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Communication Skills / Language Arts
The middle school curriculum for grades 5-8 is constructed around communication environments-oral language, written language and other media/technology. The curriculum strives to create real life learning experiences for students to communicate in different contexts, for different purposes, and with different audiences. The ultimate goal of the middle school English Language Arts curriculum is to foster personal, social, and civic literacy. Students should have multiple opportunities to deepen their understanding of language by applying what they have learned.
The mathematics program builds on the prior knowledge of the students and seeks to expand their skills working with number sense, numeration, and numerical operations, spatial sense, measurement and geometry patterns, relationships and functions, probability and statistics, and data. Students are challenged to apply their knowledge and experience in new and more difficult situations. return to top
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Science is a human endeavor that relies on reasoning, insight, skill, and creativity. It builds on the concepts and skills learned since kindergarten. Middle school science provides opportunities to channel the interests and concerns of students and their exposure to high interest topics. The curriculum is designed to help students learn about themselves (human biology/health issues) and their world (environmental quality/space exploration/technology). As students take the initiative to learn science, they will learn about themselves, their community and possible careers.
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The primary purpose of our social studies program is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse and democratic society. Each grade studies different regions of the world for information on that region's government, geographic relationship, economics and development, global connections and technological influences on society.
- Fifth grade studies: United States History, Canada, Mexico and Central America
- Sixth grade studies: South America and Europe
- Seventh grade studies: Africa, Asia and Australia
- Eighth grade studies:
North Carolina: Creation and development of the state
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It is our intention to equip students with the skills needed to find, evaluate, use, and create information and ideas in order to communicate with greater power and effectiveness. By practicing and using resources at all grade levels students can make the connection between classroom learning and resources (print, non-print, and electronic), whether accessed in the classroom, library media center, or community. Our goal for students is to develop the skills to be self-directed learners who pursue knowledge throughout life. return to top
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Career-Technical Education in North Carolina begins with exploratory courses and leads to specialized classroom instruction in high school. The mission of Career / Technical Education is to help empower students for effective participation in an international economy as world-class workers and citizens. Programs in Career-Technical Education are designed to contribute to the broad educational achievement of students, including basic skills such as reading, writing and mathematics as well as their ability to work independently and as part of a team, think creatively and solve problems and utilize technology. return to top
Spanish, the second language program, is designed to introduce students to the life, literature, and culture of Hispanic countries. Students concentrate on listening and speaking. Students learn to recognize and understand concrete words, simple questions, follow directions, commands and voice intonations. return to top
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Art classes encourage and challenge students to recognize their own ideas, values and beliefs and communicate them through a variety of mediums. Students enrolled in grades five and eight have the opportunity to express themselves creatively through the visual arts. return to top
The middle grades music program is designed to act as a bridge between the elementary and high school music programs. Students may choose to join the middle school band or middle school chorus in grades five, six, seven and eight. Teachers guide students through developmentally appropriate experiences in music, which helps to build necessary skills for success in both music and other facets of life.
Every aspect of music study, including courses such as Band and Chorus provides instruction in the components of creating, performing, listening to, and analyzing music, in addition to focusing on specific course subject matter. The degree of emphasis placed on each component may vary, depending upon the specific objectives of the course curriculum. return to top
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The Computer Technology Program in grades five through eight is a progressive development of knowledge and skills in six strands:
- Societal and Ethical Issues
- Database
- Spreadsheet
- Keyboard Utilization, Word Processing, and Desktop Publishing
- Multimedia Presentation
- Telecommunications and the Internet.
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The middle school objectives build upon and reinforce the essential skills through application and use in content area assignments and projects. During the eighth grade, students should be prepared to successfully pass the computer proficiency test required for graduation.
Students will strive to to demonstrate the ability to set personal goals, develop an awareness of and respect for others through participation in physical activities. Students will engage in physical activities that provide for challenge, problem-solving, and decision-making, appropriate choices, fair play and sportsmanship behaviors. return to top
HMS President's Physical Fitness
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The Healthful Living Education program promotes behaviors that contribute to a healthful lifestyle and improved quality of life for all students. The Healthful Living Education curriculum supports and reinforces the following goals and objectives:
- Stress Management
- Protecting Self and Others
- Relationships
- Nutrition and Weight Management
- Substance Abuse
- Personal Fitness
- Healthful Lifestyles
- Appreciation for Diversity
- Social Wellness
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End of Grade Tests in Reading and Math Grades 5, 6, 7, 8
Hayesville Middle School students will be taking the North Carolina End-of-Grade tests in reading and mathematics near the end of the school year. These curriculum-based tests are specifically aligned to North Carolina's Standard Course of Study and include a variety of strategies to measure the achievement of North Carolina students. The tests were developed in response to legislation passed by the North Carolina General Assembly and we are mandated by the state board of education to administer them. They are part of a statewide assessment program.
The reasons for these tests are (1) to provide information about each student's performance relative to that of other students in North Carolina, (2) to provide information about school and school system achievement in the subject areas and goals and objectives specified in the Standard Course of Study, and (3) to provide information useful in administering and evaluating programs.
The NC End-of Grade Test - Reading Comprehension assesses reading by having students read authentic passages and then answer multiple choice questions directly related to the passages. Knowledge of vocabulary is assessed indirectly through application and understanding of terms within the context of passages and questions. Passages selected for the reading tests are chosen to reflect reading for various purposes: acquiring literary experience, gaining information, and performing a task.
The NC End-of Grade Test - Mathematics measures the goals and objectives in the NC Math Standard Course of Study. The competency goals and objectives for each grade are organized into four strands: (1) Number Sense, Numeration, and Numerical Operations; (2) Spatial Sense, Measurement, and Geometry; (3) Patterns, Relationships, and Functions; (4) Data, Probability, and Statistics. The End-of-Grade math tests are multiple-choice. The math test has two parts, one part with calculator use and one part without calculator use.
The standard for grade level proficiency shall be a score at Achievement Level III or above on the end-of-grade reading comprehension and mathematics tests for students in grades 3 through 8. Clay County Board of Education policy states that students in grades 3-8 must achieve at or above a Level III on the North Carolina End-of-Grade tests in reading and mathematics to be eligible for promotion. return to top
North Carolina EOG Science Test - Grades 5 and 8
The Department of Public Instruction will issue the first statewide North Carolina EOG for Science in grades 5 and 8 in the Spring of 2008. These tests are based on the standard course of study and will require students to demonstrate knowledge of important principles and concepts, understand and interpret activities, and relate scientific information to everyday situations. There is an increased focus on the processing of information and higher thinking skills. The test will be administered in the last month of school. return to top
North Carolina Writing Assessment Grade 7
Believing that statewide emphasis on writing instruction is needed and that the measurement of writing enhances instructional efforts, North Carolina tests writing in grades four and seven. Hayesville Middle School's seventh graders will be taking the North Carolina Writing Assessment on a day during the first part of March of each school year. The seventh-grade test mode will be either descriptive, clarification/expository or point of view/expository.
The NCDPI Division of Accountability Services/Testing Section arranges for each student test document to be scored by two independent readers. A focused holistic score of a 1, 2, 3 or 4 is assigned to each student composition. If the two readers rate the same student essay differently, an average for the two scores is taken. For example, if one scorer rates a student test at 2 and the second scorer rates a student test at 3, the student received a half way mark of 2.5.
Writing is an important part of instruction at every grade level whether or not it is assessed in that grade level as a part of the state-required testing program. Hayesville Middle School students work on writing and on the Communication Skills Standard Course of Study during every school year. return to top
North Carolina Test of Computer Skills Grade 8
Hayesville Middle School eighth graders will be taking the North Carolina Test of Computer Skills. Students are required to pass this test, the computer proficiency requirement, in order to receive a North Carolina high school diploma. The requirement is based on the kindergarten through grade eight competencies of the K-12 computer skills curriculum approved by the State Board of Education. The goals of the requirement are to ensure that most students enter high school with sufficient computer skills and that no students exit North Carolina high schools without sufficient computer skills.
Students in grade 8 will be administered the North Carolina Online Test of Computer Skills or the North Carolina Computer Skills Alternate Assessment in order to demonstrate computer skills proficiency.
The Test of Computer Skills assesses word processing, keyboarding database use, spreadsheet use, telecomputing skills, societal issues, ethics, terms, operations, and care of computers and the use of computers in various curricular areas.
Individual student's scores and score interpretation information for these tests will be mailed home with the student' final report card at the end of the school year. return to top
Computer Skills VoCATS - Grade 6
Sixth grade students at Hayesville Middle School are enrolled in keyboarding classes for one semester. At the end of the semester long class, each student is to be administered a North Carolina VoCATS assessment. Information and results from the assessment help to determine the level of keyboarding proficiency for students in this district and statewide.