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Family Resources

morning-meeting DPS Registration

DPS Registration is REQUIRED for ALL DPS/DSST students. 

  • Registration reopens on Monday, July 14 for DSST families
  • students will NOT be allowed to attend classes without a completed registration

Summer Registration Support: If you need assistance with DPS Registration, DSST Montview will have on-site registration support in the High School Cafeteria on the following days:

  • Monday, August 11: 2:00p-6:00p

To complete Registration, please go to your Parent Portal account

morning-meeting Pay School Fees

DSST’s educational program includes components that are not fully funded through public revenue sources, as a result we need to supplement public sources through charging fees to our students. Each fee supports a specific component of DSST’s program, however we do not want there to be a financial barrier to attending DSST therefore fees are not required for attendance at DSST. Families are encouraged to pay at the beginning of the school year but have the option to work out a payment schedule with the front office team. 

If your family qualifies for, or may qualify for, free or reduced price lunch, DSST will partner with you to find an amount that you are able to pay. The reduced fee schedule below is a suggested amount so please work with the front office team to determine the amount you’d like to pay.  

Please note: Additional extracurricular activities may require fees to offset the cost of the club and families will be charged accordingly. 

Things for Parents/Guardians

School Hours:

  • Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri: 8:55a-4:25p
  • Weds: 8:55a-1:30p
    • students will be allowed to enter the building at 8:45a

NEW: Make Up Picture Day Order Form

25-26 Supply List:

Updated Dress Code with 2 Online Uniform Store Links

DSST MTV MS and HS Calendar

  • DPS Calendar: there are differences between the DSST and DPS calendar

General Resources

Family Communication Apps:

Family Association of Montview (FAM)

Are you interested in getting involved with your child's school? Do you want to know how decisions are made? Do you want to get to know other parents and families? Then please join us for our monthly Family Association of Montview meetings! This is where we will discuss school events, issues concerning all students and get to build relationships and share resources as a school community! FAM Meetings happen on the first Monday of each month 5:15-6:15pm. 
 please contact: timothy.verni@scienceandtech.org  

DPS Lunch Menu

WIDA Testing Links:

Health, Special Education and Transportation

Health & Nursing

Please use the forms below for any of your students medication needs. It is very important that we have these documents signed by a doctor and submitted to our school nurse before medication can be given to any student. 

  • No medications can be given to students without one of the medication forms listed above
  • This includes, but is not limited to, medications such as Tylenol® (acetaminophen) and Advil® (ibuprofen)
We typically have a nurse on site for two days per week--one day at the Middle School and one day at the High School. Our Front Office is trained in administering medication. 

If you have any questions, please contact: leonardo.ruiz@scienceandtech.org 

Food & Nutrition Services

Transportation

To support the students, families and schools in the Greater Park Hill Middle School Enrollment Zone, transportation is designed to provide students with safe and efficient access to middle schools in the community. All middle school students who reside in the Greater Park Hill Middle School Enrollment Zone and live 2.5 miles or more from their school of attendance are eligible for transportation. The Enrollment Zone consists of the following schools:

  • Denver Discovery
  • Denver Green School Northfield
  • DSST: Conservatory Green Middle School
  • DSST: Montview Middle School
  • McAuliffe International School
  • William (Bill) Roberts ECE-8
For more information:
Please email transportation@dpsk12.org or call 720-423-4600 if you have any transportation questions.

Athletics

Girls Basketball:

Please make sure your child has a completed Sports Physical and submit it to the Front Office

MTV Athletic Director: 

healthicons_group-discussion-meeting Clubs & Organizations

DSST MTV MS Club Schedule:

2025-2026 Club/Activities Information:

Club Description Staff Leaders Start/End Date Time/Day

Rise and Grind

 Working out to get ready for a sports season (Strength/speed training) Isaiah.esham@scienceandtech.org  Ends when Boys Basketball ends 7:30a-8:30a--Mondays and Wednesdays
Young Authors Club A young authors club is a creative group where aspiring writers gather to develop their storytelling skills, share their work, and offer constructive feedback to peers with the hope of publishing at EOY. mak.sevde@scienceandtech.org 

Thursday, October 2-Thursday, May 21

7:30a-8:30a--Thursdays
Paleontology Club Explore the career of paleontology. Learn the science and skills currently used in the field of paleontology. Learn new findings in the field of paleontology, do hands-on activities to build skills used in the field.  heather.carlsen@scienceandtech.org   Monday, October 6-Monday, May 18 4:30p-6:00p--Mondays
NERDS Chess, computers, anime, books: anything nerdy that you love, we want to see at our NERDS meeting. Meet others who have similar interests or learn more about other topics in Nerdology. erik.schempf@scienceandtech.org  Wednesday, October 8-Wednesday, May 20 7:30a-8:30a--Wednesdays and Fridays
MTV Pretty Committee Pretty Committee is dedicated to helping our school look its best through photography and community service projects. Students will learn how to use digital cameras and will help improve the school's overall visual culture in classrooms, hallways and common spaces. leonardo.ruiz@scienceandtech.org 

Tuesday, September 23-Tuesday, May 19

no meeting on Tuesday, October 7

 4:30p-5:30p--Tuesdays

 

 

morning-meeting 6th Grade: What are students learning?

Subject/Course

 Description of Unit 1 What is our goal for student learning? 

English/Language Arts

 The Outsiders is a 1960s coming-of-age novel set in 1950s Tulsa, Oklahoma, depicting the lives of two teenage groups: the wealthy Socs and the impoverished Greasers. Written by 15-year-old S.E. Hinton, the story explores themes of identity, violence, trauma, power structures, and relationships, significantly influencing Young Adult literature.
Students can relate to the characters in the coming-of-age story, particularly Ponyboy Curtis, as they explore their own identities. The novel's themes of violence and belonging encourage deep analysis and discussion. Additionally, as a classic, it allows students to connect with and critique the influence of power and privilege on identity. By incorporating readings on group dynamics and trauma, students can engage with the unit's key themes more profoundly.
Math Our first unit covers the basics of geometry, including what they've learned in 5th grade! Firstly, students will explore the concepts of surface area, volume and when to apply these mathematical functions. Students will begin their journey of working collaboratively in order to solve unknown problems along with their peers. By the end of the year, students will continue growing in multiple areas of mathematics: geometry, algebra, arithmetic, and statistics to name a few. Outside of mathematics, our goals are also to build rational thinking, prosper in independent and group work, and building our mathematic confidence. We also want to make sure students are able to apply their mathematical knowledge into real-world contexts, and have purpose in their learning.
Science This first unit on light and matter explores the guiding phenomena of a one way mirror and how a material can act or appear differently under different conditions. Through student-guided questions, inquiries, and the manipulation of light differentials using a box model, 6th graders are able to draw conclusions on the interactions between matter and light. By the end of this unit, students will create classroom norms to collaboratively work together and explore the behavior of light with one way mirrors through experiments and research. Through the development of models they will be able to explain how one-way mirrors, regular mirrors, glass, and the eye interact with light. These models can then be used to understand and explain everyday examples of this scientific phenomena.
Social Studies Our first unit in Social Studies will cover geography . This will include the basics of world maps, how to read a map, and the important vocabulary involved.
We will create world maps, use an atlas to locate world locations and take an imaginary road trip tracking our path across the country.
We will study key geographic features, as well as different types of maps. 		This year students will learn world geography, how to use a map. Historical thinking skills: critical analysis, use of primary and secondary sources. How to write evidence-based arguments using a simple structure to clarify ideas and build upon their knowledge of argumentative writing.  We will take a basic look at types of governments and economies. And we will study the history of the peoples of the Americas up until the Age of Discovery/ colonization.
Academic Enrichment In Unit 1, we will begin by getting to know each student’s strengths, needs, and learning styles through informal assessments, observations, and one-on-one instruction. This will help us determine their current skill levels and guide our instruction based on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals. By the end of the school year, students will show growth in reading, math, and writing based on their individual IEP goals. In reading, they will improve their ability to sound out words, read with better fluency, and understand what they read. In math, they will strengthen their number sense, basic math skills, and problem-solving strategies. In writing, students will improve their sentence structure, organization of ideas, and use of correct grammar and spelling. Students will also build confidence and learn how to use strategies and tools to help them become more independent learners both in the pull-out setting and in the general education classroom.
Academic Lab-Math In math 6 lab students will be working on Zearn and IXL lessons that are closely related to what they are learning in math 6. Students will start by deepening their understanding of area of compound shapes and practicing more fundamental math concepts. By the end of the year students will gain confidence in their mathematical abilities, and fill in gaps that will deepen their understanding of 6th grade math.
Literacy Lab The Literacy Lab program is designed to give your student more one-on-one attention in their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. Each class is made up of students with complementary strengths and areas to grow in their reading fluency, comprehension, and vocabulary. We will practice many different skills throughout the year. However, the two biggest focus areas are listed below. By year end: Student will have  improved phonics skills, decoding principles, new vocabulary and a new appreciate for reading for fun. You will see reading fluency increase and the ability for your student to break down key ideas in a text leading to advanced comprehension. 
Writing Lab 6th Grade Writing Lab is an enrichment course where we will focus on writing development at the sentence, paragraph, and essay level. Writing students will build their writing variety, style, and voice through celebrating and revising writing. We will build our vocabulary through explicit instruction and practice with nouns, verbs, pronouns and proper nouns. Students will leave 6th grade writing with a deeper understanding of the writing process: prompt analysis, planning, writing, editing, and revising. No matter what students’ future interests are, they will need to communicate ideas clearly and with appropriate voice and tone. 

STEM Lab 6:

Aerospace Engineering

 The course begins with Unit 1: Paper Aircrafts, where students will delve into the fundamental principles of flight. They will use their knowledge of the four forces of flight (weight, thrust, drag, and lift) to creatively design and build paper aircrafts with the goal of achieving maximum distance and airtime. By the end of the year, students will be able to define a design problem with specific criteria and constraints and investigate how the motion of a drone is affected by forces like weight, thrust, drag, and lift, and by its mass, so we can create and improve solutions that really work.
English Language Development In our first unit, students will learn about families—different family members, relationships, and traditions—and how to talk about their own families in English. This will help them share about themselves and connect with others. By the end of the year, students will have built a foundation in digital art and design, developing both creative confidence and technical skills. They will be able to apply the elements and principles of design in projects such as posters, logos, and album covers. Students will strengthen their ability to use digital tools, express their own identities, and critically evaluate how visual media shapes culture. Beyond technical proficiency, students will gain experience in collaboration, presenting their work, and building a digital portfolio that demonstrates growth in creativity, problem-solving, and design thinking.
Art (Digital Arts) Our first unit, Introduction to Digital Art, introduces students to the basics of digital design, creative tools, and visual storytelling. Students will explore the elements of art (line, shape, color, texture, and composition) through accessible digital platforms such as Canva and Photopea. They will create digital collages that connect to their identities, practice design vocabulary, and begin to see how artists use technology to communicate ideas, culture, and personal expression. By the end of the year, students will have built a foundation in digital art and design, developing both creative confidence and technical skills. They will be able to apply the elements and principles of design in projects such as posters, logos, and album covers. Students will strengthen their ability to use digital tools, express their own identities, and critically evaluate how visual media shapes culture. Beyond technical proficiency, students will gain experience in collaboration, presenting their work, and building a digital portfolio that demonstrates growth in creativity, problem-solving, and design thinking.
Physical Education During the first full week of school, students will take a fitness test to establish a baseline for their fitness level. There will be four categories that we will test on: how many total push-ups can you do, how many sit-ups in a minute, a timed mile, and a sit-and-reach flexibility test. After this, students will be creating a goal to reach in all four of these categories when we retake this fitness test at the end of the quarter. By the end of the quarter, students will have built an understanding of the importance of their health, and have the tools to create a plan on how to increase their physical health. They will also be able to apply the principles of teamwork in all of their classes, promoting an inclusive and supportive community

 

morning-meeting 7th Grade: What are students learning?

Course Description of 1st Unit What is our goal for student learning? 
English/Language Arts In Unit 1, students will read Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older, a young adult novel about a Puerto Rican teenager who learns about the magical powers hidden in her family's past. She simultaneously uncovers her powers and learns more about her cultural heritage, offering students a relatable, albeit fantastical, reflection of their own investigations of their identities. More technically, students will practice and develop strong annotation skills in this unit in order to write summaries of complex texts as they also begin to evaluate texts for thematic meaning. This unit will build a strong foundation in reading, annotating, summarizing, and -- most sophisticatedly-- analyzing grade level texts.  The foundation of seventh grade English is mastery of the paragraph to prepare students for essay writing. We use Novel curriculum intent on helping students build empathy by connecting with diverse perspectives through literature. Across the entirety of the year, students will engage with rigorous text that helps them answer our big questions about identity while also facing daily opportunities to practice skills aligned with the Colorado State Standards. By the end of the course, students will learn a variety of different literary techniques to use in their emerging skillset of written sophistication. These skills are essential for mastery of everyday communication and will help students build up to the standardized tests they'll be practicing for in High School and beyond. With Gratitude, your Seventh Grade English team.
Math In Unit 1, our students will work on understanding what 'scaling' means. They will be able to identify when figures are scaled copies and analyze measurements in tables.  
Science Our first unit focuses on contact forces and begins as students consider situations in which they have seen their phones break. They contrast these situations with others where something else collided with another object and either broke or, surprisingly, did not. Students investigate factors that contribute to damage occurring in some but not all collisions and spark a series of questions and ideas for investigations around the question: Why do things sometimes get damaged when they hit each other? By the end of the year, 7th grade students in this inquiry-driven science class will be able to formulate testable questions, design and conduct experiments, and analyze data to draw evidence-based conclusions. They will develop skills in critical thinking, scientific reasoning, and collaborative problem-solving. Students will effectively communicate scientific ideas through writing, discussion, and presentations, demonstrating curiosity and a deep understanding of key scientific concepts and the nature of science.
Social Studies Unit 1 explores Africa's rich history through the study of ancient Egyptian civilizations and powerful kingdoms like Kush and Mali, highlighting Mansa Musa and his immense wealth. Students will examine the social and economic impacts of trans-Saharan trade and explore key Islamic innovations during the Islamic Golden Age. By the end of the school year, 7th grade social studies students will be able to work collaboratively with others, appreciating diversity as a vital strength in our communities. They will explore a broad range of historical events and themes, focusing on throughlines of oppression and resistance. Students will develop skills to critically evaluate both primary and secondary sources, enabling them to understand multiple perspectives. They will confidently formulate and articulate their own informed opinions on complex topics. Finally, they will connect historical knowledge to global current events, deepening their understanding of the world today.
Academic Enrichment In Unit 1, we will begin by getting to know each student’s strengths, needs, and learning styles through informal assessments, observations, and one-on-one instruction. This will help us determine their current skill levels and guide our instruction based on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals. By the end of the school year, students will show growth in reading, math, and writing based on their individual IEP goals. In reading, they will improve their ability to sound out words, read with better fluency, and understand what they read. In math, they will strengthen their number sense, basic math skills, and problem-solving strategies. In writing, students will improve their sentence structure, organization of ideas, and use of correct grammar and spelling. Students will also build confidence and learn how to use strategies and tools to help them become more independent learners both in the pull-out setting and in the general education classroom.
Literacy Lab Students will be practicing foundational reading skills by learning core phonics routines. Our goal is to get our students up and running with the routine of Literacy Lab 2 so that the year can be spent programming their reading skills for mastery. Literacy Lab 2 is a reading workout for students. We are starting at the ground floor with helping our students form mastery of the core reading skills for English. By the end of the year, students will have practiced the routines and mastered the fundamentals required to become effortless readers.
Academic Lab- Math MS In Unit 1, we will be doing IXls and Zearn lessons that go hand in hand with what we are learning in Math 7. Students will deepen their learning and understanding of scaled copies and be able to practice concepts more in Math Lab. By the end of the school year, students will gain a deeper understanding and comfortability with the new concepts being taught in math 7 by getting to spend extra, more intentional time, with the new skills during Math Lab class.
Writing Lab 7th Grade Writing Lab is an enrichment course where we will focus on writing development at the sentence, paragraph, and essay level. Writing students will build their writing variety, style, and voice through celebrating and revising writing. We will build our vocabulary through explicit instruction and practice with roots, prefixes, suffixes, which is also called “morphological awareness.” Students will leave 7th grade writing with a deeper understanding of the writing process: prompt analysis, planning, writing, editing, and revising. No matter what students’ future interests are, they will need to communicate ideas clearly and with appropriate voice and tone. In our Writing Enrichment class, Unit 0 lays the groundwork by focusing on the Foundations of Writing, where students build essential skills like sentence structure, grammar, and organizing ideas clearly. In Unit 1, we dive into Narrative Writing, exploring storytelling through fictional texts. Students will learn to write engaging stories by experimenting with different perspectives, helping them develop creativity and a deeper understanding of character and voice.
SS Enrichment- Junior Achievement JA It’s My Future offers students practical information to help them prepare for the world of work. Students assess their own strengths and interests and practice the job-hunting skills needed to get a job. Upon completing the learning
experience, students are able to research potential careers, create a basic resume, recognize appropriate behavior for job interviews, and identify the soft skills they possess and those they want to improve.		 Junior Achievement is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed in a global economy. It provides hands-on programs that teach students about financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Through real-world experiences and mentorship, Junior Achievement helps students prepare to make difficult decisions about how to best prepare for their future by build skills for their future careers and personal financial success. 
Art (Ceramics) Students will be learning the basics of the ceramics studio and begin planning their last project of the year first! Building a deeper understanding of the how and whys of working with ceramics, and developing a project that represents the thing that is most important to students through passion
Art (Digital Arts) Our first unit, Introduction to Digital Art, introduces students to the basics of digital design, creative tools, and visual storytelling. Students will explore the elements of art (line, shape, color, texture, and composition) through accessible digital platforms such as Canva and Photopea. They will create digital collages that connect to their identities, practice design vocabulary, and begin to see how artists use technology to communicate ideas, culture, and personal expression. By the end of the year, students will have built a foundation in digital art and design, developing both creative confidence and technical skills. They will be able to apply the elements and principles of design in projects such as posters, logos, and album covers. Students will strengthen their ability to use digital tools, express their own identities, and critically evaluate how visual media shapes culture. Beyond technical proficiency, students will gain experience in collaboration, presenting their work, and building a digital portfolio that demonstrates growth in creativity, problem-solving, and design thinking.
PE During the first full week of school, students will take a fitness test to establish a baseline for their fitness level. There will be four categories that we will test on: how many total push-ups can you do, how many sit-ups in a minute, a timed mile, and a sit-and-reach flexibility test. After this, students will be creating a goal to reach in all four of these categories when we retake this fitness test at the end of the semester. By the end of the quarter, students will have built an understanding of the importance of their health, and have the tools to create a plan on how to increase their physical heatlh. They will also be able to apply the principles of teamwork in all of their classes, promoting an inclusive and supportive community

 

morning-meeting 8th Grade: What are students learning?

Course Description of 1st Unit What is our goal for student learning? 
STEM Lab: Robotics and Coding In Unit 1, students work as mechanical engineers to design the parts that make up a robot. Using VEX IQ robotics kits, they build a robot that can be driven by a person and used in tough places like driving over rubble in earthquake zones, going through deep water in flood areas, or navigating icy terrain.  By the end of the semester, students will iteratively and collaboratively design, build, and program a robot that either solves a problem or improves a process related to their community (e.g. waste/recycling sorting bot, disaster response, environmental/ecosystem monitoring, public safety & infrastructure maintenance, assistive delivery bot for seniors, or environmental monitoring robot). 
STEM Lab: Biomedical Engineering  Compiling Patient Profiles, where students will develop empathetic patient profiles to understand health challenges, care needs, and quality of life.  In this class, students will become compassionate innovators, applying user-centered and engineering design principles to tackle real-world health challenges. 
English/Language Arts In Unit 1, students will be reading The Alchemist, an adventure novel focused on the themes of destiny, personal agency, and the purpose of life.  Students will be learning the basic skills of ELA that we will be using throughout the rest of the year including: annotation and annotation styles, narrative writing techniques, and literary techniques including the interpretation of symbols and themes.  By the end of the school year, students will be able to deeply interpret a text for authors intent, purpose, and biases, by understanding common literary techniques. Students will have a fuller understanding of themselves and the world around them through understanding others' perspectives. 
Math 8 In Unit 1, students learn to understand and use the terms “reflection,” “rotation,” “translation,” recognizing what determines each type of transformation, e.g., two points determine a translation. They draw images of figures under rigid transformations on and off square grids and the coordinate plane. They use rigid transformations to generate shapes and to reason about measurements of figures. Students use the definition of “congruent” and properties of congruent figures to justify claims of congruence or non-congruence. Students begin grade 8 with transformational geometry. They study rigid transformations and congruence, then dilations and similarity (this provides background for understanding the slope of a line in the coordinate plane). Next, they build on their understanding of proportional relationships from grade 7 to study linear relationships. They express linear relationships using equations, tables, and graphs, and make connections across these representations. They expand their ability to work with linear equations in one and two variables. Building on their understanding of a solution to an equation in one or two variables, they understand what is meant by a solution to a system of equations in two variables. They learn that linear relationships are an example of a special kind of relationship called a function. They apply their understanding of linear relationships and functions to contexts involving data with variability. They extend the definition of exponents to include all integers, and in the process codify the properties of exponents. They learn about orders of magnitude and scientific notation in order to represent and compute with very large and very small quantities. They encounter irrational numbers for the first time and informally extend the rational number system to the real number system, motivated by their work with the Pythagorean Theorem.
Math 1H In Unit 1, students will explore transformations of figures and describe them with accuracy and precision.   It takes creativity, curiosity, and collaboration to determine a series of transformations that will take one figure to another.  Students will build a mathematical community as they work together to find multiple ways to approach these dynamic problems in geometry.  By the end of the school year, students will build deep mathematical understanding of both 8th and 9th grade standards in algebra, geometry and statistics. Through engaging in multiple types of group and independent work, students will be able to make their mathematical thinking visible, through words, pictures, graphs, numbers and operations, in order to communicate their brilliant mathematical ideas.   
Science Your child’s 8th grade science class is starting a unit called, How can we make something new that was not there before? This unit develops science ideas around properties of substances, matter, & chemical reactions. Within this unit, students will use patterns in their data to describe what happens to substances at different scales. Overall, students wonder and explain what happens when a bath bomb is in water. After our first unit, we'll explore how can we use chemical reactions to design a solution to a problem? This unit builds from the prior bath bombs unit about chemical reactions, while incorporating science ideas about energy. This unit provides students a design challenge by incorporating science and engineering ideas. Overall, students examine how prepackaged food called Meals, Ready-to-Eat (MREs) work and how they help within an emergency. Finally, we'll explore why are living things different from one another? This is a life science unit that builds science ideas around the complex interactions between genetics and environments contributing to development. Within this unit, students observe two very different looking cattle and inspire the question: “why?”
Social Studies Students will explore early Colonization of North America including interactions with the Native American population: understanding how migration impacted the natural landscape of North America. Students will also take time to understand the systems of labor, especially slavery, which developed during the early Colonial period. Further, they will trace the development of the founding government including both events that shaped the early government as well as philosophical ideas that influenced the founding fathers. Social Studies 8 is a US history class that covers pre-Columbian North American (before 1492) through the Progressive Era (about 1920). Students will engage with a variety of voices and perspectives to understand the entire American story, both the good and the bad. From discussing colonialism's impact on Native Americans to the lasting effects of the failure of Reconstruction, students will analyze the unique composition and character of this nation, while acknowledging the consequences of our journey. Along the way, students will develop an understanding of American governance and institutions. To express their knowledge and opinions, students will learn how to draft an exemplary 5 paragraph argumentative essay. Finally, students will learn to be change agents and how to impact their communities and the larger world.
Academic Enrichment In Unit 1, we will begin by getting to know each student’s strengths, needs, and learning styles through informal assessments, observations, and one-on-one instruction. This will help us determine their current skill levels and guide our instruction based on their Individualized Education Program (IEP) goals. By the end of the school year, students will show growth in reading, math, and writing based on their individual IEP goals. In reading, they will improve their ability to sound out words, read with better fluency, and understand what they read. In math, they will strengthen their number sense, basic math skills, and problem-solving strategies. In writing, students will improve their sentence structure, organization of ideas, and use of correct grammar and spelling. Students will also build confidence and learn how to use strategies and tools to help them become more independent learners both in the pull-out setting and in the general education classroom.
Literacy Lab Students will need to formulate a thesis statement, evaluate sources from multiple perspectives, and craft rational written responses supported by relevant evidence. By the end of the year, students will show growth in their reading and writing skills, while building skills in fluency, comprehension, decoding, and vocabulary. This will help them to communicate better, express themselves clearly, connect to their world and other perspectives,  and prepare for future endeavors in education/post graduation plans. Lab students will be prepared to enter high school with a higher confidence in their reading and writing skills so they can be successful in all aspects of the classroom.
Academic Lab- Math MS   By the end of the school year, students will show significant growth in building their math knowledge and skills as independent learners.  By owning and understanding their progress, Math Lab students will be prepared to begin high school with the confidence and skills to be successful in math class and beyond.
Writing Lab They need to be proficient in applying their content knowledge to the writing tasks assigned. This year in Writing 8, we will focus on writing development at the sentence, paragraph, and essay level. Writing students will build their writing variety, style, and voice through celebrating and revising writing. We will build our vocabulary through explicit instruction and practice with roots, prefixes, suffixes, which is also called “morphological awareness.” Students will leave 8th grade writing with a deeper understanding of the writing process: prompt analysis, planning, writing, editing, and revising. No matter what students’ future interests are, they will need to communicate ideas clearly and with appropriate voice and tone.
SS Enrichment Students will doing extension assignments for regular social studies content (see above) as well as  learning about current events, connecting those events to American History.  Students will be able to draft a 5 paragraph argumentative essay citing reasonable and relevant textual evidence to support their argument.  Students will also be able to engage in our Democracy and understand the workings of our government as informed citizens.
Art (Ceramics) Students will be learning the basics of the ceramics studio and begin planning their last project of the year first!  Building a deeper understanding of the how and whys of working with ceramics, and developing a project that represents the things that are most important to students through passion
Art (Digital Arts) Our first unit, Introduction to Digital Art, introduces students to the basics of digital design, creative tools, and visual storytelling. Students will explore the elements of art (line, shape, color, texture, and composition) through accessible digital platforms such as Canva and Photopea. They will create digital collages that connect to their identities, practice design vocabulary, and begin to see how artists use technology to communicate ideas, culture, and personal expression. By the end of the year, students will have built a foundation in digital art and design, developing both creative confidence and technical skills. They will be able to apply the elements and principles of design in projects such as posters, logos, and album covers. Students will strengthen their ability to use digital tools, express their own identities, and critically evaluate how visual media shapes culture. Beyond technical proficiency, students will gain experience in collaboration, presenting their work, and building a digital portfolio that demonstrates growth in creativity, problem-solving, and design thinking.
Physical Education During the first full week of school, students will take a fitness test to establish a baseline for their fitness level. There will be four categories that we will test on: how many total push-ups can you do, how many sit-ups in a minute, a timed mile, and a sit-and-reach flexibility test. After this, students will be creating a goal to reach in all four of these categories when we retake this fitness test at the end of the semester By the end of the quarter, students will have built an understanding of the importance of their health, and have the tools to create a plan on how to increase their physical heatlh.  They will also be able to apply the principles of teamwork in all of their classes, promoting an inclusive and supportive community