(X Block)  Grades: 9-12   0.5 credits per semester 

Prerequisite: Previous experience playing a band instrument

High School Band is open to all high school students with any previous experience playing a band instrument. A part of the high school band experience is performing as a pep band for some of our home basketball games.  The instruments needed include flute, oboe, clarinet, alto sax, tenor sax, baritone sax, bassoon, trumpet, French horn, trombone, baritone, tuba, electric bass, guitar, percussion and keyboard. The band will rehearse contemporary and standard band literature for performances at basketball games, assemblies, concerts, festivals, and other school or civic functions. Attendance at performances will make up part of the student’s grade.

(X Block)  Grades: 9-12   1/2 credit per semester   Fall & Spring Semesters     

Prerequisite: Consent of instructor 

This semester class is open to students of stringed instruments, including violin, viola, cello, and string bass.  Woodwinds, a harp and/or piano may also be used. Students should have a background that includes private lessons and/or enough experience to be comfortable playing an independent part. A typical chamber group may contain 3 to 6 players or as many as 12 players. Auditions may be necessary to assess ability or determine eligibility for the group. The group or groups will rehearse and perform primarily classical repertoire, but will also explore other genres of music. Performances may include school or civic functions, concerts, Classical and/or Cabaret Nights, and others.

(Elective)  Grades 9-12  0.5 credits  Fall or Spring

Choir is a vocal performing arts ensemble open to all high school students. In this class, students will develop their personal and collaborative artistic skills through learning healthy and sustainable vocal technique, performance skills, blend, and harmonization. Students will also develop their musical literacy through reading rhythms, solfege, and other score-reading skills. We will apply these skills to music spanning many genres and styles, from contemporary genres to jazz and musical theatre to more traditional choral pieces. The focus of this class is on ensemble singing, but solo, small group, and instrumental opportunities will also be offered. Programs for the fall and spring concerts will be developed collaboratively between the director and ensemble members based around a chosen theme. 

(Elective)  9-12 grade  0.5 credits  Fall or Spring Semester

Earns Performing Arts Credit

This course is designed for students of all physical abilities to experience dance/movement and somatic practices. Classes will incorporate cardiovascular conditioning with various dance-based steps as well as elements of Pilates, dance, yoga, and strength training. Students will learn choreography in current dance genres for performance. This course satisfies the physical fitness and performing arts requirements. 

(Academic or Elective)  Grades 11-12  0.5 credits  Spring Semester

Earns Visual or Performing Arts Credit

(Elective)  0.5 credits  9-12 grade  Fall or Spring Semester

(Academic or Elective)  Grades: 9-12  1/2 credit  Spring Semester

*Satisfies Arts Theory requirement

This course will focus on music from the past, present, and future of America. Come and take a journey down the American music timeline and explore the music from Native American tribes to the sounds of agony, freedom, and hope, birthed through the songs of slavery. Learn about the struggles that brought about the genre of Blues and how deeply connected it is to so many other genres, from rock and roll to hip hop!

(Elective)  0.5 credits  9-12 grades  Fall or Spring Semester

Prerequisite: Foundations of Dance

(Alternate Day)  Grades: 9-12   1/4 credit per semester  

Prerequisite: Previous experience playing their instrument, 9th & 10th graders must also be in band or have variance approved by the instructor. 

Jazz Band will consist of the ideal big band instrumentation of 5 saxes, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, and the rhythm section comprised of bass, guitar, piano, drum set and auxiliary percussion.  Non standard big band instrumentation and some additions to sections may be considered with the approval of the instructor. This group will rehearse and perform a variety of big band styles including jazz, gospel, fusion, Latin, blues, swing, pop, rock and standards. Participation in this group will be determined by audition in the spring of the previous year, or in the fall for new students. Attendance at performances will make up part of the student’s grade.

(Elective)  Grade: 9  1/2 credit  Fall Semester

Counts towards Vis/Perf Arts requirement.

The Novice Debate class gives students an introduction to contemporary policy debate.  Students are highly encouraged to attend a summer workshop in debate before the fall semester so that classroom time can be spent building on the basic skills and language of debate.  Membership on the team and participation in tournaments is required for class members. The USN team will travel out of town to schools located in Alabama, Kentucky, and Georgia attending six to eight tournaments each school year.  All debaters will not attend every tournament, nor are they expected to. In class, debaters will give practice speeches, learn research skills, and take part in discussions about the current year’s resolution as well as debate theory.

(Academic)  0.5 credits  Fall Semester  Grades 9-12

Make your own movie!!

(Elective)  9-12 Grade  0.5 credits  Fall or Spring Semester

Earns Visual or Performing Arts Credit

May be repeated for credit.

Into fashion but need to advance your sewing skills?  Love makeup and want to learn how to design on a bigger scale?  Are you interested in how a production team works to make a show come to life?  Or do you prefer marketing and advertising? This class will increase your skill set in these areas by directly contributing to the current high school theatre production.   No after-school commitment or stage fright involved!

(Academic)  Grades: 9-12   1/2 credit   Fall or Spring Semesters

Earns Visual or Performing Arts credit

What happens behind-the-scenes to bring a production from good to great? How do the different facets of Technical Theatre enhance the performance? This elective is an exploration into lighting, sets and sound and how they interact with the action on stage to create a work of art that lasts beyond the run of a show in the mind of an audience. Working on the different high school productions through the semester, the class will learn both the pre-production and production aspects of Technical Theatre. There is no text for this course, but there will be time requirements outside of class for the different productions.

(Academic)  0.5 credits  9-12 grades Spring Semester, Even Years

(X Block)  Grade:  10-12  ½ credit  Fall and Spring. Students should enroll in this course for both semesters. Counts towards Vis/Perf Arts requirement.

Prerequisite – Students must have completed Novice Debate   

This is the advanced debate class for students participating in highly competitive national circuit travel. This class will engage in full-scale practice debates, higher level argument refutation, and critical thinking. Varsity debaters will travel out of town for nine to eleven tournaments each year to schools in Michigan, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Illinois and California to hone their skills. Tournament participants will be determined by availability, research contributions and prior success.