At Belleville High School, there is an abundance of opportunities available to students to elevate their learning. From honors classes to college courses, there is a wealth of knowledge to be claimed if you have the strength to challenge yourself.
For students who enjoy more rigorous coursework, honors classes are a solid option. A common misconception is that all honors classes at BHS are in the process of being phased out. When I spoke to Principal Crockett about this, she informed me that this wasn’t true. The only courses where the school is not offering honors curriculums are English 11 and English 12. She explained that this is because they found them redundant, saying, “If we’re gonna have high rigor in our honors 11th and 12th grade classes, and we have AP classes, why are we doing both? We may as well just allow students to get the credit, you know, on a college level for those classes, rather than just having high school honors.”
Classes that I’ve personally found benefit from an honors curriculum are English classes. In normal classes, I’ll be given huge periods of time to read through small sections of books. While this is to the benefit to some students, I find myself completing the work long before everyone else and having to wait – sometimes days – for the next thing. With honors, I can get more work and get honors credit.
She then went on to say that she wanted to have opportunities for a student to get honors credit for any course. She explained that if you speak to your teachers or counselors, they can provide you with more coursework, and with doing this coursework at the end of the semester the course will count as an honors credit. The hope is that students will not have to be specifically in an honors class to get the level of rigor and advanced work required to have that honors designation.
For those working towards a college education after high school, it’s recommended to look into the AP courses BHS offers its students. With taking these courses, students will take an AP exam that has the potential to get them college credits. Each exam is $98 dollars, and while that may sound like a lot right now, if you wait until college, these classes could cost you thousands. If the only thing holding you back from AP is the price tag, it is encouraged that you speak to your counselor about it. They can absolutely help you.
If honors or AP classes aren’t your bag, or if you are more focused on what your plans post-high school are, I recommend looking into our school’s other learning opportunities. Beneath the Stripes has covered our school’s GIS, CTE, and Early College programs, so if you haven’t already, I recommend reading through those articles to learn more about them. In general, it is always a good idea to take your curiosities up with your counselor.
I think it’s in everyone’s best interest to look into these opportunities and consider them. During my interview with Crockett, she said something about this that stuck with me. She stated that sometimes we don’t know what we need, but if you take these opportunities, they cannot take that experience from you. It is better to have it and not need it, rather than not thinking you’ll need it and then wanting it later.
