The window to register for classes for the 2023-2024 school year will be open on Infinite Campus from Jan. 27 to Feb. 6. Prior to registration, counselors will present information to the different grade levels during AcLab about courses and how to enroll.

Counselors will present during Mod 1 on Jan. 19 for freshmen, and Mod 2 for sophomores. Juniors will have their presentation on Jan. 25 during Mod 1. 

“We meet with each grade level to inform them of all of the information that they’ll need to register. We’ll talk about what is specific to their grade level. For instance, with the sophomores, we will talk about opportunities like South tech or the SPARK! program. With seniors, we will talk about the CCE program. So we’re going to meet with each group separately, so we can give them specific information about their grade,” counselor Jamie Waeckerle said.

Students will sign up through Infinite Campus by entering course numbers corresponding to classes on a course guide sheet given to students by their homeroom teacher.

“Students will register through Infinite Campus and they will receive instructions on the process. They will have the opportunity at the same time to register for summer school,” Waeckerle said.

If a student doesn’t request classes by the deadline, then the portal will close for them and they will be called down to the Guidance Office to complete course requests.

“Once the student’s deadline passes, students are locked out of the process, but counselors can still get in. One of the things we will do is we will track down the kids who didn’t do that and call them out of class to make sure that they are registered because the course selections are how we build next year’s schedule,” Waeckerle said.

Although enrollment secures a student’s interest in a course, schedule requests are not final as they only guide how many classes and courses will be offered.

“One of the misconceptions is that kids think that they’re signing up for their classes at that moment, and really what this is doing is they’re determining how many students are signing up for each individual class. Then, they will decide how many sections to offer,” Waeckerle said.

Because Lafayette offers a number of opportunities and a finite number of staff, some courses are not able to fill a class block after the end of registration.

“Sometimes, there needs to be cuts because they don’t have the staff to run the class. It could be because they’re offering too many different offerings in that department, or it could just be the kid’s interest levels in that department,” Waeckerle said.

Rockwood will offer a new course in cybersecurity, which will replace the current computer networking essentials class. Lafayette will also offer a new music class, Music Production, as an elective.

Through the enrollment process, counselors are there for students to push them in the right direction for their future, but also to help balance the student’s upcoming year.

“My advice is always to try to understand what else is on your plate. Are you trying to play two or three sports or participate in two or three activities throughout the year, or do you have a job? And how much time do you have to devote to your studies? So making decisions about how many courses you want to challenge yourself with so that you can make sure that you have balance in your life, is always something that I would encourage students to do,” Waeckerle said.

Students can reach out to teachers to get advice on the best courses to take next year based on their personal progress in that subject.

“The other thing is, I strongly encourage students to consult with their current teachers about the next course that would be recommended for them in their subject area and to take those recommendations seriously,” Waeckerle said.

Counselors will also be available to answer questions about enrollment at lunch during the days that the enrollment period.

“We are going to be on the stage in the Commons the entire time that that portal is open for registration,” Waeckerle said. “So during lunch, students can just come up and check in with us. Students can certainly schedule an appointment, but most of that can be handled at lunch. If it’s a quick question we’ll be up there just ready to answer the questions the kids have.”