ELECTIVES - Middle & High School   

Art Appreciation is the study and analysis of art, focusing on the cultural, historical, and aesthetic contexts in which it was created. The intended goal of this course is for students to develop a deeper understanding of art’s significance, impact, and relevance to society. Art appreciation is not limited to a specific medium or style, but rather a wide range of artistic expressions, including visual arts, music, literature, and performance.

The school band program is open to students in grades 6-12 who are interested in exploring the wonderful world of music and instruments. Learning an instrument offers numerous benefits such as fostering creativity, building self-confidence, improving academic performance, enhancing memory, and developing patience and perseverance.

The band program offers instruction on the following instruments across the three main families:

Woodwinds: Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone
Brass: Trumpet, Trombone, Tuba
Percussion: Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Cymbals, Xylophone, Marimba

Students can rent instruments from music stores or purchase one of the instruments listed above from Amazon.

In Bible Study I, students will identify how the world began according to the biblical perspective. They will learn about key figures in the Bible such as Adam & Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Esther, King David, Ruth, JESUS, Apostle Paul, and the impact their lives made on society during their lifetimes.  

Bible Study II will dig deeper into the scriptures and the students will interpret, analyze, and discuss how the WORD can be applied in their own personal lives. This course will include a capstone project where students will choose one significant figure from the Bible and complete a historical timeline of his or her life and the impact his or her life made on mankind in our current society.

Business and Finance is a course that explores the unique challenges native to service-based industries, connecting to concepts learned in marketing and human resources. This course arms students with knowledge about how to make personal financial decisions, and how these decisions affect other individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. Students will understand the importance of solid financial management and how to allocate funds via the use of a checkbook, banking account, and online apps.

French I emphasizes communicative proficiency, with special attention to the development of oral and listening skills, self-expression, and cultural insights. Classroom activities are varied and interactive and are focused on acquiring all four language competencies (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) concurrently in the context of a cultural narrative. Free-form classroom interactions are balanced with structured grammar and vocabulary drills.

French II is an intensive program for students who have received formal instruction in French, and who have achieved some proficiency but are not yet able to function independently in full immersion.  The class has the following goals:
1. Developing listening comprehension, oral competence, and socio-cultural communicative proficiency.
2. Acquisition of strategies for oral and written expression through progressive practice, with topical review of basic conjugated and syntactic structures.
3. An overview of various cultural aspects of French-speaking communities worldwide, through readings and recordings.

Home Economics, also known as family and consumer science, is a subject concerning cooking, nutrition, housekeeping, personal finance, personal wellness, and consumer issues. Students will explore several career paths that involve Home Economics and its related elective subjects. These include professional catering services, hospitality services, and nursing, just to name a few.

This is an introductory course intended to familiarize students with the general concepts and thinking practices of computing, computer science, and information science. Students will learn computing concepts through authentic visual and interactive projects using visual programming languages. The big ideas in computer science principles include computing as a creative activity, abstraction, facilitating knowledge creation through computing, algorithms, problem-solving, the Internet, and the global impact of computing. Emphasis is placed on problem-solving, communication, creativity, and exploring the impacts of computing on how we think, communicate, work, and play. Art, English language arts, and mathematical concepts are reinforced.

Journalism is an educational program that introduces students to the principles of reporting, writing, and publishing news stories, fostering critical thinking and communication skills. Students engage in creating school newspapers, magazines, online publications, and broadcast news segments. This hands-on experience allows them to develop essential skills in researching, interviewing, writing, editing, and presenting information.

Physical Fitness & Health Awareness aims to develop students' physical fitness, motor skills, and knowledge of healthy lifestyles. It includes various activities, such as sports and exercises, improvement of physical ability, teamwork, and social skills. Additionally, the health strand focuses on health-related fitness, environmental awareness, and safety practices.

Spanish I emphasizes communicative proficiency, with special attention to the development of oral and listening skills, self-expression, and cultural insights. Classroom activities are varied and interactive and are focused on acquiring all four language competencies (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) concurrently in the context of a cultural narrative. Free-form classroom interactions are balanced with structured grammar and vocabulary drills.

Spanish II is an intensive program for students who have received formal instruction in Spanish, and who have achieved some proficiency but are not yet able to function independently in full immersion.  The class has the following goals:
1. Developing listening comprehension, oral competence, and socio-cultural communicative proficiency.
2. Acquisition of strategies for oral and written expression through progressive practice, with topical review of basic conjugated and syntactic structures.
3. An overview of various cultural aspects of Spanish-speaking communities worldwide, through readings and recordings.

Students need to understand how to think critically, observe, communicate effectively, find patterns, solve problems, analyze information, predict outcomes, and work collaboratively. These are all skills necessary to succeed in life outside of school, and STEAM projects and activities are designed to bring these skills to the surface. STEAM projects foster engagement and excitement in learning. This course will also examine the unique ways technology can be used to spread the gospel of CHRIST.

Some examples of STEAM activities are:
1. Cleaning your home
2. Driving
3. Baking & cooking
4. Spending money
5. Coding
6. Creating robots
7. Graphic design

STEAM lets students connect their STEM learning through design practices and innovation in the arts. All materials at the students' disposal can be used to build robots. The goal is for the students to connect every project made to real-life situations.

This course introduces students to the theatrical arts. The course will emphasize creativity, collaboration, and perseverance. Areas covered in depth include theater vocabulary, roles in the theater, movement, acting, the reading of plays, theater design and technology, and viewing theatrical performances.