|
NEW CLASSES AT BERKELEY HIGH
Next month when students look over their 2006-2007 course catalogues they will find several new offerings: AP Art History, AP Music Theory, Drawing II, Film Theory and Mandarin Chinese. The classes are listed in the catalogue but they won't actually be taught unless a minimum number of students sign up for the offerings—in most cases 30 to 35.
In the case of Mandarin, the administration is looking at a minimum of 75 students, not the usually 30. This large number is called for because the school will eventually offer three or four levels of Mandarin. Taking into account attrition, the school needs at least 75 signups at level one in order to have enough students still taking the language at the higher levels.
According to Ms Benette Williams, World Language Department chair, in a Jacket article, the school has been thinking of offering an Asian language for some time. Mandarin was selected not only because it is the most commonly spoken language in the world, but because it is also offered at the BUSD's Jefferson Elementary School.
Janet Huseby
|
