JHS computer science classes prepare students for college, careers and beyond

Did you know that computer science is one of the most in demand and highest paying careers in King County and across the nation? To provide students with access and knowledge to this excellent career path, Juanita High School (JHS) offers an array of computer science classes for their students. In fact, they can take advanced placement classes and specialized courses that can put them on track to accelerate in high school, college and beyond. 

One popular class that many students take is AP (Advanced Placement) Computer Science Principles class, which is taught by Shine May Woodcock. Taught in Python, a type of computer programming language, students are diving straight into a general programming language that can be used for many different tasks, including web development, data analysis and automation.  

Furthermore, students are benefiting from the Computer Science Academy curriculum offered by Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). This academy is an online, graphics-based computer science curriculum that provides novel, world-class computer science education for classrooms. CMU is recognized for its top-notch computer science program and has been ranked number one in the nation for artificial intelligence, computer science pedagogy, information technology and technology management. 

Best of all, when using the CMU Academy platform, students can unleash their creativity in a cumulative project that they submit to the College Board at the end of the year. This is in addition to the opportunity of taking the Computer Science Principles Advanced Placement exam. 

For students wishing to advance in their knowledge and skills in computer science, they can then take AP Computer Science A. In this curriculum offered by the College Board, students have the advantage of getting ahead by earning college credit for a college level computer science course. 

“AP Computer Science A is a college level course with Microsoft TEALS support, where students learn to program in JAVA,” said Woodcock.  

Microsoft TEALS provides current industry experts who visit the classrooms to teach and mentor students with these advanced computer science skills.  

Another sought-after class is Robotics I. Here students gain hands-on experience from the VEX EXP Robotics platform. They are exploring the principles of robotics and programming autonomous robots. This class allows students to build, program and control robots using a user-friendly system. Lab challenges are also included for students to collaborate in groups to build and test increasingly more complex robots. 

Students in these classes can also participate in TSA (Technology Student Association). Students learn through leadership opportunities and competitive events, such as coding, robotics, software development, data science, video game design, etc. Students from Juanita compete at both the state and national level, where they develop and showcase their skills. 

With an array of enriching curriculums offered at JHS, these students are flourishing in their advanced placement computer science classes. They are already applying their classroom knowledge to 21st century engineering projects as they design and build solutions to meet the world’s complex problems. 

“I love the opportunity to touch the lives of youth through teaching them technology subjects,” said Woodcock. “Teaching students problem solving skills through programming and debugging code, I thrive on the variety of CTE classes that I get to teach in this role. Interacting with the students every day and seeing them progress gets me excited to wake up and teach.” 

LWSD offers six different, state-approved CTE pathways to students in middle school and high school. These courses incorporate academics with industry skills relevant to elevate students for higher-level courses in college and for high demand jobs in the real world.  

To learn how you can take a CTE course, check out your local school catalog.