All Upper School students take some courses in the Vocational Department. In grades 7 and 8, they participate in introductory courses in home economics including cooking and sewing as well as in some of the industrial arts courses. In the 9th - 12th grades, students have more choice in their areas of concentration, with 12th grade students receiving priority in scheduling certain courses. When possible, teachers tailor courses to meet the needs or requests of certain groups of students. As mentioned previously, many Applied Studies students receive services through the Vocational Department.
Vocational teachers offer courses in woodshop to some students.
They also work with Special Studies teachers in helping students develop prevocational and assembly skills which may be applied in future work sites. Currently, we are examining our Vocational curriculum and working toward some grade level restrictions on some courses. The goal is to assure that each student has the opportunity to sample the variety of work areas included in this department. Too often students gravitate toward one area of interest and, through the elective process, neglect to explore other available skill development options. Clear direction of course offerings per grade may help students to enrich their learning opportunities.