New Courses Offered For Student Registration

By Caitlyn Lentner

BHS students will have eight new course offerings to choose from when they start selecting their classes this month for the 2025-26 school year after the Board of Education recently adopted them as part of the school’s curriculum.

The newly approved courses include those in the subjects of science, health and the arts, which also includes expanded offerings in the school’s UCONN Early College Experience. 

The decision to formalize seven new and unique classes into the BHS curriculum was made in December after a series of presentations of potential new classes in front of the Branford Board of Education.

Some of the courses are geared to all students, but the honors and ECE classes are suggested for upperclassmen, said Aimee Harkins, head of the school’s counseling department.

Harkins lauds the inclusion of these new classes, and says they will bring “positive change” to BHS and says that “the courses we had in the past are also amazing, but adding more will open many doors for our students.”

Below are the new courses offered. More information can also be found in the school’s Program of Studies.

ECE Medical Terminology is a full-year course designed to develop language that will support students as they pursue a career or major in the health sciences. This course showcases medical language through the lens of each body system.

ECE Allied Health Careers is a semester long course. Students will explore the five allied health pathways: Diagnostic, therapeutic, research and development, informatics, and support services.

Certified Nursing Program (CNA) is a full-year course designed to equip students with the essential. knowledge and practical skills to work as CNAs in a variety of healthcare settings, including assisted living facilities, hospices, hospitals, and home care.

Residential Construction is offered as part of the school’s fine and practical arts department as an option beyond Introduction to Woodworking. Through engaging hands-on projects and real-world applications, students will delve into every phase of construction, including site planning, blueprint reading, foundation work, framing, roofing, and finishing techniques.

Art and Culture is a semester long course that explores the historical and cultural significance of art within a multicultural society. Through the study of major art movements, students analyze how art influences and reflects culture while engaging in project-based learning across diverse art media.

ECE Kinesiology: Exercise, and Wellness for Everyone is a semester long curse that offers a comprehensive overview of the five pillars of health: exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress, and relationships. The course includes physical activities such as aerobic exercise, yoga, and fitness. 

Honors Biology is a new option for 9th graders and is designed for college-bound students and serves as the foundation for Advanced Placement / Early College Experience Biology and AP Environmental Science.

Harkins makes note that the incorporation of these new courses will not alter the course trajectory for students, but instead, provide new opportunities for students who would like to engage themselves further in the classroom.

“Nobody is going to be left out of a course because something wasn’t offered before, students will be taking courses that are in their best interest,” she said.

She notes how “(she) likes that so many new courses are being added in so many different areas in order to pique the interest of diverse groups of students”,  in order to “gear them for their pursuits of success ahead.”

Harkins said that incoming freshmen “should approach course selection with an open mind” due to having so many new options, and “take ownership of their education by taking classes aligned with their interests.”