Sacred Heart Greenwich offers select online courses for the junior and senior year curriculums. For the 2024-2025 school year, however, Upper School administrators have decided to move two courses, Advanced Placement (AP) Macroeconomics and Post AP Linear Algebra and Multivariable Calculus, from online to in-person, shifted to be in-person classes this year. Additionally, the online AP Statistics course will transition to be an in-person class for the 2025-2026 school year. These changes in response to student demand garner generally positive reception among senior students.
AP Macroeconomics was originally an online course for the 2024-2025 school year. However, Mr. Vincent Badagliacca, Upper School History Teacher and History Department Chair, offered to teach it in-person to the group of students taking this course and learned the curriculum himself. Since content in the course often deals with graphs and visuals, Mr. Badagliacca bought whiteboards for his students, aiding them in their learning experience. Senior Mackenzie Gillen, member of the AP Macroeconomics class, commented on her experience in this course and shared how the skills and knowledge she has gained will benefit her in the future.
“I have always been drawn to majors centered around business, but this class really reinforced my interest in these subjects,” Mackenzie said. “I applied to many business schools, and will be attending the business school at Georgetown University. I will likely major in finance, and after taking this class, I am also thinking about minoring in the College of Arts and Sciences in either economics or government.”
Currently, AP Statistics is an online course, and it will transition to be in-person next school year. Although taking an online course has benefits with flexible structures, some challenges arise for students surrounding time management, organization, and supplemental help. Senior Caitlin Leahy took AP Statistics this year and reflected on both the positive and negative aspects of taking an online course.
“I’ve enjoyed several parts of [AP Statistics], especially the flexibility it offers,” Caitlin said. “Being able to go at my own pace was helpful, especially during busier weeks. One of the biggest challenges for me has been staying organized and managing my time effectively without the daily structure of a physical classroom. It is very easy to fall behind since I am not physically in a classroom and do not have constant reminders from a teacher. Additionally, when I don’t understand something right away, I have to put in extra effort to seek help or figure it out on my own.”
Another senior class that transitioned from online to in-person this year is Post AP Linear Algebra and Multivariable Calculus. Mr. John Martone, Upper School Math Teacher, teaches this rigorous class. He designed a thoughtful course to offer to advanced math students. Mr. Martone commented on his experience of teaching this course in comparison to an online class.
“I enjoyed teaching the course immensely,” Mr. Martone said. “In-person is certainly preferable, although I do believe that, with a small class such as mine, there is a place for a synchronous Zoom option. A static online offering is less effective, but sometimes, it is the only viable option. I do believe, however, that from time to time an asynchronous class on one topic or another could be an interesting and pedagogically sound option.”
Although this class consists of only two students, the transition from online to in-person is worthwhile, as Sacred Heart strives to accommodate students of all levels and meet their needs. Senior Sophia Lostumbo shared why she appreciates this course and how she will use the lessons to her advantage in the future.
“I really have enjoyed the class this year, especially the opportunity for such personalized learning with such a small class,” Sophia said. “While I am not planning to pursue a math or math related major, this class has definitely sparked my interest to keep taking math classes, and has taught me important problem solving skills that I will definitely apply to my other classes in college.”
Featured Image by Claire McMonagle ’27
