SILVER GUIDE:

Choral Music (1.0 Credit)

Grades 9-12

Choral Music is a choral performing and study class that meets during the school day. Students will have the ability to develop their own vocal technique within a group setting, learning about their voices and how to sing successfully in a choir. A wide variety of choral literature will be studied, exploring the intersection of music and cultural heritages across musical eras. Students will also improve their ability to read music notation. This group will perform at the winter choral concert alongside Strath Haven’s other performing choirs. All students at any skill level are invited to take this course. Students are given the opportunity to audition for and participate in PMEA district, regional, and state chorus festivals.

Advanced Choral Music (1.0 Credit)

Grades 10-12

Advanced Choral Music is a choral performing and study class that meets during the school day. Students enrolled in Silvertones have the option to automatically enroll into Advanced Choral Music; other students who have successfully completed Choral Music may register for this course. In the Advanced Choral Music class, students with a solid foundation of vocal production will continue to develop their own vocal technique within a group setting. Students will study and perform a more challenging repertoire of choral music literature across time and place. Students will also improve their ability to read music notation fluently and expressively. This group will perform at the winter and spring choral concerts alongside Strath Haven’s other performing choirs. Students are given the opportunity to audition for and participate in PMEA district, regional, and state chorus festivals.

PREREQUISITE: Successful completion of Choral Music or concurrent enrollment  in Silvertones.

Choral director Mrs. Lindsey Reinhard Silva will teach Choral Music and Advanced Choral Music starting in the 2025-2026 school year.

Silva currently directs three choir ensembles at the high school, works on the spring musical as music director, and teaches Vocal Music. 

“My hope is that they would become an additional ensemble that would perform in winter and spring concerts with the rest of the choirs,” Silva said.

This course will replace Vocal Music, a fall course Silva currently teaches. Vocal Music is more independent and student-driven, while the new Choral Music classes will be more group-focused. 

“In a choral music class, you think about individual musicality, in addition to how your individual musicality contributes to the work of a group,” Director of Secondary Teaching, Learning, and Innovation Dr. Leslie Pratt said at the November 6 Educational Affairs meeting. 

While the change will require adjustment from music students, many have expressed their excitement about these new opportunities.

“I think it’s going to be different, but I think more people will want to do it, and it’s a good way to bring the choirs into everyday singing life,” freshman Shira Jasner, who took Vocal Music during the fall semester, said.

The regular Choral Music course is open to any student who wishes to take it. To enroll in the advanced section, students must complete Choral Music or be a member of the Silvertones.

“I’m so excited that we’re bringing choral music into the school day, and giving students the opportunity to dive deeper into it within their block schedule,” Silva said. 

SILVER GUIDE:

Mythology and Folklore (1.0 Credit)

Grades 9-12

Mythology and Folklore  invites students to understand myths, folklore, and archetypes as they relate to cultural values, literary works, and popular culture in ancient and contemporary society.  It also provides students ways to analyze contemporary storytelling, including memes, urban legends, and conspiracy theories.  The class is for those who wonder what Hercules and Quetzalcoatl have in common with TikTok and Mothman.

Jump into an exciting class of myths and fairy tales next year taught by English teacher Mr. Matthew Morris. This class is open for all grade levels and will be following myths and folklore while analyzing storytelling.

On Monday, November 18, new Silver Guide course additions were approved by the Board of School Directors. Next year, these classes will be available for the appropriate grade levels to sign up for. 

Morris shares what he will be focusing on.

“The class is about stories that we tell and that we’ve always told and how all humans are similar to each other in a way, and it really gets into how stories worked a long time ago,” Morris said.

Through this, Morris shares his interest in connecting previous stories to modern-day ones. The class will explore how stories from various cultures, including fairy tales and urban legends, have evolved and continue to influence contemporary storytelling.

“When we do the folklore half, it’s a lot of thinking about stories like fairy tales and folktales, while also connecting it to the modern stories that we tell today, whether that be strange stories you hear online, or urban legends, or stories passed down by your family through generations and traditions,” Morris said.

Freshman Elizabeth Iversen finds the class and its topic interesting. 

“A lot of current stories and plot lines revolve around original myths,” Iversen said.

SILVER GUIDE:

Understanding America Through National Parks and Places (1.0 Credit)

Grades 9-12

American Stories through Parks and Places will examine the historical, cultural, social, economic, artistic and innovative legacy of America’s National Parks & Places. In this course we will center the voices of marginalized peoples whose histories can be told through National Parks & Places. Students will gain an understanding of the origins and history of the National Park Service, but also how preservation & conservation efforts have had an impact on Americans who live and/or visit these protected places. Beyond the park, students will have a chance to understand how protected places represented the struggles & triumphs of Americans throughout history. Students will demonstrate understanding through collaborative assignments and project based learning, as well as have a chance to visit National Park Service parks and places in the greater Philadelphia area through field trips throughout the semester.

Have you ever wondered why America’s national parks are important besides from being tourist attractions?

It turns out there’s a class for that. A new social studies elective has been introduced at Strath Haven, “Exploring America Through National Parks and Places.”

According to the Silver Guide, the class will focus on exploring American history through the lens of national parks and places, centralizing the voices of those marginalized people who can be represented through stories of parks and places.

At the November 6, 2024 meeting of the school board’s Educational Affairs Committee, Director of Secondary Teaching, Learning, and Innovation Dr. Leslie Pratt explained the course to school board members, who approved the course along with other new electives on November 18 during the November school board meeting.

“[It’s] this idea of having a course that thinks about historical, cultural, social, economic, and artistic legacies of a place, and uses that as a jumping off point to talk about stories of people who are sometimes relegated to the margins in a history textbook,” Pratt said at the meeting.

While the course went through the entire Social Studies department, Modern World History I teacher Mr. Jonathan Pitts was the primary author. According to Pitts, the idea for the course was inspired by students in his US History class two years ago and eventually evolved from an idea to the course it now is.

“The course started as an idea around the origins of the national park system, but as I started to think about how the course could be richer and more inclusive, I wanted to not just make it a course where we’re limited to talking about Teddy Roosevelt,” Pitts said.

The course description promises that students will have an opportunity to visit National Park Service parks and places in the greater Philadelphia area through field trips throughout the semester.

SILVER GUIDE:

Physics (1.0 Credit)

Grades 10-12

Designed to challenge science students and develop critical and analytical thinking skills, this course focuses on fundamental physics concepts, emphasizing inquiry-based learning, real-world applications, and deep conceptual understanding. Enrolled students will explore topics such as forces and motion, energy transfer, waves, electricity and magnetism, while incorporating cross-cutting concepts like systems and patterns, stability and change, and scale, proportion, and quantity. The course emphasizes scientific and engineering practices, including planning and conducting investigations, analyzing data, constructing explanations, and developing solutions to problems. 

PREREQUISITE: 1.0 Credit each in Environmental Science and Biology. 

AP Physics 1 (1.0 Credit)

Grades 10-12

AP Physics 1 is an algebra-based, introductory college-level physics course. Students cultivate their understanding of physics by developing models of physical phenomena through inquiry-based investigations. Students build their understanding of physical models as they explore and solve problems in these content areas: kinematics; forces and translational dynamics; work, energy, and power; linear momentum; torque and rotational dynamics; energy and momentum of rotating systems; oscillations; and fluids. After completing this course, students are required to take the Advanced Placement Physics 1 exam offered through the College Board.

PREREQUISITE: 1.0 Credit each in Environmental Science, Biology, Geometry and concurrent enrollment in Algebra 2.

In previous years, Strath Haven students interested in taking a physics class had the option of taking Physics CP, Physics H, AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism, and AP Physics C: Mechanics of Motion. 

In 2025-2026, a non-leveled Physics class and AP Physics 1 will replace Physics CP and Physics Honors.

Adapting the Physics program allows for students to take a one-semester AP science course with few prerequisites.

“It’s a big time commitment to take an entire year of AP chemistry or an entire year of AP biology. This is a one-semester physics course that most of the student body can take without special prerequisites keeping them from trying,” physics teacher Mr. William Rothenbach said. 

According to the 2025-2026 Silver Guide, AP Physics 1 will be open to 10-12 grade students who have successfully completed Environmental Science, Biology, Geometry, and who are currently enrolled or have completed Algebra II. 

The non-leveled physics class has similar prerequisites but without the math requirements. The other AP physics courses are calculus-based and require a previous physics course. 

“There are a lot of students who are not going to study engineering in college, but they’re going to have to take a college-level physics class,” Rothenbach said. “So why don’t we offer these students the opportunity to take an algebra-based physics course?”

Although Haven offers two other AP physics courses, students may be hesitant to take them due to the math or prerequisites. This course makes it easier for students to obtain college credit for physics or to take an additional AP class. 

“I would encourage students who like science and want to continue to pursue sciences but maybe math intimidates them from taking the other AP Physics classes. Also, students who are thinking of going into science that know they’re going to have to take a couple of science classes in college and want to satisfy a credit,” environmental science and physics teacher Ms. Kathleen Freeman said.

As course selection approaches, some students are debating whether or not they should take this new class. 

“I’m interested in it to get a foundation for the job I want to do, which is to be a doctor,” sophomore Sophie Grossman said.

Whether you choose to take this new course because you enjoy science, want to take an AP class, or just want to try something new, taking this course may be valuable to consider. 

“I’m really excited to take the new course,” sophomore Ella Brook said. 

SILVER GUIDE:

Media for Publications (1.0 credit)

Grades 9-12

This course will teach students how to evolve photo storytelling into content that is ready for publication in a variety of formats, including yearbook, print newspaper, online student news, and social media. Students will learn the basics of journalism, photojournalism, print design, and digital media while producing feature content. Students may optionally submit content for publication to consideration to the student editors of the school newspaper and yearbook. Students who complete this class will be prepared to advance into media leadership in student publications as well as to use visual media to tell compelling stories in any field or area of study.

Calling all photographers and future journalists!

Photography teacher Ms. Kate Plows will teach Media for Publications starting in the 2025-2026 school year. According to the 2025 Silver Guide, the new course will “teach students how to evolve photo storytelling into content that is ready for publication.” 

All students can create content that may be submitted to the school newspaper and yearbook, while learning the basics of using photo technology, captioning photos, and journalism. This sets it apart from the school’s photography classes, which cover less writing skills.

The Media for Publications class will act as an extension of pre-existing newspaper and yearbook clubs. However, it is open to anyone who wants to learn about photojournalism. Members of the yearbook and The Panther Press are not required to take the class, and the class welcomes students who do not work with the publications. 

“I love taking photos and I want to improve my writing…this class will help with what I do during yearbook,” sophomore and Haven Yearbook member Noah Henderson said. 

Already teaching photography media classes and advising the yearbook and The Panther Press, Plows is certainly a busy and involved staff member. Nonetheless, her inspiration for teaching these classes stems from her own interests.

“I thought I was going to be teaching graphic design, but then my schedule turned into all photography and at the same time, my interest in photography started to really turn into a passion,” Plows said.

With no prerequisites, the class is open to anybody interested in anything related to photojournalism.

“If you’re interested in learning how to use your camera and your voice to tell a story, this is a good class for you,” Plows said.

SILVER GUIDE:

Civil Engineering & Architecture (1.0 credit)

Grades 9-12

Students learn the fundamentals of building design, site design, and development. They apply math, science, and standard engineering practices to design residential and commercial projects and document their work using 3D architectural design and modeling software. Students will develop skills in engineering calculations, technical representation, and documentation of design solutions according to accepted technical standards. Building enthusiasm and a fundamental understanding of the role, impact, and practice of civil engineering and architecture as it relates to building design and development is a primary goal of the course. Depending on the results, students who complete the end-of-course exam may be eligible to earn three credits through the Rochester Institute of Technology, which can be used at RIT or transferred to other universities.

PREREQUISITE: Engineering Essentials or Computer-Aided Drafting and Design or Interior Architecture.

Starting in the 2025-2026 school year, students who have completed the prerequisites will be eligible to enroll in Project Lead The Way—Civil Engineering and Architecture (PLTW- CEA) class. This course covers structural integrity, environmental considerations, site planning, and sustainable building practices. 

PLTW-CEA class is available to students as early as ninth grade. To enroll in this class, students must have completed either Engineering Essentials, Computer-Aided Drafting and Design, or Interior Architecture.

Technology teacher Mr. Page Brown will teach the class. Students in the course will use industry-standard software such as AutoCAD and Revit. It is the next step in architecture for students who took Interior Architecture while also expanding on engineering for prior Engineering Essentials students. 

According to the course outline on Project Lead the Way’s website, students will progress from completing structured activities to solving open-ended projects and problems that require them to develop planning, documentation, communication, and other professional skills.

“They’ll get a chance to look at and design the exterior of buildings. So what the building is going to look like, what the ground is going to look like, and what the traffic patterns will look like, that kind of thing,” Brown said. 

According to the 2025-2026 Silver Guide, students who complete the end-of-course exam could earn three credits through the Rochester Institute of Technology, in which the credits can be used there or at other universities.

“This would be a great class for anyone who’s interested in civil engineering or architecture,” Brown said. “It’s a high school level class. I’m not going to make people into an architect, but it’s the first step in an architecture career.”

SILVER GUIDE:

Fundamentals of Education

Grade 12

The Fundamentals of Education course is designed for students who have completed Exploring Childhood and Advanced Childhood. In this advanced course, students deepen their understanding of early childhood education, focusing on key areas including curriculum and instruction, social-emotional learning, progress monitoring, and kindergarten readiness through hands-on experience with preschool-aged children. Students will explore the diverse roles within the education field, engaging with teachers and connecting with various classrooms to gain a broader perspective on child development and educational strategies. A significant component of the course is creating an individualized learning guide, where students will develop a thesis statement at the beginning of the semester. This thesis statement will serve as a personal guide, helping each student to pursue and build a specialized path through the course.

PREREQUISITE: Successful completion of Exploring and Advanced Childhood and departmental approval.

The Panther Press reached out to the Family & Consumer Science Department for more information about the new Fundamentals of Education class. We hope to report on this course at a future date.