Students returning for the 2025-2026 school year will have five new courses to consider signing up for, two offering honors designations.

Over the past two years, Regional Occupational Program [ROP] electives like Video Production and Auto Tech sought approval to give students a weighted advantage on their transcripts; the same occurred last year with honors Advanced Journalism and Yearbook.

Following the German and Spanish world language classes, for the first time in the Fullerton Joint Union High School District [FJUHSD], the World Languages department will be providing an honors Korean language course: Korean 3 Honors.

World Languages Department head Maria Torres said discussion on the development of the Korean 3 Honors course started from at least 2023 by all Korean teachers.  

“I think it’s great that there is going to be a Korean 3 Honors class,” Korean 2 student sophomore Kaylee Houston said. “[They can] benefit with honors credit while learning something they are passionate about.”

A yearlong class offered to sophomores, juniors and seniors, Korean 3 Honors will provide students with 10 units of credit. 

Similar to the Korean 3 class, the course will be using Epic Korean Textbooks; however, Korean teacher Esther Lee said the class will have an emphasis on writing and reading comprehension that will better prepare students for IB Korean 4. 

“It’s going to be very good for students who need to challenge themselves,” Lee said. “They can have a stronger foundation for the Korean language, reading comprehension, vocabulary and history.”

Interested students need a B- or higher in their Korean 2 class or a recommendation from their teachers to qualify for the course.

“I think this could attract students to potentially choose Sunny Hills over other schools, and for students currently at Sunny Hills, another opportunity to challenge themselves with a weighted course,” Korean teacher Joe Ok said. “I think it will also encourage students to continue studying Korean all the way up to the IB level classes.”

Having heard of the opportunity from Lee in her fifth-period Korean 2 class, Houston said she was intrigued by the opportunity. 

“My initial reaction [to the new course] was curiosity because I wondered how I could extend my knowledge beyond a regular Korean class in Korean honors,” Houston said. “I think it would definitely be an interesting and very challenging experience for me as a Korean student.”

While unaware if she will be teaching the class next year, Lee said she looks forward to the opportunity.

“I think it’s very exciting because I will have a better chance to help my students who are willing to challenge themselves and I want to take that as a chance to challenge myself,” she said.

On account of their rigorous curriculum, the ROP’s Engineering Design & Development will provide honors credit to participants. 

“I am excited for the opportunities that can present to the students,” Engineering Pathway to Innovation program coordinator Martin Rodriguez said. “Having an extra honors class on your transcript is great.”

This yearlong project-based capstone course provides students with the opportunity to identify real-world issues and develop their own solutions through the engineering design process. 

The third and final class in the ROP’s three-year pathway, to join the Engineering Design  & Development class, students will have to complete the Principles of Engineering class to participate. 

Junior Jake Sexton said he was unaware of the designation, but said he is grateful for the opportunity to receive the credit alongside his ROP certification.

“The class allows students to explore various different types of engineering,” Sexton said. “I think that it is beneficial to everyone who takes the course as it is an extra incentive to encourage more people to take it.”

Previously approved by the district, Environmental Systems International Baccalaureate [IB] Standard Level [SL] will be offered for the first time on the SH campus. 

According to the agenda for the Jan. 14 Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees, Environmental Systems IB SL will be a yearlong college preparatory course covering the impact of humans on the ecosystem. 

Implemented earlier in Sonora High School, IB coordinator Scott Rosenkranz said the Board approved the course at Sunny Hills to engage and challenge students.

“I’m excited to offer more courses to our students in areas of their interests,” Rosenkranz said. “We have many students who have interests in the natural sciences.”

Similarly, science department co-chair and Advanced Placement Environmental Science [APES] teacher Andrew Gartner said he looks forward to the new addition. 

“I think it’s a good opportunity for [IB students] to take another variety of courses,” Gartner said. “It’s an applicable and interesting course and there’s lots of good stuff you can do.”

IB student junior Alexander Rodriguez said he appreciates the introduction of new courses in the program. 

“It’s cool that students can take new courses, especially for IB because there are not that many offered,” Rodriguez said. 

While the curriculum will be similar to APES, Rosenkranz said alongside internal assessment opportunities,  the IB course will focus on environmental policies and natural science. 

Digital Art will also be joining the SH course offerings, replacing its previous title as Communication Design.

While no changes were made to the curriculum itself, Conservatory of Fine Arts co-department head Preetha Mathen said she supports the district’s decision to enforce the change. 

“I am glad the Board approved it,” Mathen said. “It makes sense in terms of the content of the class [and] it also helps students have a better understanding of what the class is about when selecting courses.”

Similar to the Communication Design class, to be eligible for the program, interested participants will have to complete the Drawing and Painting class or receive a teacher recommendation.

“I think the title change was a good idea because it may draw attention to some students,” sophomore Neila Forbes said. “[Digital Art] may be a more familiar name to other students registering for an art class.” 

Following the steps of Troy, Buena Park, La Habra and Sonora High School, Academic Tutor will be offered to rising juniors and seniors.

Responsible for peer tutoring one period per day, according to the Jan. 14 Regular Meeting of the Board of Trustees agenda, to qualify for this semester-long course, participants must be Honors or AP students and receive teacher approval. 

Similar to office aides, tutors will be receiving five units of credit and community service hours for their assistance.

According to Murrietta, Academic Tutoring will only be offered to AVID 3 and 4 students for the next school year.

“We want to start with AVID because AVID students are already trained how to tutor, so we already know that they have this background,” Murrietta said. “It could expand to other areas, we’ll see where it goes.”

Peer tutors will be expected to apply their training from previous Advancement Via Individual Determination [AVID] courses to assist AVID 1 and 2 students. 

“One thing that we do know about is the best way to learn something is to teach it,” the assistant principal said. “So this will only strengthen our student’s knowledge base of concepts than it is when they’re able to actually teach it.”

AVID 2 student sophomore Audrianna Van Lingen said she approves of the district’s decision to implement the class.

“I personally think that the course could be fun,” Van Lingen said. “I think it will be beneficial because sometimes teachers can explain work in complicated ways, so asking a fellow student or someone that has already taken that class for help makes things easier.”