Elective Courses

Counseling

Possible electives available at Spring View Middle School are:

Art I (one semester)
Art II (one semester- must have taken and passed Art I)
Concert Band (year long)
Symphonic Band (year long--a zero period)
String Orchestra (year long)
Jazz Band (year long --offered in place of plus period)
Choir (year long--offered in place of plus period)
Exploratory Spanish (one semester)
Spanish I (8th Grade only--year long)
Family and Consumer Science (formerly known as Home Economics) (one semester)
Exploratory Computer Science XCS (one semester)
Computer Science I (one semester)
Computer Science II (one semester)
Other possible electives may be assigned to support students in their academics or offer students opportunities for service within the school day.

Printable brochure for your convenience.

ART I

This course offers students an introduction and foundation for basic art skills and concepts. Students will experience a variety of media, including digital media, acrylic paint, drawing pencil, and colored pencil. Concepts such as composition, color theory, drawing and shading techniques, and the elements of art and the principles of design are explored. A $20 contribution / donation is requested to assist in the cost of art supplies and materials.

ART II

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Art I with a C or better. This course offers students further exploration of art skills and concepts. Students will experience a variety of media, including acrylic paint, pastels, Prismacolor pencil, and pour art. The elements of art and principles of design will be the focal point of each art project. A $20 contribution / donation is requested to assist in the cost of art supplies and materials.

CONCERT BAND

This course is designed for the intermediate middle school student with 1-2 years experience. The class will continue to develop musicianship skills through the study of chosen literature in all genres of music. This group will have many performances during the year including concerts, fundraisers, and festivals. (No Guitar)

SYMPHONIC BAND

Placement only through selection process. This course is designed for the advanced 8th grade middle school musician. The class will continue to develop musicianship through the study of many genres of music. The class is offered during "0" period (7:30-8:20am). This group will have many performances during the year including concerts, fundraisers, and festivals.

STRING ORCHESTRA

This course is open to all violin, viola, cello, and bass students. This class will develop musicianship through the study of string music from all genres of music. This group will have many performances including concerts, fundraisers, and festivals. (No Guitar)

EXPLORATORY SPANISH

Grade Level: 7-8

Prerequisite: None

This is an entry-level course. Students will learn basic Spanish vocabulary and grammar rules. Students will learn to use conversational Spanish through classroom activities that include paired and group work, games, videos, presentations and projects. This class will flow easily into Spanish I so students electing to continue with Spanish 1 in 8th grade or high school will benefit from this introductory class.

SPANISH I

Grade Level: 8

Prerequisite: Grade 8 and GPA of 3.0 or higher in 7th grade.

Spanish 1 is a year-long course designed so that students learn vocabulary as well as the rules that govern Spanish grammar. Students will use conversational Spanish skills through immersion and TPR activities. Classroom activities will include paired and group work, games, videos, and presentations.

Students will be exposed to the different cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.

Emphasis will be on the acquisition of four skills: listening, speaking, reading and limited writing. Each unit will end with a culminating activity or project.

NOTE: Students who take Spanish I will earn high school credit for the course and the grade earnedwill count toward the student’s high school GPA.

FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE

This introductory course aims to enrich students’ lives through a variety of project-based learning experiences. It acquaints students with the career pathways connected to Clothing and Textiles, as well as Foods and Nutrition. In-class learning activities allow students to develop life-enriching skills, while showcasing their creativity and individuality. Our curriculum also provides a basis to pursue culinary courses in high school. Students will use classroom sewing equipment to design and construct their own unique products. During their study of food science and nutrition, students will prepare and taste test an assortment of foods. Students are requested to provide their own sewing supplies as well as a $20.00 donation toward consumable lab materials.

EXPLORATORY COMPUTER SCIENCE (XCS), COMPUTER SCIENCE I, and Computer Science II

Exploratory Computer Science XCS (semester)

In XCS, students will practice foundational skills in both computer science content and computational practices, using a variety of tools to get there.The focus is a highly interactive and collaborative introduction to the field of computer science, as framed within the broader pursuit of solving problems. Students will learn valuable skills such as debugging, commenting, and structure of languages. We will introduce actual markup and coding languages including HtML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Computer Science I (semester)

(Prerequisite: At least an 85% in Exploratory Computer Science.)

In this class, students will continue a deeper exploration into CS foundational concepts including computational practices, problem solving and various coding and markup languages, including Python. This course dives into the later units of code.org’s CS Discoveries content among other resources.

Computer Science II (semester)

(Prerequisite: 8th graders only; Computer Science I with > 85% )

This class is designed for the student that has a strong interest in pursuing computer science classes in high school and a passion for the field. This class will consist of extended activities with coding languages among other CS concepts. Students will also have the opportunity to work with 3D printing and design, physical computing.