Computer Science and Engineering

Ninth-Grade Seminar
Grade 9
.5 credit
This course will be team-taught by members of the Computer Science and Health Departments. The computer science component of the seminar will introduce students to leading edges in the world of digital technology, such as AI, cybersecurity, app-making, and digital citizenship, as well as practical topics such as making effective use of spreadsheets. The health component of the seminar will address the physical, mental, social, and emotional challenges of high school and adolescence.
*Required course for Grade 9

Sophomore Seminar*
Grade 10
.5 credit
This seminar, offered by the Computer Science and Health Departments, introduces students to current technologies shaping our world. This engaging course equips students with critical skills to navigate the complexities of modern media and emerging technologies. Through an exploration of media literacy, students analyze the impact of media on perception, policy, and culture, with topics such as confirmation bias, online advertising, and propaganda. They also delve into the fascinating world of artificial intelligence, learning how AI is trained, its potential biases, and the ethical implications of its use in tools like chatbots, algorithms, and generative AI. Hands-on projects, such as analyzing AI chatbots, creating propaganda campaigns, and producing AI-generated media, encourage creativity and critical thinking. Students actively discuss and reflect on the influence of technology and media in their daily lives, culminating in collaborative presentations and real-world applications. This seminar prepares students to think critically, act ethically, and engage responsibly in our increasingly digital world. The health component of this seminar builds on the components presented in Ninth-Grade Seminar, addressing the physical, mental, social, and emotional challenges of high school and adolescence. Students strengthen their abilities to recognize, analyze, and react to unhealthy situations and develop the practices and attitudes necessary to lead a productive and balanced life. Classes are conducted as a forum for students to discuss their views in an atmosphere of trust and acceptance. Health classes are built to be age-appropriate, and topics may include external factors that influence health and wellness, life skills, good decision-making, social media, healthy relationships, sexual health and reproduction, drugs and alcohol, and mental illness.
*Required course for sophomores
Offered fall and spring semesters

Software Engineering I
Grades 10‒12
.5 credit
In this course, students learn the fundamental programming skills required to design and build software by applying the Software Development Life Cycle. In addition to learning the fundamentals of programming in Java, this course provides students with opportunities to develop important twenty-first-century skills, such as collaborating with fellow developers, breaking a system down into functional components, and completing a project on time through an iterative development process. The culminating project in the course has students work to solve a problem of their own choosing.
*Prerequisite: Ninth-Grade Seminar or permission of the department

Software Engineering II*
Grade 10‒12
.5 credit
This course, a continuation of Software Engineering I, explores advanced programming concepts in Java. Students will continue to build their twenty-first-century skills while applying the Software Development Life Cycle to both individual as well as team projects. Proper coding techniques will be stressed throughout the course with an emphasis on program structure, documentation, and formatting. This hands-on, project based course gives students the opportunity to hone their skills while building increasingly complex, fun, and creative applications.
*Prerequisite: Software Engineering I or permission of the department
 

Introduction to Cybersecurity and Ethical Hacking*
Grades 10-12
.5 credit
This course exposes students to the tools and techniques required to learn the foundations of cybersecurity and other critical computer skills. Students are challenged to be resourceful and creative, using "hacking" as a method for discovering how things work and how system vulnerabilities can be remedied. Hands-on lessons cover a broad range of topics, including safe internet use, networking basics, web privacy, network security, and hacking ethics and laws.
*Prerequisite: Ninth-Grade Seminar or permission of the department
Offered in 2027-28

Design Engineering*
Grade 11
.5 credit
This course will give students multiple experiences applying the Engineering Design Cycle. Using CAD and graphics software, hand tools, a 3D printer, a laser cutter, and a variety of materials, students will design, build, and test a solution to a given problem. Students will apply the engineering design cycle to improve their design’s performance. This course will give students opportunities to develop important twenty-first-century skills such as collaborating with one another, identifying and working effectively to problem solve, honing presentation and writing ability, and learning how to complete a project on time and on budget. Students will document their learning by keeping an engineering notebook.
*Prerequisite: Successful application to the Applied Science Certificate Program
Offered fall and spring semesters

AP Computer Science A*
Grades 11–12
1 credit
This is a college-level course that covers the key concepts of object-oriented programming and prepares students to take the AP exam in the spring. While many days during the year are devoted to lectures, the majority of the course is devoted to labs. Students are given ample class time and close teacher interaction to work on substantial design and programming projects. Throughout the year, students are asked to design and write several small-to-medium-sized programs as well as two major pieces of software from scratch. In addition to the concepts of object-oriented programming, much attention is given to the art of good programming design. Students are challenged not only to write software that works but also to write clean code: software that is efficient and easily understood and maintained. This class challenges students to create.
*Prerequisite: Algebra II–Honors or Precalculus, and permission of the department

Data Structures and Algorithms–Honors*
Grades 11-12
1 credit
This college-level course covers the theory and application of commonly used data structures and related algorithms for maintaining them. Emphasis is placed on efficiency, appropriate use, and the creation of encapsulated, object-oriented data structures. Students learn to implement iterative and recursive sorting algorithms, variations of linear data structures (linked lists, stacks, queues, and hash tables), variations of non-linear data structures (trees, heaps, and graphs), and the algorithms used to process each structure's data. This course will utilize Java language coding assignments in and out of class as a major means of learning about and employing data structures.
*Prerequisite: AP Computer Science A, and permission of the department

Robotics (Non-Lab)*
Grade 12
.5 credit
In this semester course, students are introduced to robotics and computer programming. A study of the logic and algorithmic processes used by computers to perform tasks will lead to use of the programming language Python. As the students develop confidence and mastery in the use of hardware and programming, they will write their own functions to perform simple tasks. As the semester progresses, students will design more advanced programs, based on individual ability and curiosity.
Offered spring semester
*Prerequisite: Algebra II