As we all know, there is going to be a new middle school, which means new electives and new teachers. This entails hard choices for the upcoming seventh and eighth graders due to unfamiliarity with the new classes and teachers. We’ve spoken to many seventh graders and a few teachers who are involved in these electives.
Along with nervousness, excitement is big around these electives. Seventh grader Allison Fullmer said, “I am excited for media because I really like art.” The new electives are exciting, but old ones are just as important and can cause just as much interest as the new ones. The enrollment process is hard, but having something to look forward to makes a big difference. Seventh Grader Corbin Fairbanks said he was excited for Spanish, “Spanish, because I want to learn Spanish.” There’s a large variety of electives, and some give benefits to students. Fairbanks said, “Facs. Because I get high school credits.”
Many students have said that they think the electives are crowded and there are not many options to choose from. The middle school splitting allows more classes, the teachers to focus on specific needs, and it will be more spacious. Seventh Grader Jacob Butterfeild mentions the variety in electives “Oh definitely they’re gonna be better because like from what I know there’s a much wider variety of options to choose from and not from just the four we have now.”
Students and teachers alike have opinions about the new electives. When teachers who have been working here for years and teaching the same thing start teaching a new class, they are bound to have strong opinions about it. Mrs. Stones said, “I’ve worked here since January of 2007. My favorite memories are probably those with my very first team – the Voyagers with Mrs. Dowell, Mr. Brooks, Mrs. Lohmeyer, Mr. Weins, and Mrs. Quast.” When teaching a new class, excitement and interest fills the teacher. Mr. Barrett said, “I spent the past three years teaching Social Studies, and when the opportunity to teach Technology became available here at WRMS, I was excited to pursue it.”
There will be 6 new classes in both middle schools. Skills for Success, taught by Ms. Evans. Her explanation of the class was, “Most of the topics taught in SFA will be covered in Skills with some new ones added in to help students be even more prepared for middle school, high school, and post-high school. The course will be taught across all 3 middle school grade levels, 6th, 7th, & 8th.” Not all of these classes offer high school credit, but this one will. Barrett said, “Next year, we’ll be offering a seven-week required Explorations in Technology class for all 6th graders. For 7th grade, we’ll have a semester-long elective called Introduction to Technology, and for 8th graders, there will be two semester-long electives: Introduction to Skilled Trades and Introduction to Computer Coding.” You might’ve heard about the new media class by now, but we’re getting a new class called Intro to Photography. Stones said, “Currently, I teach yearbook, Honors English, and 7th grade Intro to Media. Next year, I’ll subtract Honors English and add photography. It will be really different because I’ve never taught a dedicated photography class before, but I’m excited!”
Also, Intro to Skilled Trades will be offered for eighth grade only with high school credit! You will learn about Construction, Manufacturing, and Transportation Clusters. Seventh grade will be offering Environmental Science. This will go over the environment and everything in the biosphere. And lastly, Agriculture Science for eighth graders! This class will talk all about agriculture and its impact on society. Overall, the new electives are certain to be a new experience for all!
