Course Offerings

 Required Course Offerings (1 Year)

• Bella Voce Choir- Year long
• Green Band-Year long
• Drama-Year long
• Leadership- Year long
• Yearbook - Year long

 

Electives - As part of Magnolia’s focus to provide a balanced education, all students. They will also take either a year-long elective or 3-trimester long enrichment courses. Seventh-grade students not enrolled in a year-long elective will take the one trimester course Career & College Exploration.

7th & 8th Grade Electives - Elective choices may change based on the skills of the Magnolia Staff.

 
Academic Workshop - 6th/7th/8th Grade - Trimester

Students may be removed from their elective class, including year-long courses, and placed in an Academic Workshop if they are not achieving at a satisfactory level in their core classes - English, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science. Students/parents may also request an academic workshop placement.

 

This course may be taken 1, 2, or 3 trimesters during a year. You must enroll in a minimum of two (2) trimesters and be enrolled during the 3rd trimester to participate in the choir and band competitions & trips. Bella Voce means “beautiful voice”, and we are the VOICE of the RATTLERS! This group made up of 6th, 7th and 8th-grade singers is for everyone who wants to sing! We have one concert for each trimester and competitive festival participation during the third trimester.

901 Green Band - All Grades - Year

Green Band is made up of 6th and 7th graders that are on the first or second year of their instrument. They meet every day during the regular school day. Emphasis is on improving and expanding their skills through scales, chorales, exercises, and repertoire. They present three to four concerts and attend 2-3 festivals. The local music store has an excellent rental program and all the necessary books, accessories, and materials. Green Band uses the Standard of Excellence Book 1.

903 Gold Band - Grades: 7&8 - Year - Prerequisite: Teacher Consent

Gold Band is made up of 7th and 8th graders that are on the third or fourth year of their instrument. They meet every day during the regular school day. Emphasis is on improving and expanding their skills through scales, chorales, exercises, and repertoire. They present three to four concerts and attend 2-3 festivals. The local music store has an excellent rental program and all the necessary books, accessories, and materials. Gold Band uses Standard of Excellence Book 2 and 3.

905 Jazz Band - All Grades - Year - Prerequisite: Audition/Teacher Consent

Jazz Band is made up of 6-8th graders that audition for positions in The Rattler Jazz Band. Participation in one of the other band ensembles is required. They meet Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings at 8:00 am. Emphasis is on jazz scales, style, and improvisation. Music will include jazz standards along with rock, funk, and Latin styles. They present four concerts, an elementary school tour, and attend 1-2 festivals. The local music store has an excellent rental program and all the necessary books, accessories, and materials. Jazz Band uses the Standard of Excellence Jazz Ensemble Method.

904 Starmakers Show Choir - Grades: 7&8 - Year - Prerequisite: Audition/Teacher Consent

Starmakers is a choir that also dances, known as a Show Choir. This auditioned, an award-winning group of 7th and 8th-grade students is a mixed choir of 30-32 members, singing in three to four parts. These polished performers study traditional choral music as well as pop styles and present a variety of genres within the “show pop” styles. Students also learn basic dance skills, often including ballroom and swing dance etiquette and forms; contemporary and jazz; and basic skills for balance, strength, and coordination. Teamwork and self-management are critical performance tools that are acquired here, as students develop the trust and skills necessary to perform at the highest ensemble level. This choir requires participation in all three trimesters, along with numerous performances and competitions outside of the regular school day.

906 Drama - Grades: 7&8 - Year - Prerequisite: Audition/Teacher Consent

Drama is a year-long elective open to 7th & 8th graders by audition. The goals/emphasis are on developing public speaking and performance skills, working collaboratively with others, managing time and the freedom that comes from artistic endeavors, a sense of responsibility to themselves and to others that are affected by their efforts, as well as personal accountability. Students must maintain a minimum of a 2.0 GPA to remain in this class. Trimester One: a history of the theater, acting techniques, acting games, short performance pieces, & film studies. Trimester two: mounting a full-scale stage production with scriptwriting/revision, acting, backstage management & set design opportunities. Trimester three: collaborate with a small group to write, film, and edit a short movie to completion.

899 Leadership - Grades: 7&8

This course is designed to give students the opportunity to learn ways to become successful leaders in their school and community. Students will have the opportunity to build communication skills, group dynamics, self-awareness, qualities of leaders, organizational and time management strategies, and how to effectively communicate ideas through public speaking and promotion. Large group public speaking is not a requirement, nor do students need to be an officer in the Student Council. Students should expect to become a stronger leader among peers and in the eyes of adults. Students will be tasked with the improvement of school culture and making a lasting positive difference at Magnolia. Assignments will include in-class and out-of-class activities and projects as determined by the interest of the student, and the needs of the school and community. A high degree of maturity and responsibility is necessary for success in this course, as well as a measure of self-motivation and integrity. Due to the nature of the course, students will be expected to attend some school functions both during and outside of school hours. Students must be in good academic and behavioral standing in order to remain in the course.

916 Yearbook - Grades: 7&8

Students will complete the yearbook during the first portion of this course.  They may also participate in the sale and distribution of the school yearbook.

In this course, the principles of design will be reinforced in printed materials that combine art, photography, and writing. Students will explore graphic communications. Students will use tools such as digital cameras, Adobe PhotoShop, Treering.com, Google Suite, Microsoft Office, and other technology to create projects that reflect real-world applications.

914 Beginning Art

The class processes will analyze and responds to art using various media. A vocabulary of art is developed through the exploration of different art materials and approaches to class projects. Students are introduced to crayons, watercolors, pastels, pencils, and pens. They also use other materials in mixed media projects, such as a collage, and create a simple string print relief project.

926 Advanced Art

Students in this course focus on the Principles of Design and learn how to create art that is useful in everyday life. Students learn design skills through art studio and computer lab assignments. A vocabulary using design principles such as balance, movement, unity, emphasis, rhythm, variety, and contrast is developed. Students are asked to reflect on how their artistic choices contribute to the quality of the art. Students design a work of art for public display, usually the school library or district office building. Students may work in PhotoShop, using their own photography, to create a piece of digital art. Students research art movements and create a diorama of an interior room reflecting their personal style in relation to an art piece. Students further explore printmaking through basic relief printing or linoleum prints, as time permits. Art media explored includes watercolor, acrylic, pencil, found materials, and clay.

927 Advanced Ceramics

This course is offered to both 7th and 8th-grade students as an elective. In ceramics, students work with clay to create sculptures, pottery, jewelry, and other ceramic art. An on-site kiln is used to create permanent glazed ceramic pieces. Students employ both the elements of art and the principles of design in their projects. Students become skilled in basic clay manipulation. Students are also asked to design an expressive figurative sculpture.

930 Beginning Coding and Robotics

The Coding and Robotics class offers a hands-on opportunity to build and program a robot using the Parallax Activity Bot system. Students will build and program the Activity Bot to perform basic tasks and higher-level challenges that introduce basic engineering, electronics, and computer programming. There is no previous experience needed, just the desire to learn and the willingness to work with a partner to achieve mutual goals in coding and robotics. Students will develop new skills in science, technology, engineering, and math.

931 Advanced Coding and Robotics

The Engineer, Build & Code class challenges students to think outside of the box as they work with Lego Mindstorms. The goal is to engineer, build, and code their robots to complete challenges and compete in a countywide robotics competition. Knowledge of coding and basic engineering is recommended for this challenging, yet inspiring class.

920 Beginning Games of Strategy

This is a class about games and game strategy.  We start with simple card games and then work our way through several strategic games and end the trimester with Chess.

921 Advanced Games of Strategy

This is a class about games and game strategy.  We start with simple card games and then work our way through several strategic games and end the trimester with Chess.

935 Beginning Photography

Learn the basics of photography and photo editing. Photographic composition, exposure, lighting, and computer editing will be taught as well as techniques used in portrait, landscape, macro photography

936 Advanced Photography

This class will expand on manual use of the digital camera and explore photo editing with Adobe products. There will also be a basic understanding of photo journaling.

906 Beginning Theatre Arts

The class that focuses on developing skills in speaking, gestures, performance, and collaboration.

917 Basic Woodworking

This course is designed to concentrate on all basic wood construction methods and machines. Students will learn how to safely operate all woodworking equipment and safely operate in a professional woodworking environment.  They will have a general project for each of the machines in the shop that they are allowed to work with.

 918 Advanced Woodworking

This course is designed to continue with the skills learned in Woodshop and then take them to an advanced level.  We will have a starting project then they will choose and finish projects working on more complex and complicated projects of their choosing.

892 Technology Assistant/Video Production

This course may be taken 1 trimester as a 7th grader and 2 trimesters as an 8th grader. Students assigned to the technology lab as tech aides work with students and teachers in the lab helping them to integrate the daily curriculum with technology. They act as assistants to the computer lab staff. Grades are earned based on the student’s ability to follow instructions, be helpful, and perform assigned tasks. They also do some videoing at our K-8 Schools & Bear River High School Performances, digital editing with specific software, take pictures when needed, and perform basic technology tasks for teachers.

890 Classroom Aide

Students learn filing, copying, and tutoring skills. Students work under the supervision of a classroom teacher or instructional aide. Credit is earned based on the student’s ability to follow instructions, perform assigned tasks, and maintain a minimum attendance rate of 95%. Graded P/NP

891 Library Aide

Students learn cataloging, research, and customer service skills. Credit is earned based on the student’s ability to follow directions, perform assigned tasks, and maintain a minimum attendance rate of 95%. Graded P/NP

893 Office Aide

Students learn basic filing, sorting, and telephone procedures. The importance is placed on receiving and giving messages courteously and accurately. Credit is earned based on a student’s ability to follow instructions, perform assigned tasks, and maintain a minimum attendance rate of 95%. Graded P/NP

Physical Education Aide - Grade: 8 - Trimester - Prerequisite: Teacher Consent/Behavior Point Eligibility/Excellent Attendance

• Monitor the gym prior to roll call & at the end of class
• Assist with equipment set up/take down daily
• Act as a referee during games played
• Help monitor students during a long walk/run. Student aides will not be required to dress in their P.E. uniform during their aide time. Credit is earned based on a student’s ability to follow instructions, perform assigned tasks, and maintain a minimum attendance rate of 95%. Graded P/NP
  
  

894 Woodshop Aide - Grade: 8 - Trimester - Prerequisite: “A” in Advanced Woodworking/Behavior Point Eligibility/Excellent Attendance

Woodworking aides will be responsible for organizing the shop, know the proper use /location of all tools, hand, and power, be able to give demonstrations on the methods of various power tools, and be in charge of a clean-up crew at the end of each period. Students must also have a desire to learn leadership skills and be willing to lead by example by helping their classmates when they need assistance. Credit is earned based on a student’s ability to follow instructions, perform assigned tasks, and maintain a minimum attendance rate of 95%. Graded P/NP

Powerschool directions to choose Electives when there is Open Enrollment:

• Students go to the website and go to the link to check grades, sign in
• Click on Class Registration - Left-hand side
• Choose Math
• 6th to 7th Skip over Career Exploration - it is required if you are not taking a yearlong class
• Choose PE:  785 is Zero Period, 780 is regular (MUST have parent signature)
• Choose Electives: Year-long classes just choose THE one. UNLESS you have chosen Zero period-then to choose yearlong class AND 3 electives, Regular will choose 3.
• Choose alternative elective: Choose 2