PURPOSE / OVERVIEW
Rockingham County Middle School offers core classes in Language Arts, Math, Science and Social Studies. In addition to basic offerings, students register for four electives per year including physical education which is a required class for all grade levels. Sixth grade students are required to take a keyboarding class each year. Seventh grade students have an additional computer class requirement. Other enrichment/elective classes that are available include Band, Bible History, Chorus, Music Ensemble, Keyboarding, Spanish, Technology Exploration, Elective PE and Visual Arts. Our curriculum follows state standards with student testing completed at the end of each school year.
Rockingham County Middle School strives to provide technological opportunities for students as they move through the 21st Century. Attempting to address the rapid changes in our world, RCMS focuses on equipping the school with an abundance of hardware while staying up-to-date on the newest in software and Internet resources. RCMS has two flexible computer labs for class sign up and work. All core classrooms are outfitted with a computer, projector, digital overhead, and ACTIVBoard. Thirty Alphasmarts, on a mobile cart with computer and printer, can be used by any teacher. Also, the school has three Classroom Performance Systems and various multimedia carts for use in any location. Technology is not only used in core classrooms and labs, but also in the media center and in several electives classes. The band program checks student performance and understanding of note theory with Smart- Music. Budding composers can also use a program called Finale to create scores of music. Spanish students explore the language with interactive language sites. RCMS will continue to look for and supply the newest and the most useful opportunities in technology for our students.
Middle School Language Arts Curriculum Overview
The ultimate goal of the middle school English Language Arts curriculum is to foster personal, social, and civic literacy. Since our society depends upon language as communication, students must be provided daily opportunities to enhance control of the skills needed to communicate effectively. Students should have multiple opportunities to deepen their understanding of language by applying what they have learned.
The English Language Arts curriculum for grades 6-8 is constructed around communication environments— settings for exchanging information that all of us enter when we need to communicate with clarity, purpose, and care. By teaching specific aptitudes that each environment requires from users of 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.
Middle School Math Curriculum Overview
The goal of the mathematics program is for all students to achieve mathematical proficiency by developing both conceptual understanding and procedural fluency. The end result is the ability to think and reason mathematically and use mathematics to solve problems in authentic contexts.
Mathematics is a tool we use to understand and interpret our world. In our increasingly technological economy, those who can understand and apply mathematics have significantly enhanced opportunities to achieve success in continuing education and in life. The key to opening the door to these opportunities is a deep understanding of important mathematical concepts and procedures.
Middle School Science Curriculum Overview
The goals of the science curriculum are to educate students to:a)experience the richness and excitement of knowing about and understanding the natural world;(b) use appropriate habits of mind and understandings of the nature of science and scientific principles in making personal decisions; (c) engage intelligently in public discourse and debate about matters of scientific and technological concern; and (d) increase their economic productivity and personal responsibility through their knowledge, understanding, and skills as environmentally, scientifically, and technologically literate persons in their careers and personal endeavos
Middle School Social Studies Curriculum Overview
The goals of the social studies curriculum are to continue the geographic study of world regions as they examine South America in the Western hemisphere and Europe, Africa, Asis and Australia in the Easter Hemisphere. They also engage in an historical study of the creation and development of the state of NC. In the process, students continue the development of basic concepts taken from history, geography, and the other social science disciplines.
