West High hosted its first curriculum night on Jan. 22. West High teachers, admin and staff were at the event to inform parents and students about course options for next year.

Current eighth graders joined current West Students in the cafeteria and the new commons where teachers were set up at tables to share information about the classes they teach.

“A lot of the feedback we’ve gotten is [that] families and students don’t have all the information they need at registration time to make decisions. So we decided to try something new,” West High Principal Mitch Gross said.

Gallery • 5 Photos

Sophie Bergman

Freshmen Taha Salem and Jack Struthers look at examples of the projects done in Keith Kraeplin’s engineering classes.

Seeing future teachers face-to-face was nice for some of the students, especially eighth graders newer to the building. “I got to meet a lot of people. I like the teachers, that’s making me want to do stuff now,” said Elissa Knight, a current eighth-grader at Northwest Middle School.

With the information learned at Curriculum Night and Advisory meetings, West students have started to make their decisions on what classes to take in the fall. Current juniors and eighth graders have already made these decisions.

Each grade will have a designated week to meet with their counselors and register for classes next year. Generally, students should plan on taking English, math, social studies, science and foreign language to fill their graduation requirements.

Find the requirements for graduation here and the full course catalog here.

Students can also see what requirements they need to fill via their Academic Progress Report, available through Infinite Campus by going to the “Documents” tab and scrolling to “Other.” This plan will show what credit requirements are required for graduation and what has already been completed.

Another good thing to look at during registration is a student’s unofficial transcript. This will show important information like absences, cumulative GPA, courses taken and the grades received in those courses.

While a student’s transcript is important, senior Claire Lawler emphasizes the benefits of extra time in your schedule. “Take challenging classes, but also leave room in your schedule to work on those challenging classes,” Lawler said. “Extra time, like open periods, helps relieve stress from those challenging classes, while also maximizing how much you can learn.”

Over the next month, teachers will also be talking about what classes will be offered in their respective departments. Students are encouraged to talk to their teachers or their counselors about what classes would be appropriate for them to take.

“Don’t just take classes that your friends are taking. Take other classes so that you can make new friends,” Marie Stier ’25 said when talking about registering for classes.

To officially register for classes, go to Infinite Campus, then to “Academic Plan.” There, students will select classes that they plan to take the next year under the grade they will enter in the fall. In addition to planning for the upcoming year, students can also use Infinite Campus to plan out the rest of their high school years. Classes can be added for other school years, though students won’t be officially registered in those classes until the spring before.

West High will be adding multiple new courses to their catalog this year.

There are multiple changes this year to Physical Education. Personal Fitness and Group activities will now be called Mindful Movement and Ultimate Fitness will be called Aeroic Fitness.

There will also be a new Officiating Youth and High School Sports course offered. In this course, students will learn how to become a registered sports official. First trimester will cover officiating basketball, second trimester will be over officiating volleyball or soccer and third trimester will be baseball or softball.

For students interested in animation, game design or graphic design, the new Digital Illustration course may be one to try. This course will focus on using industry-standard software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and After Effects to learn more about the world of visual storytelling. This class is a trimester long elective available to students grades 10-12.

There will two new computer science courses offered in the fall. Cybersecurity Two is a year-long course available to students that have completed the preliminary Cybersecurity course. The goal of the class is to help students earn their CompTIA Security+ Certification defined by the company as, “a global certification that validates the baseline skills you need to perform core security functions and pursue an IT security career,” before graduating.

There will also be an Informating Computing class that will focus on the basics of information systems and computer literacy. The class is a trimester long and offers dual Kirkwood credit.

Lastly, the Peer to Peer program is starting up again. In this course, students are assigned a peer with an Individualized Education Plan, also known as an IEP, to be a mentor. The course is year long with no prerequisites, but students must complete the selection process be assigned a peer.

Beyond core classes, Project Lead the Way offers various courses in engineering and computer science.

David Alexander teaches four of West’s computer science courses at different difficulty levels; none of these courses have prerequisites. Introduction to Computer Science is a trimester-long course for students who know nothing about computer science. For students who want an introduction to the field but are looking for something more rigorous, Computer Science Principles is a year-long course with opportunities for Kirkwood credit and to take an AP exam in May.

The most rigorous computer science class offered at West is AP Computer Science A, where students learn how to use JavaScript to solve mathematical and real-world problems. Lastly, a year-long cybersecurity course is offered. In this class, students learn about different security risks, how people get hacked and how to protect against hacking. See the “New classes” section for information on the new Cybersecurity Two course.

Keith Kraeplin teaches all Project Lead the Way engineering courses. All of these courses allow students to receive Kirkwood credit, with the exception of Aerospace Engineering.

The introductory courses offered are Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering, which are required to take more advanced courses in this area. Principles of Engineering is more physics-based, while Design focuses more on hands-on processes like CAD software and how products are made and improved. Either of these courses can be taken to fill the prerequisite requirement for West’s more advanced engineering classes.

Some of the more advanced courses include Civil Engineering and Architecture, Computer Integrated Manufacturing and Aerospace Engineering.

In Civil Engineering & Architecture, students learn about different aspects of commercial and residential building and how to incorporate 3D design software into their work.

Computer Integrated Manufacturing allows students to work with robotics and learn how to program. Aerospace Engineering covers a large range of topics from theories of flight, space exploration to rocketry.

In addition to West High classes, upperclassmen also have the opportunity to take dual credit courses through Kirkwood Community College. These courses, which are taught in several formats, offer the option of earning both high school and college credit.

The Cedar Rapids-based community college allows students to enroll as part-time Kirkwood students at no cost to families or students. Students can take paired courses called academies that are career-focused, such as pre-med and nursing, business, education and automotive repair. Or, if students aren’t sure of their major or want to get a few general education credits out of the way, they can also take a liberal arts academy that includes courses that are common among most colleges and universities.

These classes differ from the traditional Advanced Placement courses that also allow students to earn college credit. AP classes are designed using a standardized curriculum that is recognized by most colleges and universities whereas the Kirkwood classes are dependent on the specific professor’s syllabus and are not accepted by the same amount of schools as AP classes.

Although a little bit different, Kirkwood classes still have their benefits. The college offers a variety of career courses that can get students out into the workforce earlier than their peers and, for students wanting to attend a university or college after high school, the no added cost to families or students stands out.

“The bonus [is] the price tag,” West High counselor Greg Yoder said. “It costs students time and energy to take a class, right? That’s not free, but at the same time, they’re not paying hundreds or thousands of dollars, in many cases for kids to take a lot of classes. So I think it’s just a really positive opportunity for kids.”

Depending on the course, students can attend in various ways. West offers a few dual enrollment classes within the building, such as Composition, Intro to Business and Personal Finance. Many students also choose to take the academies offered at the Kirkwood Regional Center in Coralville. The sleek building, which acts as a hub for students from several school districts around the state, includes valuable resources and creates a new, college-like environment.

Online “Alternative Concurrent” classes are also an option for students. Most classes are asynchronous and guided by assignment deadlines outlined in the syllabus. Students can access their online and in-person class information and assignments through Kirkwood’s website, Talon, which is very similar to Canvas.

Some students choose to take a mix of classes offered at all three locations. Rachel Wombacher-Hess ’25 chose to enroll in the nursing aid program taught at the regional center to earn her nursing assistant certification while also getting some general education credits out of the way through West and online classes.

“[Kirkwood is] mainly just preparing me for the career I want to pursue in the future,” Wombacher-Hess said. “I think [Kirkwood is] it’s getting me started a lot sooner than a lot of people [and] it’s saving me money.”

While she recognizes that the dual credit classes are more rigorous than others, she emphasizes their value. “[Easier classes] would have been great for my senior year, but also, this is what I’m pursuing my career in, so I’m glad I’m doing it,” Wombacher-Hess said. “It’s a lot of work, but it’s worth it, for sure, because I know [nursing] is going to be a lot of work, and I’m ready for that.”

Although Wombacher-Hess found success within the Kirkwood program, the pros and cons of dual credit classes are unique to every student. While Yoder encourages students take part in Kirkwood classes, he recognizes that every student’s path is different.

“I think it’s a neat opportunity being able to take Kirkwood classes, and I recommend students take part in it. I do know every kid is different and so what one kid wants to take on and do isn’t necessarily what the next student should do,” Yoder said. “It’s very difficult to figure out [your path]. Some kids are ready to take on that next experience and some kids are perfectly happy with high school, and that’s great because we have a lot of opportunities for them to stay within our building, and we’d love to have them continue to be here.”