One recent morning, a group of Hockinson High School students sat at a bank of computers, writing and troubleshooting JavaScript code—part of the school’s first computer science class.
Taylor Lecount programmed directions for an onscreen dog; Katherine Johnson worked on a program that would compute how many miles per hour a person ran; and Kelston Hubler created a French flag.
“It’s more entertaining than regular math,” Kelston, a senior, said. “And I’m learning a valuable skill in an increasingly technological world.”
The course, which enables students to work at their own pace, offers an alternative to calculus or statistics for students seeking math credits.
“It’s not the typical math coursework, but all the logic and problem-solving is like math,” said math—and now computer science—teacher Berit Kretz. “It does change the way you think.”
Computer science is one of three new offerings the school implemented this fall, along with metal fabrication and AP Spanish.
“We offer an incredible variety of classes for our small size,” Principal Colleen Anders observed.
The metal fabrication class is an exploratory course in the school’s Career Technical Education program.
Previously, those who wanted to study metal fab had to wait until their junior or senior years to go to Cascadia Tech Academy, which offers a full course.
The AP—Advanced Placement—Spanish option came as seniors, who received high school credit for Spanish as Middle School students, sought a way to continue their Spanish studies for a fifth year.
AP French could end up at HHS in the future. The Middle School began offering the language this fall.
Originally published in Hockinson’s November 2017 newsletter “Education Matters.”