Something happens at the high school in Secaucus at night, a change of character that turns the building into a different kind of institution for learning. Walk down the hall and you are struck with the sounds of singing and dancing, the clatter of computers, laughter and merriment. While education is still conducted here, a lighter, almost ethereal air seems to overtake teachers and students. Michael Germann, who took over the Secaucus Community Education program in Sept. 1998, said some programs for the new semester have changed, with a few new classes added to the evening lineup. Many people who come to the adult school are quite ordinary. They may be housewives, truck drivers and office workers from other parts of the county who find pleasure in learning a new subject with each visit. Some come for practical reasons, looking to further their careers by learning more about their current jobs. Some want to acquire a new skill that will allow them to later seek different employment. These people might take a class like “Developing a winning resume” on Mondays and “Take this job search … and love it,” on Wednesdays, both taught by Harvard MBA Fran Correa. You might find classrooms full of people on Tuesdays and Thursdays learning the personal computer with Mirerva Alvardo, or laying out spreadsheets in Michelle Kane’s classes on Excel. The list of classes offered during the winter and spring semesters has dozens of practical applications, from typing to home-based business ideas, and from obtaining a real estate license to learning about PC and Mac computers. Yet there is also another side to what many call “adult school,” where people come to have fun or engage in new experiences. In one classroom you might find the award-winning artist Peggy M. Calles teaching people about relief painting or watercolors, while in another classroom you might find Sharon Williams teaching people about classic movies and ideas for novels. If you think you smell something cooking, you may be right, since classes in Italian Cuisine will be offered this spring with chef and restaurant owner Joe Pepe, while cook Joseph Potente offers people a class called “Twenty minutes in the kitchen: let’s sit down and eat.” You might even find people dancing – if not in the halls, then certainly in the classrooms. Barbara Egner, a professional dancer, will teach ballroom dancing, while Andrew Obssuth and Irene Zagorski will teach people the swing and the hustle, or if people prefer, the salsa and the meringue. If that isn’t enough, then Theresa O’Keefe and Richard Stevens offer an introduction to the Argentine Tango. People also come to learn about martial arts, boating, reducing weight through aerobics or finding peace of mind through yoga. Other courses include gardening, flower arranging, lawn care, quilting or making Victorian boxes for potpourri. The program even offers defensive driving courses. The town has provided adult education since 1978, and most classes are open to anyone. The average class meets once a week for about two hours over a 10-week period. Because computer courses are in such demand, the school has two sessions a week for three weeks. The teachers come from a variety of backgrounds. Some teach during the day and others are professionals and artists seeking to share their skills or personal hobbies. For most of the courses, the teachers do not need a teaching certificate. People who are interested in teaching apply to the Community Education office at the high school, and submit a resume and a course description. If the course is feasible, the applicant is contacted after the advisory council reviews it. The council is a cross-section of people from the community, including teachers, business people, parents and even high school students who look over the proposal and pass it on to the Board of Education, where it receives final approval. Super Saturdays expanded Among the most significant changes to this semester’s program is the Super Saturday program designed for kids, Germann said. “We’ll be working with the Secaucus Raiders Drum and Bugle Corps. for color guard, percussion and brass instruction,” he said. To help kids meet the more advanced requirements of the state’s core curriculum standards for foreign language, Super Saturday now includes instruction in Spanish and Italian. “There is a big push to start language skills on a lower level,” Germann said. “We hope this will help.” The Saturday programs kick off at the high school on Jan. 29. Another significant change to the town’s community education program began about two years ago when it teamed up with Hoboken Adult School, the Hudson Adult Learning Alliance in Jersey City and the International Institute in Union City to provide English as a Second Language classes. “We all used to do this in individual schools,” Germann said. “But since the state is trying to consolidate services, we’ve teamed up, with Secaucus as the lead organization.” While adults from throughout the county attend many of the other classes provided by the town’s community education program, students have a choice of four locations throughout the county for ESL. To promote the program in the town and surrounding communities, Germann said he sent out letters to companies who might wish to send their workers to the school to help them get a better grasp on English, or have teachers come to the workplace to give instruction. “We’ve had several companies that have expressed an interest,” Germann said. “What we desperately need are certified teachers.” The ESL and GED classes are two of the more important classes for which the school receives government grants. The list of classes can be obtained by calling the high school during daytime hours at 974-2027. Some classes start as early as Jan. 24, and registration is required.