Exploratory

As a Catholic school in the Ignatian tradition, St. Joseph School is philosophically committed to the holistic development of each unique child. St. Joseph School believes that in order to prepare our students for the 21st century, they need to develop the ability to synthesize, evaluate, and reason; abilities which are attained by studying a rich curriculum in math, literature, science, history, geography, music and art.
We provide a middle level curriculum that is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevant. Our Exploratory program, offered to students in grades seven and eight compliments the academic program and allows our students to more deeply explore a topic or subject.
We are excited to offer our students the following choices to our middle school students. Classes are scheduled Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday from 2:10 – 3:00 p.m.
At the end of each trimester, students’ work will be showcased at an evening “Celebration of Learning" (COL).
Courses
- Art
- Choir
- Dance
- Drama 1 - Drama Performance
- Drama 2 - Evening of Entertainment
- Life Skills New!
- MakerSpace New!
- Music Production
- Running New!
- Rock Band
- STEAM in Action
- Street Law and Justice
- Technology
Art
Choir
Dance
Drama 1 - Drama Performance
Drama 2 - Evening of Entertainment
Life Skills New!
MakerSpace New!
Music Production
Running New!
Rock Band
STEAM in Action
Street Law and Justice
Technology
Exploratory Teacher Bios
Darcy Carlsen
Robert Carroll, Ph.D
Jake Crocker
ENROLLMENT
In the first week of the school year, 7th and 8th grade students and their teachers will attend an Exploratory assembly put on by the Exploratory teachers. Each teacher will describe his/her class offering(s) for the year. Students will also receive an updated Exploratory brochure the first week and should review the offerings with their parents. The day after the assembly, students will list their choices, 1-10. We will make every effort to place students in their top choices, with 8th grade students getting priority each year.
If you have any questions please email Darcy Carlsen.
Grading
The grading policy for exploratory classes is based on the following 4 skills:
Participation |
Work completion |
Behavior |
Working in groups |
Students will receive a grade of "O" (outstanding), "S" (satisfactory), or "N" (needs improvement). Teachers will go over the grading rubric with students the first week of classes.
If you have any questions please email Mary Helen Bever, Middle School Director.