The first week back from Christmas break, DHS students, freshman through juniors, were asked to choose their courses for the 2013-2014 school year. The way in which this is done is slightly different than last year, but is inwardly the same.

Once students received the course selection sheets, in order to have a teacher recommend them for a class, the student had to have the teacher highlight the selected course and then initial the box next to the course. The teacher then had to put that information into their own computer.

Then in February, students will meet with their counselors one-on-one, looking at the recommendation sheet to actually choose their classes. The reason why it’s so hard for a student to drop or add a class in the fall is because when students pick their classes in February, the number of sections of a certain class is decided upon then, so in the fall it becomes difficult to switch because the master schedule is created in the second semester.

“We look at how many students selected a certain class and then decide how many times it will be offered during the school year,” DHS counselor Lori Hallberg said.

The graduation requirement are on the sheet and read that one must have four years of an English class, one of those years being in their senior year. They also must have four years of math, one of those being in their senior year, and three years of social studies and science. They need one visual and performing credit, and if they graduate in or after 2016, then a student needs two world language and four general elective credits. Any student graduating before then needs no world language credits and six general elective credits.

Sheets were handed out Thursday, Jan. 10 and are due back to any teacher by Friday, Jan. 18 with a parent or guardian’s signature.