8th+Grade+Full+Version

8th Girls Prepped ** Girls Prepped: Eighth Grade--Changes/Choices  ** || “What Should I Know About Myself, About Others, and About the World around Me?” ** The SHAPE program in Physical Education. ** Along with the traditional physical activities, the emphasis at the 8th grade level is on **healthy relationships, an appreciation of a strong and healthy body, stress management, leisure time sports, and sports etiquette**. ** Changes and Choices **. All 8th graders take the Changes and Choices class that meets one day per week. This class begins by informal discussions of personal and interpersonal issues and the choices we make. Here is the arena for our professional staff to bolster our students’ self-awareness and self-confidence. Topics include the following:  Ø  ** Up-to-date research on tobacco use **  Ø  ** Binge Drinking **  Ø  ** The effects of substance abuse on the brain **  Ø  ** Defining alcoholism **  Ø  ** Confronting drunk driving **  Ø  ** Underage drinking **  Ø  ** Dangers of inhalants **  Ø  ** Marijuana use **  Ø  **  Dating and Emotions  **  Ø  **  Interpersonal Relationships  **  Ø  **  Identifying Unhealthy Relationships  **  Ø  **  Mastering self-control  **  Ø  **  Incorporation of Why kNOw Materials   **  Ø  **  Social Skills Development  **  Ø  **  Conflict Resolution  **  Ø  **  Body Image/eating disorders  ** <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings"> Ø  **  Gender Issues  ** <span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; FONT-FAMILY: Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family: Wingdings; mso-bidi-font-family: Wingdings"> Ø  **  Peer Pressure  ** ** Curriculum Choices in English and Ancient Civilizations **. Again, the history and English departments join forces to offer **interdisciplinary design**. At this level, the classics are the focus, but the conflicts surrounding Greece and Rome, for instance, can be applied readily to **events happening in the world today**. All disciplines are encouraged to provide **public speaking opportunities**. ** Fine Arts. ** The girls in the middle school are exposed to the diversity of our Fine Arts program and are able to take art, dance, music, and drama. These classes enhance what is going on in the other disciplines, for instance, illuminations, calligraphy, and castle structures. ** Science **. Eighth grade science is undergoing a transition, but regardless of the scope and sequencing, the skills remain the same. Understanding the **scientific method** sets the groundwork for skills in other disciplines, from working a mathematical equation to writing an expository paper. At this level in science class a unit on **Drugs and Alcohol** is studied. ** Learning Center/Skills Class **. Available for all students. || ** Middle School Assembly. ** This break in the day provides another opportunity for communication. The assembly is opened with the **Pledge of Allegiance** and a **“motivational moment,”** usually delivered by one of the girls. This is a time of **sharing**, **caring,** and **coming together**. ** The Advisory System. ** Every teacher in grades 6 – 12 has a group of advisees for whom he or she is responsible. These groups meet weekly in the middle school to provide opportunities for informal conversation. Topics already explored in the classroom oftentimes find themselves revisited during advisories. Because the group is small and the time less structured, the advisory session is perfect for reinforcing topics introduced in other areas. Also, during advisory time, the girls and their teachers read together from **Junior Scholastic** magazine, beginning the process of **looking outward**, of seeing **how other children live in other parts of the world**. ** O Ambassadors **. Selected as an O Ambassador School in the Spring of 2008, GPS has designated the Junior National Honor Society girls to assume the leadership in this area of **global awareness. **These girls will become part of an organization whose objective is to support the United Nations’ Millennium Goals. ** The Extracurricular Program **. Every Friday is club day, during which time the girls choose an extracurricular activity to pursue. Both **individual and team opportunities** are available, providing practice in **personal responsibility**, **group interaction**, and all the **skills** introduced in the Learning Center. Of note are the **leadership opportunities** available through participation in Honor and Student Councils as well as the various publications. ** Retreats and Field Trips **. The retreats and field trips at this level accentuate the skills and issues raised in other classes. || ** “Girls Prepped” Time. ** One Special Period per month will be designated “Girls Prepped” time and will be scheduled a quarter in advance. In conjunction with the Middle School guidance counselor, the advisors will conduct the first Girls Prepped session which will deal with the role of leadership that 8th graders assume in the Middle School. Other speakers scheduled during this time are Dr. Carol Kutchins, whose specialty is Dating and Emotions, and Dr. David Neal, who provides medical facts concerning female and the choices they make. See the list on page one for other topics. ||
 * In the Classroom **
 * ** Alcohol/Drug materials ** to include on-line surveys and post-measurement data
 * ** Sex Education and Emotional Health  **
 * Outside the Classroom. **
 * Outside the Classroom. **