As a part of the English requirement, students could chose film study, modern drama, literature of the imagination, journalism, or theater arts. Emphasis on writing in all subjects and a new "Writer of the Month" program.

Four years of French, Spanish and German were available, as well as one year of Latin. A language lab opened in 1973. There was a joint effort with University instructors and interested citizens to promote the teaching of languages and opportunities for foreign travel. German students took yearly field trips to Winnipeg and helped plan the Oktoberfest.

The science department offered geology and physiology-anatomy as well as biology, chemistry, and physics. The National Geographic of March, 1979, carried a long article on Wildlife Refuges in the United States, including a whole column on Vincent Ames and his high school biology class on their field trip in western North Dakota. "Ames explained that his students were expected to know about two hundred birds and as many plants. But above all we want them to feel at home in nature."

Other curriculum changes brought calculus, consumer math, 17 different industrial arts offerings, word processing and other computer classes, . Occupational home economics and food service classes managed a restaurant at the Y Annex, serving breakfast and lunch to the public.

Driver training was offered beginning in 1947 as an after-school class. Passing the written test was a graduation requirement until 1986. It then became available only during the summer.

Mary Margaret French Frank '30, observed several classes in her Centennial research and shares these observations, "The instruction that I observed in 1986 was lively, a far cry from the rehash of the assigned chapter in the textbook that was common fifty years ago. Larry Barker's American history class began with praise for a star basketball player who was a member of the class, followed by a discussion of the opportunity to buy some classic movies for the school library, and continued with a film on World War I, and added dimension to the period of history which was being studied...In Gary Malm's economics class the students watched a film on Soviet education. They had been given three questions to think about and answer, on paper, saw they saw the film, which was stopped occasionally to provide time for observations and further questions. The papers were handed in to serve as the basis for the next day's class... Yes, there is homework, I have been told."