Middle School Electives

Art

Students will experience working with a variety of art materials and learn about basic art elements and principles.  Projects will include drawings, paintings, printmaking, ceramics, plaster gauze masks and paper sculpture . Students will increase their knowledge of the elements and principles of art and become familiar with an increased variety of media and techniques. Students will learn to understand and appreciate art from certain styles, time periods, and cultures. Students will learn to see the beauty of God’s world and express and emulate this beauty in their own art work.

Yearbook

Learn the process to take pictures, create the cover, make a promo video with yearbook preview, develop theme for the following year, make 8th Grade memory book for all  8th Grade students.

Acting

This class is designed for students who want to learn the basics of acting and how to have more confidence in front of an audience. This class introduces students to the basic fundamentals of acting including: body movement, voice work, improvisation techniques, staging, and scene exercises.  Theatre games, improv exercises, and published scene work will gently and safely grow students’ confidence in front of an audience, as well as nurture an appreciation for the art of acting.

This is a “learn through doing” class. All students will be expected to participate in all activities. The class will perform scenes before the school at least twice a year.

Advanced Acting

This class is designed for students who have had previous acting classes or experience who want to have a more in-depth study of acting techniques and performance. This is a performance class. All students will continue to develop their skills through the experience of producing full-length plays for an audience twice a year.

Teacher Assistant

This elective provides an opportunity for students to assist teachers in the classroom. Students will help in various capacities such as correcting papers, tutoring, working with reading groups, etc.

Band and Strings

Students will improve the playing technique of his/her instrument, and become a better musician by sight-reading new music. Students will also develop listening skills by playing in an ensemble. Students will play traditional band repertoire as well as contemporary songs, marches, and hymn arrangements. Utilizing etudes, scales and appropriate literature, each student works to develop musicianship, integrating intonation, tone quality, rhythmic and notation reading skills in preparation for high school and lifelong musical opportunities.

Cooking

Students will learn basic cooking techniques including proper food prep, measurements and meal preparation. Students also get to enjoy eating what they make!

RGHC (Richard Gertsen History Center)

RGHC is home to the largest private collection of Theodore Roosevelt’s artifacts and memorabilia, and it has a wide variety of historical museum-quality items related to the history and development of Orange County and Southern California all funded through private gifts and donations.

8th-grade RGHC interns are part of an elite group of students chosen to develop an appreciation for history, develop critical thinking skills, and participate in civic life.  Interns explore important historical sites of California and DC. They develop curating and docent skills as they endeavor to create a bridge to our community. They share their knowledge and lessons from history with other student groups and senior adults. They present information to our 4th-graders about citrus and agricultural history as they studied California history.