Exploratories

By: Ezri Watt '32

Computers, health, wellness/fitness, tech ed, art, music, and family consumer science are the seven exploratory classes. Computers, health, and wellness/fitness are the trimester classes, and tech ed, art, music, and family consumer science are the marking period classes. Trimesters are 12 weeks long, and marking periods are 9 weeks long.

Some students have the trimester classes during seventh period and the marking period classes during eighth period. The rest of the students have the marking period classes seventh period and trimester classes eighth period.

Since none of the sixth graders have gotten to all of the exploratories yet, this article is about all of them, so that sixth grade students can know what to expect in upcoming trimesters and marking periods. (Since I haven't gotten to all of them yet either, I asked my friends about some.)

Computers

There are two computer teachers, Mr. Fisher (in room 507) and Mr. Keeley (in room 410). In the first half of the trimester, students have computers class with one of them, and in the second half of the trimester they have it with the other. Students have class with the teacher whose name is on their PowerSchool schedule first. 

In computers, students learn how to touch-type. We practice it by using apps on our Chromebooks. We also practice using Google Drive, Google Docs, Google Sheets, and Google Slides. We also use Code.org and make several websites.

To get to Mr. Fisher’s room, which is, again, 507, start on the first floor and go up stairwell B. Then turn to your right. Don’t turn in the direction where the bathrooms are, turn in the other direction. The first door you see on the right side of the hallway is Mr. Fisher’s classroom.

To get to Mr. Keeley’s room, 410, go to the Team Supreme teacher Mrs. Fenton’s classroom; Mr. Keeley uses it, too. If you do not know where that is, go in the hallway on the first floor with the many pictures hanging up and the display cases of art projects. His room will be on your right.

Health

In health class, students learn about systems of the body and how they work. We talk about healthy eating choices and what it means to be healthy. Students also learn how to read nutrition labels on food. There are five health teachers, and, unlike in computers, students have one of them for the entire trimester. There’s no alternating. All of the teachers are also gym/ wellness/fitness teachers.

Gym

In gym, students take the PACERS tests (a test that tests your ability to do running, push-ups and sit-ups), and play games against others. Everyday you start by walking for a minute and your teacher calls you to go to your spot. Once you are there you do 10 pushups, 10 curls ups, 10 mountain climbers, and 10 jumping jacks. The five gym teachers are also health teachers. 

To get to the gym, start by walking down the hallway in which if you turn left you can go to the auditorium and if you go right you can go to the cafeteria. Instead of doing either of these things, (because you’re trying to get to the gym) you have two (technically three) options. The simpler is to go straight forward down that hall and open the door in front of you. But instead, you could turn left when you got to the end of the auditorium and cafeteria halfway. If you went all the way to the end of the hallway you would see the music classrooms, but that isn’t how to get to the gym. Once you get in the music hallway, immediately turn right. In this hallway, there will be locker rooms on your left, and the gym on your right. 

Tech Ed

There are two tech ed (Technology Education) teachers named Mr. Kline and Mrs. Kahl. Whichever teacher is on your schedule, you have the OTHER teacher first. Then, in the next half of the marking period, you have the class on your schedule. With Mr. Kline, students make paper rockets to launch outside and metal cookie cutters. With Mrs. Kahl, students make popsicle stick bridges and see how many pounds the bridges can hold. Also, we make model houses online using SketchUp. 

To get to the tech ed classes, room 303 and room 305, go in the hallway that sixth graders aren’t allowed to use to get to lunch. Both of the classrooms are over to your right, and they’re connected to each other. Room 303 is Mrs. Kahl’s classroom, and room 305 is Mr. Kline’s classroom.

Art

The two art teachers are Mrs. West (in room 414) and Mr. Glenville (in room 412). Whichever teacher is on your schedule, you will have in the second half of the marking period, so go to the other one first. With Mrs. West, the first project is making pots out of clay. She fires them in the kiln. With Mr. Glenville, the first project is coloring fish with pastels.

To get to the art rooms, go down the hallway with all of the framed pictures in it (also the computers hallway.) If you are going to Mrs. West’s room, 414, go in the first door on the left. If you are going to Mr. Glenville’s room, go to the second door on your left.

Music

In music, you learn to play the keyboard and read music. There are also many music opportunities at LMMS, including band, orchestra, chorus, and Cadence. These are all extracurricular activities, but everyone takes music as an exploratory.

To get to the music classrooms, you go down the auditorium and cafeteria hallway, and turn left at the end. Go down to the end of the hallway that that gets you to, and the two music classrooms are there. Look in the window to make sure you aren’t about to go into the auditorium, because some of the doors lead to there. One of the music classrooms is 203 and the other is 204.

FCS

FCS (Family Consumer Science). You have the teacher who is listed on your schedule first. You make beanbags and drawstring bags, and you cook pizza, brownies, and cookies. The two FCS classrooms are next to each other, and across from the Tech Ed classrooms. They are 304 and 302. If you sit in the cafeteria and see a window that shows a hallway, that’s the tech ed and FCS hallway. Stand in the intersection of the four hallways of the first floor that has stairwell B near it. Look for that same window into the cafeteria. Walk towards it, except instead of going all the way, turn left at either classroom 302 or classroom 304. Another thing near the FCS classrooms is the outdoor area that can be seen from Mrs. Yergey’s classroom. You make beanbags and drawstring bags, pizza, brownies, cookies.

Hopefully this article helps you find a classroom that you’re looking for!