Students began their school day on Jan. 7, 2019, in their homerooms to get more information on the upcoming course registration dates and the requirements.

Principal Brett Bowers said in a video addressed to the Homestead student body, “When making course registration decisions, stop and think: who are you, where are you in [your] educational journey, what’s important to you, [and] what are your goals and aspirations?” 

Course registration occurs in two phases. The first will take place this week, Jan 15-17. On those dates, freshmen, sophomores and juniors will spend one on one time with Homestead counselors to discuss course selections for next year.

“I think planning out my courses is important because it lets me know what I need to focus on currently and what to expect in the future,” Savannah Wright, freshman, said. “It just overall lets me plan what I need to focus on.”

On the aforementioned three dates, students will leave their counselling sessions with a firm idea of what courses they will take next year. However, courses do not have to be finalized until Jan. 31, the last day to complete or edit course selections.

“It’s a lot better knowing our course selections now because then we have a heads up of what to expect for next year,” Wright stated. “If anything, planning early makes me more excited, because I know what to expect and I know that it’s my choice.”

Students received a packet that will guide them in their academic planning process, the first form being the academic scheduling form. On the left side of this sheet is a list of required course classes for each grade level and a list of required credits to graduate as a senior. On the right side is fifteen successive lines, or slots, in which each student is required to fill out with the names of their next year courses.

“Planning our courses is important so we can understand and be prepared for what classes we will be taking and what it can do for our future,” Maddy McDonald, freshman, said.

Principal Bowers addressed the student body in a video emphasizing the importance of considering the impacts of students’ course loads on their personal lives and well being. Bowers also discussed the benefits of good decision making and thoroughly thinking through students’ course selections.

“When you’re making course selections, we want those selections to be two things: meaningful and manageable,” Bowers said.

A meaningful course selection would be one you make keeping in mind that “your selections are your academic journey,” according to Bowers. This means making decisions that will benefit students’ interests and academic needs.

“When planning my courses, I keep in mind my interests, how well I did in previous classes of that same subject, whether or not I need more of a challenge in a course and expanding my choices by taking different types of classes,” Wright said.

Manageable choices are ones that do not cause too much stress in a student’s life, while also being academically challenging to a degree. Students are asked to identify on their course selection sheets what class would be their ‘academic stretch’, a class that would be outside of their ‘comfort zone’. It is recommended that students take a few classes that are academic stretches but do not feel their schedule fully with challenging courses.

“Your health, your wellness, [and] your sense of mental stability is way more important than any course choice you make; it’s way more important than any grade point average, and, in the long run, it will help you ensure that you are the successful, healthy adult you want to be,” Bowers said.

On Jan 15, freshmen will meet their counselors, Jan. 16 will be sophomores, and Jan. 17 will be juniors. What time of day students meet with those counselors will depend on students’ first letter of their last name. If you have any questions about what time you are supposed to go or any others leading up to course registration, please communicate them with a teacher or school counselor.