The 2025-2026 school year marked the first school year with eight-period days, and because of this change in the school schedule, room was created for new elective classes to be added to the curriculum. Creative Writing, taught by English teacher Stacey Beaupre, and Film and Literature, taught by English teacher Julie Fornelli, were among the electives added.
Unlike traditional English classes, these electives focus less on strict structure and rely more on creative thinking and independence with their work. Beaupre began teaching the class partway through the second semester, and even with limited time to prepare, she stepped into the role and was excited to take it on.
“It was something that I was excited about because it’s an elective. It meant students were choosing to be here,” Beaupre said.
Coming into teaching the class with the idea that students were choosing to be there helped shape the classroom environment. Students were more open to trying new things and expressing themselves through their coursework, whether it was through poetry, memoirs, or short stories.
“It’s not black and white,” Beaupre said. “Anything goes, and that’s a blessing and a curse, but as long as people are putting in effort, that’s what matters.”
Senior Sam Jacob touched upon how Creative Writing helped him grow as a writer.
“My writing has become a lot more mature and detailed,” he said. “I’m able to convey my thoughts more clearly.”
Sam also spoke about how the classroom environment made it easier to grow.
“It has become super easy to share my work,” Jacob said. “The environment is very friendly, which allows me to express my writing with no shame.”
Film and Literature gave students a different kind of creative experience through movies. The class focuses on analyzing film as a form of storytelling while also giving students the chance to create their own projects.
“It was exciting,” Fornelli said. “I like coming up with lessons that students will enjoy, but it’s also a lot of work the first time you teach it.”
The class included units like studying storytelling, coming-of-age films, and dystopian films. Students would analyze movies by focusing on camera angles, the sound, and the storytelling techniques.
“I’ve heard students say they’ll never look at films the same way again,” Fornelli said.
Senior Colby Schmidt noticed that his perspective of films had been changed.
“After this class, I appreciated the different camera angles used in movies I watched,” he said.
Students also completed their own short film projects, experimenting with the techniques that they had learned in class. Schmidt said how, because of projects like the short films, Film and Literature ended up being his favorite class in high school.
“It turned out to be my favorite class that I took in high school,” Schmidt said. “It wasn’t challenging. It was a class that was more about creativity.”
Both electives gave students a chance to utilize their creativity and have more freedom with ideas compared to a regular class. Students were instead encouraged to think creatively, to be comfortable with their work, and to develop their own voice.
“These classes give students more freedom of choice,” Fornelli said. “They might discover something they’re passionate about that they wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.”
By giving students a space to focus on their creativity and explore, Creative Writing and Film and Literature have shown how they are great additions to the curriculum. The first year with these new electives shows that they are already leaving a meaningful impact on students and teachers alike.
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