Classes
- Art Program
- Band Program
- Computers and Media
- English Department
- Spanish
- History Department (Social Science)
- Math Department
- Physical Education
- Science Department
- Special Education
Art Program
Advanced Art Painting: Eighth Grade
Advanced Art Painting is a year-long class designed for artistically talented students using many different painting mediums. Students will study the use of line, form, space, color and composition. Open to 8th graders, completion of regular art is recommended but not required.
Art: Sixth - Eighth Grades
Art is a year-long class designed to study the use of line, form, color, composition and space as they relate to two and three-dimensional art. The course will also include art history, art criticism and aesthetics.
Band Program
Beginning Band 6th - 8th grades
Beginning band is a class designed to teach band instrument playing to students who have had little or no previous musical experience. Students with piano background are especially encouraged to participate in learning to play a band instrument. A limited number of school instruments are available to students who wish to play a larger instrument, i.e., trombone, baritone, French horn and tuba. A limited number of flutes, clarinets and trumpets are also available for students who have financial needs. Piano and guitar are not taught in beginning band.
Intermediate Band 6th - 8th grades
Intermediate band is especially designed to address the fundamentals of music in relation to band performance. The class is for the student who has had previous band experience but does not possess the experience or expertise required for advanced band participation. Intermediate band students should know how to play the "B flat" concert scale well and understand whole, half, quarter and eighth notes. They should also know most of the names of their notes. Piano and guitar are not taught in intermediate band.
Advanced Band 6th - 8th grades
Advanced band and jazz band are the highest levels of band at Arden Middle School. To qualify for this advanced band class, students must have a good knowledge of music and instrumental technique. Advanced band students should know at least three major scales: Bb, Eb and Ab concert scales. They should also know how to play their Bb concert chromatic scale as well as know the note names of that scale. These band members should also be able to recognize and play rhythms with dotted quarters and eighth notes, dotted eighth and sixteenth notes, various combinations of sixteenth notes, and have a fair understanding of 6/8 time, cut (2/2) time and basic syncopation. ADMISSION TO ADVANCED BAND IS BY AUDITION ONLY OR RECOMMENDATION FROM ARDEN MIDDLE SCHOOL’S BAND DIRECTOR. Piano and guitar are not taught in advanced band.
Jazz Band 6th - 8th grades
Jazz band and advanced band are the highest levels of band at Arden Middle School. Jazz band is offered to students enrolled in the band program by audition only. Instruments included are: saxophone, trombone, trumpet, piano, bass guitars, electric guitars and drums. This class is highly competitive. A great deal of responsibility is demanded from the participants. Music relates to the jazz idiom with emphasis on style, improvisation and technical aspects of jazz performance.
Computers and Media
Computer Application: Sixth, Seventh, Eighth Grades (Level 1)
The focus of Computer Application is to familiarize students with several digital tools that they will be able to utilize throughout their academic careers and to expose them to the basics of Computer Science. The major units of study include: Computer and Internet Basics, Google Apps for Productivity, Digital Literacy & Citizenship, Cyber Safety, Multimedia Production, Page Layout & Graphic Design, Introduction to Programming, and Applied Programming and Robotics. The National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS-S) and Common Core State Standards are the foundations for this course.
Computer Science Discoveries: Seventh and Eighth Grades (Level 2)
Students should enter Computer Science with prior experience in computer operations or basic programming. The focus of instruction in this class is to learn the main principles and practices of Computer Science. We will be using the Computer Science Discoveries curriculum developed by Code.org. The course takes a wide lens on computer science by covering topics such as programming, physical computing, HTML/CSS, and data. Students engage with computer science as a medium for creativity, communication, problem solving, and fun. The course inspires students as they build their own websites, apps, games, and physical computing devices.
Media: Seventh and Eighth Grade (Level 2)
Media is designed to be an advanced technology class that applies the knowledge and skills acquired in previous courses (Technology Exploration or Computer Application) to produce our daily student news broadcast. In order to successfully produce a quality program, students will learn public speaking skills, photography, videography, and digital audio and video editing and production techniques. In addition, students will learn cooperative work skills as a member of a production team that will work together to produce creative and compelling multimedia pieces. Finally, the class will focus on the social aspects of promoting the practices and values that make Arden Middle School a community of safety, respect and responsibility.
English Department
The Language Arts curriculum focuses on grammar, writing, literature, and vocabulary to continue students' development to communicate and think critically. Course components include the study of rich and varied literary and informational text and writing in the genres of argumentative, informative/explanatory, narrative, and summaries of reading materials. Students work independently, as well as collaboratively, to learn how to understand what they read and evaluate and author's assumptions and claims. Students will conduct research that requires the analysis of resources and accurate interpretation of literary and informational text.
Spanish
This two-year program is aligned with the national standards and the California framework for high school Spanish courses at levels 1 and 2. The seventh/eighth grade Spanish 1 course emphasizes verbal communication. Students must earn a B or better in Spanish 1 before continuing to level 2.
The Spanish 2 course for continuing eighth graders emphasizes grammar in both present and past tenses while continuing mastery of verbal skills. A student who completes both levels will be eligible, pending high school testing, to take level 3 Spanish as a high school freshman.
We also typically offer 1 period of Spanish focused on Heritage speakers meaning Spanish is the student's native language or they speak it at home. Students in this class still get Spanish 1 or 2 credit but learn around others that have similar experience.
History Department (Social Science)
History at Arden is a standards based curriculum. We teach what everybody else teaches…what makes our teaching different is the living history program.
Living history at Arden has been an on-going tradition for over twenty years! These events are open to every student per grade level event. These events are built around state standards and experiencing the past.
In sixth grade students study the ancient world. Their living history event is the Greek Olympics. Students participate in opening ceremonies, followed by athletic events, temple building, and academic events…there is even Greek food!!
In seventh grade students study the medieval world. Students compete in medieval events such as wool spinning, calligraphy, and joustingt.
In eighth grade students study American history and their living history event is called Westward Ho! It is a culminating event of the westward movement standard. Eighth graders compete in cow pie tossin and fire startin.
When your child attends Arden, it is events like these they will look back on and remember for the rest of their lives. History at Arden is not old…its living!
Math Department
Arden offers Common Core Standards based math classes at the 6th, 7th and 8th grade levels. We also offer Accelerated Math 7 for 7th graders and Integrated Math 1 for 8th graders. Students are placed in these advanced math courses by the math department using standardized test scores, grades and teacher recommendations. Likewise, we offer a support class called Math Foundations for 6th, 7th and 8th graders. Students that are deemed to need some extra support in Math are recommended for these courses. Arden and the rest of the district use iReady as an internal standardized assessment tool. Students will take the iReady test 2-3 times a year to help gage their learning and guide future instruction. They will also take the Math portion of the state CAASPP test each Spring.
Physical Education
Physical Education is a required class for all sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. The physical education program is designed to give all students the opportunity to acquire and/or improve skills and knowledge necessary to participate in a variety of lifetime activities such as team sports, individual sports, physical fitness and dance. In addition, students will also be given opportunities to improve social skills and self-image. Students rotate through a variety of units including: Adventure Racing, Basketball, Weight Training, Dancing, Disc Sports, Football, Golf, Health & Fitness, Hockey, Nutrition, Plyometric Training, Soccer, Softball, Strength Training, Tumbling, Track and Field, Volleyball, Wrestling, Dodge Ball, Lacrosse and Yoga.
PE Clothes may be purchased online through MySchoolBucks.
Science Department
The Arden Science program implements curriculum based on the Next Generation Science Standards. Students at Arden are taken through the processes of scientific inquiry and engineering design through hands-on learning such as experiments/labs and projects. Teachers engage our future scientists in collaboration and critical thinking skills to teach scientific concepts. The NGSS establish learning goals in science that will give all students the skills and knowledge they need to be informed citizens, college ready, and prepared for careers.
Special Education
Resource Specialist Program
The Resource Specialist Program (RSP) at Arden provides assistance to students who meet special education eligibility in the least restrictive environment. The majority of Arden students can participate successfully in the general education program with legal accommodations that meet their individual learning needs. The RSP program develops successful organizational strategies, healthy study habits as well as fostering independence, self-awareness and critical thinking.
Special Day Class
The Special Day Class (SDC) / Learning Handicapped (LH) at Arden is designed to meet the needs of students with learning disabilities who require very intensive and individualized instruction. Students in this program are given specialized support and instruction as they work diligently to approach state mandated grade level academic standards. To this end, the SDC/LH program emphasizes organization, good study habits, problem solving skills, personal responsibility and self-confidence. To the greatest extent possible, students in the SDC/LH program attend classes in regular education classrooms. This is both to challenge students academically and to prepare them for a successful high school experience. For those subjects where a student may require the additional support offered by a smaller class, and individualized instruction, the student returns to the SDC classroom. They also coordinate the "Key to Success" program and prize cart.
Independent Living Skills
This special education program offers an alternative education placement for students who are severely handicapped. The Independent Living Skills (ILS) curriculum focuses on promoting independence by teaching important everyday activities such as shopping, banking, money management, meal preparation, communication, social behaviors, recreation and job skills. The program also provides an elective option to regular education Arden students who are interested in working as tutors in the ILS class. This has proven to be a very valuable experience for both the tutors and ILS students. For more information regarding SJUSD special education programs and services contact the Special Education Field Office at 971-7525.
Intervention/Support Classes
It is our goal that all students read, write and compute at or above identified content standards. READ 180 and two period math classes are available for selected students who are in need of additional support and instruction in selected skill areas. Students are identified for placement in these classes based upon an evaluation of their STAR test scores, progress on subject area standards, district