In their four years of high school, students can take a variety of courses at Pennridge. Often during course selection time, students get confused about what courses they want to take. That’s why Zoe Boone, Emily Detwiler, Arushi Singh, and I decided to pick our favorite courses in our high school careers which made the biggest impacts on us. Out of all the courses offered at Pennridge, we chose: Introduction to Art, Spanish, Humanities, and French. We hope to be able to give some insight and perhaps make the process of choosing classes for future Pennridge students a little bit easier.

Shreya Tripathi: Introduction to Art
My favorite class has been Introduction to Art with Ms.Troutman which I took my senior year. This is a half-year class that is offered to students in 9th-12th grade. This is a beginner-level art course that focuses on developing student skills in art-making and creative thinking. Something that stood out to me about this class is how there are people from all different grades in this class. It was definitely interesting because I usually have a lot of the same classes with the same people in my usual schedule, however, this class gave me an opportunity to interact with new faces. Additionally, it was a nice break from the school day that allowed for a creative outlet It was also a very positive and encouraging atmosphere. I think that my favorite project was completing a zendoodle drawing where we got to experiment with drawing different types of patterns within an art piece. In my experience art courses allow students to gain new outlets to express their creativity, which is sometimes not seen in other classroom settings.

Zoe Boone: Spanish
Boone’s favorite classes were her Spanish courses which she took from her freshman to senior year. The Spanish classes at Pennridge range from Spanish I to AP Spanish which offers a class for each skill level. Boone started off taking Spanish in middle school since it is the most widely used language out of the offerings at Pennridge. There is a large Hispanic population in America and geographically America is very close to Spanish-speaking countries such as Mexico, the Caribbean Islands, and Central America which encourages many people to learn the language. Through this class, Boone has been able to learn real-world applications of the Spanish language. “I have been able to use some basic phrases with Spanish-speaking customers at my job as a cashier, and I am planning on using my knowledge on my vacation to Mexico this summer,” explains Boone. Some skills that Boone has learned are becoming more educated and aware of different cultures as well as an expansion of her skill levels with reading, writing, and speaking Spanish. Boone says that she has loved all of the Spanish teachers that she has had throughout her time at Pennridge, and would like to give a shoutout to Jenna Berger, a teacher who she had for two years since she did an amazing job teaching during COVID and incorporated fun projects into the classroom.

Emily Detwiler: Freshman Year Humanities
Detwiler’s favorite classes were her Humanities classes. Humanities at Pennridge is a course for freshmen which consists of a history and English class that is two periods back-to-back with the same classmates. In this project-driven class, students get a chance to learn through seminars, discussions, and other engaging activities. Through this class, Detwiler got to interact with lots of different people which made the class more fun. This course allows students to develop their critical thinking skills, communication skills, and work as a team. “I liked being with the same people for two periods in a row, got super close with my classmates, and the teachers were so nice and tried to make it fun,” says Detwiler. Detwiler enjoyed the project-based coursework since it helped her with her presentation skills which she was able to showcase at Da Vinci Day, an end of fair for all Humanities to showcase their independent research projects. When Detwiler looks back on her freshman year, she realizes that humanities helped make the transition to high school easier.

Arushi Singh: French
Singh’s favorite classes were her French classes which she took from her freshman to her junior year. The French classes at Pennridge range from French I to AP French Language and Culture. Singh says that she picked French in middle school since she always thought that it was a beautiful language whenever she would hear it. Taking French in high school helped Singh in real-world applications. “I actually went to France on a vacation and was able to understand road signs, culture, and interactions. It was interesting to see how high school classes translate into the real world,” says Singh. When choosing between the three language classes Singh says to those who ask, “You should choose French because there is a lot of interactive and engaging curriculum like learning songs, watching movies, and enjoying a lively and upbeat environment.” When reflecting back on her French classes Singh adored all the teachers that she had and loved her decision to take French in high school.