to students at Bridgewater-Raritan High School.
For the second straight year, Bridgewater-Raritan High School held its Elective Fair, an exhibit placed throughout the high school's small gymnasium on both Wednesday, January 21, and Thursday, January 22, during unit lunch.
Teachers and students from various academic departments at Bridgewater-Raritan High School were on hand to explain their elective courses to eager, inquisitive students who browsed the gym floor.
The high school's Counseling department came up with this brilliant idea.
Alan Iachini, the Supervisor of School Counseling at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, explained how this productive event was created.
"We were brainstorming ways to expose students to the variety of electives that are offered (beyond the program of studies and word of mouth) and to increase enrollment in those classes," Mr. Iachini said. "The idea was pitched to the supervisors and administrators who bought into it. Most of all, teachers have shown much enthusiasm for the fair. It is a way for them to promote the courses they are passionate about teaching."
"This Elective Fair is an opportunity for our students to see all the courses that are offered before we move to scheduling in mid-February," explained Suzanne Geoghan, a School Counselor who worked the floor during both days.
Of course, the presence of the educators—dedicated, energetic, and friendly—was a valuable recruiting tool.
Two of those devoted and enthusiastic teachers were Chris Levin and Dr. Kathy Messano.
"This is such a great opportunity to showcase our diverse offerings, which is a benefit of attending a large school," said Mr. Levin, a Social Studies Teacher who is also the Hall of Fame coach for the girls' swim team. "This is a large school with talented people who can share their life skills and passion with a lot of our great electives."
"The fair is very important because students can find out about electives that they would not have known about," said Dr. Messano, an English Language Arts Teacher.
One of the many impressed guests roaming the gym floor was Dan Hemberger, the Principal at Bridgewater-Raritan High School, who is the force behind numerous successful projects and programs since beginning his role in 2022.
"This Elective Fair was very successful. The kids were energized to explore new classes and talk with students who currently take these classes," Principal Hemberger said. "This gives them a better idea of what classes they should select for next year."
Becca Kimmins, a high school junior, spoke highly of the positive gathering.
"The Elective Fair was great. There were so many students and teachers enthusiastic to talk about and promote the varying courses our school has to offer," Becca said. "At the Italian table, I discussed with plenty of interested freshmen and sophomores who were excited about beginning to select classes for next year. I think this year's fair was very successful and was a great opportunity for our students."
Mr. Iachini concluded.
"Participation this year was greater than last, the first year of the fair."