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Elective
Course Descriptions
French
First year French
Language class introduces
sentence structure and grammar.
Verb tenses and vocabulary
development are the focus of
this course. French I (High
School Credit Course) builds
upon vocabulary from the first
year class, continues
advancement of grammar and
sentence structure, and
additional verb structures.
Spanish
First year Spanish
Language class introduces
sentence structure and grammar.
Verb tenses and vocabulary
development are the focus of
this course. Spanish I (High
School Credit Course) builds
upon vocabulary from the first
year class, continues
advancement of grammar and
sentence structure, and
additional verb structures.
Year-Long Electives
Choral Music
This class is open to any
student on campus no matter what
their ability or level. They
will learn the fundamentals in
vocal technique from proper
support to vowel formations.
There will be an emphasis on
Classical, Pop, and Jazz. We
will be exploring Show Choir
concepts, including dancing and
stage presentation. We will
perform regular concerts for the
school, parents, at least two
festivals, and school plays.
There will be a $20.00 activity
fee per year. Concerts and home
practice make up the majority of
the grade.
Band
This is the first step in our
instrumental music program.
Students will learn basic music
instruction and master their
chosen instrument. Beginning
Band will perform in various
concerts for parents and the
school. We will perform regular
concerts for the school,
parents, at least two festivals,
and school plays. There is an
intermediate and advanced level
band for musicians with prior
experience.
Theater Arts
Are you interested in acting?
This is a chance to try many
areas of drama, including choric
verse, pantomime, and
improvisation. Students will
write, direct, and act in plays
as well. There is a beginners,
an intermediate, and an advanced
level class available for
students with prior drama
experience.
Creative Writing
Imagine switching places with
someone else just for a few
hours! How would life be
different? How might you act
knowing you had such newness?
Next, imagine you are a famous
newspaper columnist, or the
person who writes speeches for
the President of the United
States. Continue to think of
such scenarios, leaving only
your imagination to limit you.
A class called Creative Writing
will be able to bring all of
this to you… and MORE! The
students will focus on the
writing process, by doing such
things as brainstorming
possibilities, writing drafts,
peer-editing work, revising
drafts, and sharing work with
the rest of the class. Students
will not only be learning “HOW”
to write, but they will also be
challenged with the amazing
capability of “LIKING” to
write. As Collin McCarty once
wrote, “Increase the chances of
reaching your goals by working
at them gradually.” This class
will be an excellent place to
try.
Odyssey of the Mind
The Odyssey of the Mind teaches
students to learn creative
problem-solving methods while
having fun in the process. For
more than twenty years, this
unique program has helped
teachers generate excitement in
their students. By tapping into
creativity, and through
encouraging imaginative paths to
problem solving, students learn
skills that will provide them
with the ability to solve
problems -- great and small --
for a lifetime. The Odyssey of
the Mind teaches students how to
think divergently by providing
open-ended problems that appeal
to a wide range of interests.
Students learn how to identify
challenges and to think
creatively to solve those
problems. They are free to
express their ideas and
suggestions without fear of
criticism. The creative
problem-solving process rewards
thinking "outside of the box."
While conventional thinking has
an important place in a
well-rounded education, students
need to learn how to think
creatively and productively.
Journalism
The ultimate
aim of the journalism course is
to produce students who can
write articles fit for
publication in a
newspaper/periodic publication.
This means that students will
learn to write for the purpose
of disseminating information
responsibly and efficiently ,
write for a specific
audience/readership, gather
information for articles from a
variety of sources, understand
newspaper administration and
roles, and meet publication
deadlines.
The Art of Origami
Most of us will remember folding
paper cups, salt cellars (we
called them 'cootie' catchers or
'fortune tellers') and paper
balloons as children in
elementary school. There is more
to origami than these simple
models would lead us to believe.
Origami comes from the Japanese
words for folding, ori,
and the Japanese word for paper,
kami.
Students in this class will
complete other mathematical
projects such as kite-making,
bridge building, and straw
houses. This is an exciting
hands-on class. Students
are engaged in projects daily.
Robotics
Technology is important in
today's world. There can be no
doubt about that! It is vital
that students learn that
technology is not something that
is created by others that does
"magical" things for them.
Technology is something they
must understand how to use and
how to control. That is the
purpose of introducing a
robotics program in our middle
school. We want our students to
understand how technology works,
how it is used to solve real -
world problems, and how it is
within their power to make
decisions to control technology.
Multi-Media
Students will investigate and
increase their understanding of
graphic design. They will
create and manipulate digital
graphics using photo-editing
software. These graphics will
be integrated with MS PowerPoint
to produce advanced animation
techniques.
Math Counts/Academic
Pentathlon
The Academic Pentathlon
encourages scholastic excellence
among students who represent a
wide diversity of personal and
academic backgrounds and
interests. Only 7th and 8th
grade students participate in
middle school. (Math
Competitions/UIL Competitions)
Habitat for Hamilton
The students in the course
design a habitat for the
Hamilton community. Projects
include a small pond, gardening,
landscaping, study of natural
plants, and more. If you have a
love for the outdoors and
appreciate nature or wish to
learn, this is the class for
you!
Keyboarding
Students will operate the
keyboard by touch and begin
development of acceptable speed
and accuracy levels. The purpose
of the keyboarding class is to
teach the “touch” keyboarding
skill, teach proper formatting
of documents for personal and
business use, give opportunities
for students to apply their
keyboarding skills in “real
life” situations, and help
students achieve their potential
in keyboarding speed and
accuracy. Students who pass
this course will receive high
school credit.
Speech and Debate
Speech/debate is a year-long
course designed to allow
students the maximum number of
opportunities to perfect their
research, analysis, and public
speaking skills in an
educational environment of
competition. Students learn and
review basic and advanced oral
communication skills in the
classroom and apply those skills
at interscholastic speech and
debate tournaments. Students
strive to gain and enhance a
complete understanding of
two-man cross-examination policy
debate, Lincoln-Douglas value
debate, oratory, extemporaneous
speaking, dramatic
interpretation, humorous
interpretation, prose reading,
poetry reading, and student
congress. Students will be
expected to assist and evaluate
one another, as well as to
accept the evaluation of
tournament judges. Ethics,
research, analysis,
organizational, and delivery
skills are taught, demonstrated,
and monitored. This course is
competitive in nature and
requires members to travel on
weekends to forensic
tournaments.
Career Investigations
The purpose of this course is
organizing student planning for
post-graduation. The course
begins with the development of
career thinking and continues
through a progression that
includes orientation,
self-analysis and goal-setting.
Overall, the course intends to
not only expose them to types of
careers, but to allow a
self-analysis which should focus
their thoughts and energies into
developing an insight for career
decision-making. At the
conclusion of the course, the
student will have a folder to
keep of career activities which
include a profile of themselves
and their interests. This course
is designed to help all students
prepare for the world of work.
Concepts include communication
skills (written and oral) that
help students to find a job, get
a job and maintain a job by
combining academic skills with
hands-on-practice of job related
skills. It includes concepts
that would aid a students’
transition to a career and the
world of work by emphasizing
interviewing, working in teams,
problem-solving, and presenting
information to others.
High School Credit Courses
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French & Spanish