For information on any of the clubs above, click on the sponsor/teacher's name to email them directly. If you're interested in creating a club:
✓ gather a list of 10+ interested students
✓ recruit a teacher sponsor
✓ work with your sponsor to meet with the Principal for approval and sponsor training
The Accelerated Program provides academically rigorous courses designed to challenge motivated students to comprehend math concepts and skills through a fast-paced, compacted curriculum. A portion of the content learned
during the program will be through independent study and personalized learning pathways. The coursework requires students to engage in the rigorous content at a high level outside of the class.
The Accelerated Program courses are mainly three-semester courses (one full year and ½ of the next year course content) versus the traditional two-semester course. Students taking Accelerated Program courses will be expected to learn and work in a faster paced course and participate vigorously in classroom discussions and presentations. The Accelerated Program courses will require an extensive amount of reading, studying, note-taking, and class preparations outside of the classroom. A student’s success in the Accelerated Program is contingent upon being able to demonstrate the following attributes for an effective teaching and learning environment:
- Note-taking and Problem Solving Skills
- Independent and Cooperative Learning
- Think logically and symbolically about mathematical concepts
- Reason analytically, deductively, and inductively
- Work, communicate, and justify mathematical concepts verbally and in writing
- Transfer learning to novel situations
Peachtree Middle School will continue to offer a Year-Long Carnegie Unit Visual Art/Comprehensive I class for the 2021-2022 school year. This class will be only offered to 8th Grade students. The Carnegie Unit Visual Art/Comprehensive I class will be challenging, but worth the effort for students that are passionate about Art. See below for a brief description of the course. The teacher will provide more detailed information in the course syllabus during the Fall Semester.
Comprehensive I - Introduces art history, art criticism, aesthetic judgment, and studio production. Emphasizes the ability to understand and use elements and principles of design through a variety of media, processes, and visual resources. Explores master artworks for historical and cultural significance. The Art Department at Peachtree Middle strives to equip our students with the language of art and the tools and skills to create successful works of art. Our goals are also to expose students to art history, art criticism and aesthetics. Art is combined with other areas of the curriculum to build learning skills, problem-solving ability and to spark creativity.
The emphasis of the course will be the production of a body of work (portfolio) encompassing a broad range of medium, techniques and expressive outcomes that are related to the area of visual arts. Engaged critical thinking skills will encourage student growth and personal style, in response to master artists and artistic styles/periods. Sketchbook assignments will be used to reinforce learning in the studio and provide independent practice at home.
The yearlong Carnegie Unit Visual Art class will be offered during connections.
Purpose
The High Achiever Program is being improved in order to ensure that academically high achieving students are identified and provided with an above normal level of academic rigor in their academic courses. This program will place High Achieving students in the most rigorous instructional environment PCMS has to offer.
In these courses, teachers will implement innovative pedagogical methods to develop the academic talent, creativity, and critical thinking of individuals designated as High Achievers. This program is being implemented with the goal of ensuring that every student in the program produces proficient and above academic growth each year.
Teachers supporting this program will use the Georgia Department of Education’s Programming Standards for Meeting the Needs of Gifted and High-Ability Learners with regards to the following standard areas:
- Curriculum Planning & Instruction
- Learning Environments
- Professional Development
Entry Criteria
Students will be identified for the High Achiever Program based on their academic performance in the previous year, and placed in the HA program at the start of their current grade if they score:
- In the 75%ile range or higher on the Fall or Winter Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) in the previous year for Reading and Math in the same testing year.
- Once in the program the student will continue on unless they are exited out the program.
Probation/Exit
If a student earns a grade below “B” in any content area, that student will be placed on probation for that content area for a semester. If a student earns two consecutive grades below a “B” in the same content area, that student will be taken out of the High Achiever Program for that content area. If scheduling permits, the student will be allowed to remain on team and
stay in the High Achiever Program for their other content areas.
Reentry
If a student earns a grade of “B” or above for two consecutive semesters in all core content areas, that student will be eligible for the High Achiever Program at the start of the following year.
Example: a student earns a C in science first semester of 6th grade, and then earns a grade of C in Science second semester of 6th grade. That student will be removed from the High Achiever Program at the start of 7th grade. The student will need to earn a grade of B or higher in all core
academic areas the first semester of 7th grade and the second semester of 7th grade in order to Reenter the High Achiever Program in 8th grade.
Students and parents will need to complete a High Achiever Reentry application in order to be considered for placement in the program. Applicants will be readmitted to the program if space is available.
Class Groupings
Depending on the number of qualifying students, PCMS will place students identified as High Achievers in the same class as Gifted Students. We will attempt to disperse High Achiever students as evenly as possible across the Gifted Classes given the number of qualifying students for both the High Achiever and Gifted Program.
Goals
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Provide an opportunity for every student to engage in an immersive STEM curriculum that allows them to explore their own interests and passions.
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Promote critical thinking skills by examining the cross-curricular nature of topics.
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Enhance collaboration skills through project-based learning.
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Prepare students to enter a globally competitive workforce in the United States or abroad.
Eligibility and Expectations
In order to extend the opportunity to all students interested in exploring STEM and its components, the STEM Academy is open to all students. Parents and guardians should be advised that the Carnegie Unit courses are
rigorous, and grades will be reflected on a student’s high school transcript.
Students may be withdrawn from the program at the beginning of 8th grade if class availability outside of the STEM Academy allows. Withdrawal from the program needs to take place within the 35th day of the semester. After that time, students will remain in the Carnegie Unit classes for the remainder of 8th grade.
Benefits of a STEM-focused education
Through immersion in a STEM-focused curriculum, students will be able to progress to a higher level of proficiency.
These students will develop the critical thinking skills necessary to solve complex real-world problems. As evidenced below, the benefits of a STEM education are plentiful.
- Students involved in a STEM education showed statistically significant gains in reading score as opposed to students in a non-STEM education. (Tolliver, E. 2016)
- STEM education helps to create and prepare well-rounded students for an integrated structure of knowledge and skill sets across multiple disciplines. (Geniti, J. 2017)
- Being involved in STEM has provided students with a richer density for educational opportunities in high school than students without a STEM-focused education. (Wei et al. 2010)
- Being involved in a STEM education enhances a student’s probability of being involved in a STEM career.(Means et al. 2017)
- Being involved in STEM learning showed significant gains in science and math end-of-term scores.(Hansen et al. 2014)
Offered Courses
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Math 8 or Coordinate Algebra/Geometry (Carnegie Unit)
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Physical Science (Carnegie Unit)
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Foundations of Engineering and Technology (Carnegie Unit)
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English/Language Arts
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Georgia Studies
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Health/PE and Fine Arts or Connections
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World Language or Year-Long Art (Carnegie Unit Courses)
☑ For consideration, complete the Course Request Form for: 6️⃣grade 7️⃣grade 8️⃣grade
☑ For parents or students interested in S.T.E.M., email the AP of Instruction at [email protected]
Goals
The goals of the DeKalb County School District’s World Language Program are to: improve literacy skills; increase academic achievement in all content areas; prepare students to be sensitive and skilled in working with others across cultures (culturally competent); and prepare students to enter the global workforce in the United States or abroad.
Eligibility and Expectations
In order to extend the opportunity to all students to become proficient and fluent in languages and culture, the middle school programs are open to all students. Parents/guardians and students should be advised that the Carnegie Unit language program is rigorous and that grades will be reflected on a student’s high school transcript.
Students may be withdrawn at the beginning of the seventh-grade level I course if done so before the first 13.5 weeks. If a student withdraws from level I in the 7th grade between weeks 9 and 13.5, the student will earn credit for the 7th grade Spanish (60.06800) or French (60.00800). After that time, students will remain in the Carnegie Unit class for the remainder of
seventh grade and will be required to take the eighth grade level II course in the same language.
(Note: If a student does not successfully complete the Carnegie Unit course at the end of seventh grade, the Principal and/or parent/guardian may submit a written request to the Department of K-12 Curriculum and Instruction for the student not to continue in the program as an eighth grader.)
Students who begin the study of level I in the eighth grade may be withdrawn if done so before the first 13.5 weeks. It is recommended that one monitors students at 9 weeks who have earned below a 74% average.
Benefits of World Language study
By beginning the world language sequence in middle school, students will be able to progress to a higher level of proficiency. Middle school students will begin high school language study