Academics
Westfield's faculty is divided into 10 departments: English, ESOL (English for speakers of other languages), Fine and Performing Arts, Foreign Language, Health and Physical Education, Mathematics, Professional and Technical Studies, Science, Social Studies, and Special Education.
As one of 16 Fairfax County high schools that offer the Advanced Placement (AP) Program, Westfield will offer 22 of the 32 AP courses that are offered by the College Board as of the 2007–2008 school year. (The other 8 high schools are designated for the International Baccalaureate Program). In addition, the curriculum also offers Honors courses to prepare students for the rigorous workload associated with AP courses.
Fairfax County's academy system also allows Westfield students to take alternate classes at Chantilly, Edison, Fairfax, Marshall, and West Potomac High Schools with transportation provided.
When the school opened, Westfield possessed the newest computer labs and electronic equipment in the county. Westfield's Aerospace Science class is the only one of its kind in FCPS, and its Television Production Lab is the most advanced of any FCPS school. Westfield also offers among the highest number of business-related, technology, and computer classes for any FCPS school, including its notable cooperative education program offered by the Professional and Technical Studies department. The photography and computer graphics labs are among the most complete and advanced in FCPS and provide an extensive array of equipments available for student use. The music technology lab is designed for music theory, and has special software for composing music.
The Foreign Language department offers six languages for students to study: American Sign Language, French, German, Japanese, Latin, and Spanish. Human Anatomy and Physiology is a unique course offered for Westfield science students who are interested in pursuing a career in the medical field and would like a more in-depth coverage on human systems than AP Biology.
Westfield's English department provides a number of unique elective courses such as forensics and debate, film study, and a course on William Shakespeare. The Fine and Performing Arts department produced a news program which broadcasts information and upcoming events at or involving Westfield over the school's televisions on a daily basis.
Read more about this topic: Westfield High School (Fairfax County, Virginia)
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