Who Are We?

Read more about the staff and courses offered within the HSHS Academy

Recent Course Updates

AP Statistics

In AP Statistics, students are learning about Sampling and Experimental Design. they are learning about the importance of random assignment in experiments and how it is used to help establish causation. They participated in a small experiment centered around whether caffeine increases heart rate.


Human Anatomy

Anatomy students are learning about the skeletal system. They will be learning about the different bones through using models of individual bones and a full-sized skeleton.


Culinary I

Culinary Arts I classes are working on food presentation. They are preparing Blizzard Pies garnished with Oreos. They will be inviting guests for Blizzard Pie where they will need to seat them at a prepared table, have conversation and present them with a piece of their pie.

Citizen's Academy I & II

Students were able to sit in on criminal hearings at the Douglas County Courthouse. The judge, attorneys, bailiff, court reporter and court administration answered questions from the students. This experience will help them in preparation for our culminating project of Mock Trial at the end of the semester.

English

English 11 classes are embarking on their research and presentation unit. They will be practicing their quality research as well as public speaking skills as they investigate the question: Why do images have power?

English 12 classes are in the midst of their memoir unit, focusing on the question: How and why do people choose to share their stories?

Human Service Careers

Classes partnered with a group of DECA students (led by Brynn Kosters) who are partnering with State Farm to raise money for a local Habitat for Humanity build. Brynn came into our classes and instructed our students on the project then led them in the task of “shim decorating”. The pictures are of our students decorating the shims that Brynn and her partners will be selling as part of their fundraiser.

Additional Course Updates:

  • Probability & Statistics - students are conducting research on a question of their choosing. Students are currently polling their peers to gather data for their questions. Students will then analyze their data to determine the answer to their original question.

  • Advanced Algebra - students are finishing their unit on polynomials. In this unit, students are developing skills with polynomial operations, graphing polynomials and factoring.

  • Chemistry - students are just completing a molecular model building project to demonstrate their knowledge of covalent bonding.

  • College Composition II - students are selecting and narrowing their topics for the investigative analysis essay.

  • College American Studies - students are focusing on the 1800's and events leading up to the Civil War.

Previous Course Updates

English 10

Sophomores are reading Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. They are examining the way Steinbeck characterizes characters, analyzing how those characters represent societal concepts, and connecting contemporary examples of those issues to the concepts the characters represent- connecting the themes and motifs of the 1930s novel to our world today.

Pre-Calculus

Pre-Calc is looking at modeling with sinusoids. We are making connections to blood pressure and pulse rate. On an electronic vital signs monitor you are seeing waves that model the patient’s pulse and blood pressure. They are looking at the equations for those waves.

Social Skills


Social Skills Classes are working on social thinking in regards to how to interact, engage and understand others perspectives in a respectful manner.

Prevention & Care of Injuries

Prevention and Care of Injuries is working on managing injuries in the rehabilitation process. Students will be creating rehabilitation programs for an athlete of their choosing with an injury that they select.

Culinary Arts

Culinary Arts 1 classes are working on safety, sanitation , food preparation and food presentation. Recently we made fruit pizzas. YUM!!

English 12

English 12 classes are in the midst of their documentary unit. They are using the skills they’ve developed to grapple with the ways in which information can be presented both verbally and visually as well as how consumers of media can navigate conflicting information.

AP Biology

Students recently applied their understanding of the properties of water during a simulation to “save” a colleague who had been stung by a Giant Asian Hornet. The “antidote” had properties of water, but there was also a mimic that looked like the antidote, but had very different chemical properties. All students were successful in “saving” their colleague.

Other course updates:

  • English 11 classes just finished studying The Crucible. Their goal was to explore the way literature has historically been used to explore ideas and comment on events and conditions in society.

  • Probability and Statistics is analyzing data on the life span of three types of lightbulbs. After calculating the statistics and boxplots for each data set, students will determine which type of lightbulb they would purchase.

  • Emergency Medical Responder - Students are learning about Infant and Adult CPR with AED (Automated External Defibrillator).

  • Chemistry - Students are currently focusing on the Periodic Table. We looked at the families of the periodic table and the various trends seen on the periodic table.

  • College Composition II - students are working on their Summary, Analysis and Response Essay. They chose a lengthy persuasive Ted Talk to do this work.

  • College American Studies - the current focus for both English and history surrounds the American Revolution.