Area of Focus

6th grade, students explore computer hardware, problem-solving, and software development, while gaining exposure to careers in computer science, engineering, and software development

Area of Focus

The 7th grade course focuses on secure information systems, covering networking, the OSI model, cyber ethics, and digital citizenship, and introduces careers in IT support, networking, and cybersecurity.

Foundations of Interactive Design

Area of Focus

By 8th grade, students delve into interactive design, learning web and game design, software debugging, and user-focused development, with an emphasis on careers in graphic and digital design.

Your Wellness Toolkit: What We’ll Explore

In this course, we move beyond the textbook to tackle the real-world skills you need to navigate life with confidence. Our journey covers four major pillars of health:

🛡️ Safety & Sound Decisions

• The Great Outdoors: Mastering how to spot, prevent, and treat temperature-related emergencies.

• Digital Citizenship: Staying sharp and safe on the internet while connecting with local support systems.

• The Power of "No": Building rock-solid refusal skills to navigate pressure around tobacco, marijuana, and inhalants.

• Knowing the Stakes: Understanding the real-world legal and health consequences of substance abuse.

🍎 Fuel & Future Habits

• Food for Thought: Identifying your personal eating triggers and learning to decode the nutritional truth behind your favorite fast foods.

• Life-Long Vitality: Connecting today’s habits to the prevention of future challenges like heart disease, diabetes, and asthma.

• Goal Getter: Using proven decision-making strategies to crush your personal health goals.

🧬 The Human Machine

• Systems in Sync: Discovering how your nervous, endocrine, and respiratory systems work together to keep you moving.

• The Science of Change: Understanding the onset of puberty and the reproductive systems with accuracy and respect.

• Beating the Odds: Learning the signs, treatments, and prevention strategies for non-infectious diseases.

🧠 Connection & Self-Care

• The Mirror Effect: Exploring how a healthy self-image is the foundation for building awesome relationships with others.

• Internal Balance: Recognizing how your mind and body collaborate to handle stress and growth.

Empowered for Life: Core Areas of Focus

In this course, we move beyond the classroom to give students a real-world roadmap for health, safety, and self-advocacy. We focus on four key areas of personal growth:

❤️ Life-Saving Readiness

• The First Responder Mindset: Mastering the essential steps for CPR and choking relief—skills that save lives.

• Support & Suicide Prevention: Learning to recognize the warning signs in ourselves and others, and knowing exactly where to turn for immediate help.

• The Defense System: Understanding how communicable diseases spread and how to stay one step ahead with smart prevention.

🧠 Substance Awareness & The Brain

• Mapping the Impact: Exploring exactly how different substances—from stimulants to hallucinogens—affect the delicate balance of the nervous system.

• Real Talk on Risk: Using high-level decision-making to weigh the consequences of drug use and identifying the paths to treatment and recovery.

🥗 Body Image & Nutrition

• The Digestive Journey: Tracing the amazing path nutrients take through your body to fuel your daily life.

• Fuel vs. Fad: Differentiating between healthy growth and dangerous weight-management myths.

• Media Literacy: Scrutinizing the messages we see online to build a positive, resilient body image and recognizing the early warning signs of eating disorders.

🌱 Growth & Relationships

• Stress Management: Building a personalized "coping toolkit" to dial down stress and stay focused.

• Healthy Boundaries: Having honest, science-based conversations about abstinence, sexual health, and the prevention of STDs.

• Action & Consequence: Developing the "pause button" needed to choose healthy behaviors over high-risk shortcuts.

The Resilience Roadmap: Core Areas of Focus

In this course, we move beyond the classroom to give students a real-world toolkit for health, safety, and self-advocacy. We focus on four key areas of personal growth:

🛡️ Personal Safety & Emergency Action

• The First Responder Mindset: Mastering life-saving First Aid skills to step up with confidence during an emergency.

• Safety & Self-Protection: Developing the sharp communication and decision-making skills needed to navigate and avoid violent situations.

• The Body’s Defense: Summarizing the best protective practices to stay safe from both infectious and non-infectious diseases.

📺 Media Literacy & Social Influence

• Decoding the Feed: Analyzing how social media, technology, and peers influence our health behaviors and daily choices.

• Alcohol Awareness: Scrutinizing the messages that promote drinking and learning the real-world impact of alcohol on individuals and our local community.

• Community Connections: Identifying the local resources and support systems available for those struggling with alcohol abuse.

🥗 Nutrition & Goal Setting

• The Personal Success Plan: Establishing a custom list of health goals and building a step-by-step roadmap to achieve them.

• Fueling for Excellence: Creating a healthy, personalized diet based on the U.S. Dietary Guidelines to power your specific lifestyle.

• Systems in Motion: Discovering how the circulatory and digestive systems work in tandem to keep you energized and healthy.

🤝 Relationships & Self-Esteem

• Digital & Social Boundaries: Implementing healthy decision-making skills when navigating interpersonal relationships and social media platforms.

• The Confidence Connection: Exploring the powerful relationship between abstinence, high self-esteem, and reducing the risks of pregnancy and STDs.

The Athlete’s Skill Set: Areas of Focus

In P.E., we focus on the science of movement and the strategy of the game. Our curriculum is designed to help students master their bodies and their gameplay through these core pillars:

💪 Body Intelligence & Performance

• Master the Muscle: Identifying the major muscle groups and understanding how they power every sprint, jump, and throw.

• The Fitnessgram Challenge: Setting a baseline for success by participating in national fitness standards to track personal growth and endurance.
   

⚽ Game-Day Strategy

• The Art of the Strike: Developing precision and power by practicing striking skills using both body parts (like soccer kicks) and implements (like rackets or sticks).

• Mastering the Transition: Learning the "speed of the game" by seamlessly switching from offensive attacks to defensive stances.
   

🤝 The Code of Conduct

• Safe & Smart Play: Demonstrating professional-level safety practices and proper etiquette to ensure the "arena" stays competitive and fun for everyone.

• Team Synergy: Using communication to act as one cohesive unit during high-stakes gameplay.

Tactical Performance: Areas of Focus

We believe that every student can be a strategist. Our focus is on building "Game IQ" and physical endurance through these targeted training goals:

⚡ Cardiovascular Power

• Heart-Pumping Variety: Diving into a diverse range of high-energy cardiovascular activities—from circuit training to competitive drills—designed to build peak stamina.

• The Fitnessgram Benchmark: Engaging in the Fitnessgram to measure personal progress, set goals, and celebrate physical milestones.

🏟️ The Art of the Game

• Creating Space: Mastering the "science of movement" by learning how to create open space on the field or court, making it easier to receive passes and score.

• Strategic Gameplay: Developing the "coach’s mind" by practicing and refining complex offensive and defensive strategies for any sport.

🏆 Professionalism on the Field

• Responsible Leadership: Exhibiting the behaviors of a true athlete by showing respect for equipment, teammates, and the rules of the game.

• Peak Awareness: Staying focused and safe in every setting, ensuring a high-performance environment for the entire class.

The Core Pillars: Areas of Focus

In P.E., our mission is to move from basic activity to true physical literacy. We focus on building the habits and skills that keep you at the top of your game—both on the field and in your daily life.

🏃 The Active Lifestyle

• The Daily Rhythm: Engaging in regular, high-energy physical activity that builds the foundation for a healthy, vibrant life.

• Peak Performance: Reaching and maintaining a health-enhancing level of fitness, ensuring your body is fueled and ready for any challenge.

🎮 Mastery of Movement

• Elite Motor Skills: Demonstrating competency in complex motor skills and movement patterns, from the perfect throwing motion to agile footwork.

• Game IQ & Tactics: Moving beyond the "how" to the "why." You’ll master movement concepts, principles, and on-field strategies that give you the tactical advantage in any sport.

🤝 Character & Community

• Social Leadership: Exhibiting responsible personal and social behavior that elevates the entire team.

• Respect for the Game: Demonstrating that a true athlete is defined as much by their character and sportsmanship as their physical ability.

Level 1: The Cultural Expedition

In 6th grade, Spanish is all about discovery! We launch our three-year journey by diving into the vibrant traditions of Spanish-speaking countries and building the "survival skills" needed to navigate a new language with confidence.

The 6th Grade Roadmap:

• First Connections: Master the art of the "¡Hola!" and learn to exchange greetings, farewells, and polite expressions like a local.

• The Classroom Rhythm: Develop the ear to follow directions and respond to the daily flow of a Spanish-speaking environment.

• Essential Vocabulary: Build your toolkit for daily life! You'll learn to ask and answer questions about family, home, school, food, and the weather.

• Cracking the Code: Master the "building blocks" of the language, including the Spanish alphabet, the calendar, and the number system.

• Cultural Competency: Go beyond the map to explore the unique perspectives and traditions of the Spanish-speaking world, comparing them to life right here in the U.S.

Level 2: The High School Credit Path

Welcome to the big leagues! 7th-grade Spanish is the first half of your High School Carnegie Unit. Here, we move beyond the basics and dive into the "Daily Life" themes that allow you to express who you are, what you feel, and how you see the world—all in Spanish.

The 7th Grade Toolkit: Advanced Communication

• Interactive Exchanges: Go beyond simple phrases to conduct real, brief conversations and written exchanges with your peers.

• Media Immersion: Sharpen your ears and eyes by analyzing Spanish-speaking media, including music, videos, and short stories.

• The Power of Presentation: Learn to present your own ideas and stories orally and in writing using more complex patterns and phrases.

• Cultural Insider: Deepen your understanding of the "why" behind the traditions, products, and perspectives of Spanish-speaking cultures around the globe.

The Conversation Starters (Vocabulary):

• The Social Scene: Discussing your favorite after-school activities and hobbies.

• Personality & Identity: Using descriptive adjectives to define yourself and the people around you.

• The Daily Grind: Navigating school, classrooms, and telling time with numbers 1–100.

• Vibe Check: Communicating your feelings and describing exactly where things are located.

• The Foodie Life: Mastering the vocabulary of meals and dining.

The Architecture of Language (Grammar):

• The "Power Verbs": Mastering the pillars of Spanish: Gustar (likes), Ser/Estar (to be), Tener (to have), and Ir (to go).

• Action Patterns: Learning the rhythm of regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs to describe any action.

• The Matching Game: Perfecting Subject-Verb agreement and Noun-Adjective agreement so your sentences flow naturally and accurately.

Level 3: The Graduation Bridge (High School Credit Part 2)

This is where your journey comes together! As the second half of the Carnegie Unit, 8th-grade Spanish is designed to turn your foundation into fluency. By the end of this year, you’ll not only earn your high school credit but also gain the confidence to navigate a Spanish-speaking city, plan a major event, and express your personal style.

The 8th Grade Toolkit: Advanced Communication

• Dynamic Dialogue: Master the art of fluid, back-and-forth exchanges in both speech and writing.

• Global Media Expert: Analyze and enjoy Spanish-language music, news, and digital media with a deeper understanding of nuance.

• Storytelling & Pitching: Present your own ideas, plans, and stories using sophisticated sentence patterns and professional formatting.

• Cultural Ambassador: Evaluate and celebrate the unique "products" of Spanish-speaking cultures—from architecture to art—and how they shape the world.

The "World Traveler" Vocabulary:

• Life in the City: Getting around town, identifying places, and attending events.

• Shop & Style: Navigating clothing, shopping for the latest trends, and mastering numbers from 20 to 1,000,000.

• The Perfect Host: Describing your home, planning an epic party, and managing household chores.

• Dining Out: Ordering with confidence and navigating a restaurant menu like a native speaker.

The Precision Lab (Grammar):

• Verb Mastery: Polishing -er and -ir verbs and tackling "Stem-Changers"—the verbs that change their heart to change their meaning.

• Possession & Ownership: Using possessive adjectives to talk about what’s yours and what belongs to others.

• The Comparison Game: Using Comparatives to rank, rate, and debate your favorite things.

• Streamlined Speech: Mastering Direct Object Pronouns to make your Spanish sound more natural and less repetitive.

• The Final Showdown: Perfecting the nuances of Ser vs. Estar to describe who you are and how you’re doing with total accuracy.