With the school year underway at Xavier College Preparatory, students have a new lineup of classes from which to choose. Some are new classes and some are returning classes. These course opportunities bring different perspectives into history, literature, art and technology.
In the social studies department is Sounds of the Centuries, taught by U.S. History teacher Dan Long. The class dives into how music leads to societal changes in post-World War II America. Long explains that the core goal of the class is “exploring how we use music as a lens to talk about the changes in U.S. society after World War II.”
Also in the social studies department, World History teacher Gina Nunez introduces a Latin American Studies course. This class looks beyond traditional regional studies. Nunez’s curriculum looks at history from pre-Colombian civilizations through European exploration, colonization and political revolutions.
“The class emphasizes the modern developments across Central and South America, focusing on political struggles and the pivotal roles of women,” Nunez noted.
For students interested in the culinary arts, family resources teacher Lexie Rinaldi ‘13 leads the new Culinary and Pastry Principles class. This course focuses on the challenge and creativity needed to make elevated baked goods.
The course is a two-week unit format. During the first week, students complete a trial run to learn proper techniques, followed by a second week dedicated to fine-tuning their creations. “The course’s main idea is creating difficult baked goods, which is not easy stuff but it’s fun,” Rinaldi said.
Over in the English department, freshman and sophomore English teacher Abbie Arnold’s Creative Writing course is split between poetry and short stories. Each class session combines reading texts with observation-based activities. “The course is to help students develop a writer’s eye,” Arnold said.
Finally, Xavier is expanding its technology curriculum with the addition of AP Cybersecurity taught by computer programming teacher Leon Tynes.
“The main idea of the course is for the students to learn about networking and how to protect it,” Tynes said. He also noted that this is a good class because students need to know how to protect themselves.
With a diverse range of topics, these new courses provide Xavier students with opportunities to explore interests while building practical and academic skills.
