New Developments at WMHS

      Woburn Memorial High School is back and better than ever for the 2017-2018 school year and with quite a few changes.  Entering her second year at WMHS, Principal Jessica Callanan has brought new ideas to improve the school, the education and lives of the students. New courses are one of the more significant additions to WMHS.  The school is now offering two dual enrollment courses:  Early Childhood Education and Intro to Psychology.  A dual enrollment course allows the student to receive both high school and college credit.

      The new Intro to Psychology course gives the student history credit at WMHS and is also taught at an AP level.  The requirements to be accepted into the course are that the student must be a junior or senior, has at least a 2.5 GPA, and also must be in good standing and pass an Accuplacer test.  The course is an introduction to the study of how people behave and function.  Another perk is you will receive three credits at a reduced rate at Middlesex Community College in completion of the course.

      Senior Shayla Callahan is one of the many students who took advantage of this unique opportunity.  She explains her reasoning for taking Psychology,

      “My main reason for taking the course is because I am planning on minoring in psychology in college and wanted to get a head start on the material in the field.  I also think psychology is a beneficial field to learn about regardless of your major because it gives an inside look on behaviorism and function of the human brain.”

      Similarly to Intro to Psychology, the Early Childhood Education course allows students to receive 3 credits at Middlesex Community College along with 2.5 credits at WMHS.  The requirements to take  the class are identical to that of the other.  Early Childhood Education is a developmental course that will provide students with an overview of early care and educational programs.

      One other popular new class at WMHS is the AP Environmental Science course.  The requirements are the student must be a junior or senior with a grade of at least a B in any Chemistry and Biology class.  AP Environmental provides students with scientific principles and methodologies to understand the interrelationships of the natural world and humanity.  Students will also learn to identify and analyze natural and man-made problems, and evaluate risks and solutions with the problems.

      The new courses at the school all provide new opportunities to students that have yet to be offered in Woburn.  The popular classes are already thriving here at WMHS.

      Woburn High has also introduced an advisory block for students that will take place every Friday morning.  The period of twenty minutes will take place between second and third period in homeroom.  The purpose of this advisory block is to strengthen the communication in multiple areas between faculty and students, amongst students, and a link between school and home.  The advisors are homeroom teachers paired with other faculty to ensure the time is up to its fullest potential.

      Advisory block has different goals for each grade as talking about the same topics for all would not be as beneficial.  Freshman advisory will focus on adjustments into WMHS and what to expect for the next four years.  For sophomores, they begin exploring the careers and opportunities that lie ahead of them.  Juniors begin their most stressful year of high school, and start discussing their plans for after high school.  As for Seniors, next in line to enter the world outside of high school, talk with their advisors and each other about the reality of life after they graduate that soon awaits them.

      With her first advisory behind her, freshman Sophia Gregory responds with her opinion on the advisory block,

      “I think it’s necessary for learning new things we didn’t know and being able to listen to what the teachers have to say, which I believe is important.  It will help us adapt because it encourages students to get themselves out there and do clubs, play sports, and meet all new people.  The first advisory for my class was about the fire drill which helped me by knowing where I was going to be going if I was in that particular room, also helped by knowing where other exits were located around the area I was present in.”  

      It may be too early to tell what good will actually come from the advisory block for everyone.  As for freshman however, it is already becoming a useful tool  as they try to adapt to life at WMHS.

      The school year just beginning, and we have lots to look forward to for the rest of the year and the future in general.  The new courses and new advisory block are just a couple significant additions that will hopefully benefit many students.  After these recent additions, it leaves students and faculty excited about what else the future has in store.

--Submitted by Rachael Richards