Lawton C. Johnson Summit Lawton C. Johnson Summit Middle SchoolMiddle School

Summit, New JerseySummit, New Jersey

PPrrooggrraamm ooff SSttuudidieess 2018-2019

LAWTONC.JOHNSONSUMMITMIDDLESCHOOL

Summit,NewJersey

January2018 DearStudentsandParents, ThisbookletcontainsimportantinformationabouttheLawtonC.JohnsonSummitMiddleSchoolprogram. It should be especially helpful to you as we plan together for next year. Pleaseremember that anymemberof our staff is ready tohelp if youneedmore informationorhavequestionsabouttheinformationpresented. OurgoalisasatisfyingandrewardingschoolexperienceforeachstudentintheLawtonC.JohnsonSummitMiddleSchool. Sincerely, Damen G. Cooper DamenG.Cooper Principal

ADMINISTRATION

Mr.JuneChang SuperintendentofSchools

Mr.DamenCooper

Principal

Mrs.MichelleCebula AssistantPrincipal

Mrs.AliciaSubervi AssistantPrincipal

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NOTICEOFNON-DISCRIMINATION

It is thepolicyof theSummitCitySchoolDistrict that thisdistrictdoesnotdiscriminateon thebasisofrace,color,creed,religion,sex,affectionalorsexualorientation,ancestry,nationalorigin,socialoreconomicstatus,ordisability. Dr. Matthew J. Block has been designated as the district’s Affirmative Action Officer to handlecomplaints alleging all other prohibited types of discrimination and to coordinate the district’seffortstocomplywiththeregulationsimplementingallothernon-discriminationlaws. Dr.JaneKachmar-Desonnehasbeendesignatedasthedistrict’s504/ADACoordinatortohandlecomplaintsallegingdiscriminationbasedonone’sdisabilityandtocoordinatethedistrict’seffortstocomplywiththeregulationsimplementingSection504andtheADA. Dr.BlockandDr.Kachmar-Desonnemaybecontactedatthefollowingaddresses:

Dr.MatthewJ.Block DirectorofHumanResourcesandStaffDevelopment

BoardofEducation 14BeekmanTerrace

Summit,NJ07901 (908)273–3023

Dr.JaneKachmar-Desonne

DirectorofSpecialEducationServices OfficeofSpecialEducationServices

14BeekmanTerrace Summit,NJ07901

(908)273–6658

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PHILOSOPHYOFTHEMIDDLESCHOOL Lawton C. Johnson SummitMiddle School is focused on implementing cutting edge educationalpracticesdesignedtoeffectivelyengagestudentsandfosterlife-longlearning.Wearecommittedtothegrowthanddevelopmentofthewholechild.Werecognizethatthemiddle-schoolyearsareexciting, unpredictable, emotional, and challenging. It is ourmission as a school community toprovideasafe,supportive,andstimulatingenvironmentwherediversityiscelebrated,uniquenessis valued, and high academic standards aremaintained to ensure success for all students. Theinstructional program stresses mastery of language and computation skills, development ofcritical-thinking skills andproblem-solving strategies, studyskills, andability to cooperatewithother students topromote learning. Theprogramalsoprovides studentswithopportunities tostudynewsubjectsandexplorenewinterests.Theco-curricularprogramprovidesopportunitiestoexploreleisure-timeandcareerinterests. The Middle School program actively involves the counselor, the teacher, the student, and theparentinanefforttohelpeachstudenttocopewithchangesassociatedwithpreadolescence. Studentswhoacquireknowledgeandskills,learntocooperatewitheachotherandparticipateina variety of activities, feel self-confident, and look forward to the challenges of the high schoolprogram. ORGANIZATION The principal is responsible for the total operation of the Middle School. Responsibilities forcurriculumdevelopmentandsupervisionofinstructionaresharedwiththeAssistantPrincipalforCurriculumandInstruction.TheAssistantPrincipalforStudentAffairshasamajorresponsibilityintheareasofdiscipline,attendance,studentactivities,andgeneraloperations. Interdisciplinaryteamsaretheprimaryinstructionalgroupsingradessix,seven,andeight.Eachteam consists of an English teacher, a Social Studies teacher, aMathematics teacher, a Scienceteacher,aSpecialEducationteacher,andapproximatelyonehundredstudents. Teachers on each team have a common meeting time to provide an opportunity forinterdisciplinary planning, parent conferences, and the sharing of information about theirstudents'progress. Studentplacementonateamistheresultofanefforttobalancetheteamsbyusingthefollowingcriteria: academiccompetence,gender, thesendingelementaryschool, andcourseselection. Ateacher knownas the team leaderheads each teamandworks in conjunctionwithdepartmentsupervisors,theprincipal,andassistantprincipalsinplanningandimplementingtheinstructionalprogram. School Counselors act as student advocates and play an important role in overseeing eachstudent'ssocialandacademicprogress.SchoolCounselorsareheretosupportboththestudentsandparents,asneeded.

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GUIDANCEANDCOUNSELINGSERVICES SchoolCounselorsintheLawtonC.JohnsonSummitMiddleSchoolhelpstudentsandtheirparentsby monitoring academic progress, assisting students with their personal, social, or schoolproblems,andplanningtheirmiddleschoolprograms.TheCounselingDepartmentalsoorganizesand coordinates the Advisory program, which are classroom lessons based on the pillars ofCharacterEducation.Studentsareassignedalphabeticallytocounselors.Studentsmayarrangetomeetwiththeircounselorbyfillingoutanappointmentslipintheoffice.Parentsmayarrangeaconference with the counselor or with individual teachers by calling the guidance office. Foradditionalinformationpleasegotothefollowingwebsite:

https://sites.google.com/a/summit.k12.nj.us/school-counseling-department-at-lcjsms/. The Student Assistance Counselor (SAC)works to support the entire student community alongwiththeschoolcounselors.TheSACisnotassignedtoacaseloadofstudentsandinsteadactsasaresource forall students.TheSACcansupportstudents tomanagechangesandchallenges theymayfindinmiddleschool,workingwithanystudentorgroupinaconfidentialsetting.TheSACalsobuildsconnectionswithinthelocalcommunityandcanprovideinformationandreferralstodifferentcommunityagenciesandresources. LIBRARYLEARNINGCOMMONS TheLibraryLearningCommons(LLC)providesstudentsandstaffaccesstoideasandinformation.The LLC is a place for inspiration, exploration and collaboration. While at the Middle School,students become effective users of information and ideas. This is accomplished throughcooperativeplanningbetweentheclassroomteacherandlibrarian,whichensurestheintegrationofinformationalliteracyskillsintotheclassroomcurriculum.Ouraimistocreatelifelonglibraryusersthroughwell-plannedlessonsandapositivelibraryexperience. TheLLCisopentostudentsafterschoolandbeforeschool.Duringtheschoolday,studentsmayvisittheLLCindividually, insmallgroups,oraspartofaclass. Materialsareselectedwithbothcurriculumneedsandstudentreading interests inmind. Inanefforttomeettheneedsofthelearner,thecollectioncontainsinformationinavarietyofformatsincluding books, magazines, newspapers, audio books, eBooks, streaming video, DVD, andcontrolledaccess to the Internet. Inadditionto theprintreferencesourcesavailable in theLLC,studentshave theability toaccessavarietyofonline referencedatabases remotelyvia theLLCwebsite: http://lcjsmsllc.weebly.com. Our fully automated LLC can accommodate two classes atonetime,aswellassmallgroups.Twofull-timeeducationalmediaspecialistsstaffthefacility. SPECIALEDUCATIONSERVICES ThegoalofSpecialEducationistoprovidestudentswhohavebeenevaluatedbytheChildStudyTeam and found eligible for Special Education and related services with the opportunity foracademic,aswellaspersonalgrowthanddevelopment.Eachstudent isencouraged to seek thehighest level of excellence in the least restrictive environment. When a student is determinedeligible for Special Education and related services, the IEP team develops an IndividualizedEducationProgram (IEP). The IEP team, including the teachers, parents, casemanager, and thestudent,whenappropriate,determinetheprogramthatmeetsthestudent’s learningneeds.TheIEP describes, in detail, the student’s Special Education program and is implemented after theparentshavegivenwrittenconsent.AfullcontinuumofSpecialEducationservicesisavailabletoclassifiedstudents.

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SPECIALEDUCATIONSERVICES(CONTINUED) Totheextentpossible,classifiedstudentsarescheduledinGeneralEducationclassesinallareasofthecurriculum.SomestudentsmaybescheduledpartofthedayinclassestaughtorsupportedbySpecialEducationteachers,whileothersreceiveallinstructionintheGeneralEducationsettingwiththeappropriatesupplementaryaidsandservices. LawtonC.JohnsonSummitMiddleSchoolprogramsinclude,butarenotlimitedto:

• Pull-OutReplacementisdesignedtoprovideinstructionincontentareas,suchas,Englishand Mathematics. The Special Education staff, using techniques, strategies, andmodificationsappropriateforthespecificneedsofthestudentasindicatedinhis/herIEP,teachthesecourses.

• In-Class Support is a program that supports the classified student in the GeneralEducationclassroom.TheSpecialEducationteacherworkscollaborativelywiththesubjectarea specialist to develop strategies for effective delivery of curriculum for individualclassified students. TheSpecialEducation teachermaybepresent for someorall of theclassperiods,dependingontheneedsofthestudent.

• Pull-OutSupportisaprogramoptionthatisdesignedtoprovidestudentswiththeskills,strategies, and techniques needed to enhance study habits and organizational skills, andimproveperformanceinGeneralEducationclasses.

RelatedServices Relatedservices, suchas, speech/language therapy,occupational therapy,physical therapy, andcounselingareprovidedtostudentswhorequiretheminordertobenefitfromtheireducationalprogram. ContactTeacher EachclassifiedstudentattheMiddleSchoolhasaSpecialEducationteacherwhoassumestheroleof thecontact teacher. Thecontact teacherservesas theprimarypointof contact forclassifiedstudents. Contactteachersmeetregularlywithstudentstoassessprogress,identifyobstaclestosuccess, and, if appropriate, initiate steps to promote success. The contact teacher maintainsongoingcommunicationwithteachersinallsubjectareastoassessstudentachievementofcourseobjectives and student relationshipswithpeers and staff. Effective lines of communication areestablished andmaintained through regular contacts with parents, child study teammembers,schoolcounselors,andadministrators. ChildStudyTeam Child StudyTeammembers include a school psychologist, school socialworker, and a learningdisabilitiesteacher-consultant.Theseprofessionalsserveascasemanagersforclassifiedstudents.TheyoverseetheeducationandimplementationoftheIEPforclassifiedstudents.

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BASICSKILLSINSTRUCTION BasicSkillsInstructionisintendedtoprovideadditionalsupportinELAand/orMathforidentifiedstudentsingradessixthrougheight.Placementintotheseclassesisdatadriven(i.e.,assessmentscores,classroomperformance). Themodelusedfordeliveringinstructionandthecommitmentoftimeisdifferentdependingupontheacademiccontentareaandneedsofthelearners. Familieswillbenotifiedastowhethertheirchildqualifiestoreceivetheseservices. ENGLISHASASECONDLANGUAGE/BILINGUALEDUCATION Students requiring English language proficiency development in order to be successful arescreenedbasedontheirHomeLanguageSurveyandareenrolledinEnglishasaSecondLanguage(ESL) as needed. ESL instruction is designed to develop the English Language Learner’s (ELL)Englishlanguageproficiencyasquicklyaspossible. TheESLclassobjectivesarealignedtoNewJersey English Core Curriculum Standards and the WIDA English Language Proficiency (ELP)standards.Thesestandardsaddress:

● SocialandInstructionalLanguage

● LanguageofEnglish

● LanguageofMathematics

● LanguageofScience

● LanguageofSocialStudies

ELLstudentsmaybeenrolledinoneortwoESLclasses.Studentsarealsoeligibleforoneperiodof ESL/Bilingual Support. The balance of the ELL student’s schedule is determined on anindividualbasis.ThestudentsmayexittheESL/BEprogramwhentheymeetmultiplecriteriathatpredictfutureacademicsuccess.

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SIXTHGRADEPROGRAM

TeamCourses

English

Mathematics

Science

SocialStudies

WorldLanguage

French

Latin

MandarinChinese

Spanish

Reading/EnglishSkills

CycleCourses

Art

RC3DorGeneralMusic

DramaorIntrotoTechnology

TheArtofDebate(Forensics)*

FilmStudies

MathStrategies

PhysicalEducation

Health

PhysicalEducation

PerformingMusic(SeePage28foranoverviewofthisprogram.):

Band

Chorus

Orchestra

*Forselectedstudents.

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SIXTHGRADECOURSEDESCRIPTIONS

TEAMCOURSES ENGLISH

SixthGradeLanguageArtsprovidesstudentswiththeliteracyskillstoaccessmeaninginwrittentextsandsynthesizeittocreatepersonalmeaning.Studentsdeveloptheircriticalandinterpretivereading skills throughclose readingofboth fictionandnonfiction texts.While reading studentsmake connections to themselves, the world around them and across texts. Students engage inmeaningfuldiscoursetohelppromotetheirinterpretationoftexts.Studentswriteforavarietyofpurposes and audiences in the form of literary analyses, research-based argumentative essays,narratives, and poetry. Students hone their writing skills through a comprehensive writingprocess including thorough planning, drafting, self-editing, peer-editing, and conferencing.Through this process students become thoughtful, well-versed writers. Throughout the coursestudents engage with multimedia as both a resource and a product of their understanding.Studentsemployreading,writing, andspeakingskillsacrossotherdisciplinesas theyengage incross-curricularprojects. MATHEMATICS

TherearetwomainlevelsofsixthgradeMathematics: Math6 AcceleratedMath6

Math 6 and Accelerated Math 6 courses emphasize the development of problem solving andthinkingskills,incompliancewiththeNewJerseyStudentLearningStandards.Instructionfocuseson strengthening verbal andwritten communication, reasoning, and application of terminologyandsymbolism.Theuseofcalculatorsandcomputers isencouragedwithinappropriateunitsofstudy. In an attempt to maintain balance between the need for expansion of knowledge and thereinforcementofskills,studentsaregroupedwithineachteam.Thisallowsforintegrationofmathwith other subjects and facilitates movement between levels in math. Please note that initialcourserecommendationsmaybeadjustedbasedonperformanceduringthesecondsemesterofthecurrentschoolyear.ForacompleteoverviewoftheMathematicscoursesfromfifthtoninthgrade,seethechartonPage31. Math6Math6buildsuponstudents’understandingofwholenumbers,fractions,anddecimals.Studentsexpand their knowledgeof geometry, percent, andprobability.Hands-on experiencesprovide afoundationfortheunderstandingofabstractmathematicalconcepts.Problem-solvingstrategies,mentalmathematics,andapplicationsofdataarepracticed.AcceleratedMath6AcceleratedMath is intended for highlymotivated studentswho demonstratemastery of basiccomputationalskillsanddisplayproblem-solvingability.Inadditiontoextendingwholenumber,fraction, and decimal skills, students work with positive and negative numbers, ratio andproportion,percent,algebraicequations,andgeometry.

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SOCIALSTUDIES

The sixth grade social studies program introduces students to the origins and development ofworld societies and culture. The course, The Mapping of Man, explores the ways in whichgeographyinfluencedtheoriginsofhumancivilizationthroughaninterdisciplinaryandanalyticalapproach. Additionally,thedevelopmentandcharacteristicsofculture,daily life,beliefsystems,transportation,economics,andcommunicationsystemswillbecoveredaspartofcoursestudy. TheNewJerseyStudentLearningStandardsforSocialStudiesareevidentthroughoutthiscourseofstudy. During theyear,anemphasiswillbeplacedonsocial studiesandgeographyskills,asstudents investigate topics and interpret facts and ideas. Media presentations, short-termcollaborativeandindividualprojects,analyticalreadingassignments,writing,discussions,publicspeakingandpresenting,cooperativelearning,roleplay,mapreadingandinterpretation,anddataanalysisareallessentialelementsoftheprogram.Currenteventswillbediscussedastheyrelatetothecurriculumandthedevelopmentofthestudent’sabilitytobecomecriticalthinkingcitizensinademocraticsociety.

SCIENCE

Atall threegrade-levelsourScienceCurriculumisdesignedto integratephysical, life,andearthsciencetopicswithaninquiry-based,hands-onapproach.Studentsexperienceeachtypeofscienceeveryyear,sothatconceptscanbetaught inadevelopmentallyappropriatewayandreinforcedthroughout the years. Correlated with the most up-to-date standards, the program takes aninterconnectedapproachtopreparestudentswiththetwenty-firstcenturyskillsthatarerequiredofscientists.Asconceptsarereinforcedthroughouteachyearandacrossmultipleyears,studentsareexpectedtodemonstrate increasedengagementandmasteryof thecontent. Teachersusearangeofapproachestoactivelyengagestudentsinscience.Technology,engineering,design,andmathematicsareconnectedwiththesciencetopicstofurtherenhancelearningexperiences.Theintegration of all three sciences provides the students with a broad understanding andappreciation of the interrelationships between the physical and natural sciences. Students areexposed to situations where they are required to examine evidence and draw conclusions bysolving realworld problems. At each level, a culminating event gives the students a chance toshowcasetheiremergingscienceskillstotheparents,peers,staff,anddistrictcommunity. WORLDLANGUAGEORREADING

WorldLanguage TheNewJerseyCoreCurriculumstandardforWorldLanguagestudyis:

All students will be able to use a world language in addition to English to engage inmeaningful conversation, tounderstandand interpret spokenandwritten language,and topresent information, concepts, and ideas, while also gaining an understanding of theperspectives of other cultures. Through language study, they will make connections withother content areas, compare the language and culture studied with their own, andparticipateinhomeandglobalcommunities.

BasedonthegoalsoftheNewJerseyCoreCurriculumstandardforWorldLanguage,ourNovicelanguagelearnersinSpanish,French,andMandarinChineseengageinconversations,presentinformation,andinterpretauthenticmaterialsinmeaningfulcontextsonanovicelevel.Novice

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WORLDLANGUAGEORREADING(CONTINUED)

Latin students focus primarily on demonstrating understanding of spoken and writtencommunication,aswellaslearningtouseLatinwithintheclassroom.Studentslearninatarget-languagerich immersionclassroomenvironment. Resources includeaudio-visuals, the Internet,andtextbooksdesignedforthemiddle-schoollearner. Our Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese curriculum K-12 provides appropriate andchallengingexperiencesthatcapitalizeonandcontinuethedevelopmentoftheNovicestudents’languageproficiencyandculturalunderstandingthatwerebuiltintheelementaryprogram. Students also learn to communicate about the essential topics of home, family, school, friends,activities,andself. NoviceFrenchstudentsalsostudyvariousFrancophonecultures. MandarinChinese students learn spoken language, as well as the unique characters that comprise theMandarinChinesewrittenlanguage. NoviceLatinstudents learnclassroomexpressions,explore thewide influenceofLatinonotherlanguages,readandtranslateLatintext,andbegintodiscoverwhat isknownaboutRoman life,culture,andmythology. Reading/EnglishSkills Reading/Language Arts is offered to selected students who would benefit from intensiveinstructioninavarietyofreadingandwritingexperiences.Selectedstudentswilltakereadinginplace of a World Language. Students are given instruction in reading a variety of materials.Proficiency in recognizing main ideas and supporting details, sequencing, summarizing anddrawingconclusionsininformationaltextisstressed.Emphasisisplacedonvocabularybuildingandanalysis strategies. In addition, students strengthen their skills reading fiction through theexplorationofvarioustypesofliterature.Literaryelementsaretaughtandreinforced.Skimmingandscanningteachstudentsthefundamentalsthatgivestudentstheabilitytoadjusttheirreadingratetospecificpurposes.Acentralobjectiveofthereadingcoursesistostrengthenreadingandwriting skills so that students canmeet with success in other content areas. Writing skills inconnectiontoreadingstrategiesarealsostressedandreinforcedaspartofthereadingprogram.Criticalthinkingandreasoninghelpbuildstudentconfidence.Studentsaretaughtthatreadingisanessential,pleasurableexperiencewiththehopetheybecomelifelongreaders.

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CYCLECOURSES

Duringtheirmiddle-schoolyears,studentshavetheopportunitytoexploreofferingsinavarietyof areas.Thereare four cyclesperyear. Students takea totalof eight cycle classeswithin theirsixth and seventh grade years. These cycles include: Art, RC3D or General Music, Drama orTechnical Education, Math Strategies, Media Literacy, Intro to Technology, The Art of Debate(Forensics), FilmStudies arecurrentlyofferedineachofthethreeyears;GeneralMusicisofferedingradessixandseven;andDramaisofferedingradessixandeight.Art The art program focuses on developing creative problem-solving skills, increasing artisticvocabulary, gaining insightful use of the elements of design, self-critiquing, expanding skills incomputer graphics, and learning about various artists and cultures. Students are exposed tospecific exercises in drawing, painting, sculpture, computer graphics, ceramics, and artappreciation.

RC3D Maker Technologies is a cycle course that is transitioning to meet the needs of our ever changing technological world. It will also serve as an introduction to more advanced courses available in high school. The core topics covered during the course will be Robotics, Coding, and 3D Printing. The hands-on activities will vary in the level of complexity depending on the previous experiences of the students. During the quarter, the students will use various data and design applications to enhance the learning and connect it to real life experiences. GeneralMusicGeneral Music is designed to develop appreciation and further stimulate creative thinking andinterestinmusic.Studentsaregivenahands-onintroductiontothelanguageofmusicwithMIDI(Multiple Instrument Digital Interface) keyboards with an emphasis on right-hand playing.Students are also exposed tomusic theory andmusic history, significant composers and learnbasicmethodsofcomposing,whichtheypracticeonSibelius,asoftwaremusicnotationprogram.Students have the opportunity to perform original compositions and ensemble pieces on thekeyboard.

FilmStudiesLiterature is an incredibly effective way to teach children, but it does not reach all students.Whethertheyarestrugglingreaders,cannotconnectwiththesubject,orjustdonotenjoyreading,bookscancausesomestudentstoshutdown.Althoughtheyarenotadequatesubstitutes,moviespresent alternative ways of telling a story. They also appeal to students who with visual andauditory learning styles. This course will use movies to echo critical concepts from otherdisciplines in an attempt to lay foundational knowledge, reinforce existing understanding, anddeepen understandings of topics related to the students’ core classes. Throughout themarkingperiod, studentswill engage in several projects:making flipbooks to understand the origins ormotions pictures, creating stop-motion films, designing public service announcements, andcreatingashortstoryfollowingtheHero'sJourneyplotarchetype.

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DramaThisclassencouragesstudentstoopenupand,byworkingcloselywithoneanother,learnaboutpeople and themselves. Desks are rarely used; instead, students are up on their feet working,thinking,interacting,questioning,and,havingfun.Studentsaregradedonparticipation,interest,effort,skillsimprovement,and,particularly,ontheirwillingnesstotry. Theuseoftheatergames,monologues, two-person scenes, looking at theatrical time periods, and theater history, helpsstudentsto:

• Stimulatetheirimaginations; • Developtheirpowersofobservation; • Fostertheuseoftheirsenses; • Promotecriticalthinking; • Encourageself-expression; • Stimulatediscussion; • Broadentheirunderstandingofhumanbehavior; • Developtheirlanguageskills; • Motivatereading;and • Fostergroup-workskills

IntroductiontoTechnologyIntroductiontoTechnologypresentssixdistinctlearningmodules:

1.HistoryofEvolution 2.ProblemSolving/CriticalThinking 3.ResearchesandDesign 4.Aerodynamics 5.Transportation 6.ManufacturingandConstruction

Thisisanactivity-basedcoursewhichnurturesandencouragesthefollowing21stcenturyskills:critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration and leadership, agility and adaptability,initiative and entrepreneurship, effective oral and written communication, accessing andanalyzing information, and curiosity and imagination. Work readiness skills are identified andappliedinacollaborativeenvironment.Projectapplicationsprovidecontentandinterdisciplinaryactivities.

TheArtofDebate(Forensics) While all sixth grade students are provided a variety of learning opportunities in ourEnglish/Language Arts classes, a select group of students are able to use their insight andknowledge to read and write with a greater degree of sophistication. Students displaying thisabilityareplacedintoTheArtofDebate.Thisclassisintendedtoteachthestudentsthevalueoflogicallystructuringargumentsandallowsdevelopmentofcriticalreading,writing,andthinkingskills.Placementintothisclassisdatadriven(i.e.,assessmentscores)andre-evaluatedonayearlybasis. All students will be reassessed each year andwill gain entry into the course only if thecriteriahavebeenmet.Placementisonlyguaranteedforasingleacademicyear. MathStrategiesDesignedtosupportstudentswhoneedadditionalsupportinmathematics,MathStrategiesaimsatsmallgroupinstructionandaidsstudentsinlearningstrategiestohelpthemachieveaccordingtotheNJStateStandards.Thecourseprovidesstudentswithdifferentiatedinstructionandvariedopportunities to work toward improving achievement while recognizing individual learningdifferencesandstrivingtobuildstudents’competenceandconfidence.

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HEALTH EverysixthgradestudentmustcompleteonequarterofHealthEducation.StudentsarescheduledduringtheirPhysicalEducationperiod. Students explore topics that are relevant to their social, emotional, and physical development.Pertinent topics include the components of fitness, the health triangle, tobacco, personalgrooming,safetyandfirstaid,nutrition,andthebodysystems.Problem-solving,decision-making,andconsumerismareincludedinallareasofstudy. PHYSICALEDUCATION The Physical Education program is geared to developing skills and techniques in team andindividualsports.Considerableemphasisisplacedonthepromotionofphysicalfitness.

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SEVENTHGRADEPROGRAM

TeamCourses

English

Science

SocialStudies

Mathematics

WorldLanguageorReading

French

Spanish

Latin

MandarinChinese

Reading/EnglishSkills

CycleCourses

Art

RC3DorGeneralMusic

DramaorTechnicalEducation

MathStrategies

MediaLiteracy

TheArtofDebate(Forensics)*

PhysicalEducation

Health

PhysicalEducation

PerformingMusic(SeePage28foranoverviewofthisprogram.)

Band

Orchestra

Chorus

*Forselectedstudents

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SEVENTHGRADECOURSEDESCRIPTIONS

TEAMCOURSES

ENGLISH The seventh gradeEnglish curriculum includes a study of literature (novel, short story, poetry,anddrama),composition,grammar,vocabulary,spelling,speech,andlisteningskills. Duringtheyear,thereisareviewofstudyskillsandtest-takingstrategies.Studentsandteachersinavarietyofwaysusecomputers.Whenappropriate,Englishisintegratedwithothersubjects.Allunitsofstudy are comprised of instruction, reinforcement, and assessment. The curriculummeets therequirementsoftheNewJerseyStudentLearningStandardsforEnglishLanguageArts. SCIENCE Atall threegrade-levelsourScienceCurriculumisdesignedto integratephysical, life,andearthsciencetopicswithaninquiry-based,hands-onapproach.Studentsexperienceeachtypeofscienceeveryyear,sothatconceptscanbetaught inadevelopmentallyappropriatewayandreinforcedthroughout the years. Correlated with the most up-to-date standards, the program takes aninterconnectedapproachtopreparestudentswiththetwenty-firstcenturyskillsthatarerequiredofscientists.Asconceptsarereinforcedthroughouteachyearandacrossmultipleyears,studentsareexpectedtodemonstrate increasedengagementandmasteryof thecontent. Teachersusearangeofapproachestoactivelyengagestudentsinscience.Technology,engineering,design,andmathematicsareconnectedwiththesciencetopicstofurtherenhancelearningexperiences.Theintegration of all three sciences provides the students with a broad understanding andappreciation of the interrelationships between the physical and natural sciences. Students areexposed to situations where they are required to examine evidence and draw conclusions bysolving realworld problems. At each level, a culminating event gives the students a chance toshowcasetheiremergingscienceskillstotheparents,peers,staff,anddistrictcommunity. SOCIALSTUDIES

The seventh grade Social Studies program continues building on the student’s education in thehistoryandpoliticalsystemofAmericabeguningradesfourandfive.ThecourseisprimarilyanAmericanHistorycoursewithastrongfocusoncivics.Geography,economics,andsocialstudiesskillsarewovenintothecurriculumandsupportthehistoricaltheme.Studentscoverourhistoryfrom the time of early exploration to the period of Reconstruction. They also learn about thedevelopment of the American political and legal system and how our economy works. NewJersey’spartinthisprocesswillalsobecovered,aswilltheimportanceofthecontributionsmadebyNativeAmericans,AfricanAmericansandthevariousculturegroupsthathavebecomepartofthelegacyofournation. TheNew Jersey StudentLearning Standards are evident in theobjectivesof this course. A keythemeofthestandardsistheimportanceofeducatingstudentstobecomeresponsiblecitizensoftheir nation and the world. Emphasis is placed on social studies skills. Map reading, mediapresentations,research,short-andlong-termgroupandindividualprojects,readingassignments,cooperative teams, roleplay, data analysis, andwriting are all essential componentswithin theprogram. Students learntoutilizetextbooksandothervariedsourcestocompleteassignments.Currenteventsarediscussedastheyrelatetocurriculumandthedevelopmentofstudentabilitytobecomecriticalthinkersinademocraticsociety.

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MATHEMATICS ThreemainMathematicscoursesareoffered: Math7 Pre-Algebra7 Pre-Algebra7Enriched SeventhgradeMathematicsstudentsaregroupedbyabilityintooneofthreecourses.Thistypeofgroupingpromotesmathematicalconfidenceandsuccessandmaximizesopportunity.Pleasenotethat initial course recommendationsmay be adjusted based on performance during the secondsemesterof thecurrentschoolyear. Foracompleteoverviewof theMathematicscourses fromsixthtoninthgrade,seethechartonPage31. Math7 Math7 reviews, reinforces, and extends computational skills to include fractions, decimals, andpercent, as well as an in-depth introduction to integers. Building a solid foundation ofunderstandingofthenumbersystemisamajorgoalofthisprogram.Unitsofstudyingeometry,statistics,andalgebraicthinkingarealsopresented.

Pre-Algebra7 Pre-Algebra7isdesignedforhighlymotivatedstudentswhopossessexcellentquantitativeskills.Students study traditional topics in numeration and computation using an algebraic approach.The program includes: Geometry, applications of ratios, proportions, percent, and statistics.Conceptdevelopmentandproblemsolvingremaincritical.StudentsdemonstratingsuccessinthiscoursetendtoenrollinFoundationsofAlgebraingradeeight. Pre-Algebra7Enriched Pre-Algebra7Enrichedisintendedformathematicsstudentswithexcellentquantitativeskillsanddemonstratedcapacityfordealingwithabstractconcepts. Algebraicandgeometricconceptsaretaughtinaninterrelatedmanner.Arithmeticproceduresinvolvingfractions,decimals,andsignednumbers are solidified. Units involving statistics and geometry are also presented. Studentsdemonstratingsuccessinthiscourse(aBaverage)tendtocontinueintotheAlgebra1Enrichedprogramineighthgrade. WORLDLANGUAGEORREADING/ENGLISHSKILLS

WorldLanguage TheNewJerseyCoreCurriculumstandardforWorldLanguagestudyis:

All students will be able to use a world language in addition to English to engage inmeaningful conversation, tounderstandand interpret spokenandwritten language,and topresent information, concepts, and ideas, while also gaining an understanding of theperspectives of other cultures. Through language study, they will make connections withother content areas, compare the language and culture studied with their own, andparticipateinhomeandglobalcommunities.

Seventh graders may be placed in Novice or Emerging levels of Spanish, French, Latin, orMandarin Chinese. Emerging level students continue to improve understanding of the targetcultures and to develop communicative language skills. Students are provided manyopportunitiestoengageinconversations,presentinformationtoaknownaudience,andinterpretauthenticmaterialsinthetargetlanguagewithinameaningfulcontext.

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WorldLanguage(Continued) Middle school teachers work collaboratively to provide challenging and authentic learningexperiencesforthestudents. French,Spanish,andMandarinChinesestudentsworkinatarget-languageimmersionenvironmentandLatinstudentsworkinaLatin-richclassroom. Resourcesincludeaudio-visuals,theInternet,andtextbooksdesignedforthemiddle-schoollearner. Reading/EnglishSkills Reading/Language Arts is offered to selected students who would benefit from intensiveinstructioninavarietyofreadingandwritingexperiences.Selectedstudentswilltakereadinginplace of a World Language. Students are given instruction in reading a variety of materials.Proficiency in recognizing main ideas and supporting details, sequencing, summarizing anddrawingconclusionsininformationaltextisstressed.Emphasisisplacedonvocabularybuildingandanalysis strategies. In addition, students strengthen their skills reading fiction through theexplorationofvarioustypesofliterature.Literaryelementsaretaughtandreinforced.Skimmingandscanningteachstudentsthefundamentalsthatgivestudentstheabilitytoadjusttheirreadingratetospecificpurposes.Acentralobjectiveofthereadingcoursesistostrengthenreadingandwriting skills so that students canmeet with success in other content areas. Writing skills inconnectiontoreadingstrategiesarealsostressedandreinforcedaspartofthereadingprogram.Criticalthinkingandreasoninghelpbuildstudentconfidence.Studentsaretaughtthatreadingisanessential,pleasurableexperiencewiththehopetheybecomelifelongreaders.

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CYCLECOURSES Duringtheirmiddle-schoolyears,studentshavetheopportunitytoexploreofferingsinavarietyof areas.Thereare four cyclesperyear. Students takea totalof eight cycle classeswithin theirsixth and seventh grade years. These cycles include: Art, RC3D or General Music, Drama orTechnical Education, Math Strategies, Media Literacy, Intro to Technology, The Art of Debate(Forensics), FilmStudies arecurrentlyofferedineachofthethreeyears;GeneralMusicisofferedingradessixandseven;andDramaisofferedingradessixandeight. Art Students build on skills learned in sixth grade; they experience in-depth exposure to designproblemsandtheuseofdiversematerials.Studentscreateseveralpersonalprojectsbasedontheartofspecificcultures. Self-critiquing,useofelementsofdesign,anddevelopmentofanartisticvocabularyareincludedinthecourse.Assignmentsincludedrawing,painting,computergraphics,andartappreciation. ComputerApplications Beforestudentswillhavetheopportunitytolearnhowtouseappropriateeducationaltechnologysystemsandunderstandtheirinnerworkings,studentswilltaketimetoexaminetheirowndigitalfootprint andanalyze theirbehavior in termsofdigitalmedia. Studentswill critiquemediaandtechnology systems as well as the manner in which we act and behave both responsibly andintelligently in a digital world. In addition to studying our influences of technology and digitalmedia,studentswillalsobegintoexaminetechnologysystemsindetailandlearnhowtousethemresponsibility. These tools include Google Apps for Education and Microsoft Office Suite. Oncestudents gain knowledge and insight into basic technology tools and how best to use them ineducation and beyond, students will begin to dig deeper and gain an understanding how howthesetechnologytoolsactuallyworkandthesciencebehindtheirdesign.Studentswillhavetheopportunity to explore modules in coding, computer programming and many other facetscontainedinSTEAMprojectsandstandards. GeneralMusic

GeneralMusicisdesignedtodevelopappreciationandstimulatecreativethinkingandinterestinmusic. Studentsaregivenahands-onintroductiontothelanguageofmusicwithMIDI(MultipleInstrument Digital Interface) keyboardswith an emphasis on right-hand playing. Students arealsoexposedtomusictheoryandmusichistory,significantcomposersandlearnbasicmethodsofcomposing,which theypracticeonSibelius, a softwaremusicnotationprogram. Studentshavetheopportunitytoperformoriginalcompositionsandensemblepiecesonthekeyboard. TheArtofDebate(Forensics) While all seventh grade students are provided a variety of learning opportunities in ourEnglish/Language Arts classes, a select group of students are able to use their insight andknowledge to read andwritewith a greater degree of sophistication. Students displaying thisabilityareplacedintoTheArtofDebate.Thisclassisintendedtoteachthestudentsthevalueoflogicallystructuringargumentsandallowsdevelopmentofcriticalreading,writing,andthinkingskills. Placement into this class is data driven (i.e., assessment scores) and re-evaluated on ayearlybasis. Allstudentswillbereassessedeachyearandwillgainentryintothecourseonlyifthecriteriahavebeenmet.Placementisonlyguaranteedforasingleacademicyear.

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Drama TheDramacycleencouragesstudentstoopenupand,byworkingcloselywithoneanother,learnaboutpeopleandthemselves.Theuseoftheatergames,monologues,two-personscenes,lookingattheatricaltimeperiods,andtheaterhistory,helpsstudentsto:

• Stimulatetheirimaginations; • Developtheirpowersofobservation; • Fostertheuseoftheirsenses; • Promotecriticalthinking; • Encourageself-expression; • Stimulatediscussion; • Broadentheirunderstandingofhumanbehavior; • Developtheirlanguageskills; • Motivatereading;and • Fostergroup-workskills.

Desks are rarely used in this class; instead, students are on their feet working, thinking,interacting, questioning, and, most of all, having fun. Students are graded on participation,interest,effort,skillsimprovement,and,particularly,ontheirwillingnesstotryit. IntroductiontoTechnology IntroductiontoTechnologypresentssixdistinctlearningmodules:

1.HistoryofEvolution 2.ProblemSolving/CriticalThinking 3.ResearchesandDesign 4.Aerodynamics 5.Transportation 6.ManufacturingandConstruction

Introduction to Technology is an activity-based course which nurtures and encourages thefollowing twenty-first century skills: critical thinking and problem solving, collaboration andleadership, agility and adaptability, initiative and entrepreneurship, effective oral and writtencommunication, accessing and analyzing information, and curiosity and imagination. Workreadiness skills are identified and applied in a collaborative environment. Project applicationsprovidecontentandinterdisciplinaryactivities. MathStrategiesThe Math Strategies program is designed to support students who need additional support inmathematics. Through small group instruction, students learn strategies to help them achieveaccording to the NJ State Standards. The course will provide students with differentiatedinstruction and varied opportunities to work toward improving achievement. The programrecognizes individual learning differences and strives to build students’ competence andconfidence. The district is committed to providing instruction that aids students in displayingacademicgrowthinordertobesuccessfulinallaspectsofthecurriculum.

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MediaLiteracyThe article Children, Adolescents, and Advertising reveals that the average American adolescentviews40,000advertisementsayearon televisionalone.Thisstaggeringnumberscreamsto theneed for students todevelopanunderstandingof thepersuasive techniquesadvertisersuse, aswellastheeffectsandimplicationstheyhaveonourlives.Sinceadvertisinghasbecomesodeeplywoven into our society, it is now necessary to develop an awareness of how it shapes one’sperceptionofthemselvesandtheworld.Itisonlywiththisunderstandingthatwewillbeabletoremovetheblindfoldadvertisinghasuponourlives.Advertising isnot theonlychallengeposedby themedia toourstudents.Wemusteducateourstudents how to actively read the news and interpret reporting through a critical lens. Theinternet has increased access to a tremendous amount of perspectives. Someof thesepoints ofview are objective, some biased, and others completely false. Our students must learn how toweighother’sopinions,astheybegintoformtheirworldview.Theultimategoalofthiscycleistocreateanawarenessoftheinfluenceofmediaonourstudents’lives to promote decision making unburdened by the growing deluge of information they areexposedtoonadailybasis.

HEALTH Everyseventhgradestudentmustcompleteonequarterofhealtheducationeachschoolyear.Thestudents are scheduled during physical education periods. The curriculum allows students toexploretopicsthatarerelevanttotheirsocial,emotional,andphysicaldevelopment.Thesetopicsinclude:mentalhealth,drugeducationandmedicines,handlingstressandpeerpressure.Problemsolving,decision-making,andconsumerismarealsoincludedinthecurriculum. PHYSICALEDUCATION Physical Education continues to emphasize the development of total body fitness. Team andindividualsportsremainasignificantaspectofphysicaleducation.

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EIGHTHGRADEPROGRAM TeamCourses

English Science

WetheStudents Mathematics WorldLanguageorReading French Spanish Latin MandarinChinese

Reading/EnglishSkills CycleCourses ArtistasStudent CurrentEvents DigitalNewsroom G.L.E.E.(GlobalLiveEntertainmentExperience) InnovativeDesignChallenge

Whodunit? MathStrategies TheArtofDebate(Forensics)* PhysicalEducation Health

PhysicalEducation PerformingMusic(SeePage28foranoverviewofthisprogram.) Band Orchestra

Chorus *Forselectedstudents.

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EIGHTHGRADECOURSEDESCRIPTIONS

TEAMCOURSES

ENGLISH

Eighth Grade language arts serves as an important bridge between the skills introduced andhoned inthemiddleschoolandtheskillsneededtobedevelopedand introducedforsuccessatthehighschool. Throughthestudyofvariousliterarygenresstudents learntoreadcloselyandcritically about the literature,making relevant connections to themselves, toother texts, and totheirworlds. The literatureservesasapracticegroundforstudentstodevelopadeepsenseofempathy as they examineways tomake thematerialmore relevant. This practice leads to thedevelopmentofthereaderintoacompassionate,caring,well-roundedpersonwholearnsthroughtheunderstandingofaforeignsubjectbyfindingcommongroundwiththesubject.Theskillwillexpand beyond the literature to their everyday interactions in their world. Most importantlythrough the literature, students will learn to critically think about their world, create deeppersonalmeaning,andformulatetheirownopinionstobejustifiedandsupportedbysolidtextualreasoning found in the material and/or other texts and articulated sophisticatedly in speech,writing, and other forms of expression. Students will sharpen their writing skills through adetailed writing process including all the steps of thoughtful prewriting, drafting, editing andrevising, self and peer editing, etc. Writing will improve drastically as students employ anintegrated“readlikeawriter”mentalityexaminingauthors’stylesandcreatetheirownwritingsbasedonastyleanalysisofeachwriter.Thispracticecanbeappliedtoallformsofwritingforavariety of purposes and audiences including literary analysis, research-based argumentativeessays,andnarratives.Notonlywillwritingimprovebasedonthestyleanalysis,butalsostudents’readingcomprehensionwill improveastheybecomemorecognitivelyawareofwhatawriteristryingtoaccomplishwitheachword,line,andpassageofatext. SCIENCE

Atall threegrade-levelsourScienceCurriculumisdesignedto integratephysical, life,andearthsciencetopicswithaninquiry-based,hands-onapproach.Studentsexperienceeachtypeofscienceeveryyear,sothatconceptscanbetaught inadevelopmentallyappropriatewayandreinforcedthroughout the years. Correlated with the most up-to-date standards, the program takes aninterconnectedapproachtopreparestudentswiththetwenty-firstcenturyskillsthatarerequiredofscientists.Asconceptsarereinforcedthroughouteachyearandacrossmultipleyears,studentsareexpectedtodemonstrate increasedengagementandmasteryof thecontent. Teachersusearangeofapproachestoactivelyengagestudentsinscience.Technology,engineering,design,andmathematicsareconnectedwiththesciencetopicstofurtherenhancelearningexperiences.Theintegration of all three sciences provides the students with a broad understanding andappreciation of the interrelationships between the physical and natural sciences. Students areexposed to situations where they are required to examine evidence and draw conclusions bysolving realworld problems. At each level, a culminating event gives the students a chance toshowcasetheiremergingscienceskillstotheparents,peers,staff,anddistrictcommunity.

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WETHESTUDENTS

EighthGradeSocialStudies,alsoknownasWetheStudents,isdedicatedtoaddressingtheUnitedStates and global civics and citizenship strands of the Core Content Standards by covering thefollowingtopics:GovernmentandCitizenship;People,Politics,andIssuesthatShapeourSociety;Law and Justice; and Economics and the ConnectedWorld. Activities such as designingmockcampaigns,campaignfinance,mocktrials,stockandtradesimulationsusingreal-timedata,casestudies, political debate, and the creation of public service announcements are interwoven intoinstructionthroughouttheyear.Thisisastudent-centered,hands-on,technology-infusedcourse. Toaddtothevalueandrelevanceofthecourse,naturalandfrequentcross-contentconnectionsare made throughout the eighth grade curriculum. Social studies skills are also reinforced.Students investigate topics and interpret facts and ideas. Media presentations, group andindividual projects, reading assignments, writing, discussions, class presentations, cooperativelearning, and role-playing are all essential components of the program. Current eventswill bediscussedastheyrelatetothecurriculumandthedevelopmentofthestudent’sabilitytobecomecritical thinkersascitizens inademocraticsociety. Studentswillbuilduponwhat theyalreadyknowaboutworldgeographyandhistorywhileexploringissuesandtopicsimportanttothemasglobalcitizens.

MATHEMATICS

GradeeightMathematicscoursesconsistof: Pre-Algebra8 FoundationsofAlgebra Algebra1Enriched

Studentsaregroupedbyabilityasameansofpromotingmathematicalconfidenceandmaximizingopportunitiesforsuccess.Pleasenotethatinitialcourserecommendationsmaybeadjustedbasedonperformanceduringthesecondsemesterofthecurrentschoolyear.ForacompleteoverviewofMathematicscoursesfromfifthtoninthgrade,seethechartonPage31. Pre-Algebra8 Pre-Algebra 8 is intended to encourage students to think mathematically. It is designed aspreparation for future studies in Algebra and Geometry. Skills in Algebra, Geometry, numbertheory, patterns and functions, data, and problem solving are presented. The instructionalapproachbalances skill-focusedunits involvingnumbers andprocedureswithproblemsolving-basedapplicationswhichdevelopamorealgebraicapproachtothinkingandreasoning.Studentsdemonstrating success in this course (a B average) tend to continue into the Foundations ofAlgebraprograminninthgrade. FoundationsofAlgebra FoundationsofAlgebraisintendedforthestudentswhoarepreparedtobegintheirexplorationofAlgebra1;toobtainmasteryoftheskills,techniques,andconceptsnecessaryforsuccessinfuturemathematics courses. The course includes an exploration of the properties of the real numbersystem,fundamentaloperationswithrealnumbersandvariables,solvingequations,inequalities,linear and non-linear relationships, and linear systems. Students will develop these conceptsnumerically, graphically, and analytically. In addition, students will maintain their skills in allstrands of mathematics through problem-based experiences that focus on the connectionsbetween algebra and topics involving geometry and data analysis. Students in this coursewillcompletetheirAlgebra1curriculuminninthgrade.

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Algebra1Enriched Algebra 1 Enriched provides a challenging, in-depth experiencewith the three key elements ofAlgebra:equationsandinequalities,graphing,andinterchangeableuseofwordsandsymbols.Animportant goal of this course is to lead students toward more independence in their learningthroughcontinuouspreviewingandreviewingofconcepts. ComplexapplicationsofAlgebraareintroduced as the traditional skills are developed. Strands involving informal geometry,probability,statistics,anddiscretemathematicsareinterwoventhroughoutthecourse.Studentsdemonstratingsuccess in thiscoursetendtocontinue intotheGeometryprogramingradenineand are eligible to apply for placement in theHonors level. Specific information regarding theHonorsapplicationprocessisdistributedinJanuaryoftheeighthgradeyear. WORLDLANGUAGEORREADING/ENGLISHSKILLS

WorldLanguage

TheNewJerseyCoreCurriculumstandardforWorldLanguagestudyis: All students will be able to use a world language in addition to English to engage inmeaningful conversation, tounderstandand interpret spokenandwritten language,and topresent information, concepts, and ideas, while also gaining an understanding of theperspectives of other cultures. Through language study, they will make connections withother content areas, compare the language and culture studied with their own, andparticipateinhomeandglobalcommunities.

Eighth graders may enroll in Emerging, or Intermediate levels of Spanish, French, Latin, orMandarin Chinese. Students continue to develop communicative language skills in target-languageimmersionclassrooms. Culturallyappropriatetasksenhancestudentunderstandingofthe target cultures. Reading authentic texts, viewing current events from the Internet, anddirectedcompositionsaresomeofthechallengesthatpreparestudentsforhighschoollanguagecourses. Resources include audio-visuals, the Internet, and textbooks designed for themiddle-schoollearner. Intermediate Latin students continue to develop skills in communication, reading, and writingwith an emphasis on history and mythology of the Greco-Roman world. Students will read,analyze,andtranslateshortselectionsinLatin. Reading/EnglishSkills

Reading/Language Arts is offered to selected students who would benefit from intensiveinstructioninavarietyofreadingandwritingexperiences.Selectedstudentswilltakereadinginplace of a World Language. Students are given instruction in reading a variety of materials.Proficiency in recognizing main ideas and supporting details, sequencing, summarizing anddrawingconclusionsininformationaltextisstressed.Emphasisisplacedonvocabularybuildingandanalysis strategies. In addition, students strengthen their skills reading fiction through theexplorationofvarioustypesofliterature.Literaryelementsaretaughtandreinforced.Skimmingandscanningteachstudentsthefundamentalsthatgivestudentstheabilitytoadjusttheirreadingratetospecificpurposes.Acentralobjectiveofthereadingcoursesistostrengthenreadingandwriting skills so that students canmeet with success in other content areas. Writing skills inconnectiontoreadingstrategiesarealsostressedandreinforcedaspartofthereadingprogram.Criticalthinkingandreasoninghelpbuildstudentconfidence.Studentsaretaughtthatreadingisanessential,pleasurableexperiencewiththehopetheybecomelifelongreaders.

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CYCLECOURSES

EighthGradecyclecoursesprovideaproblem-basedapproachto learning. Studentsparticipatefully in their educational experiences as they gain skills and knowledge that are relevant andpractical. Each of these teacher-developed courses focuses on global themes, integratestechnology,andengagesstudentsinacollaborativelearningprocess.Twenty-firstCenturyskillsarealsoemphasizedineachcourse.Alleighthgradestudentstaketworequiredcourses–DigitalNewsroom and The Artist as Student. Students then select two of the remaining four electivecourses.Theseselectionsaremadeinthespringofastudent’sseventhgradeschoolyear. TheArtistasStudent Thefocusoftheeighthgradecurriculumisthedevelopmentofskillsthatenablestudentstomakeconsciouschoicesandapplytechnicalproficiencyastheylearntousetheelementsandprinciplesofart.Thisclassprovidesanenjoyablestudent-centeredlearningenvironmentthatmotivatesandchallenges the students’ creativity and self-expression. The investigation of two- and three-dimensional media includes drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and computer graphics.Students have the opportunity to reflect inwriting in a journal on their own creative process,themselves,andtheworldthroughtheeyesofanartist. G.L.E.E.(GlobalLiveEntertainmentExperience) Inthiscourse,studentsengageinthecreativeprocess,developing,designingandperforminginamusicalproductionandbuildinguponpreviouslyacquiredskillsinmusicanddrama.Workingincollaborative groups, students mount a polished production of an original or adapted musicalconsisting of short scenes and musical numbers that allow for solo, duet, and groupperformances. Given a global theme, students explore social, multicultural, and human issues,incorporatingthemintotheiruniquerolewithinthemusicalpresentation.Thehistoryofmusicaltheatreprovidesthebasisforin-depthstudyandapplication.Studentsdeveloptheskillsandaregiven the opportunity to become the playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, musician, dancer,choreographer,director,designer,ortechnician.Studentshavetheopportunitytoreflectontheircontributiontothecreativeprocessandfinalperformancethroughselfandpeerassessment. TheArtofDebate(Forensics) While all eighth grade students are provided a variety of learning opportunities in ourEnglish/Language Arts classes, a select group of students are able to use their insight andknowledge to read andwritewith a greater degree of sophistication. Students displaying thisabilityareplacedintoTheArtofDebate.Thisclassisintendedtoteachthestudentsthevalueoflogicallystructuringargumentsandallowsdevelopmentofcriticalreading,writing,andthinkingskills. Placement into this class is data driven (i.e., assessment scores) and re-evaluated on ayearlybasis. Allstudentswillbereassessedeachyearandwillgainentryintothecourseonlyifthecriteriahavebeenmet.Placementisonlyguaranteedforasingleacademicyear.

DigitalNewsroom This nine-week cycle course introduces the students to the digitalization of our world and itsimpactthroughtheguiseofnewsmedia.Thedigitalpresentationofeverypartofourlivesbuildsthe need to provide studentswith guidance in reading, reviewing, and publishing news on theinternet.Digitaljournalismisthefocusforrepresentingthebasicprinciplesofresponsibledigitallearners.Thestudentswillengageintheprocessofgatheringfactualinformation,organizingtheirideas,formattingtheirwriting,andeditingitfordigitalpublication.

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Whodunit? ThefocusoftheeighthgradeForensicSciencecurriculumistheapplicationofskillsthatenablesstudents tosolvereal-worldmysteriesusingscientificprinciples,critical thinking,collaboration,and reflection. This class provides an enjoyable student-centered learning environmentwherestudentssolvereal-worldmysteriesbydevelopinghypothesesandapplyingknowledgeofforensicscience.Theyusetechnologytools,incorporatepeerandself-assessmenttechniques,developskillinevaluationofmeaningfulandrelevantevidence,andworkcollaboratively.Thisproblem-basedcourse is centered on a driving task – the solution to the mysteries presented using digitalstorytelling.Studentshavetheopportunitytoreflectinwritingontheirowncreativeprocessinaninteractivesciencenotebook. CurrentEventsThe course will provide students with opportunities to identify and explore the roots ofcontemporary social issues/current events by researching the various components that existwithinasingletopic.Duetotheconstraintsofcurriculumandtiming,studentsarefrequentlynotafforded opportunities to explore current events and other contemporary social issues on aregularbasis.Thiscyclewillexposestudentstoissuesthataffecttheirlivesaswellasinstillwithinthemanunderstandingofthecomplexityoftheseissues.Indoingso,studentswilldiscoverhowscience,history,technology,andlanguageinteractintherealworld.Further,studentswillexploretheexistenceofbiasinthemediaastheyresearchanddiscussnewsfromavarietyofsources.Thecoursewilluseavarietyofstudent-centeredapproachestoexploreparticularissues.Studentswillalsoparticipateinbi-weeklySocraticSeminarsbasedoncurrentevents.Theprocessofexaminingeachissuewillremainconsistent;however,timespentonindividualtopicswillvarydependingontheissue’scomplexityandstudentinterest. InnovativeDesignChallenge The focus of the eighth grade technology curriculum is the development of skills that providestudents with insight into the technological world and expand their knowledge and interestbeyond the classroom. This student-centered courseallows students to identify aproblemandcreateasolution,whichcouldbealocal/personalneedoracommunity/globalconcern.Workingin collaborative teams, students design or construct an innovation or invention to solve thatproblem using the seven-step design loop to guide their use of engineering and designtechnology.Studentsprovideongoingreflectioninadailyloginordertopresenttheirsolutiontoanaudience.

MathStrategiesThe Math Strategies program is designed to support students who need additional support inmathematics. Through small group instruction, students learn strategies to help them achieveaccording to the NJ State Standards. The course will provide students with differentiatedinstruction and varied opportunities to work toward improving achievement. The programrecognizes individual learning differences and strives to build students’ competence andconfidence. The district is committed to providing instruction that aids students in displayingacademicgrowthinordertobesuccessfulinallaspectsofthecurriculum.

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HEALTH Every eighth grade student must complete one quarter of health education. Students arescheduledduringphysicaleducationperiods. Thecurriculumallowsstudentstoexploretopicsthatarerelevanttotheirsocial,emotional,andphysical development. The health curriculum follows a sequence that determines topics to beemphasized, reinforced,or introducedateachgrade level. Pertinentareas include family livingand developing healthy relationships, prevention and control of disease and health problems,sexuality,growthanddevelopment. Problem-solving, decision-making, and consumerism are included in all areas of study. State-mandatedAIDSeducationisincludedatthislevel. PHYSICALEDUCATION Thephysicaleducationprogramfocusesonencouragingstudentstodevelopanappreciationforwellness. Improvingstrength,endurance,agility,speed,andcoordinationareobjectivesaroundwhichtheclassesareconstructed.

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PERFORMINGMUSIC

Band,Orchestra,andChorus Ensemblesarescheduledfivetimesduringathree-weekperiod. StudentsmayelectonlyoneofthethreePerformingMusiccoursesfortheentireschoolyear.Band,Orchestra,andChorushavearotatinglessonschedule.SeventhandeighthgradestudentschoosingBandorOrchestrahavetheoptionofparticipatinginLunchtimeChorustoobtainavocalmusicexperience. Band Bandgroups include: Sixth, SeventhandEighthGradeBands. Beginning lessonsareoffered tostudentswhohavenothadprevious instrumentalmusic experience. Through special exercisesand gradedmaterials, students develop techniques of individual and group performance. Thebandssuccessfullyperformavarietyofensembleliterature,aswellasworksofnotedcomposers,popular songs, and contemporary compositions. Other performance opportunities include theJazzLabBand,StageBand,FluteEnsemble,Morris-UnionJointureCommissionperforminggroups,Region Band and Orchestra, and All-City Music Masters. Band groups perform frequently atassemblies,eveningconcerts,communityprograms,andmusicfestivals. Orchestra Orchestragroupsinclude:Sixth,SeventhandEighthGradeOrchestras.Throughspecialexercisesandgradedmaterials,studentsdeveloptechniquesforindividualandgroupperformance.Otherperformanceopportunities includetheLawtonC. JohnsonSummitMiddleSchoolStringQuartet,Chamber Orchestra, Morris-Union Jointure Orchestra, Region Orchestra, and All-City MusicMasters.Ensemblesaidindevelopingdiscriminationinmattersofintonation,rhythmicaccuracy,tonequality,anddynamiccontrast. Orchestragroupsperformfrequentlyatassemblies,eveningconcerts,communityprograms,andmusicfestivals. Chorus Chorus groups include: Sixth, Seventh, and Eighth Grade Choruses. Chorus is a performance-orientedcourse.Thechorusaimstodevelopinthestudent,knowledge,anduseofbasicprinciplesofgoodsinging,appreciationofavarietyofmusicalstyles,enjoymentofawholesomeleisure-timeactivity, and a sense of accomplishment through participation in group musical performances.Self-disciplineandcooperativelearningarestressed.Chorustrainingincludespart-singing,withattentiontodiction,tonequality,balanceandblend,dynamics,andprecisionofattackandrelease.Specialattentionisgiventothechangingvoiceoftheadolescentboy. Studentswhoareenrolled inBandandOrchestramayalsoparticipate inChorusvia theShared-Chorusprogram inwhichstudentscome toa rotatingShared-Chorus lessononceapproximatelyevery two weeks (in lieu of their instrumental lesson) to learn their grade level's respectiverepertoireandultimatelyperformwiththelargercurricularensembleatallconcerts. BelCanto Allstudentsarewelcometoauditionforourselectchoralgroup,BelCanto.Thisgroupperformsboth in school and in the community. Members are coached for excellence in vocal andperformanceskills.Additionalchambergroupsmaybeformedwhentherearesufficientnumbersof students available. Outstanding vocalistsmay also receive the opportunity to participate inRegionChorus,Morris-UnionJointureChorus,andAll-CityMusicMasters.

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CO-CURRICULARACTIVITIES

Co-curricularactivitiesarean importantpartof theMiddleSchoolprogram. Studentsaregivenopportunities to explore areas of interest, meet new friends, and cooperate and compete withothers.Studentparticipationintheseactivitiesdevelopspersonalqualitiesthatareimportanttostudentgrowthanddevelopment. Studentslearntoacceptresponsibilities,makecommitments,respectothers,andmanagetimewisely;thus,theydevelopapositiveself-concept.TheLawtonC.JohnsonSummitMiddleSchoolencourageseachstudenttoparticipateinatleastoneco-curricularactivityduringtheschoolyear. Intramurals TheIntramuralprogramprovidesstudentswithanopportunitytoengageinavarietyofactivities.Activitiesforgirlsandboysincludevolleyball,soccer,basketball,andping-pong.TheIntramuralprogramisanimportantsupplementtothetotalschoolprogram.Allstudentsareencouragedtobecomeinvolvedintheactivityoftheirchoice. Clubs A wide variety of special-interest clubs and competitions are available to students. Theseopportunities may change from year to year because of changing student interest and theavailabilityofstaffsponsors.Mostoftheclubsmeetatleastonceamonth,eitherbeforeorafterschool.Alistingoftheclubsispostedonthewebsiteatthebeginningoftheschoolyear. InterscholasticCompetition TheMiddleSchoolinterscholasticprogramincludes: •Boysandgirls:basketball(grades7and8only),cross-country,track,andwrestling •Girls:fieldhockey(grades7and8only)andsoftball Alimitedscheduleisarrangedinallsports. Teambuilding/OrientationProgram Summit's Teambuilding Program, known as Stokes, is a weekend experience for sixth gradestudents. Theweekend takesplace innorthwestNew Jersey. Small groupsof students, ledbytrained teachers and Summit High School students, work together at problem solving. TheweekendisheldinSeptemberatFairviewLakeCamplocatedinStillwater,NewJersey.Studentshave an opportunity to get to know andwork together in an informal setting. Awareness andappreciationofstudentinteractionandcollaborativeproblem-solvingarestressed. SummitRecreationDepartmentOpportunities ThroughtheSummitRecreationDepartment,middleschoolstudentsareaffordedtheopportunityto participate in a variety of sports and activities. The Recreation Department sponsorsparticipationinseveraldifferentsportsduringeachseason.

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REPORTCARDS It isexpected thatstudents inLawtonC. JohnsonSummitMiddleSchoolwill strive to learnandbecomeself-learners.Highachievementismaintainedasteachersandstudentsworktogethertosharpenbasicskills,explorenewideas,expandabilitytothink,andmasterbasicunderstandings. Student grades are based on daily work, both oral and written, completion of projects, and avarietyoftestingexperiences. Thefollowinggradesaregivenquarterlyineachsubject:

AtoA- =Excellent P = Passing B+toB- =Good F = Failing C+toC =Satisfactory ME = MedicalExcuse C- =NeedsImprovement M = Audit D =LowPass Studentsarealsoratedinconductandeffort: 1 = Excellent 2 = Good 3 = NeedsImprovement 4 = ConsistentlyUnsatisfactory

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