Medfield High School Improvement Plan: New Curriculum

Editor's Note: Medfield Patch will take an individual look at each theme in Judy Noble’s end of year report at the high school and will also take an in-depth look at goals for the 2011-12 academic year, new curriculum being offered in the fall, an advisor-advisee pilot program taking place, student life and community involvement and the transition from Noble to Robert Parga as Medfield High School principal. This is part eight of our 11-part Medfield High School series.

Medfield High School has added four new courses to its curriculum for the 2011-2012 academic year.

Former Medfield High School Principal Judy Noble said in her end of the year report and improvement plan that a cross-curricular learning course will be offered as well as ballroom dance and athletic training. An advanced placement (AP) government course will replace the AP political science course that was taught by Richard DeSorgher, who retired after 35 years of service in the district in June. 

"In terms of curriculum, we took a look at the NEASC report and one of the areas there was to incorporate more cross-curricular learning," Noble said. "A course has been developed for [2011-2012 school year] that will be offered on the Holocaust."

Noble said this course will last a full semester and students will spend one term, or quarter of the year, with an English teacher and one quarter with a social studies teacher. The goal is to create an "overlap of information."

"At some point all of the students will be together simultaneously," Noble said. "The social study teacher and English teacher will have the students at the same time so there are roughly 50 students signed up for the course."

Noble said students will be split into two sections but throughout the semester will learn together.

"From time to time during the semester [the two sections of students] will work on projects together, listen to speakers together and there will be a significant amount of overlap amongst the two," Noble said. 

Noble said the ballroom dance and athletic training courses will "provide an opportunity for all students to be exposed to what [the administration] feels are two very important options for them."

A Medfield High health and wellness teacher, Karen Renaud, introduced a ballroom dance unit as part of her wellness curriculum to the high school three years ago. The unit was a three-week program offered to sophomores but it was Renaud's goal to turn it into a full-semester course, offered to all students at the high school.

A grant for $7,500 and instrumental support from the Medfield Coalition for Public Education (MCPE) made Renaud's dream of a ballroom dance class come true and it will all come to fruition this academic year. 

"The [goal of the] semester section [is to have] students really learn in-depth, 10 of the ballroom dances and we are looking to participate in competitions," Renaud said.  

As for the AP government course, Noble said with DeSorgher's retirement, it was appropriate to shift curriculum from political science to government. 

"That course will take place in the fall," Noble said. 

To read part one of this series, 

To read part two of this series,  

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To read part four of this series, click here.

 To read part five of this series, click here.

To read part six of this series, click here.

To read part seven of this series,