Paint Branch High School has a plethora of elective classes, high level academic courses, and intriguing programs of study. All of these were on display on Thursday, February 4th.

From NJROTC to Medical Careers to AP World, and Japanese, students and teachers staffed tables for all of PB’s programs to provide information to prospective students.

Of course, there are many good reasons to sign up for an elective or program other than to just get a credit. One specific elective Paint Branch offers is Japanese, which PB junior Helen Ho believes is very important. “Japanese culture is very interesting to take and learn,” said Ho. In fact, if you’re interested, the program offers a trip to Japan, something Ho did and found to be excellent. “In Japan, the people there are very generous and polite.”

Fellow Japanese student Bryan Nguyen, a senior, remarked that Japanese was his favorite elective “because it introduced me to this new culture that I’m interested in.”

A program that has been at PB for many years is Television Production, a program that Mr. DeGroff is taking over from Ms. Appino next year. Mr. DeGroff sees TV and Radio, another course he teaches, as something any student can learn from and enjoy. “TV and radio are a part of everyone’s lives. Learning how media works and how to create your own quality products is fun and exciting.”
Je’ana Jones, a sophomore, totally agrees, adding that her favorite elective has been Video Production because “the learning process is really helpful for the work in the real world.”

Another course represented at the fair was AP World History. Ms. Lueck, an AP World History teacher, stated that “students should take AP World History because it helps them look at all the human history with a focus on human interaction so that we can better understand where we have come from and the world around us today.”

For students interested U.S. history, AP U.S. History – APUSH – teacher Mr. White was on hand to talk to students about the course. Regarding Mr. White and the course, senior Zach Stango expressed “Mr. White is the best history teacher. He is super interactive and makes the class fun. I never thought I would like learning US history, but I really enjoy this class.”
Sociology teacher Mr. Cassis, who was also on hand, stressed that sociology is an important course because “understanding the roles and influence of society is paramount in understanding your place in this world.”

One of the more dynamic displays on hand was that of the NJROTC program, which emphasizes discipline and leadership. Senior Jose Gomez, the program’s commanding officer, explains that it’s “a diverse program that instills leadership and citizenship in all our cadets. We also take major field trips on ships, bases, and landmarks that teach about our nation and our military!”

For those who were looking for perhaps a little less structure and a bit more improvisation could find Miss Perkins and the PB Theater program. Theater offers an array of classes that cover acting, play directing and stage design. Theater courses also cover the MCPS fine arts credit. As for course content, Miss Perkins notes that the beginning courses are “a lot of fun!” and “the Advanced Acting, Play Directing, and Stage Design [classes] allow students to do college level work in a low-key setting.”
Whatever you decide to take at PB, you’ll learn from it and enjoy it as you work with some of the best teachers in the county, people who will help you quench that constant thirst for knowledge.