Jefferson holds annual curriculum fair

Michael Roth

Dr. Burnett speaks to students interested in taking the DNA class offered at Jefferson. DNA is commonly enrolled with students who are passionate in Biology, and is only one of many courses that allow students to dive deep into STEM. “Honestly, I think the course catalog is extremely well tailored for all students to find their niche in the world of STEM,” freshman Vivian Xue says.

Hannah Liu, Staff Writer
February 8, 2022

Last Wednesday on Jan. 26, Jefferson held their annual curriculum fair to prepare students for next year’s course selection.

Jefferson’s curriculum fair is a yearly event to allow students to explore the courses they are interested in taking. The fair reinforces students’ knowledge and familiarity with the subjects at Jefferson–this is especially important due to online learning for the past couple of years, where students may have felt uncertain or confused about the courses offered.

For the freshmen, the curriculum fair was a new experience to immerse themselves in and explore courses that were not offered in middle school. Many freshmen also utilized the event to narrow down what classes they plan on taking for the next three years.

“I was massively swept away by the sheer amount of courses. I remember seeing the page of all the classes offered at [Jefferson], and just realizing that no matter how I cut it, there would absolutely never be enough time to take each and every elective I wanted,” freshman Vivian Xue said.

While the curriculum fair may be an annual event at Jefferson, students attended an online version of the event last year. This year, the factor of being in-person allowed for a more exciting experience; however, it also meant that there would be a limited number of students who could attend each session.

“Last year, there weren’t any physical classrooms that were completely filled up [due to being online]. This year, I went to the Econ room, and it filled up within a minute,” sophomore Alan Fan said.

Teachers provided presentations, in-depth descriptions, and expectations to give additional clarity for students, especially those who weren’t sure about their course selection.

“For the most part, everyone has decided on what course they’re gonna take. But if you’re on the fence about the course, it’s a good way to gauge your interest in the courses,” Fan said.

The event brought alike-minded people together and allowed for students to directly ask questions to the teachers that would be leading the classes.\

“I actually really enjoyed the curriculum fair, and it was a nice way to hang out with friends while sampling all the amazing courses [Jefferson] has to offer… It got me involved with the courses I was looking to take and gave me a taste of what each course was like,” Xue said.