New courses added for 2023-24 school year at Greater Latrobe School District

Greater Latrobe School District will offer 17 new courses for students to choose from next school year in an effort to engage them in education.

A study found students began a steady decline in interest beginning in about sixth grade, said Jon Mains, assistant to the superintendent of secondary education. Mains shared the findings of the study at Tuesday’s school board meeting.

Students have changed, so the way they are taught needs to change, too, he said.

Becki Pellis, assistant to the superintendent of elementary education, said teachers will be making a conscious effort to focus lesson plans on honing students’ cognitive, interpersonal, self-leadership and digital skills, rather than solely focusing on the content of the class.

To bolster this initiative, the school board approved the addition of 17 new junior high elective courses, bringing the number of options to 25. Matthew Shivetts, middle school principal, presented the new electives and reassured school board members and attendees that there would be no need to hire additional teachers.

The courses were created and proposed by the teachers, who have wide ranges of experience in their line of study.

“We challenged our current elective teachers,” Shivetts said. “These are our current teachers basically saying, ‘In my field of study, what else can I offer?’ ”

Shivetts said students currently take a total of six electives in seventh and eighth grades. To give students more opportunities to experience each class, and give teachers more time to teach them, a fourth elective period will be added each year for students to leave middle school with 12 total elective credits.

Some new electives include mind and body wellness, digital art, flight and space, law and order, a “Shark Tank”-themed class and a junior high news publication.

“They’re going to have choices,” Shivetts said.

High school staff will be following the initiative, as well. Video production teacher Acacia Houck introduced a sports broadcasting and video production class that will be offered to students in grades 10 through 12 starting next school year.

The course will offer students an opportunity to work with video production equipment, Adobe applications and elements of production.

“Each year, I have numerous students with a passion for sports,” Houck said. “We try to work with that with the existing course structure, but, by adding this new course, it gives students the opportunity to explore the idea of sports broadcasting. It helps students develop communication skills that can be applicable to any career field.”