As the first half of the semester approaches and more ads pop up on Trident TV about class information meetings, many CdM students are having to choose which classes they want to take next school year. Students get to pick from a wide range of classes that vary from grade-to-grade. This is also a time for students to look back on their year and make decisions about what they want to continue pursuing. A few CdM students chimed in about their experiences and future plans.

Freshman Ryan Ordubadi plans to continue the classes he had this year, “I had sign language 1, so I’m going to take sign language 2. I had drama 1, so I’m going to take drama 2.” Those two classes are also the classes he is most looking forward to. He thinks that sign language is a lot of fun and can tell that “… Mrs. Owney really loves teaching that class and that she really wants to inspire people to learn sign language.” This year he enjoyed his English class with Ms. Sensenbaugh, however “… generally, in all of my classes, I could tell my teachers really cared about those classes. So, I love all of my classes.”

Sophomore Eulalie Hadoux used to live in Colombia and speaks three languages, one of them being French. So next year, she is going to take AP French because she finds French interesting and “… when I started to learn English I forgot some words in French, so taking French classes helps me maintain my French.” She isn’t entirely sure which classes she is taking next year, but she has thought about “… joining Drama or joining a class that is related to art because I find it very interesting,” and she wants to study art in the future. Hadoux’s favorite classes this year were Marine Science and World History because she is “… very interested in the ocean and … learning about the history of humanity and how we evolve over time seems very surprising to me.”

Junior Karen Raines is going to take AP Computer Science A because even though she knows it’s tough, “… but as someone who is taking the safer route with classes, I want to challenge myself.” She has finished her language and science requirements so she isn’t worried about that, but she is still deciding between Calculus AB and AP Statistics. Raines is looking forward to Choir because, “… yes you get those stragglers who take the class just for the credit or to fill their schedule, but, for the most part, you’re lucky enough to be surrounded by people who share the same passion for that subject. Just as there can be a strong connection between a sport or dance team, I can always come back to a safe community in the vocal department at cdm. It’s a relieving feeling to finish a performance and be able to appreciate all of the hard work that’s being displayed and reminisce about the memories made throughout the year as well.” This year she really enjoyed, “… Captan’s class because his lectures and jokes are pretty funny. The structure of the lecture and then class time to fill out our packets can be tedious with all of the terms and questions but I appreciate the routine. I don’t have to come to class everyday wondering what it will be like.” She also liked math because she has always been a math person since she prefers, “… structure over what-ifs and loose ended things. I’ve never been a fan of “what’s your hypothesis” in science. And while I sometimes enjoy writing, and spinning my own story for language arts, it doesn’t give me the same warm feeling as math where there are rules and ways to reach a definitive answer,” and this year she really liked the girls at her math table. Throughout her five years at CdM her favorite classes were Mrs. Owney’s American Sign Language (ASL) class and Ms. Keane’s math class, “I remember in sixth grade when they introduced the list of courses available at CdM and my eyes were immediately drawn to ASL. I didn’t take any languages in middle school because I knew I could learn amazing things in Mrs. Owney’s class. Despite my first year being on zoom, I couldn’t wait to come back every time and listen to the way she teaches signs to her students. There’s always a story to remember, as well as some history for how the sign evolved, the same way spoken language is constantly changing. One step into her classroom and you can immediately tell she cares deeply about her students and you can confide in her when you are struggling with something. She always shares her supplies and comes to school with a smile on her face and something interesting to share. Shameless plug to Mrs. Keane though. I had her last year for Enhanced Math 2, and my brother has her this year, and we both love the way she teaches. Everything is clear and it enhanced my love for the subject.”

The 2022/23 school year seemed to treat these students well and they all appeared excited for next year.