Electives
Grade 7
Students indicate their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices for the following electives. Each elective is a semester-long course. Students will be scheduled for one elective in the fall and a different elective in the spring. Every effort will be made to match students with one of their top choices.
In this semester-long art class, you’ll get the chance to build on your art skills learned in Grade 6 through drawing, watercolor painting, relief printmaking, and clay. You’ll try out new materials and techniques while learning how to bring your own ideas to life through art. This class is a space to explore what you can do.
This is a shorter, sampler-style course, but it’s still packed with creative growth, expressing yourself, and plenty of fun along the way. We’ll experiment, share ideas, and support each other as we discover your unique artistic voice, try awesome new things, and build your confidence through hands-on creating. This course is all about having fun with art and finding your own style!
In this hands-on elective, students will explore how data and mathematical models can help make sense of the world around them. Through real-world investigations, students will collect and analyze data, build models, and use them to make predictions or solve problems. The course culminates in a student-driven project where each learner asks a meaningful question and builds a model to explore it.
This course empowers Grade 7 students to explore and embody leadership within the school community and beyond. Through hands-on experiences, students will define what leadership means to them, identify core values, and examine different leadership styles. They’ll reflect on the qualities of effective leaders while building the skills and confidence needed to lead with purpose.
Students will collaborate with peers, high school mentors, faculty, and community members, gaining real-world insight into leadership in action. From shaping school culture to planning and leading assemblies, they’ll have meaningful opportunities to make their voices heard. By the end of the course, students will be equipped to step confidently into leadership roles in Grade 8 and beyond.
This elective invites curious and motivated math students to explore rich, challenging problems inspired by math competitions like MathCounts and AMC 8. Students will deepen their problem-solving strategies, build mathematical creativity, and enjoy the fun of tackling puzzles and patterns together. Ideal for students who enjoy thinking outside the box and want to grow their mathematical confidence in a collaborative, low-pressure setting.
Community Engagement, formerly known as the Community Service elective, gives students the chance to make a real difference through hands-on projects that support both our school and local community. One aspect of this elective will include learning about food insecurity. Students will assess community needs, organize fundraisers, shop for groceries, and deliver food to local families. In addition, students will serve as mentors to elementary students. They will also help care for our local community by partnering with Carmel Cares to clean up and beautify downtown Carmel, Forest Hill Park, and Carmel Beach.
Skills for Academic Success (SAS) is a practical, skill-building course designed to help middle school students become more confident, organized, independent learners and provide them with tools for navigating the academic demands of middle school and beyond. SAS is designed around evidence-based strategies for building executive functioning skills, positive habits, and memory strategies that will optimize learning. Students will be encouraged to explore their own strengths, challenges, and needs, and learn strategies to propel them toward their goals. Students will strengthen essential academic and life skills, including:
- Organization, time management, and planning
- Goal setting, task initiation, and sustained attention
- Note-taking, test preparation, and active reading
- Self-monitoring, reflection, and emotional regulation
Using interactive activities, guided practice, and self-assessment tools, students will learn how habits form and make lasting changes. Students will develop study routines that promote focus, learning, and reduce procrastination. By the end of the course, students will have a clear set of strategies to manage their schoolwork, increase their independence, and build a strong foundation for future academic success.
Woodshop class offers students a hands-on opportunity to explore the fundamentals of woodworking while emphasizing safety, craftsmanship, and creativity. Students will learn to safely operate a variety of basic power tools, including the drill press, band saw, and router, as well as master essential hand tools such as screwdrivers, handsaws, miter boxes, chisels, hand planes, and sanding equipment. Through guided instruction and independent practice, students will design and construct multiple functional and creative projects, developing problem-solving skills, fine motor coordination, and confidence in working with materials.
In this dynamic, hands-on elective, students take the lead in capturing and celebrating the story of the school year. As the official creators of the school’s yearbook, students will be responsible for planning layouts, designing pages, and selecting compelling photos and content that reflect the spirit and diversity of our community. Beyond the yearbook, students will explore a multimedia approach to event coverage—using photography, videography, interviews, graphic design, and digital publishing tools to document school life in real time.
Students will learn the fundamentals of journalistic writing, visual storytelling, and digital media production while working collaboratively to meet real publishing deadlines. Creativity, teamwork, attention to detail, and a strong sense of responsibility are essential as students take ownership of projects that have a lasting impact on the school community. This course is ideal for aspiring designers, storytellers, and digital creators ready to bring our school’s story to life.
Grade 8
Students indicate their 1st, 2nd and 3rd choices for the following electives. Each elective is a semester-long course. Students will be scheduled for one elective in the fall and a different elective in the spring. Every effort will be made to match students with one of their top choices.
In this fun and hands-on art class, you’ll get to try out different materials and techniques while making art that’s all about you, your community, and the world around you. We’ll draw from observation, paint with watercolors, make prints from found objects, and build something from clay.
You don’t need to be an expert—just come ready to experiment, build on your Grade 7 art skills, and express yourself. This is a shorter, sampler-style course, but it’s still packed with creative growth, expressing yourself, and plenty of fun along the way. One exciting highlight of this class is the 8th Grade Legacy Tile Project—you’ll design and create a ceramic tile that becomes part of a permanent installation at school. It’s a chance to reflect on your journey and leave a meaningful mark in our creative community.
In this hands-on elective, students will explore how data and mathematical models can help make sense of the world around them. Through real-world investigations, students will collect and analyze data, build models, and use them to make predictions or solve problems. The course culminates in a student-driven project where each learner asks a meaningful question and builds a model to explore it.
This elective is ideal for curious minds ready to invent, tinker, and turn ideas into reality. In this hands-on, future-focused elective, students will step into the role of creative problem-solvers and inventors. Blending the principles of design thinking with emerging technologies, this course introduces students to a powerful toolkit of skills: prototyping with Arduino (circuits and coding), creating 3D models in Fusion 360, and fabricating physical products using 3D printers.
By the end of the course, students will combine these elements—design thinking, coding, circuits, and 3D modeling—to imagine, prototype, and build their own innovative and creative projects.
This course empowers students to become active leaders on campus—students who not only reflect core values but also live them through their daily actions. Through hands-on activities and reflection, students will explore what leadership means, identify essential values, and recognize how leadership styles differ from person to person.
Students will collaborate with high school peers and community leaders, gaining insight into leadership across different contexts. They’ll participate in shaping school culture and take on meaningful responsibilities, including planning and leading divisional and all-campus assemblies. The course encourages students to see themselves as positive agents of change in their community.
Community Engagement, formerly known as the Community Service elective, offers students the opportunity to take an active role in supporting both our school and local communities through hands-on projects. A key focus will be exploring food insecurity and working together to assess community needs, organize fundraisers, shop for groceries, and deliver food to local families. Students will also help lead the Pre-K—8 Holiday Box Drive in December. In addition, they will serve as mentors to elementary students and partner with Carmel Cares to help clean up downtown Carmel, Forest Hill Park, and Carmel Beach.
Skills for Academic Success (SAS) is a practical, skill-building course designed to help middle school students become more confident, organized, independent learners and provide them with tools for navigating the academic demands of middle school and beyond. SAS is designed around evidence-based strategies for building executive functioning skills, positive habits, and memory strategies that will optimize learning. Students will be encouraged to explore their own strengths, challenges, and needs, and learn strategies to propel them toward their goals. Students will strengthen essential academic and life skills, including:
- Organization, time management, and planning
- Goal setting, task initiation, and sustained attention
- Note-taking, test preparation, and active reading
- Self-monitoring, reflection, and emotional regulation
Using interactive activities, guided practice, and self-assessment tools, students will learn how habits form and make lasting changes. Students will develop study routines that promote focus, learning, and reduce procrastination. By the end of the course, students will have a clear set of strategies to manage their schoolwork, increase their independence, and build a strong foundation for future academic success.
In this dynamic, hands-on elective, students take the lead in capturing and celebrating the story of the school year. As the official creators of the school’s yearbook, students will be responsible for planning layouts, designing pages, and selecting compelling photos and content that reflect the spirit and diversity of our community. Beyond the yearbook, students will explore a multimedia approach to event coverage—using photography, videography, interviews, graphic design, and digital publishing tools to document school life in real time.
Students will learn the fundamentals of journalistic writing, visual storytelling, and digital media production while working collaboratively to meet real publishing deadlines. Creativity, teamwork, attention to detail, and a strong sense of responsibility are essential as students take ownership of projects that have a lasting impact on the school community. This course is ideal for aspiring designers, storytellers, and digital creators ready to bring our school’s story to life.
