Seventh graders will soon be creating their 8th grade schedules by selecting which elective classes they would like to take. Every student in the 8th grade has the opportunity to take an elective: an extracurricular class that teaches students skills in a particular topic. These classes are unlike typical common core classes and provide a chance for students to learn about many unique subjects like cooking, filming, languages, singing, etc.. Eighth graders were surveyed about these electives and were asked to provide their ratings on the electives that they are or have taken.

The classes with the highest ratings, on average, were: WEB (Where Everyone Belongs), which was rated a perfect 10, as well as Gaming, and Art Tech. Other classes which were given a mediocre rating include Cooking Class, Journalism, Film and Video Production, Vocal Dimensions, Art 8, and STEM. Languages were given mixed ratings: Italian was rated an 8, French an 8, and Spanish a 6. The class with the lowest average rating was Spanish. In addition to rating their classes, students were  asked to choose which electives they would want to take if they could take more electives. The top 3 classes chosen were Cooking Class, Film and Video Production, and Art 8.

The last part of the survey asks students what they liked or disliked in classes. When asked what their favorite parts of electives were, 61% of students said that they liked the opportunity to experience something they have always wanted to do. Many students also said that they enjoyed learning about new topics.

There are so many different classes that eighth graders can choose from! For a short description of each elective, please see below.

Film and Video Production: Taught by Mrs. D’Amico, this class teaches the essentials of how to film a perfect video as well as edit it. Students learn about the different types of camera shots, how to properly edit a video, and techniques for interviewing people. At the high school, this class opens up into Wildcat Weekly.

Cooking/Baking Class (Home Ec): In this class, Mrs. Bakeman teaches students how to be creative with what is in the kitchen. Students not only learn new recipes, but they also get to practice some math skills. To cook a delicious meal, students must figure out how much of an ingredient they might need or be able to convert between units of measurement. They also learn about skills outside of cooking, such as proper dinner etiquette and how to set the table.

W.E.B. (Where Everyone Belongs): WEB, taught by Mr. Face, educates students on leadership skills and how to be more socially involved. Students also get a chance to “play teacher”, and educate the younger students at MMS.

Gaming: Gaming is a class where students play games that involve logic and creative thinking as an alternative to learning. Students eventually get to recreate an existing structure (e.g. Eiffel Tower, Leaning Tower of Pisa) on Minecraft as a final project. Mrs. Trentanelli and Mr. Catullo are the instructors for this class.

Art Tech: In a class where students use their creative skills to develop art techniques, Mrs. Vokic instructs students on how to use modern technology to create dazzling art. Although the computer will do most of the work, it still requires creative thinking to create a modern work of art.

Art 8: A continuation of 6th and 7th grade art that is also taught by Mrs. Vokic, this class continues to use basic principles learned in previous grades, and focuses on traditional methods/techniques to create artwork. Students continue to use the sketchbook that was provided in 6th or 7th grade to keep all rough drawings in.

Vocal Dimensions: Students who wanted to try out for Vocal Dimensions already did so; for a complete list of who made it in Vocal Dimensions, check Mr. Bright’s webpage for a link to Vocal Dimensions. Students who qualified will be able to participate in a “show choir” type class, complete with dancing and more frequent performances.

Languages: Students are given a choice to take one of three language classes: Spanish (Mrs. Potts Peteritis), French (Madame Vouk), and Italian (Mrs. Marotta). These are all high school level classes. These classes build upon basic skills learned in 6th and 7th grade, teaching students more advanced grammar and vocabulary of these languages. Language classes taught in 8th grade open up into the high school level as more advanced classes, ranging up from French to French AP.

Journalism: Journalism, which is taught by Mrs. Saunders, is a class where students act as journalists and write/publish their stories. Students must be proficient in writing skills, be able to conduct interviews on teachers and other peers, and meet the given deadlines. If stories are satisfactory, Mrs. Saunders will publish them on https://wildcatvoice.org/, the official webpage for journalism.

STEM: AT MMS, there are two parts to the STEM class: Medical Detectives and Automation and Robotics. Students take both parts in a semester long course. In Automation and Robotics, students practice building with VEX Gear as well as programming and building robots. In Medical Detectives, students get a chance to perform hands-on dissections and many other experiments, including DNA extraction. Mr. Lubin, Mrs. Williams, Mr. Stephens, and Mrs. McGarry all teach classes in STEM.

Seventh grade students get to choose their electives when meeting with a guidance counselor after an introductory presentation. Eighth graders have already chosen high school electives that may correspond with one that they are taking this year. These classes are 45 minutes and allow students to explore passions and interests, while adding a unique spin to the traditional school day.