Family & Consumer Science (FACS)

Home and Career Skills is the middle school course of study in the Family and Consumer Sciences Department. Each 20-week course is designed to help adolescents live in a society of constant change. This course of study helps students improve their quality of life by preparing them to meet their present and future responsibilities as family members, consumers, home managers, and wage earners. Throughout each course, students are given the opportunity to practice communication skills, leadership skills, management skills, and thinking skills in the context of real life situations, which are relevant to adolescents. In addition, Home and Career Skills provides multiple opportunities for students to read, write, and compute in the context of real-life situations.

FACS 6

20 week program, meets one out of three days on the A/B/C day rotation.

Course Description

In this introductory course, 6th-grade students embark on a journey of self-discovery and practical skill-building designed to bridge the gap between the classroom and the real world. The curriculum focuses on four core pillars: Career Readiness, Communication, Wellness, and Financial Literacy.

What Students Will Explore:

• Career & Community Opportunities: Students begin exploring their unique interests and how they align with future career paths. Through the "All About Me" project, students reflect on their personal strengths.

• Communication & Interpersonal Relationships: Success in any field requires strong social skills. Students learn the art of professional communication,  the etiquette of writing formal emails, and develope the confidence to present their ideas effectively to others.

• Health, Safety, & Wellness: Personal management is key to a balanced life. Students learn to advocate for their own well-being by crafting SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound—while discovering healthy strategies for stress management.

• Sustainability & Creative Skills: Students gain hands-on experience with "survival sewing," focusing on essential repair skills like sewing a button. This unit promotes sustainability by teaching students how to extend the life of their belongings rather than discarding them.

• Financial & Consumer Literacy: Navigating the modern economy starts early. Through the interactive EverFi "Save Up" module, students learn the fundamentals of financial responsibility, saving, and smart consumer habits.

FACS 7

20 week program, meets two out of three days on the A/B/C day rotation.

Course Description

Building upon the foundations established in Grade 6, the Grade 7 Family and Consumer Sciences program challenges students to apply their skills to more complex, real-world scenarios. This course emphasizes the four process skills: communication, leadership, management, and critical thinking.  Throughout every unit, students refine their interpersonal skills, learning how to lead a team through a recipe or manage a budget effectively. By the end of Grade 7, students have moved from "surviving" to "thriving" in their personal and community environments.

What Students Will Explore:

• Nutrition and Wellness: Students dive into the science of a healthy lifestyle. This unit covers the relationship between physical exercise and balanced nutrition, empowering students to make informed choices for long-term well-being.

• Food Systems and Production: Transitioning from theory to practice, students participate in collaborative food labs. Working in teams, they learn kitchen safety, sanitation, and culinary techniques while practicing leadership and time management in a high-energy, hands-on environment.

• Financial and Consumer Literacy: This unit prepares students for financial independence. Topics include understanding the value of money, navigating different types of bank accounts, reading paychecks, and the art of consumer testing to ensure they become savvy, responsible shoppers.

• Apparel and Textile Design: Moving beyond hand-sewing, students learn to operate a sewing machine. They will apply technical skills to create an individual project and, when time permits, collaborate on a community service project that uses their skills to give back. -Students explore  long-term effects of personal clothing on the environment.

• Career Exploration: Students continue their journey of  self-discovery by linking their personal interests to specific career clusters, helping them envision their future professional lives.

• Personal Environment Management  Students will have the opportunity to analyze, problem solve and innovate using real life examples in Housing and Interior Design. Students will demonstrate  problem-solving and evaluating processes as an informed consumer.