Alright Patriots, it's that time of year: Course Request Time! Next week (Feb. 27) returning students will be sent home with a Course Request Form & Course Description. Here are some FAQ's about Course Requests:

Q: How do we know which classes to sign up for?

A: The course request cards are laid out with required classes first, and elective classes second. If you and/or your student are having a hard time deciding between regular or honors courses, it's a good idea to check in with that teacher and see what they recommend! We also highly recommend reading the course descriptions before choosing classes. That will help you to know if there is a pre-requisite (a class that needs to be taken before taking that class), if there's a fee, and if the class sounds interesting to you. If you/your student have an IEP or specialized class, don't stress! Just check the regular core classes, and focus on the electives. We will make the necessary adjustments to schedules on our end.

Q: Will I get all the classes I signed up for?

A: We try out VERY best to give students their top choices when it comes to elective classes, but scheduling can be a tricky thing. The more "specialty" classes a student has (all honors core classes, single-offering classes like Band or Orchestra), the harder it is to schedule everything in. Sometimes that means having to make a choice between one class or another, and that's okay!

Q: How many classes should I choose?

A: Each grade has a different amount of space for electives. Make sure to read the instructions very carefully when choosing classes! When in doubt, it's okay to choose more classes than you actually have space for, it gives us more options when creating a schedule.

Q: When are Course Requests due?

A: They are DUE on March 3 to your Crew teacher and they MUST be signed by a parent or guardian. We will be having all returning 6th and 7th graders put their elective choices into Skyward starting on March 6. If students don't have their Course Request cards turned in and signed, they won't be able to put their choices into Skyward, and will be scheduled after everyone else has been scheduled. So if you're late with this one, you might not get the classes you want.

Q: Who do I contact if I have questions about the Course Request card?

A: You can reach out to your Counselor: Mr. Ali or Ms. Van Valkenburg!

To honor and continue to learn about some of our outstanding historical figures during Black History Month, let's see what information YOU know or can find about some of the most well know people below. The first three people that can correctly email me with what each person was best known and celebrated for will get to come to the office and share what they learned about one of the people on the morning announcements. If you do a great job on your presentation, I will also see if I can get you a high five from Devon. It will be a tall order, but I will see if I can work some magic.

African American inventor Marie Van Brittan Brown contributed to a safer society with her invention of the first home security system. Her invention was the first closed-circuit television security system and paved the way for modern home security systems used today.

Brown was born in 1922 in Jamaica, Queens, New York. She started off her career working as a nurse. Her husband, Albert Brown, was an electronics technician. As a nurse, Brown worked long hours and would return home late at night. Her husband, too, had irregular hours, so she was often alone at night. Fearful of being vulnerable in a high-crime neighborhood, Brown decided to figure out a way to see who was at her door if she heard knocking.

In 1966, Brown, along with the assistance of her husband, invented a security system which consisted of four peepholes, a sliding camera, television monitors, and two-way microphones. These items created a closed-circuit television system for surveillance, also known as CCTV. With multiple peepholes, the sliding camera was able to capture images of people who were different heights. The two-way microphones allowed Brown to communicate with the person outside. She also had a remote that would allow her to unlock the door at a safer distance. Lastly, she could press an emergency button that would send an alarm to police or security.