Classes and Scheduling
At SCMS, our students experience the middle school team concept, which means that all students on a team are served by the same group of teachers for their academic subjects.* Teams are identified by number, starting with the grade level number, followed by a 1, 2 or 3 (Ex. 6th grade, Team 1 is Team 6-1. Eighth grade, Team 2 is Team 8-2.)
The benefit of teaming is that it creates a "schools within a school" model, thus creating a smaller school environment, that has the potential to increase student well-being, create a sense of community among students and teachers, and promotes higher student achievement and educational success.
Students are placed on teams at random - they may not be requested by parents or students.
*An exception to this may occur if specific services needed are not available on-team.
Connections Classes
In addition to academic classes, students experience a variety of non-academic classes called “Connections.” Students take two Connections classes each quarter, for a total of 8 Connections classes each year. With the exception of Band, students are placed in Connections at random, and are designed to expose students to a variety of opportunities and interests (specific requests for classes may not be granted). These courses are exploratory in nature, and are designed to assist students in identifying personal areas of interest to aid in course selection and planning for high school.
Connections classes offered at SCMS include:
- Agriculture Education
- Band (year-long course)
- Broadcasting & Communications
- Business (Administration, Management, Investing & Finance)
- Career (Awareness, Discovery & Management)
- Chorus (year-long course, if requested)
- Computer Science (Technology & Programming)
- Guitar
- Music Technology
- Physical Education
- Visual Art
- Weight Training
Experiencing an Issue?
If you notice a potential scheduling error or have a scheduling question, please contact the appropriate grade level counselor.
If your student is having an issue with a specific class, please work to resolve the issue by contacting the teacher directly or by encouraging your student to discuss the matter with their teacher. (This is a critical life skill that many students today are unsure of how to navigate. Take advantage of this learning opportunity and walk your student through how to appropriately handle the situation. Want our help? Encourage your child to visit his/her school counselor for guidance or to role-play the scenario!)
If additional assistance is needed, you may contact your child's school counselor or a school administrator to discuss the issue or to schedule a parent-teacher conference.