At Santa Rosa Academy, students are given the choice of which electives they would like to take for that school year. Each class provides a different skill to the student. But, what electives are there now, what are they about, and what electives are expected to come?

In the 2023-2024 school year, Santa Rosa Academy has many different electives, such as journalism, Spanish, art, theater, robotics, yearbook, etc.

Ms. Leilani Worthington, Santa Rosa’s Leadership and Biomed teacher says, “This year our electives are Bio-med, Engineering, Business, Graphic Design, Public Safety, Theatre, Robotics, Computer Science, Leadership, Study Hall, Aquatics, CPR, Elementary PE, Yearbook, Journalism.”

One of the electives at SRA is art. Taught by Ms. Jannelly Herrera, Santa Rosa Academy has Art 1, Art 2, and Advanced Art classes. In each class, the students learn new skills.

“My teaching practice is very pragmatic and hands-on, students learn how to create artwork through practice, experimentation, and resilience.”

In addition, students get the experience of presenting their artwork.

“We host three artists of the month, each month. Students have their art displayed and framed in the classroom and then at the front office. We have various art galleries in the classroom where students are encouraged to showcase their work.”

From gaining all of these skills, students now have many paths to choose from. Going to both career paths as well as hobbies.

Ms. Herrera states, “I personally do not have the philosophy that art needs to be turned into a job. I focus on teaching students a lifelong skill that they can use to help with mental stress, enjoyment and to help with self-confidence. The skills that they learn do prepare them to be able to sell artwork in the future if they choose to do so or to become art critics.”

As well as art, Santa Rosa Academy has a yearbook elective. This elective is taught by Ms. Michelle Walthall.

Students in this class help with the distribution of the yearbooks. As well as that, the students take photos, interview the students and staff, and create the pages following the design of the year.

Students learn many skills in the class that can be used in more ways beyond the class itself.

“The perfection of writing, communication, design, and interviewing skills benefits students in any job they acquire in the future. We also have to keep strict deadlines to make sure the book is received on time, and learning to manage time and keep deadlines is also an important skill that can be used in any job or career.”

There are many benefits to joining the class. Allowing students to create something that will still be around for years to come.

“Some benefits of being in Yearbook are that students get to see how it all comes together and be a part of creating something that people hold onto forever. When the students design the yearbook, it is more meaningful for all involved. I also try each year to give students a complimentary hoodie that they are allowed to wear to school any day. There is also a yearbook discount offered to students who go above and beyond when it comes to editing time.”

Along with these two, there is also the Spanish elective. Taught by Ms. Elizabeth Campos and Mr. Zachary Ross, they work together to teach a possible three-year-long elective course.

Ms. Campos explains what students learn saying, “Throughout the course, students not only learn to communicate effectively in Spanish but also gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the diverse traditions, customs, and perspectives of Spanish-speaking communities around the world.”

From students learning a second language, they have many more job opportunities.

“Learning a second language offers students a competitive edge in various fields such as international business, education, healthcare, tourism, and translation/interpretation.” This is so, because people of multiple languages break the barrier of communication to allow things to easily come across and for more people to understand.

Leadership is another elective as well. This class is available to all students who are looking to be more involved with school events. Ms. Leilani Worthington is the teacher for this elective.

“In leadership, students learn how to plan and execute events. The students choose activities/events to work on. They choose a team, prepare a budget, create a marketing plan, plan the activity and execute the activity.”

In the class, students learn to be more responsible which will help in multiple aspects.

“The skills they learn are initiative, planning, attention to detail, teamwork, hard work, prioritization, compromise, follow through, and many more. These skills will be helpful in every career path that these students take because they can enhance anything they do.”Robotics, taught by Mr. Miguel Sanchez, is another elective that students can take as well.

Playto Labs explains that a Robotics class can teach students many lessons that can be used in the outside world. Students learn to think creatively as well as critically, learn to problem solve, as well as combining both math and science into something.

There is also a Journalism class led by the new 10th grade English teacher, Ms. Brittney Cairns. The class has created the online student newspaper “The Lasso”, a podcast, and social media sites (@SRAPress). The goal of the journalism class is to tell the story of SRA, provide important news updates to the SRA community, and encourage student dialogue.

Edutopia says, “[Journalism class] gives kids the tools to tell the stories of their communities and make them active contributors to civic life—not just readers and writers.”

According to Cairns, “many people believe that journalism is a dying industry. However, as we discuss in class, a free democracy relies on the strengths of those in the journalism field. In addition to building strong journalism skills, the class teaches students skills that will translate into the college environment and workforce including critical thinking, organization, time management, and effective oral communication.”

The school also has Computer Science, Study Hall, Theatre, and College and Career. Santa Rosa Academy is planning to have all of the same classes next year, with the possible speculation of some new ones. However, this is not yet known.
Ms. Worthington says, “As far as I know, those same electives will be taught next year.”