On Jan. 8, the Piedmont Board of Education announced new honors level Visual and Performing Arts classes beginning in the 2025- 26 school year. The new suite of classes consists of Honors Jazz Band, Honors Symphonic Band, Honors Orchestra, Honors Drama, and Honors Dance.
According to the Course Catalogue for the 25-26 academic year, in addition to being enrolled in the regular class, students will have the option of fulfilling a series of additional requirements specific to the class to qualify for honors credit. Requirements may include additional exams, participation in outside activities and competitions, mentoring, and application to honors ensembles and societies. Additionally, all participating students must be in grades 11 or 12 to receive honors credit.
Students are looking forward to the prospect of these new courses.
“I am really, really excited to be taking the weighted acting classes,” said member of Advanced Acting junior Amelia Addington. “In my opinion, any acting or theater extracurriculars should be counted as a weighted thing, just because of the amount of time that we put into it.”
Jazz Band member sophomore Raiden Holt hopes that his prior musical experience will prepare him for the transition to a weighted class.
“I’m very excited,” Holt said. “I already do the outside of school requirements for Jazz Band, so I think it will be an easy switch over.”
Holt said that the weighted grade boost will also encourage members of arts classes to perform at their best.
“We’re going to perform at places, we’ve performed at Yoshi’s Jazz Club, people are going to see us, you want to sound your best,” Holt said. “If you’re willing to do that, then you deserve honors [credits].”
