Along with the recent addition of iPads, OHS has been making technological advancements in the way students picks the courses for the next year.

Last year, this electronic method was tested on incoming freshmen and sophomores and it is a  transition being made districtwide.

Kimberly Heinz, assistant principal, thinks that this change will help prepare students for the outside world.

“This helps college and career ready students a lot, all college registration is all online,” Heinz said.  “It equips students for the process of it all, and gives the benefit of picking classes with parents.”

Stephan Cattermole, sophomore, was in the first freshman class to have this method piloted on.

“It was quick and easy, I could find all the possible classes and if I changed my mind I could change it a lot easier than before,” Cattermole said.

Last year there was a district pilot and the results are what helped make the transition to all online.

“Incoming freshmen and sophomores are easier because the variation of classes is less. They have to take a lot of the same classes, so that’s why we selected that grade, it would be smoother for them to adjust compared to the upperclassmen,” Heinz said.  

This change will conceivably benefit the relationship between counselors and students.  

“They have the opportunity to sit down with students and go through their options, if a specific course is not listed online that can heighten the conversation between the counselor and the student,” Heinz said.

Cattermole said this could halt students from going to their counselors in the future.

“I think it made people more hesitant to go to their counselors with questions, since they had all the information in front of them, that bond may not be formed,” Cattermole said.  

Parents are encouraged to actively participate in choosing their students courses and making sure that is the best choice for them.

“In the past kids could write whatever and there was minimal input from parents, now communication is more likely between the parents and the counselors,” Heinz said. “ There is a lot more accountability for choosing classes.”

Not all of the kinks have been worked out of the system leaving incoming seniors to stay with the traditional system.

“The biggest downfall is we are not doing it with incoming seniors. There are such vast differences in class options and credit checks, it is a lot more cumbersome in the system,” Heinz said.