Departmental Classrooms
Sixth through eighth grade classes are departmental, with experts in each field teaching only their subject matter. For example: we have math teachers, a science teacher, a history expert, a grammar teacher and an English Literature expert. We group students by ability in the departmental system for the subjects English Literature and Math. There is NO low group: we have an average/regular group and an accelerated group for Math and English Literature..
Morning Schedule: The morning schedule for grades 6th to 8th is a “mini” block schedule. The day begins with 30 minutes of religion followed by three one hour blocks for Reading/Language Arts (Literature), Math, and on alternating days Science or Social Studies. Students have science and social studies daily but on one day it is for one hour in the morning and the next day it is in the afternoon for forty minutes.
Afternoon Schedule: The afternoon schedule has three forty minute periods: one period is for science or social studies, one is for their foreign language, and the third period is for their specials (gym, computer, art, music, etc.)
Electives: For seventh and eight grades the specials are scheduled using “Electives”. We have electives to give students the opportunity to make their own choices to prepare them for the many class choices they will be asked to make in High School. The second reason is to help the students develop their God-given talents in a Fine Art. Ten choices are given to the seventh and eighth graders for their “Electives”. All electives are scheduled for the last period of the day with seventh and eighth graders together. Each elective class closes with 20 students. The only exception is the gym elective. If there are less than six students in the elective, then that section closes. . Each student must take two days of a fine art elective and two days of a physical education elective. The “Electives” are changed at the semester.
Math: Every eighth grader takes Algebra I or Honors Algebra I. There is a regular ability group and an accelerated ability group starting in sixth grade. We also have a few students that are gifted mathematicians and take Honors Geometry as eight graders at Evanston Township High School.