course, students will design and build applications to run on their own smartphones and will use the latest tools and technologies available for mobile app development.
This is a blended class that uses an online curriculum to present all the materials and assignments. There is no homework in this course if students use class time as intended and are not absent, however it does require good problem solving and logical thinking skills.
- Homework Expectation: none
- Year
- 10 Credits
- UC Approved
Game Design Honors - Grades 9-12
Pre-requisites: Must have completed the Computing Ideas Course with an A or must be enrolled in Algebra 2 Honors.
The Game Design in Unity course teaches the fundamentals of designing a game using the world's most widely accessed and preferred editing engine. This course intends to prepare high school students with the industry-related skills needed for the workplace and higher learning environments. By the end of this course, they will understand the design planning process, be knowledgeable of industry-related careers, and be able to navigate the Unity environment to create 3D games. Course content is a combination of web-based and offline activities. Students will access lessons through the CodeHS platform and perform activities directly within the Unity game engine. Students and instructors will need to sign up for and download the Unity game engine to complete this course
- Homework Expectation: 1-2 hours per week
- Year
- 10 Credits
- UC Approved