Below you will find information on each course offering, for individual concerns please go to your child's teacher page for contact information & class calendar.

Mills Park CTE Course Offerings

Computer Science, Information Technology, Business, Finance & Management Courses

• Intro to Office/Office Productivity: The primary focus of this course is to provide hands-on instruction in Office Productivity Programs. The software programs that we will be focusing on include: Word Processing, Presentations, Spreadsheets & Desktop Publishing. Course Outline & Essential Questions can be found here.

• Digital Literacy/Intro to Coding Minecraft: This semester, students start by building Digital Literacy skills to help them spot fake news and stay safe in online communities. They will learn how to protect their privacy and explore cool career options in the world of technology. Next, the class moves into Minecraft for a fun, hands-on look at coding. Students will write their own programs, find and fix "bugs" in their code, and solve tricky puzzles. By the end of the term, they’ll have the smarts and the skills to navigate the digital world with confidence.

• Computer Science Discoveries:  The topics that we will cover are; Problem Solving and Animations/Games (JavaScript), and Web Development (HTML/CSS). Students will self-assess their work and will be expected to collaborate and receive feedback from classmates on each project. These requirements will help students to sharpen their communication, presentation, and teamwork skills.

• Exploring Business & Entrepreneurship/Procedures & Leadership: This course offers instruction in principles of business, entrepreneurship, business etiquette, team building, and leadership. This course is full of real world examples, and it will help students understand the business world around them. 

Family & Consumer Science Courses

• Exploring Social & Emotional Skills: This course will help students gain an understanding of social and emotional learning through the exploring of communication skills, self awareness, self management and careers in the human services field. They will also cultivate responsible decision making skills, social awareness and interpersonal relationships. 

• Exploring Childcare: During their time in this course students will investigate children's development from birth to age 7 and become well prepared with the diverse responsibilities of being a babysitter. They will also practice basic care of infants, toddler and preschoolers, discuss proper nutrition, understand how to prevent accidents and how to use positive guidance with children.

• Exploring Apparel & Interior Design: This course will allow students to examine the field of apparel by exploring the elements of design, basic clothing construction and the impact of marketing clothing choices. They will also characterize the basics of interior design, practice managing living spaces and learn how sustainable design impacts housing. 

• Exploring Nutrition & Wellness: In this course students will gain an understanding of the impact of choices on wellness by examining the USDA Guidelines. They will also explore basic kitchen skills, safety needs and sanitation, all while practicing nutritious meal planning and preparation.

Career Exploration Courses

• Agricultural Education: In this exploratory course, students will discover how animals, plants, and sustainable agriculture practices work together to support agriculture and the environment. Through hands-on activities and real-world problem solving, students will explore topics such as animal care, plant growth, food production, and environmental stewardship. This course also integrates agricultural sciences and technology while highlighting future careers for students in animal science, plant systems, and sustainable agriculture. 

• Health Sciences Education: In this course, students will explore the following career pathways: Biomedical Technology, Healthcare Professionals. The aligned co-curricular Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for this course is HOSA-Future Health Professionals, which provides students opportunities to develop real-world skills that are in demand by business and industry, including essential employability, technical, and academic skills.

• Food & Nutrition and Culinary Arts: This course will allow students to explore the following career pathways: Food and Nutrition, Culinary Arts and Hospitality Applications. The aligned co-curricular Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for this course is Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA), which provides students opportunities to develop real-world skills that are in demand by business and industry, including essential employability, technical, and academic skills.

• Exploring Financial Literacy:  In this course students will explore the basics of financial literacy to build confidence in making financial decisions and understand decision-making principles related to banking, budgeting and credit. They will also discover careers in the financial industry to gain knowledge on the Career Pathway.

Technology Engineering and Design Courses

• 6th Grade - Exploring Technology: During this course students will learn about the Design Process and use this model to solve challenges. They examine how products are improved and invented based on current needs to solve problems that could not be solved without new and improved technology. Student will also spend time exploring real-world problems and possible solutions through careful problem solving and engineering design strategies. As well as learn about machine and tool safety and have a chance to design & build products and prototypes that generate possible solutions to both nature made and human-made environmental problems.

• 7th Grade - Invention and Innovation: While in this course, students learn about the Design Process and use this model to solve challenges. They will explore Invention vs Innovation and how they interact with systems, learn about machine and tool safety and design & build products and prototypes that generate possible solutions to design challenges. This course prepares students to investigate the impacts of technology through the lenses of culture, society, economics and the environment, as well as gives them a chance to discover and build on a variety of problem solving strategies through the manufacturing of prototypes. 

• 8th Grade - Technological Systems:  This course will help students understand, interpret & apply technical information from a variety of sources. They will learn how to create, repair, and adjust various systems, while also identifying and troubleshooting problems as necessary. Students will explore Power & Energy systems, Communication Systems, Manufacturing Systems, Electrical Circuits and have a chance to design & build rocket prototypes that meet certain criteria & constraints. 

Mills Park CTE Course Expectations

Grading:

WCPSS MPMS grading policy will be followed.   

Absences and Makeup Work:

Students are expected to make up any work missed because of an absence.  If anything is unclear on a given project or assignment, see teacher for a further explanation.

Extra Help:

All students are encouraged to ask questions in class as soon as they have difficulty with the material.  Please do not hesitate to ask for additional help.

Classroom Environment:

All MPMS policies regarding attendance and classroom behavior apply to these courses.  The following class rules will apply at all times:

1. Be in the classroom, seated, and prepared to work when the bell rings. 

2. Follow directions the first time they are given.

3. Respect for yourself, classmates, teacher, and equipment is always expected.

All students are expected to be positive, contributing members in the class.  If your behavior prevents our class from functioning well, the student will be spoken with privately.  If the unacceptable behavior continues, further disciplinary measures including parental/guardian notification will be taken. 

Class Work:

All class assignments, directions and course materials can be accessed on Canvas.