Courses available for students for the 2023-2024 school year and how to apply
January 23, 2023
After finishing up midterms for the 2022-2023 school year, students will have to start focusing on the next chapter of their high school career. Students in grades 9-11 will have to complete a form with a school counselor to choose classes for the upcoming school year. Information for application and audition classes will be posted on the FHS website by Jan. 23. Auditions will take place Jan. 23-Feb. 16.
There will be classes that are available for underclassmen to take that were not available to them before, along with classes that are required for students in each grade to take in order to graduate.
No matter what grade a student is in, four math credits are required. Typically, upcoming freshmen will take Algebra 1, sophomores will take Geometry, juniors will take Algebra 2 and seniors are able to take whatever math credit that they would like and have not already completed. Juniors are also given the option to split up Algebra 2 into separate years, making Algebra 2 count as two individual credits for their junior and senior year. This is the case for most students unless they have been given the opportunity to enter higher level courses.
English is also a class that is required for students to take all four years of high school. Literature & Composition 1-4 classes are needed in order for students to graduate; however, there are other English classes available at Fenton High as well. These include World Studies Honors and American Studies Honors—both classes that require an application..
For science classes, Biology is a necessity for freshmen. However, each student only has to complete two additional courses in science in order to receive their diploma. These classes include Physical Science, Chemistry and Physics. These options can be taken any year and only two of them have to be completed.
Social Studies is a class that only is required for three out of the four school years at Fenton High. Freshmen are given the opportunity to take World History & Geography or World Studies Honors, which gives students more difficult criteria, and better prepares them for International Baccalaureate (IB) and Advanced Placement classes. It is necessary for sophomores to take either U.S. History & Geography or American Studies Honors. Students in 11th grade will take U.S. Government and Economics. Seniors are able to take any of these courses along with the additional options.
World Language classes are generally split between middle school and high school. Most students will have completed one course of a world language in middle school and it is then mandatory for them to take one additional course in highschool. Options offered at FHS include French and Spanish.
Visual, Performing, and Applied arts (VPAA), along with physical education and health, are all classes that are only mandatory for students to take once while in high school. Art credit options available to students can be found down the fine arts wing and fall within the following departments: Art, band, choir, publications, theater and video. Specific courses that fulfill the VPAA credit are listed in the 2023-2024 Curriculum Guide.
In addition to the classes above, each student must also take at least four elective classes while attending Fenton High School. There are many elective classes that are available to students based on their grade and each elective gives students an opportunity to find something that they are interested in outside of their required classes.
Some of the electives available for freshmen include: Advanced Journalism (newspaper), Adv. Publications (yearbook), Art Foundations 1, Computer Programming, French, Spanish, Jazz Orchestra, Music Technology and Wind Ensemble.
Sophomores are able to take any of these classes, along with many more options such as Accounting 1, Advanced Dramatic Arts, Advanced Physical Education, Finance, Fitness and Conditioning, Media Services, Sculpture/Drawing & Painting as well as Video Production 2.
Juniors are able to take any elective courses available to freshmen and sophomores, as well as Advanced art, Genesee Career Institute Courses, Advanced Placement Computer Science, Advanced Placement Statistics, Accounting 2, American Legal System, Anatomy, Physiology, Current World Issues, Forensic Science, IB theater, IB Visual Arts, Sociology and Sports & Society. Seniors are able to take any elective provided to the lower grades, with the addition of Work-Based Learning.
All applications for courses are due by Feb. 16 and links for applications and course information can be found here: 2023-24 FHS Application-Audition Links. The final course request deadline is March 10. A direct link to the 2023-2024 Curriculum Guide can be found here: 2023-2024 FHS Curriculum Guide.
