Hillside Students Look Forward to Second Year in Preps

Begining in the fall, the Collge Preparatory "Schools" will embark on their second year at Hillside High School.

The prep schools were the brainchild of Superintendent of Schools Raymond Bandlow, Ph.D. They opened for the first time in the 2002-2003 school year.

The prep schools are not actual separate schools but specific courses within the high school.

The three specialized courses are Engineering, Performing Arts, and Multimedia. All three provide "rigorous academic alternative to the traditional high school program".

For instance, the Engineering school provides students with the preparation to pursue a secondary education in the fields of engineering, science and medicine, and computer technology.

The Performing Arts school provides an enrichment for Hillside's talented youth and prepares them for careers in the entertainment industries.

In the Multimedia school, students are exposed to the knowledge required in the fields of broadcast, Internet, advertising and journalism.

The prep schools are not an excuse for students to miss out on the "basics". In fact, the schools are academically selective and offer intensive courses such as advanced classes in mathematics, laboratory sciences, English, and foreign languages.

Students not enrolled in the prep schools are also benefiting from new curriculum and new business and computer classes.


CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ON HOLD

A year ago, the school district anticipated building an annex to the High School building as well as renovating several rooms within the current school.

The construction would benefit the prep schools, ease over crowding, and provide facilities for "special needs" students who are currently transported to other districts. By housing the students within Hillside, the district would be able to save thousands in mandatory transportation costs.

Unfortunately, the McGreevey administration froze any aid Hillside would have received and the project has been postponed indefinitely.


REMEMBERING THE "MIDDLE SCHOOL"

Parents and educators often complain that Hillside ignores its "middle school" - Walter O. Krumbiegel - consisting of grades 7 and 8.

While the school board has focused considerably on the elementary schools and on the high school, it has been sluggish in improving the middle school's educational program.

This may no longer be true.

Next year, the district will implement Algebra as the "8th Grade" math. This change will better prepare the students for the high school.

Another significant change slated for the fall is "block scheduling", which school officials believe will allow for longer, uninterrupted learning time as well as prepare students for the high school's block scheduling.