The Seymour Community School Corp. board of education recently approved six new course offerings for Seymour High School, some involving a cross of technology and business and others pertaining to literature and word study.
Assistant Principal Steve Bush brought the request before the board at the Dec. 13 meeting for its consideration. The proposed classes were principles of entrepreneurship, new venture development, small business operations, business management capstone, etymology and biographies.
Bush said in order for Seymour High School to adapt to the ever-changing guidance of the Indiana Department of Education, they will need to add four business classes to the course catalogue.
“These courses will be replacing those that are currently associated with Owl Manufacturing,” he said. “The changes in course names and numbers are necessary for us to be in compliance with the Next Level Programs of Study.”
He said the change should help the school involve a more diverse array of students into Owl Manufacturing as the metamorphosis will require the integration of the business department with the industrial/technology department.
Bush said the two English classes were recommended by Chris Rose, the SHS department chair, and Randy Fife, the SHS director of guidance.
During January’s school board meeting, Principal Greg Prange brought the courses before the board of trustees once more, this time as an action item. The vote to accept the new classes was unanimous and moved forward.
Prange said they were excited to have the new courses implemented at the high school.
“Advanced manufacturing, what we now call Owl Manufacturing, is being retired,” he said. “These new classes will be a cross-curricular between industrial technology and business.”
Prange said it was his understanding that equipment to develop makerspaces and flexible work spaces will be funded via the READI grant matching funds.
Makerspaces are places in which people with shared interests, especially in computing or technology, can gather to work on projects while sharing ideas, equipment and knowledge.
Prange said the following classes will begin during the 2023-24 school year: Principles of entrepreneurship, new venture development, etymology and biographies. Small business operations and business management capstone will be added to the curriculum for the 2024-25 school year.
The Tribune later asked Rose about the two new English classes, etymology and biographies, and how they might benefit students.
Rose said etymology is the study of the history of words, especially their roots and root words. He then explained how students take the PSAT their sophomore and junior years, and also in the junior year, students take the required SAT, which is the state’s required assessment.
“A strong vocabulary helps on both tests because the level of vocabulary in the readings and even in the questions is challenging,” Rose said. “Having a good knowledge of roots will help students define even unfamiliar words, and the students who take etymology will see an improvement on those kinds of assessments.”
Rose said the biographies course will give students more options in course offerings.
“It will be like other English courses and adhere to the state’s standards except it will obviously focus on the specific genre, literature about the life of a real person, rather than on fiction or other types of nonfiction,” he said. “Students will do a lot of reading and writing about the biographies.”