MS Cross Grade Resources

V. CROSS-GRADE RESOURCES AND COURSES

Cross Grade Resources and Courses ART

Students have opportunities to express themselves through a variety of two-dimensional and threedimensional techniques including drawing, painting, and sculpture. Assignments progress sequentially from simple to complex while simultaneously focusing on developing students’ visual, motor, and expressive skills. Students develop critical thinking skills as they apply to visual aesthetic issues and build up technical proficiency with tools and construction techniques.

In Grade 6, students continue to develop a vocabulary of visual language, learn to communicate content (intent of expression), and build competence using tools and visual techniques. For students in Grade 7, the focus is on visual perception and visual communication, and the objectives expand to include understanding and expressing design concepts. In Grade 8, assignments become more complex and focus primarily on self-expression. A stronger emphasis is placed on individualized interpretation of a project. Throughout their MS careers, students are encouraged to develop their own forms of expression.

MUSIC

Creative Arts (required) Music enrichment is a comprehensive music course designed to develop students’ musicianship skills for lifelong musical involvement and enrichment. Students learn the many ways music is used in life and how it impacts cultural identity. All students develop their musicianship skills by rotating through music units such as; music theory, composition, playing musical instruments, singing, and dancing. Music units cover music from around the globe, in all historical eras. (All students participate in all components.)

2012-2013 Middle School Program Guide

King Studio Ensemble (Band – elective) The King Studio Ensemble is an ensemble designed for students in all grades who want to continue to develop their performance skills beyond their general music course experience. The ensemble reinforces concepts developed in the general music course and also demonstrates the versatility of all instruments by playing a myriad of music styles such as orchestra, marches, polkas, waltzes, blues, jazz, film music, salsa, and even some popular music forms. All winds, brass, and percussion are encouraged to play.

Piano, bass, and guitars may join, but should know that, due to the type of instruments, playing opportunities are limited since only one person on each instrument can play at one time. (Percussionists are expected to be able to play all percussion instruments, including the mallets.)

STRATEGIES COURSES

Students who demonstrate pronounced difficulty in the areas of reading, writing, or general study skills have the option of taking a strategies course designed to provide focused assistance in these areas. The Reading/Writing and Study Strategies courses are taught by experienced teachers who provide direct instruction of strategies as well as assistance with academic assignments. Enrollment in these classes is by recommendation of the Administration.

LIFE SKILLS

The objective of the Life Skills syllabus is to help students improve decision making processes. Understanding differing perspectives, clarifying one’s own values, and developing social skills for effective communication are at the core of this course. Topical information is presented in classes which stimulates discussion on the following ideas: understanding self, building teamwork, resolving conflict, respecting difference, understanding human sexuality, and providing service to others. Teachers act as facilitators to present a variety of lessons designed to be informative and allow for personal clarification through the group process.

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V. CROSS-GRADE RESOURCES AND COURSES

The ultimate goal of this program is to provide students with the factual information and values clarification to help them make more ethical and better (healthier) decisions when confronted with ethical dilemmas at school, out of school, and throughout their lives. This course is non-graded.

CLUBS

The Middle School has a tradition of creating various clubs that provide students with an opportunity to explore interests that do not necessarily fall into our core programming. All MS students particilate in one club actively. Clubs are both faculty-generated and student-generated. Most clubs are held during our activity period or after school.

ATHLETICS

The MS Athletic Program is a mandatory program that involves students in Grades 5-8. The program provides every student with the opportunity to participate on a team and/or individual sport each season throughout the year. The emphasis of the program is individual skill development, which is then put into action on the playing field through competition. Good sportsmanship, teamwork, and self-discipline are incorporated and modeled through the team sports.

For Grades 5 and 6, the program: Þ Þ Þ Þ Þ

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For Grades 7 and 8, the program: Þ DPOUJOVFT TLJMM EFWFMPQNFOU Þ JOWPMWFT EFTJHOJOH BOE FYFDVUJOH HBNF TUSBUFHJFT Þ GPDVTFT PO PWFSBMM UFBN OFFET UP EFUFSNJOF QMBZJOH time Þ FNQIBTJ[FT TQPSUTNBOTIJQ BOE DPNNJUNFOU Þ TFSWFT BT B CSJEHF UP UIF 64 "UIMFUJD 1SPHSBN

One or more individual fitness sports, such as strength and conditioning, squash, tennis, and swimming, are offered per season.

Fall Options Football Soccer Volleyball Field Hockey Cross Country

Boys Boys

Co-Ed

Girls Girls Girls Co-Ed

Boys Co-Ed Co-Ed Co-Ed Co-Ed

Girls Co-Ed Co-Ed Co-Ed Co-Ed

Winter Options Basketball Ice Hockey * Squash * Swimming * Strength Training Spring Options Baseball Softball Lacrosse Tennis Cross Country

Boys Boys Co-Ed Co-Ed

Girls Girls Co-Ed Co-Ed

* Parents pay an additional fee for their children to participate. Þ Þ Þ

Swimming is a non-competitive offering.

Grades 5/6 tennis is non-competitive.

Grades 7/8 tennis is competitive, and there are cuts made to the team.

The Athletic Program is part of the student’s day.

Grades 5 and 6 practice five days per week for one hour per day, and play four to six games per season.

Grades 7 and 8 practice for one hour at the end of the day five days per week, with 8-10 after-school games per season.

2012-2013 Middle School Program Guide

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V. CROSS-GRADE RESOURCES AND COURSES

LIBRARY AND MEDIA RESOURCES MS students use the US Library resources. Media resources are available to students through the Media Center located on the MS campus, classroom desktops, and via laptops connected to central carts. All student and Faculty communicate via our First Class email system.

TECHNOLOGY

In Middle School, use of technology as a learning tool becomes integral to the learning process. Classroom desktops and wireless MAC I-Book carts allow seamless technical applications at school as well as communication with home and school. All students are required to take a one trimester technology coures that enhances appropriate students use of technology and deepends student use of digital research skills.

COMPETENCY AREAS

Upon completing Grade 8, King students will have demonstrated competencies in many areas.

Þ Students make independent interdisciplinary connections and relate their studies to a changing global environment. Þ 4UVEFOUT EFWFMPQ DPNQFUFODF JO BT XFMM BT BO appreciation of, the value of visual and performing arts and how they relate to other disciplines.

Character Development and Personal Growth Þ 4UVEFOUT IBWF B DMFBS BXBSFOFTT PG UIFNTFMWFT BT individuals and how to support each other; show compassion; accept diversity; and have a sense of community. By doing so, they develop a sense of moral character. Furthermore, they set standards and act as role models for the entire MS student body. Þ 4UBOEBSET PG BDDPVOUBCJMJUZ BOE SFTQPOTJCJMJUZ GPS one’s actions help foster self-esteem. Þ 4UVEFOUT QBSUJDJQBUF SFHVMBSMZ JO QIZTJDBM BDUJWJUZ and learn to value its role in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. In addition, they learn the value of sportsmanship and team play.

Communication

FACULTY AND STAFF ORGANIZATION

Þ Þ Þ Þ

The Middle School is organized into three grade-level teaching teams, each headed by a faculty Team Leader. Each team plans an academic program that coordinates activities around themes and application of specific skills rather than around subject areas. Each teaching team works as a unit to promote the learning, understanding, and development of students in the grade level. This approach is believed to most effectively meet the varied intellectual, social, and emotional needs of early adolescents.

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Intellectual and Creative Development Students are self-disciplined so that they: Þ UBLF JOJUJBUJWF QFSTFWFSF BOE GPMMPX UISPVHI XJUI B task Þ DBO XPSL DPPQFSBUJWFMZ BOE JOEFQFOEFOUMZ Þ UBLF SFBTPOBCMF SJTLT In acquiring these competencies, students are able to recognize their strengths and weaknesses, accept criticism, and identify personal learning styles. These characteristics enable them to proceed to the next level of intellectual growth. Students recognize that the product is a reflection of the process; by the end of Grade 8, students must realize how to manage the process in order to arrive at a quality product.

Each grade has a Dean who oversees the advisory program, choosing topics, themes, skills that are relevant and appropriate to students’ emotional , social, and academic growth. The Grade Dean also handles disciplinary issues, with emphasis placed on learning from mistakes, doing the right right, making the right choices, and being a positive leader and citizen.

As part of the intellectual process, students are able to use technology as a means of expression, communication, and investigation.

2012-2013 Middle School Program Guide

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V. CROSS-GRADE RESOURCES AND COURSES

Each grade begins the academic year with a three-day long class trip. Although each trip is coordinated with curricular goals, the primary purpose of the trip is to foster respectful and responsible interaction between students and Teachers and among peers.

This camaraderie is extended to others throughout the year in various community service activities. Each grade offers various opportunities for participation in community service, and students in Grade 8 are required to commit a minimum of 12 hours to service of their personal choice.

2012-2013 Middle School Program Guide

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