R.J. Grey Junior High School

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Course Description

Band

Band is an elective open to any student interested in performing exciting music with their friends and peers. It is highly recommended but not required that students have prior experience on a band instrument (woodwind, brass, or percussion), but if you have no prior experience with playing, you will need private lessons outside of school. If you’ve taken band in elementary school, we encourage you to continue your musical journey with new performance opportunities!

Chorus

Chorus is an elective open to all interested students. It will provide the opportunity to perform vocal music in a variety of styles and genres. Students will learn ways to improve their vocal technique and gain confidence as a performer. The class is designed to provide an authentic choral experience for students of all ability levels. No prior experience is necessary.

String Orchestra

String Orchestra is an elective open to musicians who play violin, viola, cello, or bass and are interested in performing with their peers. Orchestral playing offers valuable experience in teamwork as well as opportunities to develop individual skills and prepare for high school orchestra.

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Course Description

Art Lab

This class gives students a chance to explore a wide variety of art materials.  Students can choose to follow their own artistic passions or explore some more guided projects provided.  Some materials are unique to the art lab and are different from those provided in 7th and 8th grade art.  Options may include clay, mosaics, fuse beads, alcohol inks, and more. 

Competitive Engineering

Students will develop skills to solve problems where students will test their solutions in a score-based system. Competitions will be based on the problem presented and can range from the fastest vehicle to the longest time in flight. 

Design Challenge

Students will develop skills to solve problems using the engineering design process. Challenges will ask students to use different strategies to find and implement the best solution to solve a problem. Projects are all based on a competitive environment.

Digital Design

What makes a design pop?  What fonts, colors, images, spacing, and background work together to promote an eye-catching design that grabs a consumer’s attention to want to know more?  Students will use Chrome Canvas, Canva, and Pixir to get an in-depth view of aesthetic designs.  Students will kindly critique each other's designs to help enhance the final ‘look’. Students must be willing to revisit and improve their designs based on input.

Digital Lab

Ready to enter the Shark Tank? In this class, our entrepreneurs will come up with original product ideas for a business and will learn the basics of creating digital support for their enterprise. They will design logos and business cards with Google Drawings, brochures and pamphlets with Canva, use AI to design their prototypes, and record commercials.  After that, they just lean back and watch all the investment offers come rolling in from a panel of RJ Grey staff sharks!

Fiber Arts Studio

Discover the exciting world of fiber arts! In this class, you'll explore creative techniques like weaving, embroidery, and paper-based arts to bring your artistic ideas to life. Whether you're new to fiber arts or returning for another year, there will be fun new projects to build on past knowledge, while beginners will have plenty of opportunities to learn from scratch—no prior experience required. Get ready to experiment with textures, colors, and patterns while developing your creative skills in a fun and supportive environment!

Handmade Arts

This course will focus on creating handcrafted, decorative projects such as ornaments, boxes, and serving boards, primarily composed of wood, metal, acrylic, or fabric. Students will use small tools, paint, and dye to customize their creations. Projects differ between 7th and 8th grade.

Lifetime Fitness

In this movement-based class, students will work to improve their overall fitness levels by participating in a variety of games, sports, and targeted exercises.  Students will also practice setting and monitoring personal fitness goals as well as tracking their heart rate.  Our goal is to work on fitness components such as cardiovascular endurance, flexibility, and muscular strength in every class.

Stagecraft

Students will learn different aspects of theatrical design and production and have the opportunity to design, create, and decorate props and set pieces for different plays, including RJ Grey’s StageWorks productions.

Phys Ed

All students in the Elective Rotation will be scheduled for PE as one of their Grey Block Electives.  If you are interested in a second quarter of PE, please choose “Additional PE class” as one of your top 5 classes when you register.