Every year at CHS, new courses are added to our vast catalog of courses to create a learning environment that keeps students interested and engaged, whilst filling their graduation requirements. The school strives to give students every opportunity they can to find a class they are interested in, with faculty working to create spaces where students are excited to learn. For the 2025-2026 school year, eight new courses and one new program are being offered to students Covering areas such as visual arts, history, and postsecondary education skills, here are the 9 brand new courses and programs coming to CHS.
Podcasting (open to grades 10,11, and 12)
Are you someone who loves to listen to podcasts, whether it’s chilling true crimes, noteworthy news, or celebrity interviews? If so, this new English elective is for you. Students will be able to explore the media form of podcasting and learn how to tell stories through audio entertainment. Students will learn how to produce and write their podcast episodes, creating a set of 3-6 podcast episodes by the end of the course. This course is perfect for those interested in understanding different forms of media and the role they play in our society and how to share your own story through them.
Theatre and Film as Literature (open to grades 11 and 12)
Interested in how your favorite book/written work became a super good or horrible movie, TV show, or stage production? Taking place in the second semester, students who enroll in this English elective will study how written texts are adapted into works for the stage and screen and the relationship between these two forms of storytelling. Perfect for those interested in writing for movies and plays, the course explores how character development, themes, narrative techniques, and much more are used to express stories through various mediums of writing.
Visual Journaling (open to grades 9, 10, 11, and 12)
In this art elective, students will learn how to create visual journals that express their feelings, ideas, observations, etc. This class is one of two art classes offered that do not have any prerequisites, allowing an alternative option to students — especially lowerclassmen — who want to take a less refined and traditional art course. A unique feature that this class provides is that it is centered on open-ended assignments and does not rely on a finished product. This creates less stress for students who feel pressure to finish specific pieces in a certain period of time, and a space to express themselves without any pressure.
Music Technology and Sound Engineering (open to grades 9, 10, 11, and 12)
Ever wanted to produce your own music? This music elective introduces students to the program Soundtrap to mix, edit, record, and produce music. It also introduces concepts such as MIDI, effects, loops, and virtual instruments to students in order to increase their knowledge of music technology and sound engineering overall. This course is great for those interested in learning about or going into the field of music production and learning how to use programs that are industry standard. It also encourages students to become comfortable with sharing their projects with their peers, fostering creativity and collaboration with peers.
Critical Music Analysis (open to grades 9, 10, 11, and 12)
Perfect for those who love to pick apart every detail of the music they listen to or have a love of learning about music, this course is a perfect introduction into the world of musical analysis. Through understanding the principles of musical analysis and listening to pieces across all genres, students will gain an appreciation and new-found skills of evaluating and analyzing music, along with writing well-structured critiques. The course emphasizes the historical and contemporary contexts to music, and how they influence music overall.
Stage Craft 2 (open to grades 9, 10, 11, and 12)
Took Stagecraft 1 and said “I want more!!”? Don’t you fret because now you do! Stage Craft 2 takes the skills one learned in Stagecraft 1 and advances them even further. From designing and producing sets, to hair, makeup, costumes, and creating ways to publicize the show put on by the Theatre Studio class, Stagecraft 2 helps create a holistic knowledge of the production process in the world of theatre.
AP African American Studies (open to grades 11 and 12)
A new addition to the extensive list of AP History electives and the newest AP class overall, AP African American Studies covers the variation of the African American experience via encounters with different and authentic sources. Students will explore key topics ranging from the early African kingdoms to the issues the community still faces in the modern world. The class provides a holistic development of skills of understanding these issues historically, visually, and through data sets and literary works. The class comes together at the end with the AP test taken in May, a required element of all AP classes. This class is perfect for students who want to understand the history of African Americans as a group in the context of American history and study the diversity of African American communities across the country.
Career Exploration and Preparation II (open to grades 9, 10, 11, and 12)
Offered to those who have completed Career Exploration and Preparation I, this course helps advance and build on the knowledge learned in the previous part in order to be fully prepared for a postsecondary education. Skills the course focuses on include keeping a balanced lifestyle, professional communication, understanding learning styles, and management skills. This course provides students with the materials needed to have a successful and balanced life and how to use those skills in adulthood.
Work Based Learning (open to grade 12 only)
By senior year, you probably have an idea of what you want to do after you graduate. The Work Based Learning program, or WBL for short, provides an opportunity to students who want to gain employment experience before they graduate. Students will come to school for classes in the morning, then leave during the afternoon to take up a supervised job. The student will have monthly meetings during lunch about related employment coursework and also have biweekly visits from the supervising teacher at their job to make sure they are gaining valuable knowledge and experience.