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AIKEN
PREPARATORY
MIDDLE SCHOOL
Through a
traditional program, Aiken Prep’s Middle School is committed to helping each
student acquire the confidence and independence to succeed in secondary school
and in life. In small classes and under the careful guidance of supportive
faculty members, our students are challenged to participate fully in the
learning process, to stretch themselves beyond their existing knowledge, and to
reach their fullest intellectual potential. By focusing on oral and written
communication, reading, mathematical reasoning, research, critical thinking,
independent and cooperative problem solving, and the development of good study
habits, we aim to help our students gain a thorough understanding of concepts
and to master and apply skills.
Middle School Curriculum
Sixth Grade
Seventh Grade
Eight Grade
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Literature
5
periods/week
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Literature courses meet five periods per week all
year. Students read novels,
plays, short stories, poetry and mythology each year. The selections will be coordinated with history studies
and/or on themes. Students
learn the characteristics of literature: plot, settings, characterization,
style. Students learn to
analyze a work and to write short stories, poems, and dialogue.
Vocabulary is taken from the readings and becomes a regular part of
the class.
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Grammar
3
periods/week
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The structured study of parts of speech and how they
are combined to write sentences, paragraphs and essays.
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Composition
3
periods/week
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Middle school students continue to build their
writing and essay skills starting with simple sentences and progressing
through complex and compound sentences and paragraphs.
The courses culminate in the three-part essay.
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Mathematics
5
periods/week
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Math 6
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Pre-Algebra
or
Algebra I
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Algebra I or
Geometry
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Science
5
periods/week including field experience and lab work
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Earth
Science
students learn about plate tectonics, the formation
of the earth, the effects of glaciations and earth’s resources.
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Life
Science
focuses on the human body during the first semester
and the characteristics of an ecosystem in the second semester.
Introduction to field notes and journaling.
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Physical
Science introduces students the fundamentals of Physics and Chemistry.
Students learn through doing field and laboratory experiments.
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History
5
periods/week
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World
Geography and Culture
A
basic course in physical, economic and cultural geography.
The course is intended to familiarize students with the world today
and introduce them to the social sciences.
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U.S. and
South Carolina History
Review of American History with South Carolina as the
focus. Students learn how a state’s cultural, political, and economic
systems develop over time. Field
trips are conducted, and an independent group research project is
required. Throughout the year students focus on the specifics of local
government.
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World History, Part I
A survey of world civilizations up to the period of
revolutions in the late 18th century.
Students study the rise and fall of civilizations, the
accomplishments of mankind and the integration of cultural elements.
Students learn about cultural and economic systems. Students
complete an individual research report.
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Spanish
5
periods/week
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First intensive foreign
language study. The focus is on conversation and vocabulary.
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A two-year Spanish I course with an emphasis on conversation,
culture, vocabulary development, translation from Spanish to English and
English to Spanish and the basics of grammar.
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Latin
5
periods/week
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Not
Available
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A two-year Latin I course focusing on the structure
of Latin, vocabulary, reading
Latin passages, translating Latin to English and
English to Latin.
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Music
Groups
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Middle school students may be in Upper School Choral
and/or instrumental groups or separate dependant upon class size.
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Drama
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Middle school students will have the chance to take
part in a drama production either in the middle school or as a part of an
upper/middle school production.
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Physical
Ed. and Health
4
periods/week
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Students will learn the fundamentals of physical
fitness, exercise and nutrition. They
learn team sports and are introduced to “lifelong” sports such as
tennis, golf, court tennis, badminton and riding.
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Sports
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Our teams will compete in the CSRA league while
seventh and eighth graders may be offered the chance to compete on South
Carolina Independent School Association league teams.
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Art
2
periods/week
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A year long elective in which students work with the
various media. Students
complete projects in color and form, still life, and three-dimensional
pieces.
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Schedule
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daily schedule is made up of eight 45-minute periods, seven academic periods
and one lunch period. |
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start each day in a 15-minute homeroom with a teacher/advisor and end the
day in homeroom. |
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are given a mid-morning break of 20 minutes. |
| Students are given 30 minutes for lunch and then have a 15-minute break. |
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modified schedule (APS Day) is used on days when students are going on
field trips or having field experiences in science. |
Academic
Expectations
To help our
students reap full benefit from their scholastic experiences, we expect them to:
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Exhibit positive,
conscientious attitudes toward learning.
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Be prepared each day for
class.
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Take personal
responsibility to obtain missed work and complete it quickly.
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Be diligent in their
preparation for quizzes, tests, exams and major projects.
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Complete all homework
accurately, neatly, and promptly.
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Seek guidance and
assistance from APS teachers and administrators.
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Contribute their personal
best in each class.
Academic Reporting Calendar
There are two semesters during the school year. Each
semester lasts approximately eighteen weeks.
Four weeks into each grading period, teachers prepare
brief, checklist type progress reports for all middle school students.
At the mid-point of each semester, students receive report
cards that include achievement letter grades, citizenship marks, and exam
grades, when applicable, and written evidentiary comments from each teacher.
Teachers contact parents at any time a student’s grade
falls below a C or whenever a student shows significant signs of academic or
behavioral problems.
Clubs/Activities
Middle School Clubs available based on student interest:
| Anticipating
upper school, such as middle school Student Government. |
| Designed
around student interest. |
| One
period per week will be set aside for clubs and activities. |
Assemblies
| Middle
school assemblies will be held on Mondays at 8:10 - 8:30. |
| All-school
assemblies are held every other week. |
Special
Events
| Middle
school orientation as per school Calendar. |
| Class
days: opportunities for each
grade to have special activities. |
| Gold
Bars: a Saturday morning
activity in the Hitchcock Woods. |
| Green/Gold
Activities: the students are assigned to the Green or Gold Teams and score points for their team in
events scheduled throughout the year. |
| Celebration
at Vespers: a
production/concert prior to Christmas break. |
| Big
Friend/Little Friend Activities: Activities
in which Lower and Middle (or Upper) School students are paired to provide a
family atmosphere. |
| Middle
School Sports Day: takes
place at the end of the school year– students compete according to their
age. |
| Middle
School Swim Meet: takes
place at the end of the school year- students compete according to age. |
Character Education
Aiken Prep’s Middle School builds on a fine foundation of
Character development started at home and reinforced throughout the Lower School
years. As students move through their teen years it is important to continue
teaching and reinforcing the high standards which, when properly developed, will
help each student attain their utmost stature.
Our Character Education programs include definitions
and materials, which re-enforce the basic vocabulary of national Character
Education Initiatives and adhere to the order of those followed by the City of
Aiken, which has been recognized as an international leader in Character
Education. Aiken is “A City of Character” and our work and attitudes reflect that as well. We
have formal and informal occasions to honor
Character and strive to include such lessons in our curriculum wherever
possible. These high standards are reflected in our Code of Conduct. Our
Character Education activities provide opportunities for us to remind ourselves
of the personal value these standards hold for each of us personally. In turn,
we are motivated to work harder and make better choices that we may each become
that man or woman of character we desire to be.
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