Middle School
Course Registration
Learn more about Middle School courses listed below. Course registration is open from March 24 - April 11.
Please note the following requirements before filling out the form below:
Student must choose ONE year-long Art.
Students must choose ONE Elective (you will be asked to rank your top three choices during registration).
All students will already have a required Study Hall in their rotation schedule. You may also choose an additional Study Hall as your elective. Please note that depending on your schedule and elective choice, your elective may occur in your first or second semester.
Students must select ONE World Language.
Arts
Chorus
One Year
Middle School Chorus offers a structured exploration of choral singing for students seeking an introduction to musical expression. Tailored for middle school students, this program focuses on cultivating a foundational understanding of choral principles, fostering healthy vocal technique, exploring a wide range of repertoire within its cultural and historical context, understanding basic music notation concepts, and instilling an appreciation for collaborative musical endeavors. Throughout the course, students will develop teamwork and ensemble skills through group activities, partner singing, and interactive games. Each semester, students will be guided through the nuances of stage presence, communication, and the art of performance, culminating in opportunities to showcase their acquired skills.
Orchestra
One Semester
Middle School Orchestra is an ensemble which explores instrumental music through a variety of genres including folk, classical, and non-classical works. Performance skills and understanding of the art form, both in practice and in theory, will be attained through rehearsal, discussion, class work, and public performance. The ensemble experience will build technique, listening, and additional skills including creativity, discipline, resilience, and self-compassion in the learning process. The following instruments are eligible for orchestra: Strings—violin, viola, cello, bass (beginning to experienced).
Note: Orchestra is available for both 7th and 8th grade students.
Theatre
One Year
This course provides an introduction to theatre arts at Westridge. Students will learn to build a trusting and supportive ensemble through a variety of collaboration exercises and theatre games. Throughout the year, students will be learning the true meaning of “play” as they discover their creative voice. To explore performance, students will develop the foundations of solid physical and vocal technique, and they will explore character development through the practice of theatre improvisation. Students will also begin to learn about theatre terminology and architecture. Through guest visits from the Westridge Theatre department faculty and staff, students will have the opportunity to explore the Westridge Performing Arts Center and to get familiar with all the various positions involved in bringing our theatrical productions to life.
Visual Art
One Year
Students in this course discover their voice as a person, artist, maker, and respondent to the world around them. They actively dialogue, critique, and engage with one another for feedback and offer suggestions and reflections on their process. Their work and collaborative development efforts determine participation in the class by offering suggestions and inspiration to the rest of their cohort. Students learn about artists, art historical movements, and concepts from around the world, with diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and identities. Throughout the class, hand-eye coordination is refined through a series of projects.
We study value and shading techniques, which are used to investigate the illusion of space by blending drawing, Adobe Illustrator, and woodblock printing. We make all the paper we use in the class out of fresh plants, compost from our Permaculture Garden, and recycled newspaper. We also create natural inks and dyes from the plants we forage from around campus. We study concepts of negative space and dynamic composition, which are the mainstays of traditional Japanese woodblock prints. Complementing these forms, we also study sacred geometry and patternmaking through various spiritual practices to think about nature and the larger web of life and patterns we are all composed of and connected to. The final form of our work manifests in a magic lantern that the students have designed and created by using the STEAM Lab’s laser cutter.
Electives
Coding & Game Design
One Semester
An understanding of coding and computer science will be important in many majors and careers. In order to be well educated and empowered, our students should be creators, not just consumers. Most of us have played games and used apps, but how do people actually design and create them? The Coding and Game Design course will explore these questions and others with a focus on core programming concepts. Students will create games, apps, and art using various programs. Students will also work with robotics, electronics, drones, and the STEAMWork Design Studio to create projects that combine coding, engineering, and making. The course will cultivate critical skills such as systems thinking, problem solving, creativity, collaboration, digital media literacy, and a motivation for STEM learning.
Speech & Debate
One Semester
This course introduces students to the world of competitive speech & debate, teaching students the skills of basic communication and persuasion. Speech teaches students an array of skills, including speech-writing, research, script-cutting, and even theatre skills. In debate, students learn how to conduct research using databases and think tanks from around the globe, how to organize and formulate arguments, and how to argue effectively for any ideas 10 which they are given to defend. In addition to the prior curriculum, debaters will travel to tournaments throughout the year in order to compete against fellow debaters from around the nation. Please note this class has larger commitments for students** and parents***.
*Class is one semester but requires one-year commitment for afterschool practice and competitions.
** Families are expected to provide an adult judge once per semester. Training will be provided. If there are special circumstances and you are unable to provide an adult judge to 1 tournament, tournaments sometimes offer the option of hiring a judge in your place. This would cost $150 and covers your semester commitment.
Rocketry
One Semester
This course introduces students to the hands-on process of model rocketry. Starting from scratch, students work together as a team to design and build model rockets using equipment in the STEAMWork Design Studio (including 3D printers and the laser cutter), and assemble the parts by hand. The design process integrates math, physics, and engineering concepts as well as aesthetic decision-making. Students test their completed rockets and take this information and experience back into the classroom for discussion, weighing cause and effect, and building new iterations and modifications to their design. This course develops strong teamwork skills and allows students to engage in the full engineering cycle: to design, build, test, and repeat.
STEAM: Permaculture
One Semester
Students explore systems of soil, water, and food through the development and maintenance of a sustainable food garden. The class utilizes permaculture principles in the exploration of environmental issues like climate change and employs sustainable practices such as no-till gardening, vermiculture (worm composting), cover cropping, companion planting, carbon sequestration, and cultivating beneficial soil microbes. Students engage with the full growing cycle of a garden, including planning, seed starting, transplanting, soil management, water and sunlight needs, seed saving, and harvesting. The class also studies food equity and accessibility issues both locally and across the globe. Field trips to the CSUN Sustainable Food Garden, the Huntington Ranch Garden, and Akwaba Food Forest allow students to learn from existing models of sustainable agriculture. Students propose and test their own hypotheses in developing sustainable practices, ecology, and biology. Engineering projects like rainwater harvesting, irrigation systems, and slope analysis allow students to further explore concerns around developing a successful sustainable garden. The class is collaborative in nature with opportunities for individual investigations.
STEAM: Ocean
One Semester
In our Middle School STEAM electives, students learn about concepts bridging the STEAM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math) by conducting hands-on laboratory activities, experiments, and other exploratory activities. They are then given challenges that ask them to create projects within given parameters. Students exercise problem-solving, engineering, and design-process skills as they work on their projects. Concepts covered in this course include oceanography and marine biology. Projects will include both short- and long-term challenges. Examples include artistic interpretations, model making, biomimicry (product design inspired by living things), designing structures to withstand waves and currents, and exploring how robots and other technology are used to study the ocean.
Robotics
One Semester
In this elective, students will complete three units that cover the basics of robotics, coding robots, and engineering robots. The course is designed to provide a hands-on experience, combining theoretical knowledge with practical application. Throughout the course, students will not only gain technical skills but also cultivate a mindset of resilience, adaptability, and creativity. The exploration of influential women in robotics serves to inspire and broaden perspectives, encouraging students to envision exciting possibilities in STEM fields.
Study Hall
One Semester
In our Middle School Study Hall, students have the opportunity to do independent work in a quiet and focused space. Students will use their planners and to-do lists, check their emails and announcements, and decide what they want to accomplish in this time. This can include finishing or taking assessments, booking time with a teacher, and . This is the time for students to build good study habits, check their school emails, announcements, and plan for larger projects coming up.
World Languages
Latin
One Year
MS Latin introduces students to beginning Latin as a basis for the study of language. English and Latin grammar are discussed and compared, as are English derivatives from Latin roots. Students learn useful study techniques and terms specific to the study of language. Over time, students build up a store of vocabulary words and learn about case uses, verb tense and voice, and many other aspects of how the language functions. Much time is spent on the process of translating and in developing analytical skills. While the goal of the course is gradually to develop reading comprehension of Latin text, classical mythology, culture, history and literature are also explored.
Mandarin Chinese
One Year
Middle School Mandarin Chinese is designed for students who have had little or no previous exposure to Mandarin Chinese. Students will begin the class by learning the linguistic and cultural aspects of the Chinese language. The emphasis will be on such skills as listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Chinese through classroom activities, homework practice, and various projects. Students are expected to understand short conversations, communicate with each other via course related content, recognize target characters while reading simple paragraphs, and express themselves using proper vocabulary and grammar in their writing. In addition, students will explore Chinese culture by means of movies, documentaries, songs, and other activities.
Spanish
One Year
This course is designed to build a solid foundation of beginning level concepts and skills required for subsequent levels of study. Within a safe and engaging learning environment, and using a communicative approach to second language acquisition, students will develop confidence, competency, and proficiency in all four language skills - listening, speaking, reading, and writing - including a fifth skills, cultural understanding and awareness.
This will adequately prepare students and facilitate their transition into higher-level Spanish courses. Their successful language journey begins here!