WINDHAM — Freshmen at the new high school will be steeped in the humanities by the time they receive their diplomas in 2013.

Incoming freshman Maria Bessette, an eighth-grader at Windham Middle School, said there are a couple of reasons why she's looking forward to taking the two-credit Western humanities class — a combined English and history course — as a ninth-grader.

Her sister Lianna, now a Salem High School senior, took a combined English/history class as a junior and loved it.

Maria has developed an appreciation for history — especially the War of 1812 — to go along with her enjoyment of writers such as Jodi Picoult. So she said she feels prepared to jump into the high school humanities course.

"I'm really excited about that class," she said.

Maria's mother, Thalia Bessette, had reservations about Maria going to a brand-new school, but after meeting administrators and reviewing the curriculum, she said, "It all feels really good to me."

Windham High School Principal Rich Manley said some high schools offer a team-teaching approach for select students or upperclassmen, but all Windham freshmen will take the two-credit Western humanities class when the new school opens in August.

All sophomores will take American studies, another two-credit, team English/history class. Juniors and seniors will continue their studies at Salem High School.

Manley said Windham students can apply knowledge they gain as underclassmen to the language, art, social studies and English classes they take as upperclassmen.

He said the approach develops critical thinking and is endorsed by many colleges.

"It puts learning in context, as opposed to a series of facts," he said.

The students' 90-minute class blocks will be broken up into sections.

If students are studying the U.S. Constitution, he said, they might read a selection from the Federalist Papers in the first segment.

In the second segment, a student might dramatize a Founding Father giving a speech about the art of compromise.

In the third segment, the teacher might ask the class whether compromise is necessary for modern American government.

Colby Putnam, 14, a Salem High School freshman who will attend Windham High as a sophomore, said students will get more individual attention from teachers at the new school.

"The first couple years, there will be so few students the teachers will be able to focus in on these kids," he said.

The school will open with an estimated combined freshmen and sophomore enrollment of about 330 students. The student/teacher ratio is expected at about 10-to-1.

The district will host a job fair for prospective Windham High teachers on Jan. 9 from 3 to 7 p.m., at Windham Middle School.