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Arndt Middle School

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8th Grade

8th Grade

Our middle school program utilizes a team approach where approximately 100-120 students are placed on a team with their four core academic courses - English language arts, math, science, and social studies. 


These four teachers deliver all the instruction to their 100+ students.  This structure provides a more personalized learning experience for students and builds close relationships with both teachers and other students who get to know them best. Teachers discuss the students they have in common and establish stronger teacher-student relationships based on an improved understanding of the students and their specific learning needs. As a parent, you will notice that you may receive communication from the team, rather than just one teacher.

 

This is different from a typical "junior high" approach where teachers do not teach on a team. Instead, the math department delivers math instruction to all students who take math, and the English Language Arts (ELA) department teaches ELA to all students who take ELA. 

 

Our research-based teaming approach is making education better for our 7th and 8th grade students. 

Meet our 8th Grade Teams

  • Knights 

     

    Wendy Wilson - Math

    Julie Bowman - Language Arts

    Melissa Painchaud - Science

    Howard Belvin - Social Studies

  • Mountaineers

    Tara Trivette - Math

    Cindy Brinn - Language Arts

    Keaton Hullette - Science

    Rodney Pyatte - Social Studies

  • Titans

    Tracey Shanks - Math

    Courtney Branch - Language Arts

    Nakota Hullette - Science

8th-Grade Curriculum

  • English Language Arts

     

    In eighth grade, teachers continue building upon vocabulary, comprehension, writing, and speaking and listening skills. Students read a wide variety of texts that connect to broad themes and history. Over the course of the year, students learn to comprehend texts of steadily increasing complexity. They develop close reading skills and are expected to read independently. In 8th grade, students are taught writing and grammar through the three main types of writing: narrative, informational, and argumentative. 

     

    The Eighth Grade Standards contain a detailed copy of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for Eighth Grade Language Arts.

     

    Mathematics

     

    Eighth-grade math prepares students for high school while adhering to the N.C. Mathematical Content Standards and the Standards for Mathematical Practice. The standards focus on content that must be mastered at each grade level, organized by Number and Quantity, Algebra, Functions, Modeling, Geometry, and Statistics and Data. Equally important are the Standards for Mathematical Practice, which describe mathematically proficient students' behaviors and mental habits.

    The Eighth Grade Standards contain a detailed copy of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for Eighth Grade Mathematics.

     

    Science

     

    The NC Science standards are organized into life, earth/space science, and physical science domains. They are designed to allow students to become increasingly sophisticated in their thinking about core concepts over time.  

    As part of the eighth grade standards, students will explore the following strands: matter and its interactions, molecules to organisms, ecosystems, biological evolution, the Earth’s place in the universe, Earth’s systems and Earth and human activity.

    A detailed copy of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for Eighth Grade Science can be found in the Eighth Grade Standards or accessed through the North Carolina Science Resource Hub.

     

    Social Studies

     

    The standards and objectives in the eighth-grade, North Carolina and United States History will allow students to extend the foundational skills, concepts, processes, and knowledge gained in grades K-5 and prepare students to be college, career, and civic ready. Despite there being a different overall focus for each subsequent course, students will explore the content through the following lenses: inquiry; behavioral sciences; civics and government; economics; geography; and history. As students develop cognitively, these lenses become more focused based on the grade-level content and disciplinary thinking skills.

    A detailed copy of the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for Eighth Grade Social Studies can be found in the Eighth Grade Standards.

     

  • Arts Education

     

    The Arts Education Program is organized into three strands: Music (Chorus and Band), Visual Arts, and Theatre Arts. The program intends for each student to understand one or more of the arts over their years in middle school. Students may choose one of these classes as their rotation or elective class. Band and Chorus students participate in performances for the community and put on concerts in the winter and spring. The Theatre Arts classes also perform several times a year. Visual Arts presents works in various art shows throughout the school year.  

    Links to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for each content area are listed below:

    Music Education

    Theater Arts

    Visual Arts

     

    Healthy Living

     

    The North Carolina Standard Course of Study for Eighth Grade Healthful Living, which includes health and physical education, covers the following strands: Mental and Emotional Health, Personal and Consumer Health, Interpersonal Communication and Relationships, Nutritional and Physical Activity, and Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs.The Physical Education curriculum encourages the optimal physical development of each student through individual activities as well as team activities that they can enjoy and continue to pursue throughout their lives. 

    The North Carolina Healthful Living Curriculum can be accessed North Carolina Essential Standards Health Education- Grades 6 – 8. The Physical Education Standard Course of Study can be accessed North Carolina Essential Standards Physical Education.

     

     

    World Languages

     

    World Language study benefits all students. Studying another language has been shown to increase standardized test scores and improve mental flexibility, creativity, and higher-order thinking skills. Students who study a foreign language develop a better understanding of their own language and culture and have enhanced career opportunities. In middle school, students may take Spanish during rotation/ encore classes. Online Catawba also offers Spanish and French to middle school students.

  • Seventh Grade and Eighth Grade

     

    Middle school Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes allow students to participate in hands-on career exploration.  Students will develop an understanding and self-awareness of the world of work.  They will explore how their interests, attitudes, values, learning styles, skills, and personality influence career choices.  Additionally, students will gain an understanding of communication skills, personal management, and teamwork, as well as the knowledge and skills for careers in all CTE pathways.  

     

    Middle school CTE classes utilize Paxton Patterson Career Exploration Labs, which can simulate real-world and authentic problem-based learning while using real-life tools and applications connecting to jobs and careers. These modules provide high student engagement levels, resulting in a more personalized pathway for post-secondary options based on their interests and skills.  Utilized modules include CAD & Design, Design & Marketing, Emergency & Fire Management Services, Employability Skills, Energy & Power, Flight & Drone Technology, Home Maintenance Systems, Intro to Health Science Careers, Nursing, Personal Finance, Robotics, and Structural Engineering and many more.