Carthage High School adds outdoor education, beekeeping, ASL classes

The phrase "Outdoor PE" has been replaced with "Outdoor Education" to better reflect the name and goals of the class.

Outdoor education, beekeeping and American Sign Language are some of the new class options for Carthage High School students this year.

“We have grown to a capacity where kids are needing options,” says Principal Justin Smith.

For students, the new classes offer an alternative to the previous curriculum.

The outdoor education class has been a hit amongst students. With activities like fishing and hiking, students enjoy getting out of the classroom and into a calm environment. Coach Reginald Hill teaches the class.

“Most of these kids sit in classrooms for hours. It is good to see that they enjoy the outdoors as much as I do,” says Hill, “The students love the class and always come with a great attitude. The students are often calmer and able to focus more when in nature.”

With upcoming plans for archery and cooking, students are excited for the opportunity to learn in a unique way.

Sophomore Braxton Ritter says, “From what Coach Hill has told us, I’m really excited for what’s next in class. I’ve been really enjoying the fishing.”

Another of the new classes is the American Sign Language program. In addition to computer science and Spanish, ASL offers an alternative way for students to earn their foreign language credit.

Taught by Coach Yancarlo Palacios, students learn through a computer program called Edgenuity. They are able to watch videos and learn about non-verbal cues that are essential to ASL communication.

Palacios says in regards to ASL, “I don’t have a background.” As the teacher is learning with his students, the online program is a breeze, “I have to cut them off to where they can’t keep going. Some could just finish the whole thing and be done, but it’s supposed to last the whole semester.”

Beekeeping has taken the interest of several students. Taught by Ashley Harris, who is also the floral design teacher, the class is now focused on learning the fundamentals of bees’ life cycles and growing their knowledge of the care of these pollinators.

“The kids are learning all the basics,” says Assistant Principal Brad Milam, “We’ve got some great benefactors ready to provide us with an established colony.”

In the coming weeks, students will get their bees as well as an observation box. This box allows students to see inside the colony and study the behaviors and roles of individual bees. Learning the whole process from the growth of colonies to transportation and collecting honey is important for students to build a strong knowledge of the beekeeping process.

“We are really excited about where we’re going. We want to make sure that we were ready, and we’re ready right now, and you’ll start seeing our bees here in the next couple of weeks, hopefully,” Milam said.

Milam has been a strong advocate for the class and has the goal of having a self-sustaining program in mind. As part of a “pathway” at the high school, students take a set of classes to earn an endorsement at graduation. Beekeeping and other endorsements push students in the direction of their choice and give them the experience they need to grow in their field.

Principal Smith extends his appreciation to the school board for their part in the creation of these options for students, “We’re very thankful that they always want us to progress and always support us.”