Virtual classes now being offered

The administration is constantly bringing new educational opportunities to Silver Lake High School. This year, Larry Winter, SLHS principal, said they decided to offer virtual online classes to students through Greenbush.

He said the main reason these classes are being offered this year is because the school received a grant enabling classes to be free of cost to all students. If the online classes were not free this year, he said the school would have to pay $250-350 per class.

Winter is unsure if the classes will remain free to the students and the school or if there will be a cost in the future. He predicts that if the classes are successful, they will still be offered without cost.

Unfortunately, Winter learned the classes could be offered after students had already pre-enrolled in the spring. Students who wished to enroll in an online class during school time had to drop their Gold 1 course and take the virtual class in journalism adviser Jamie Manhart's room.

Students could also elect to take a virtual course at home and keep their original schedule intact. Students then enrolled at the beginning of the school year, choosing from a variety of 40 classes that Greenbush designed.

Winter expressed that students could benefit from the online classes.

"It was important for SLHS to offer these classes because we wanted the education to be extended. We wanted more students to be able to succeed," Winter stated.

All online classes will count as half a credit on a student's transcript. However, students cannot enroll in a required class unless they have already attempted the class at SLHS and failed the course. All quizzes and tests will be administered in Manhart's room, even if the student is taking the class at home.

For many students, priorities came into play when electing to enroll in a virtual class. Ron Kramer, SLHS counselor, said the online classes should be taken if they pertain to the student's interests or graduation requirements.

"A student should enroll in a certain class for their needs. If they failed English 2, then the alternative is to take it online on your own time, instead of falling a year behind," Kramer stated.

There is no limit to how many students can enroll in a virtual class.

SLHS students are currently enrolled in Kansas history, French, web design, life management, English 9B, algebra, American government, health science, fitness lifestyle design, Spanish and German.

Rachel McCall, senior, is taking one of the virtual classes outside of school.  She expressed how much she enjoys the atmosphere of taking the classes at home.

"It is much easier to take classes online at home than in school because you feel more comfortable without any pressure," McCall stated.

Sophomore Logan Pegram, on the other hand, is taking a class during Gold 1 and feels that taking the class in school is more efficient.

"I took the class in school because I knew I would procrastinate about it if I took it at home," said Pegram.

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