“I think Chamblee offering new classes is great because this is actually useful and something we can use in the future instead of forgetting about it right after a test or quiz,” said Taylor Maynor (’22).

Among the various new adjustments and changes around the school, new classes have been the talk of the town. Before the 2021 school year, there were constant complaints revolving around the lack of practical classes at Chamblee, making it difficult for students to leave high school with knowledge they can carry on no matter what they decide to do in the future.

Additionally, there weren’t as many science electives offered, giving students fewer options if they wanted to learn about a specific subject other than the usual biology, chemistry, physics, etc. These drawbacks led to the creation of two new classes: Personal Finance and Forensic Science, taught by Mr. Freeman and Ms. Meyer, respectively.

“I figured this class would help me, in the long run, to actually know a bit about taxes, how to save money, and live comfortably,” said Hailey Lupton (’22), regarding the Personal Finance class. “I want to be able to spend money in a smart way and learn how to invest.”

Financial literacy is absolutely crucial for success in any and every field. Without these pragmatic skills, students struggle to adjust to living life after graduation.

“I want to be prepared when I graduate high school on how I can deal with my finances, be efficient, and really how to be an adult,” said Maynor.

Math classes like geometry and algebra are important, but students agree that more emphasis should be put on economics and finance for the greatest chance of success not based on a certain field of interest.

“[Personal Finance] is going to be one of the only useful subjects that you have to use no matter who you are,” said senior Marshall Freymann. “You won’t use classes like calculus unless you go into that particular field.” 

Along with Personal Finance, Forensic Science was also added to the course list this school year. 

“The class came up and I just thought ‘that’s awesome,’ so I decided to teach it,” said Meyer.

Although the class will cover the more usual concepts of murder documentaries and DNA profiling, Meyer also plans on including less conventional topics. 

“There’s a bunch of small things that go into forensics, including a lot of those classic things you think of like DNA evidence, physical and trace evidence, and ballistics,” said Meyer. “The course also includes my personal favorite: forensic entomology, which is how insects break down decomposing bodies.”

With this promising selection of new classes, Chamblee is continuing to expand its list of subjects that will truly benefit students not only in the classroom and regardless of whichever occupation they decide to pursue.