New Courses at Vestavia

By Audrey Kim and Aiden Billano

It’s that time of year again: the time we get to decide how we’re all going to spend the next year. With course selection fast approaching, as you look at potential classes in Vestavia’s Next Steps Live Binder, you may notice a few new additions since last year. After listening to student interest, these new courses were proposed by teachers and approved by the Board of Education to be available starting this year. Unfortunately, these courses won’t be available at the Freshman Campus, but can be taken by students at the Main Campus. If you are on the lookout for any new classes to take, here are a few that are being offered this year. 

If you are looking to improve your researching, speaking, and writing skills, AP Seminar is perfect for you! This class will help develop and refine students’ research skills, as well as their academic writing skills. Students will be given the chance to explore real-world related topics and gain a deeper understanding by exploring, discussing, and writing about the topic. Another class being offered is especially for anyone hoping to go into the business world: AP Business with Personal Finance. This class emulates a college business intro course, offering an opportunity for students to explore aspects of business such as marketing and management at a deeper level than ever before, with real-world applications and case studies. When previously interviewed for an article about AI in the class environment, many teachers expressed the need for students to better learn how to navigate the world of AI, and a trial run of a course doing just that will be available next year. This course will teach students how to authenticate AI’s claims, use it ethically and efficiently, and learn about potential careers in the field of AI. There are also potential dual enrollment opportunities up to come, such as Calculus and its Applications. More have been proposed, though not officially confirmed, including US History and Biology dual enrollment courses.

If any of these classes pique your interest, you can learn more about them as well as all of the various classes, clubs, organizations our school has to offer at Next Steps on January 26 from 5:30 to 7:30. Course selection opens on January seventh and closes on February third, and counselors will meet with students one on one to discuss their selected courses from February third to March 20. When registering for your courses for the upcoming school year, make sure to consider classes that will give you the credits needed to graduate, but most importantly, don’t forget to take classes that both challenge and truly interest you! Classes that check both of these boxes are the classes that will help you thrive and have fun, even if you have to be at school.