Boyce

Students in art work with a variety of media in both fifth and sixth grade. Projects in the fifth grade are geared toward enabling the student to experience a variety of techniques/skills, while sixth grade students are given the opportunity to explore the media/skills in more depth. The creative experiences include two-dimensional and three-dimensional projects in drawing, painting, fiber arts, design, ceramics and construction. Interdisciplinary projects are done in both grades with an appropriate topic and art activity being correlated. The goal of the art program is to enable students to explore different types of art media and to spark a lifelong interest in art.

The new fifth and sixth grade CAPS (Consuming and Producing Successfully) courses are included in the Expressive Arts rotation at Boyce Middle School. The fifth grade course will focus on the role of consuming and producing information. Included in this course will be an emphasis on researching, problem-solving and communicating effectively and will include a combination of collaboration and technology skill development. The sixth grade course will focus on consuming and producing effectively in a free enterprise society. Coursework will align to the BizTown experience and will build on the fifth grade experience to then include an emphasis on financial literacy and will culminate with simulation-based learning. Students in grades five and six will participate in the BizTown experience.

All fifth and sixth grade students use a variety of music styles (folk, pop, Broadway and classical) to study the elements of music-beat, melody, rhythm, harmony, tempo, form, articulation, tone color and dynamics through singing, moving, listening and Orff instruments. Students also have an opportunity to join chorus, band and/or orchestra and perform concerts during the year. Students who join chorus hone their musical skills above and beyond those introduced during their nine-week music class. In addition to the essential elements of music, chorus members focus on proper breathing, tone production, listening, enunciation, articulation, intonation, harmony, part-singing and choreography.

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Math) Design is a way to teach how all things relate to each other, in school and in life. Using the design process, students will follow a series of steps to come up with a solution to a problem. Incorporated in this process are creativity and innovation. Students in fifth and sixth grade will be given the opportunity to make and create in the Innovation Hub and the Makerspace. The Innovation Hub is a learning space designed to promote collaboration, communication, problem-solving and creativity. The Maker Space allows students to create, make, test, and improve upon their designs. STEAM Design for fifth grade will closely follow the curriculum of the core subjects with Makerspace safety and appropriate tool procedures being learned and followed. STEAM Design for sixth grade will also correlate to the core subject curriculums with additional tools being used and machinery to complete the end products. Computer Technology in both fifth and sixth grades will also be incorporated to enhance the students completed projects. This will be in the form of graphic design using CorelDraw software.

The advisor will assume a helping role as an advocate for his or her assigned students by coordinating activities that will promote a sense of belonging, improve interpersonal relationships, and enhance the self-concept of every student. Also emphasized through our Advisor Time, the Boyce Middle School Panther Program is a school-wide positive behavior program predicated on teaching students to be respectful, responsible, prepared, productive and safe. The focus is on appropriate and positive behavior choices with weekly time devoted to discussion of behavior expectations.

All students attend a weekly Guidance class where emphasis is placed on building relationships with classmates. Students participate in activities and discussions on a wide variety of topics including (but not limited to) kindness, self-esteem, conflict resolution, stress management, career interests and exploration and internet safety. The guidance curriculum has been designed to provide lessons to our students that facilitate growth and development in the areas of career, personal and social development and is constantly evolving to best meet the current needs of our students.