One of the biggest emails of the year just dropped: the 2025–2026 course catalog. Yes, it’s exciting. Yes, it’s cause for joy, celebration and meticulous game planning with everyone from best friends to college counselors. Regretfully, the course catalog also brings an immense challenge: more classes the seniors would be thrilled to take than can fit into their schedules. 

One of the joys of senior year is a schedule with increased flexibility because most graduation requirements are out of the way. However, HD 04 confiscates one of the blocks from priceless courses of our choosing. The English and history electives for next year are too good to pass up. The structure of Big A** Books (the moniker coined by Jeff Symonds, assistant head of school and dean of faculty) in the fall is full of classics that everyone should read. Taking The Constitution & Its Controversies, Public Opinion” or “Ethics and Justice would be extremely informative for students nearing voting eligibility. 

The computer science classes provides outstanding opportunities for coders, game designers and programmers; most rising seniors have fulfilled their two-year arts requirement, but self-expression and pride in artistic creation are invaluable; plus, any student would benefit from learning to manage finances, build a tiny house, grow as an entrepreneur or better appreciate the complexity of happiness. Such elective gems are in addition to the science, math and language options Branson offers. 

I propose moving the most essential curriculum for Human Development 04 from the class block it is currently slated to occupy to the senior spring advisory periods. The schedule would be similar to sophomore year: a required pass/fail class in the fall semester (sophomores take Healthy Sexuality, seniors take College Counseling) and a free block or additional class in the spring semester. 

Symonds recently described how Branson’s faculty and staff have placed the beautiful Branson academic football on the 50 yard-line, and we want to advance it farther than the current plan allows.

I fully believe that there is value in Human Development 04: The Path Forward — Life Beyond Branson. The transition from the more rigid structure of high school to the open schedule of college is a tough adjustment. Branson students should graduate with confidence that they will move into college able to “cope with homesickness,” “[establish] a social network in a new environment,” cook nutritious meals and “live with a roommate.”

But, juniors just spent the last year of school in College Counseling classes reflecting on who they are and what they want to do during and after college. Some seniors have a pretty good idea of what their major will be, while others need more time to explore Branson’s varied subject matter. By senior year, students know what subjects they want to dive into headfirst, be it advanced physics, the Renaissance, jazz or all three. They are best able to create their peak academic experience, getting the most out of our school’s vast opportunities. As any administrator would tell you, we have some of the best teachers in the world on Branson’s campus. I don’t want to graduate without learning as much as I can from the experts we have here, especially when that opportunity is just steps away.

Just like they get first dibs on immersives, seniors should have the best chance possible to seize their top choices for their last Branson classes and not be held back by a fourth year of HD.

Dropping a different subject to take an extra elective is a suboptimal solution. Curtailing progress in Spanish when we are getting proficient is not ideal, and should seniors really scratch math off their courseloads? Art is most commonly jettisoned, but the arts requirement was recently increased to three years for an important reason. HD 04 is the most reasonable course to bench, especially considering it always seems to have the least amount of student participation and engagement. Its most important information could be condensed into our advisory periods during senior spring and thereby not gobble up a full block in our schedules. 

So, to sum up, here’s my hesitation about the new HD 04 class. It’s taking up a very valuable block that would be better utilized by students venturing through the fascinating classes in the curriculum guide and searching for their moments of epiphany. I’d be endlessly grateful if Branson would look carefully at their HD 04 curriculum and see if it could be taught during advisory periods. Students would find freedom in that one extra block to execute their ideal grand finale at Branson.