'School Within a School' to Give Hopatcong Seniors More Opportunities

Eleven new academic course offerings will be available to Hopatcong High School seniors beginning in the 2014-15 school year as part of the 'School Within a School' program, said Cynthia Randina, the district's superintendent of schools.

At the Oct. 28th Hopatcong Board of Education meeting, the guidance department introduced a list of new classes to those in attendance. The new courses, determined and developed based on findings from a student survey, will be integrated into the high school's science, technology, business, art and family consumer science departments.

These courses include Advanced Placement Environmental Science, Business 101, Careers in Education, Culinary Arts II, Designing Applications, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Principals of Engineering, Sports Marketing, Video Game Design and Development and Wood Sculpture.

In addition to the new courses students will be able to pursue multiple challenging academic interdisciplinary programs and focus on their desired career path. This structure, “School-Within-A-School,” is intended to support constructive relationships between and among students and teachers by grouping students together each year to take a number of rigorous courses with increased support and individualized attention, Randina said. 

Such academies will include Communication/Performing/Technical Arts, Future Teachers Academy, Health Sciences, International Studies, Career Internships, Maritime Science and Environmental Arts, and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math). Moreover, as an incentive to those students pursuing a more rigorous course of study and earning additional credits beyond the minimum requirements for graduation, a “Distinguished Diploma” will be granted. 

Finally, a community service requirement will be created for the Class of 2018 and beyond which will increase graduation requirements to 122.5 credits. The volunteer hour requirements will be 10 hours per year; upon graduation, 40 hours of volunteer service will be achieved.