CHORUS

Chorus 1 

Students will create, perform, and respond to music in a variety of styles/genres. Students will develop the fundamentals of proper vocal technique and choral singing in relation to posture, breath control, tone, intonation, diction, blending, singing in harmony, music literacy, and sight-singing.

Chorus 2

The Frost Chorus is a mixed-grade performance group that sings together for the full year.  

Students will create, perform, and respond to music in a variety of styles/genres. Students will continue to develop the fundamentals of proper vocal technique and choral singing in relation to posture, breath control, tone, intonation, diction, blending, singing in harmony, music literacy, and sight-singing. Students will primarily sing state level 2-3 music. There will likely be a minimum of two school concerts as well as the opportunity to participate in other festivals/performances and students are expected to participate in all performances.

COMMUNICATIONS

Contemporary Communications 

Students will explore public speaking, print media, radio broadcasting, movies and television.  Students will explore the history and evolution of each medium.  This class may also include visual media (art) and the study of music and guitar.  Decisions regarding course content will be based on enrollment and staffing.

T.V. Studio 

This course focuses on incorporating the elements of text, image, sound, speech, and video.  Students will explore the roles of current digital technologies in communication.  Students will use these technologies to enhance information, resulting in effective communication through interactive projects and producing the Frost morning announcements.  Students produce and broadcast a daily morning announcements show called, Frostbyte News.

FAMILY / CONSUMER SCIENCES

Creative Family and Consumer Sciences

This course offers many lifelong skills that can be applied today and in the future.  FACS provides consistent team building activities as well as independent critical thinking problem solving.  Students will experience lessons in child development including babysitting, identifying age appropriate media/books, and general care of a younger child.  While in FACS students will explore the kitchen including food/kitchen safety, measuring, planning and implementing recipes while working together in groups.  

Family and Consumer Sciences (FACS) 

In FACS, students will focus on practical life skills applicable in their daily lives as well as their futures.  Students will focus on processes and skills that enhance individual, family, and societal well-being. A project-based curriculum encourages students to investigate and solve authentic problems. Students learn to use communication and critical-thinking skills as well as current technologies to make informed decisions.  Students will have the opportunity to delve into college and career readiness. Students will take the time to explore their interests, possible future careers, and prepare them for their futures in high school as well as college.  

MUSIC

General Music 

Students will use the fundamentals of music that they can use at Frost, Wootton, and beyond to be life-long music makers and appreciators.   Students will build skills in music literacy, keyboard playing, listening/ear-training, and composition.  Students will cultivate confidence, critical thinking ability, perseverance, teamwork, creativity, problem solving, self control, and time management by practicing independently, rehearsing in large and small groups, performing, and using music theory to create original music.  

Guitar 1  

Students will learn to create, perform, and respond to guitar music in a variety of styles/genres. Students will learn and develop beginning guitar skills, including selected major, minor, and seventh chords; pentatonic scales; basic strumming and picking technique; and tuning technique. They study cultural, historical, personal, and social context as they relate to guitar repertoire. Students will develop effective practice habits so they can progress independently. This course is open to all students, regardless of music background.

ART / PHOTOGRAPHY

Studio Art 1 

Students will be provided with multiple and varied opportunities to explore IDENTITY and the many ways this theme can be represented through visual art. They will develop a fundamental understanding of ideation, media techniques, formal qualities, and compositional devices. Students will gain experience and enhance their skills in two-dimensional and three- dimensional art-making through the use of traditional and digital resources.

Studio Art 2

Students will refine their ability to use traditional and contemporary studio media and techniques including drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, sculpture, crafts, photography and others to create artworks that reflect personal meaning and intention. They will develop an awareness of art vocabulary, tools and techniques, and make cultural/historical connections. 

MS Studio Art 3 

Students will develop a portfolio of work demonstrating proficiency in working with traditional 2D and 3D studio media and techniques including drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, and crafts to create artworks.  Prerequisite of Studio 1 or 2 recommended.

Digital Art and Photography 2 

Students will design art using both vector- and raster-based software, and/or manually operate a digital camera and utilize photo editing software to create artwork.  Students will learn the techniques to create landscape photos, classic portraits, and life photography.  Students will also learn how to develop commercial projects including movie posters, postcards, gif animations, and more. 

Digital Art 3 

Students will refine skills and utilize advanced vector and raster-based software techniques to create works of digital art and design.  In this course students will learn to develop commercial designs, gif animations, and contemporary art forms using editing software. 

Photography 3 

Students will create artworks that communicate personal meaning and individual ideas. Students will gain a deeper understanding of how artists generate and conceptualize ideas, refine craftsmanship through practice and persistence, and intentionally arrange compositional elements. Students will utilize and explore a combination of digital media and  photography in combination with traditional/mixed media (drawing, painting, collage, and/or sculpture) to create original artworks.  

BAND

Beginning Band / 

Band 1 

Students prepare for participation in performing ensembles and develop technical skills necessary to perform Grade 1 level music. Basic instrumental skills are developed by performing a variety of music. Students are taught the elements of musical form, terms and symbols, tone production, instrument care and maintenance, and the importance of consistent practice habits. Cultural context of the music and its historical significance as they relate to performance is studied. 

Band 2

Students develop and refine their technical skills in order to perform music at the Grade 2 Level of difficulty. Emphasis is placed on developing formal rehearsal decorum, following a conductor and developing pitch and rhythmic security in preparation for performing an independent part in the traditional band or orchestra ensemble. Students learn the social, cultural, and intellectual influences reflected in the musical works they are studying and discuss performance styles and musical forms of corresponding historical periods. The study of music theory includes performance and recognition of major scales, diatonic and chromatic intervals, and simple melodic dictation. The critical listening skills that are developed as a result of preparation for instrumental performance is used to help the student formulate criteria for effectively evaluating his/her own performance as well as the performance of others.   

Band 3

Students distinguish between abstract and programmatic music and learn and discuss the social, intellectual, and historical influences on each. Students develop and refine their technical skills in order to perform music at the Grade 2 to Grade 3 Level of difficulty. 

ORCHESTRA

Beginning Strings / Orchestra I  

Students refine skills learned from their elementary Grade 4 and 5 instrumental music programs or in Middle School Beginning Strings and will develop more advanced performance techniques. The development of technical skills necessary to perform Grade 1 to Grade 2 Level music is stressed. Emphasis is placed on developing formal rehearsal decorum, following a conductor, and developing pitch and rhythmic security in preparation for performing an independent part in the traditional band or orchestra ensemble. Students also learn melodic form and construction as they examine and perform more complex folk melodies and melodies from master composers. Students discuss the social and intellectual influences that affected the creation of the music they are studying. They begin to develop aesthetic criteria for measuring the quality of instrumental performance. 

Orchestra 2 

Students develop and refine their technical skills in order to perform music at the Grade 2 Level of difficulty. Emphasis is placed on developing formal rehearsal decorum, following a conductor and developing pitch and rhythmic security in preparation for performing an independent part in the traditional band or orchestra ensemble. Students learn the social, cultural, and intellectual influences reflected in the musical works they are studying and discuss performance styles and musical forms of corresponding historical periods. The study of music theory includes performance and recognition of major scales, diatonic and chromatic intervals, and simple melodic dictation. The critical listening skills that are developed as a result of preparation for instrumental performance is used to help the student formulate criteria for effectively evaluating his/her own performance as well as the performance of others.   

Orchestra 3 

Students distinguish between abstract and programmatic music and learn and discuss the social, intellectual, and historical influences on each. Students develop and refine their technical skills in order to perform music at the Grade 3 to Grade 4 Level of difficulty.

TECHNOLOGY

Coding and Game Development / 

Robotic Design 

Students will learn the elements of good game design and the different game genres as well as basic video game coding concepts including racing, platform, launching, and more. Students will apply computational thinking to their game designs. Students will be introduced to various programming languages.  Students will apply coding and programming skills and problem-solving to make physical models respond to commands. Students will collaborate, communicate, think computationally, program, debug and create models while learning to solve open-ended, real-life problems.

Digital Literacy 1 

Students will investigate real-world problems ranging from climate change to social media and cyberbullying. Students will learn how to read and navigate through websites using search engines and databases in order to generate specific and trustworthy research. Students will learn digital and computer jargon along the way. They will learn about careers in the digital fields and create professional-looking persuasive presentations. Students will learn about fake news, how it is spread, and learn to identify what is credible. Students will develop a better understanding of digital communications technology and further a skillset for lifelong success. The coursework in Digital Literacy will give your students powerful tools for the rest of their academic careers.

Principles of Information Technology Cybersecurity 

Principles of Information Technology introduces students to computer science as a vehicle for problem solving, communication, and personal expression. As a whole, this class focuses on the visible aspects of computer science, and encourages students to see where computer science exists around them and how they can engage with it as a tool for exploration and expression. Students will learn all about digital systems, the difference between analog & digital, some engineering and inventions that lead into cybersecurity, AI, and bots -as a part of the new digital landscape we all live in these days. This course introduces and prepares students for a career in cybersecurity while teaching how to use a cell phone safely.

Foundations of Computer Science

This course provides an engaging introduction to computing concepts through a nationally developed curriculum, offered through a unique partnership with Code.org®. The course focuses on the conceptual ideas of computing so that students understand why tools and languages are used to solve problems through a study of human computer interaction, problem solving, programming, data analysis, and physical computing.