Home of the Marlins DESTIN MIDDLE SCHOOL

This presentation has been created in an effort to provide information regarding the registration process for 6 th Grade at Destin Middle School. We provide Open Houses, one-on-one meetings by appointment, teacher advice through Advisory class, and registration forms which are distributed in Advisory, as well. extremely important process Registration is an extremely important process for many reasons. Among them are that the information we receive from your registration forms guides our purchase of texts, materials, supplies, and even teacher assignments. The most important thing to remember about registration is that we want you to be matched in the classes where you will be the most successful in AND where you will be challenged, but not frustrated. Remember, these classes form the basis of your understanding for all of your classes in the future. IF you have any questions, please call or us! Guidance, Front Office, or Administration~ We are all here to help you!

A middle school student must pass a total of 12 core courses to be promoted to the 9 th Grade: Three courses in math (1 might be for HS credit) Three courses in LA (to include reading, technical text, writing, listening, and speaking) Three courses in science ( must include life science and earth or space science) Three courses in social studies, which will include world cultures, civics/career planning, and US history. Plus, 1 semester of PE in each grade, with 1 full year recommended in grade 6.

For Middle Grades Progression State Requirements For Middle Grades Progression 6th GRADE7th GRADE8th GRADE Mathematics Language Arts/Communication (Reading & Writing) Language Arts/Communication (Reading & Writing) Language Arts/Communication (Reading & Writing) Science Social Studies P.E. or Elective

Mathematics Math IMath I Advanced* Language Arts/ Communications (Reading & Writing) Language Arts Language Arts Advanced* Science Earth Space Science Advanced* Social Studies World Cultures World Cultures Advanced* PE Elective PE/Team Sports Tumbling IDanceSelect ONE of these for the year in this row Other Elective Band (Year- long) Exploratory Wheel (Includes Art, Spanish, Keyboarding, Speech/Debate) * Requires Teacher Recommendation 6th Grade Registration Selections at DMS

6 th Grade Exploratory Wheel~ The 6 th Grade Exploratory Wheel Elective currently involves “4 Spokes” – where the students “rotate” each nine weeks to a new class, and by the end of the year, have completed all four classes. The four classes on the wheel include:

~Introduction to Art~ The elements of art are stressed in this brief introduction to art. Students use a variety of media to develop creativity, imagination, and drawing skills. Projects include, black and white pencil drawing, colored pencil drawing, painting, ceramics and more. ~ Introduction to Spanish~ This course offers a rich cultural and geographical exploration of the twenty-one Spanish speaking countries in the world. Students will be given the opportunity to research these countries and discover the different cultures.

~Keyboarding~ In this course, students will learn basic keyboarding skills through various computer based programs, such as Microtype Pro. They will learn correct keying and hand placement. Students will be graded on completion of daily assignments. ~ Speech/Debate~ Students in this class will practice good communication skills and audience etiquette. They will learn how to organize, write and deliver presentations. They will learn to research, take a position, and make a reasoned argument in defense of that position. They will also learn to take the elements of a character and express them with their voices, facial expressions, and body language.

6th Grade Language Arts Course Overview Both advanced and regular language arts classes explore a variety of genres in literature that includes fictional and non-fictional pieces. All students focus on mastering various writing forms such as expository and persuasive essays, poems, compare and contrast paragraphs, and multi-paragraph pieces. Writer’s workshops will build upon prior experience with writing forms and the Six Traits of Writing in addition to the CRISS strategies. Finally, all students will practice and incorporate grammatical skills in their writing.

Advanced Language Arts Students in the advanced language arts classes will cover the curriculum in greater depth and at an accelerated pace through curricular compacting and an emphasis on independent reading and writing. Students will be encouraged to read a variety of books and genres at a higher level in order to build vocabulary, background knowledge, and prepare them for advanced high school classes. Students will complete novel projects, mythology projects, and projects on the Holocaust. Emphasis is on quality work completed on or before due dates. Creativity is demonstrated through content and product. (Teacher Rec.) Regular Language Arts Students in regular language arts classes will cover the curriculum at a slower pace than the advanced classes and focus on building a strong foundation of reading and writing skills that will lead to success in high school. Emphasis is on quality work. Assigned projects may be partially completed in class and are expected to be completed on a timely basis.

All high school courses taken in middle school will count toward graduation and honor graduate designation : Algebra I Honors, Geometry Honors, Physical Science Honors: core courses Spanish/French I: Foreign language Intro to IT/Web Design: Electives, practical arts requirement Middle school students taking courses for high school credit may retake the same or comparable course in high school for any grade earned less than B (i.e., C-F). F.S (5)(e)

Our Administrators Dr. Diane Kelley, Principal Mr. Jason McClelland, Assistant Principal Our Counselor Mrs. Karen Schmidt Exceptional Student Education Gail Folsom, Staffing Specialist Chelley Wong, ESE Support Teacher Our SRO Deputy Willis Contact us. We’d love to hear from you!