By staff writer Rowan Esquer

Electives have been one of the things separating Bay Farm from other middle school programs around Alameda. But not anymore. Elective classes are coming to BFMS in the fall.

In a short interview recently, Principal Babs Freitas said that “All I know is that there are definitely going to be electives.” No further information has been made available yet.

But now that Bay Farm’s middle school is finally built out and has one full year complete, teachers and the administration are beginning to add things that make the BFMS program even better. Students at BFMS say they approve.

“Electives will be a good way to try something new,” said 7th grader Megan Tansey.

7th grader Jay Bond agreed. “I think new electives will be pretty exciting, and I can’t wait!” he said.

At Lincoln Middle School, for example, students can choose to take classes like band, wood shop, art, drama, journalism, languages and “the wheel.”  Because BFMS is so much smaller and just starting out, there probably won’t be as many classes offered. In addition, elective classes will be limited to subjects that current teachers either find interesting or have expertise in, said 6th grade teacher Joni Reynolds.

5th grader Camryn Sumrok, who will stay at Bay Farm for middle school in the fall, said that despite the lack of information about Bay Farm’s electives, she thinks they will be a good thing. “I think that it would be a great opportunity to have a say in what I do in my daily schedule,” she said.

Emily Rutherford contributed additional reporting to this story