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East Windsor High highlights new AP Music Theory, academic-skills course and career-week activities
Summary
High-school staff and students presented new coursework (AP Music Theory and a redesigned Academic Skills & Enrichment course), SAT prep and a week of career and college-readiness activities that included industry trips, mock interviews and community speaker sessions.
East Windsor High School staff and students gave the Board of Education a detailed update on new courses and a multi-day career and college readiness effort, emphasizing student voice and community partnerships.
Principal Allison Anderson introduced teachers and students who described the year’s new course offerings, including AP Music Theory (with three students preparing for the AP exam) and a redesigned Foundations course now called Academic Skills and Enrichment (ASE) that combines ELA and math with SAT strategy and technology training. Teacher Jenna Brasky said the music class exposes students to performance- and analysis-based AP exam components: "There is singing, there is writing music, there is listening," she said, noting the course supports students who may earn college credit while developing analytical skills.
Teachers described ASE as intentionally small to increase teacher time, with ELA teacher Celeste Pacheco and others emphasizing SAT-question-of-the-day practice, data trackers for student reflection and small-group leadership. Student Andres Doncel Gross said the course helped students "interact with each other and figure out how to find answers together" and praised the class for teaching annotation and analytical reading skills.
The presentation also summarized "Think About Your Future Week" (March 16–20), which included career speaker prep, SAT/PSAT testing, college and trade field trips (options included American International College, Western New England, Central and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers), mock interviews with local business partners and a culminating speakers day with more than 25 career rooms. Staff and students highlighted mock interviews and resume workshops as valuable real-world preparation: the mock-interview day brought in business partners and college representatives who provided feedback on student interviewing and resumes.
Board members responded with praise for the alignment between curriculum goals and student programming and asked follow-up questions about assessments and technology supports. The presentation closed with the board thanking staff and students for linking curricular goals with career-pathway experiences.
The board requested that staff keep the board informed on AP exam results and any measurable impacts of the ASE course on SAT performance.
