There are so many options for electives at Linganore High School (LHS), but which ones are the best?

 Most departments at Linganore have under enrolled classes, many of which consist of upper-level classes. Students may believe that core curriculum classes may not have electives or classes that are underrated, but this is not true. There are a wide variety of pathways one can take at LHS. 

One good example of this is the Accelerated English 10/11 course. 

Mary Troxel teaches English 10/11 at LHS. 

“If you take English 10/11, then you have the ability to take two [English classes] in one year, which gives you the option your junior and senior year to do both English 101 and 102, AP Comp [composition] and AP lit, or a combination of 101, AP Lit or AP Comp [and] 102,” Troxel said. “Basically, it gives you more options … in general; it helps you get into college, and actually preps you for that.”

Troxel highly recommends English 10/11 as a fun and immersive experience. Students may create posters, podcasts, books or write and perform plays.

“It’s not just, like, ‘Oh I wrote an essay.’ It’s like, ‘How do these characters link up?’ … It should help you be able to think deeper and then also broader with what you’re creating,” Troxel said. 

Journalism is also a beloved class for those that take it. Emily Rice is a junior in the journalism program and serves as an Editor-in-Chief. She has taken the class four times, which makes her tied for the most experienced member of the program. She recommends students take the class to pursue their own interests and gain leadership experience.

“Journalism is a great class for getting to do what you want to do,” said Rice. “It has taught me so much more about my interests and how to be a leader in a variety of settings.”

In the history department, there are a variety of electives outside of the required classes. Students may be interested to learn about World Religions, AP Human Geography, Black and African-American Studies, September 11 to the Present, National and Global Issues and more.

Darren Hornbeck, a history teacher at LHS, said, “We believe we’ve got enough classes in the history department that everybody can find a class that they like, and every teacher gets to teach a class that is beneficial to them.” 

Another history teacher at LHS, Aaron Burch, said, “Courses like World Religions will pop up every few years. We do have really exciting new classes like Black and African-American Studies and Law and Society that a lot of students are really excited about!”

Once students have completed Fundamentals of Chemistry or Chemistry 1 Honors, they can further their scientific interest in upper-level science electives. AP Chemistry is one of these electives available for juniors and seniors. This two-semester class teaches students how to enhance their learning skills in a lab setting. 

Outside of core curriculum classes, the art department has a number of underrated classes, such as AP Art History and AP Studio Art. 

“I think art is extremely important,” said Christian Madesnpacher, an art teacher at Linganore. “Tying back to the culture and our society… I think art is all around us.” 

Madesnpacher suggests taking art classes as a way to relieve students from academic stress and as a lifelong hobby. 

“[Students] can lean on that as a hobby once they graduate from school,” Madenspacher said. “I have talked to a number of graduates that have come back or just reached out and said, ‘Hey! You know, what, I’m taking a ceramics class, or an art class, or I just bought a potters’ wheel,’ and I think that’s really, really cool.” 

Students may be interested in continuing to further their skills in an upper-level language. Although these classes often end up having lower enrollment, they can be extremely beneficial. 

“Upper-level Spanish classes are fun, because they push you beyond what you are comfortable with, because you are not just learning the basics of the language anymore,” said junior Maggie Malone. “You get to focus on things like culture and literature.” 

Students should turn in their registration sheets by February 1 to register for the 2024-25 school year. You can find the course offerings guide at here.