By Shivali Shah, Co-Editor-in-Chief
From Photography I to Spanish Advanced Special Topics, the wide range of courses available to high school students in the Howard County Public School System can make choosing next year’s class schedule a daunting task, especially for 8th graders and current freshmen who are new to the process. Catering to this audience, River Hill hosted its 30th annual Scheduling Extravaganza to give families the opportunity to explore the options available to students.
The event took place on Wednesday, January 7th, with around two hundred people in attendance, the majority of those being the parents of rising freshmen. After hearing a presentation on the scheduling process from River Hill’s administration, families were able to peruse the variety of courses. They did so by walking through course stations located all throughout the second level of the school
The interactive nature of the evening appeared to achieve its goal of easing the transition into the next academic year. Junior Serena Soldavin, a student representative for the Foundations of Curriculum and Instruction class, emphasizes this success, “I think that a good amount of parents and students came to the event. They seemed happy to have their questions about classes answered and they were more confident about going into high school.”
Senior Sanah Ahmed, an NHS volunteer at the event, also noted that the Extravaganza was well received, saying, “Parents and students seemed very interested in the event [and] teachers didn’t seem to have any difficulty finding people to talk to about their classes. Parents were particularly invested in the AP course discussion.”
The AP Course Discussion took place in the media center after parents had time to walk through the course stations. River Hill admin explained what constitutes an AP class, explaining workload, pacing, and exam expectations. The session also focused on the transition from G/T classes to AP-level coursework, helping students and parents better understand the different academic pathways offered at River Hill.
Ahmed also highlighted the value of interacting with teachers in-person, “It’s one thing to see the names of courses in a catalog but it’s another thing to talk to the teachers face-to-face to help decide whether or not you actually want to take that course. It’s a much more immersive experience that adds a whole layer of comfort for rising high schoolers.”
While the Scheduling Extravaganza helped many families feel more prepared, some felt that not all of their questions were fully addressed. “Overall, the event was very well run,” Soldavin explains. “But, there could have been more information about CC courses, as the process seemed to be confusing for incoming students.”
Ahmed also emphasized the confusion around dual enrollment, “One teacher was mentioning how there usually is an HCC representative but this time there wasn’t and I believe that could have been useful considering how many questions I got from parents about dual enrollment.”
Beyond confusion about specific courses, the physical structure of the event also created barriers between staff and families. Mrs. Noecker, River Hill’s Human Growth and TAP teacher, explains that “the format of having the parents and students walk the whole top level [of the school] didn’t allow for a lot of communication. I think the parents seemed a little bit intimidated or didn’t know that they could stop and talk to us because we were just spread out all over the place…There was a big disconnect there with that.”
For students just beginning their journeys at River Hill, the Scheduling Extravaganza ultimately encouraged exploration and reflection. “I would tell current 8th graders to take advantage of the many different classes offered at River Hill,” Soldavin explains. “Take classes that you are interested in because they just might introduce you to a new topic you really love.”