Electives

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 the 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.

• Semester
• 5 credits

Prerequisite: Minimum of A- in each semester of Computer Science 2 or teacher approval.

The AP Computer Science 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 the 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 hour per week
• AP Exam Required: $105 Fee
• Year
• 10 Credits
• UC Approved for Honors

Computer Science 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

Prerequisites: Minimum C- in each semester of Computer Science 1 or must be concurrently enrolled in Algebra 2 Honors.

The Computer Science 2 curriculum 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

Prerequisites: Minimum C- in each semester of Computer Science 2.

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

Prerequisite: Must be an elected ASB or class officer or commissioner and obtain teacher approval.

This is a year-long course designed to empower the elected officers and commissioners for the coming year. Students in this class will be encouraged to attend leadership camp during the summer months. Class time will be spent in planning, organizing and implementing school activities and maintaining an activities calendar.

• Year
• 10 Credits

Creative Writing is a semester-long course open to students interested in exploring writing as an art form. The course builds on composition skills, plot structure, methods of characterizations, development of setting and theme, journal writing, cluster techniques, free writing and development of voice. Students will participate in individual writing exercises, brainstorming sessions, and peer and critique groups. The course includes the study of contemporary poets and fiction writers.

• Semester
• 5 Credits
• UC Approved

This introductory, freshman-level course equips students with the requisite skills to be successful in high school. This course is broken into three components: introduction to JSerra, grammar and writing, and logic and critical thinking. The JSerra component includes JSerra history, computer and Bistro registration, basic computer skills, review of dress code, the plagiarism and honesty policy, email correspondence, and study skills guidance. The grammar and writing component covers the building blocks of strong written correspondence and argument: dependent and independent clauses, comma use, pronoun-antecedent agreement, and correct modifier usage. Students compose analogous, causation, and persuasive essays. The logic and critical thinking component covers those skills necessary for structuring clear and convincing arguments: premises and conclusions, consistency, using reliable sources, analogies, causes, correlations, and oral arguments.

• Semester
• 5 Credits

This semester course is a requirement for graduation. The course covers a vast array of health related topics including personal health, family and social health, individual growth and development, communicable and chronic diseases, consumer and community health nutrition, alcohol, tobacco and drug abuse, environmental health, and injury prevention and safety. Students will gain knowledge in these areas through the use of a text, reading materials, lectures, research papers, and technology integrated instruction.

• Semester
• 5 Credits

Prerequisite: Overall GPA of 3.0 and teacher approval.

Journalism/School Newspaper provides the student a hands-on experience in planning, writing, editing, and producing the monthly JSerra school newspaper. This course is a one-year course focusing on how to effectively communicate with the greater JSerra community. The class emphasizes logical thinking, interviewing skills, accurate and concise journalistic composition, editorial writing, original photography, and layout. The newspaper will be produced digitally on the computer via Macintosh, utilizing a variety of software programs, and output as both an electronic file and as a traditional printed piece.

• Year
• 10 Credits
• UC Approved

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 relationship to today's unpredictable global environment.

• Homework Expectation: 1-2 hours per week
• Semester
• 5 credits
• UC Approved
• NCAA Approved

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 deals with the communication process as a whole in our daily lives through group discussion, and public speaking. Students will learn how to conduct interviews and group discussions. Students will learn how to prepare and deliver informal, argumentative and persuasive speeches, as well as speeches for occasions such as commemoration, dedications, awards presentations and acceptances. Students will practice giving memorial speeches as well as humorous speeches and dramatic monologues intended for entertainment. Students will also write and perform radio and TV public service announcements, editorials, commercials and newscasts.

• Semester
• 5 Credits
• UC Approved

Sports Medicine and Athletic Training is designed to introduce the student to the vocabulary, theories, principles and skills involved with the rapidly growing field of Sports Medicine. Sports Medicine is a multidisciplinary approach for those involved in sports, involving a variety of professionals, such as physicians, certified athletic trainers, physical therapists, chiropractors, and nutritionists. This course will place a special emphasis on the anatomy and physiology of the human body.  The goal is to take the principles learned in the classroom and apply them during the required field experience. Laboratory activities are included to increase student retention and comprehension of the course material. Attention will be given to protective equipment, and prophylactic taping, wrapping, and bracing; Acute Injury Management – including emergency care and universal precautions; and basic Health Care Administration. The course content is designed to help build a sound foundation for the student seeking a career in the health care industry. Students from this class can also participate in an after school Student Athletic Training Program that will allow them hands-on field experience.

• Year
• 10 Credits
• UC Approval Pending

Prerequisite: Must have a psycho-educational evaluation on file and enrolled in SERP.

This program is designed for students who have been identified through private testing or school district testing as needing specific accommodations in their educational endeavors. Students can receive a maximum of 20 credits of Study Skills that can be used towards their elective graduation requirements. The grade for this class is factored into the student’s total GPA, but not the student’s academic GPA.

• Year
• 10 Credits