The Seaside High School Elective Fair

Yahairi Nunez

January 25, 2024

 

The Seaside High School Elective Fair is usually held at the beginning of the second semester in the main gym to help students here at Seaside High School (SHS) know what is offered for the next school year. Electives are classes students can take which tie with what students like to do. According to the Prep Scholars, “Electives are classes you choose based on your interests.” Some electives provided here at SHS are music, art, ceramics, digital media, sports medicine and more. There are many booths at the Elective Fair and elective teachers will ask if you would like to sign up for electives for the next year but that does not necessarily mean that you're officially in the class or making a commitment to a certain elective.

 

I asked what students thought about our school’s elective fair. Nancy Frausto, a junior at SHS who attended the elective fair says “[I] believe it benefits the freshmen more since they are new to our campus while upperclassmen have experienced it annually.” Frausto has three electives this school year. She has art and ceramics which show her creativity and AVID 11 to prepare her when applying to colleges. This is her first year in taking these electives.“These electives will help open me to opportunities if I were to pursue an art career," she states. But even if it’s not an art career, ceramics can turn into a hobby for the future to help with all the stress that comes with being a future college student. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Digital Media booth showing their media pieces they have created through the school year.

Photo credit: @seasidehigh (Instagram)

 

Anahi Morales, a junior here at SHS attended the elective fair. “My electives are health career, ceramics, and JROTC,” she said. She has been in these electives for one year but did ceramics in middle school for a year as well. The electives that Morales has chosen are with what her career is going towards. She wants to study something in the medical field so health career will give her a boost with the knowledge that she will gain from that elective. Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) for the benefits and experience such as knowing your rights, how to build a resume, and other responsibilities. Ceramics can help destress like making art pieces and a any person can find it enjoyable. Morales said that all of them are helpful by stating that electives are “beneficial if wanting to be an art major, in the military, or in the medical field”. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I asked a teacher about their thoughts on our school’s elective fair. The teacher I talked to was Sarah Brutzman (Ms.B) who teaches Spanish 2 and AVID 12. Brutzman has been a Spanish teacher since she’s been her at SHS and then went into teaching AVID because they needed teachers to teach it. According to the California Department of Education Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), “is an in-school academic support program for grades seven through twelve. The purpose of the program is to prepare students for college eligibility and success.” The AVID class Bruztman teaches helps support the senior students be successful as they are getting ready to take the next step by going to college. Bruztman explained, “[Students] are working on hard skills.” When asked what hard skills are this is what she said, “You could have a diploma or certificate, completing courses that can be present.” She then explained what soft skills are which are “problem solving…… ideas which help when applying for jobs, mock interviews, resumes, senior portfolios, and preparing to apply for college.”

 

Additionally, the elective fair is really helpful for teachers to see if students are interested in what teachers are teaching. For example, Bruztman is able to see and hear from other student perspectives who aren't in her class. It is really eyeopening for her. To conclude, the Seaside High School Elective Fair is a way students can showcase their knowledge that can be passed onto other students that are interested in learning different subjects. It helps to have an idea of what the next school is going to bring and what students are opened to. The elective fair is something where students can show their communication skills, collaboration with one another, and furthering their education.