There are many classes available to Westside students, ranging from core classes to unique electives, but for the 2026-2027 school year the high school is planning on expanding the course catalog even further.
The classes being added range from new art courses all the way to classes involving cyber security. One of the new classes is going to be Forensics Two, which is planned to be taught by science teacher Michelle Potter.
“Forensic Science Two is an extension from Forensic Science One,” Potter said. “Students will be enhancing their knowledge gained from Forensic Science One and apply it to new techniques and topics. Topics will include interrogation techniques, forensic reporting, fire investigation, explosives, physical trauma, physiology of alcohol poisons, cyber crimes, criminal profiling and crime scene reconstruction.”
Forensics Two is similar to Forensics One, but with an expanded curriculum that is more in depth. For some people it might be more intriguing than to others, especially for people who have an interest in the crime field.
“This class is for students who have successfully completed Forensic Science One and have an interest in the forensics field, law enforcement, criminology and military,” Potter said.
Potter feels beyond excited to teach this course, but she is also excited for students experiencing the new class for the first time.
“I am excited about the entire course, but I really enjoy crime scene reconstruction the most,” Potter said. “I really think students are going to enjoy the course.”
Students will be able to take Forensics Two during the 2026-2027 school year. Another class that will be newly available next year is Sculpture. This class will be taught by Erin Rudolff, a current art teacher at Westside.
“In Sculpture we will create 3D art using a variety of non-ceramic materials such as paper, cardboard, plaster, found objects, wood and other materials,” Rudolff said.
The Sculpture course is going to have many fun projects throughout the year, but not all students would be a good fit or interested in it.
“I would recommend this class to students who have already taken Art Foundations, and students who want to build and create without the restrictions of two dimensional art,” Rudolff said.
Sculpture will be one of the new classes for students who are interested in art to join next year. For those with an interest in science, another class that will be offered is AeroSpace Engineering and Commercial Drone Flight, taught by Ben Powers.
“AeroSpace Engineering is a course that focuses on the design, development, testing and maintenance of aircraft and spacecraft,” Powers said. “It encompasses both aircraft engineering and spacecraft engineering. One of the main focuses of a course like this is to show students multiple career pathways in the field.”
For Powers, he’s not just excited about the course itself but the activities that students will partake in during the class.
“We will get to build and design multiple systems like gliders, aircraft wings, engine block mounts, composite wing materials, rockets, lunar rovers and more,” Powers said.
Both of these courses have many engaging projects and real-world elements to them, which really help students expand their knowledge over the field. Powers believes students interested in the topic could greatly benefit in this class.
“I would recommend this class to students who are interested in flight, space, aircraft design and have taken background engineering,” Powers said. “This class is meant to be an upper level engineering course with a heavier focus on the math and physics of flight.”
These aren’t the only classes coming to Westside next year, as there are also going to be classes like CyberSecurity, Forklift Operator and Human Body Systems for which the teachers have yet to be decided. All new courses should provide exciting opportunities for a wide variety of students.
