Preparing our Students for High School, College, and Career
Administration and faculty at A. E. Phillips are purposeful in preparing all students for college and career. Graduates of A. E. Phillips are proven to be successful in further chapters of their education. Many are leaders in their high schools and colleges. Student leadership is a quality that is intentionally fostered in students from a young age. Service and leadership opportunities are provided for middle school students through participation in the Student Council and National Junior Honor Society. Middle school electives are purposefully designed to foster leadership as well. Entrepreneurship and Public Speaking are examples of courses that have been included to prepare students for their future.
Sixth grade students have the opportunity to apply for an accelerated math tract. Students that qualify for the tract have the opportunity to accelerate their learning. These students take sixth, seventh, and eighth grade math, as well as Algebra I for high school credit, in their 8th grade year. This allows students to take advanced math courses in high school. Gaining this credit in eighth grade opens student schedules to other courses of interest. All 8th graders participate in a job shadowing experience, of their choice, with professionals within the local community. The administration and faculty is continually assessing how to support student growth and well-being as well as inspire leadership and service among students as they prepare for the next chapter in their education.
English
In all grades at A. E. Phillips, teachers encourage reading, simply for the love and enjoyment of reading. Teachers and the school librarian work diligently to connect students with books they will enjoy. Sixth through eighth grade teachers use the Louisiana Guidebooks to teach students to read, understand, and express their understanding of complex, grade-level, texts of various genres. Understanding is expressed through class discussions and writing for various purposes. Teachers support students in thinking critically and learning to assess their own writing. Along with the Louisiana Guidebooks, students in sixth through eighth grade also receive small group instruction on specific skills, based on individual needs of the students. Teachers use the data gathered from assessments to guide instruction.
AEP Middle School English Syllabus
AEP Middle School English Standards
6th Grade Summer Reading List
7th Grade Summer Reading List
8th Grade Summer Reading List
Helpful Site:
Accelerated Reader Bookfinder
Math
All middle school students are taught using the Agile Minds curriculum. Students at A. E. Phillips are taught math on one of two tracts; the accelerated tract or the traditional math tract. Students going into sixth grade are able to apply for the accelerated tract. The accelerated math tract begins in sixth grade and allows students to complete sixth through eighth grade math standards by the end of their seventh grade year. This allows for these students to complete Algebra I in 8th grade, for high school credit.
The other option is a traditional tract for our sixth through eighth grade students. In both tracts, daily reviews support the curriculum. The daily reviews help students master skills and solidify their foundation of mathematical knowledge. Middle School students are offered math elective choices such as Geometry, Statistics, Next Level Math, and Mathcounts. Mathcounts is a course that allows students to learn advanced math concepts and skills, taught by volunteer math professors from Louisiana Tech University. Students participating in this course have the opportunity to compete in annual middle school mathematics competitions. Faculty at A. E. Phillips desire to inspire a love for mathematics and a confidence in students by supporting students in building a solid mathematical foundation.
AEP Middle School Accelerated Math Syllabus
AEP Middle School Traditional Math Syllabus
AEP Middle School Math Standard
Helpful Sites:
Khan Academy
Virtual Nerd
IXL
Science
Students at A. E. Phillips discover science through hands-on investigations and experiments while deepening their knowledge of science in the real world. Middle school students are taught using the OpenSciEd curriculum, a Tier 1 rated curriculum by the Louisiana Department of Education. In whole-group, small-group, and partner work, students make scientific claims and back those claims with evidence from their science knowledge and experiments. Enrichment opportunities are provided as well. Seventh grade students participate in the local science fair, and students are able to take Science Olympiad, as an elective, and compete in science competitions. Teachers are able to assess student understanding, informally, through observations and discussions, while investigations are occuring in the classroom. Students are formally assessed through quizzes and tests and demonstrate their understanding through classroom projects and writing.
6th Grade Science Unit Overview
7th Grade Science Unit Overview
8th Grade Science Unit Overview
AEP Middle School Science Syllabus
AEP Science Fair Handbook
Social Studies
Social studies is an essential part of the A. E. Phillips middle school instructional day. The faculty and staff at A. E. Phillips desire for students to become effective participants in America’s democratic society and productive citizens in their community. The Louisiana Department of Education has provided the curriculum for social studies and addresses subjects of history, geography, economics, and civics. Along with this curriculum, teachers also use a variety of tools such as primary sources, and technology to teach social studies standards. Inquiry, research, and discussion are key instructional methods. Social studies teachers realize that learners benefit from having a variety of perspectives. Guest speakers, such as leaders in the community and state, are invited to speak to students of all ages. Characteristics of good citizenship are emphasized and integrated throughout the entire school day. Service opportunities are provided as well.
At A. E. Phillips, middle school English language arts teachers also teach social studies because of the integration of these two subjects. Analyzing content, annotating information, evaluating claims, and understanding cause and effect relationships are just some of the skills that social studies and English language arts share. Students are assessed similarly to English language arts. Students are expected to think critically as they read and write for social studies. School wide events, such as the annual Patriot Day program and celebration of Veterans’ Day also serve as teaching opportunities of American History.
8th Grade Social Studies Syllabus
AEP Middle School Social Studies Standards
6th Grade Elective Descriptions 2024-2025
6th Grade Play (6th Grade)
Mrs. Miller, and Mrs. Hearn
What a great event to bring in the holiday season. The 6th grade play is a holiday celebration with music, which teaches students stage presence, acting, singing, dancing and so much more. This is a great opportunity for students to be introduced to a large production in costumes, music and acting.
Intro to Mathcounts (6th Grade)
Mr. Rivera & LaTech Math Team
This course is an introduction to Mathcounts to help students excited about one of AEP’s oldest and best academic clubs. This course will introduce 6th graders to basic Mathcounts skills and concepts that will be essential when participating in the Mathcounts Competition Series as 7th & 8th graders. Concepts that will be covered will be divisibility rules, GCM, LCM, factorials, perfect squares, perfect cubes, and equations of a line, to name a few.
Science Olympiad (6th Grade)
Mrs. Blount
Science Olympiad is a science-based academic competition. During this elective, students will engage in a sample of a few Olympiad events. Science Olympiad content supports middle school science standards and allows students to practice fun STEM skills like cryptography. Students are encouraged to join the AEP Science Olympiad team, but are not required to join. Students will prepare for competition during this elective time. AEP Science Olympiad teams will compete in the Louisiana Tech Invitational competition one Saturday in January.
6th Grade Statistics (6th Grade)
Mrs. Pipes
Statistics are the sets of mathematical equations that we use to analyze data. Stats keep us informed about what is happening in the world around us. In this course, students will take an in depth look at 6th Grade Statistics which are required by the Louisiana Department of Education. Topics include statistical variability, and summarizing and describing distributions.
Public Speaking/Communication (6th Grade)
Mrs. Williams
The goal of this course is for students to gain skills, experience, and confidence when speaking in public. Students will learn public speaking tips and techniques, as well as gain experience by giving brief speeches, for a variety of purposes, and for a variety of audiences.
7th and 8th Grade Elective Descriptions 2024-2025
Cursive with a Purpose (7th & 8th Grade)
Mrs. Wynne
In this course, students will learn how to write in cursive. Then students will apply their cursive writing skills to create thank you letters, write persuasive paragraphs, create letters for various purposes, and for a variety of audiences.
Journalism (7th & 8th Grade)
Mrs. Slocum
In this course, students will step into the world of journalism and graphic design as they prepare and publish Middle School Newsletters each nine-week period. They will learn to gather information on happenings at A. E. Phillips to share with the student body. Students will write articles and gather photos and graphics to include in the newsletter that will inform and engage all of their readers while using Canva to help produce a visually appealing product. This is a great opportunity for students to get creative and have fun sharing information with students and parents about the awesome things happening with our AEP Middle School Bullpups!
The Study of US History Documents (7th Grade)
Mrs. Wynne
Students will explore and dig deeper into United States documents within 7th grade standards that were monumental in our history. While using a variety of sources, students will dissect the documents and important events that occurred concurrently. This course will involve students analyzing documents, political cartoons, letters and other primary sources through project-based learning and group discussions. Students will also take a field trip to the North Louisiana Military Museum to observe artifacts from the Civil War to the current day.
The Study of US History Documents (8th Grade)
Mrs. Wynne
Students will explore and dig deeper into United States documents within 8th grade standards that were monumental in our history. While using a variety of sources, students will dissect the documents and important events that occurred concurrently. This course will involve students analyzing documents, political cartoons, letters, and other primary sources through project-based learning and group discussions. Students will also take a field trip to the North Louisiana Military Museum to observe artifacts from the Civil War to the current day.
Intermediate Art (7th Grade)
Mrs. Clary
The 7th grade students will develop an understanding of how to incorporate the elements and principles of design into their artwork. They will also be taught more advanced skills using color theory, mixing colors, along with shading and highlighting. More advanced drawing skills will be developed through drawing with direction and direct observation, such as a still life. This class will also encourage creativity and personal expression while focusing on basic skills and techniques. The end of the year will consist of an art show to display their work.
Advanced Art (8th Grade)
Mrs. Clary
This class encourages personal expression, while developing creativity through exploring different art materials, methods, and techniques. The students will use a variety of media through drawing, painting, printmaking, and perspective drawing. Students will learn principles of color theory, 3D art form, and art history. This class will also focus on composition and critical thinking skills. The end of the year will consist of an art show for students to display their work. Also, local artists will be invited to share their work, profession, and careers with the students. For example: studio artists, and professional artists in graphic design, architecture, photography and watercolor.
Music Theory & Songwriting (7th & 8th Grade)
Mrs. Miller
In this course, students will be working on building their music theory knowledge. They will learn how to read music, what basic chord structures look and sound like, as well as songwriting fundamentals. At the end of the 9 weeks, students will have written their own song and will be able to understand how the songwriting process works and the theory behind it.
8th Grade Play (8th Grade)
Mrs. Miller, Mrs. Hearn, & Mrs. Wick
In a matter of about eight weeks, the 8th grade class at AEP successfully put on a full Broadway Jr. performance at the Ruston Dixie theater. This is an amazing opportunity for students to learn teamwork, stage presence, and build confidence. Students are required to memorize character lines, dances, singing and so much more.
Bullpup Broadcast (7th & 8th Grade)
Mrs. Postel
This high level course is designed to give students hands-on experience with producing a school news show for video broadcasting on a bi-weekly schedule. Students are responsible for visual and technical aspects of news broadcasting and journalism. Broadcasts include world news, entertainment, campus news, sports, and school interviews, featuring personalities from our AEP Bullpups.
Yearbook (7th Grade)
Mrs. Postel
Yearbook elective is a class where students help design the AEP yearbook. Students must be driven and willing to help build the inclusion of all classes in the yearbook. As the yearbook is designed, the students will learn how to use templates and insert and edit photos.
Entrepreneurship (7th & 8th Grade)
Mrs. Ketchum
Foundations in Entrepreneurship is a digital curriculum that features video lessons by Dave Ramsey and his team of business experts. The curriculum covers essential business topics and allows students the opportunity to develop a business idea through project-based learning over the course of the 9 weeks period.
Mathcounts Competition Series (7th & 8th Grade)
Mr. Rivera & LaTech Math Team
The Mathcounts Competition Series, is a nationally recognized competitive math program for middle school students. It is designed to help students develop their problem-solving skills, math knowledge, and critical/logical thinking skills. Students will have the opportunity to participate in several math competitions during the year and learn from LaTech math professors.
Next Level 8th Grade Math (8th Grade Only)
Mrs. Kelly
In Next Level 8th Grade Math, students will master the Pythagorean Theorem, Scientific Notation, and Exponential Notation, which are all requirements for 8th grade math. This will create a solid mathematical foundation for 8th grade math and future subjects such as Algebra I, and Geometry.
8th Grade Geometry (8th Grade)
Mrs. Kelly
This course is designed to take an in-depth look at transformations, which is a requirement for 8th grade math and a prerequisite for Geometry in high school. Students will be able to better understand congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, or geometry software.
7th Grade Statistics (7th Grade)
Dr. Joseph
Statistics are the sets of mathematical equations that we use to analyze data. Stats keep us informed about what is happening in the world around us. In this course, students will take an in-depth look at 7th grade statistics which are required by the Louisiana Department of Education. Topics include an in-depth look at measures of central tendency, probability and random sampling.
Advanced Geometry (8th Grade Accelerated)
Dr. Joseph
This course is designed to take an advanced look at transformations, which is a requirement for 8th grade math and a prerequisite for Geometry in high school. Students will be able to better understand congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, or geometry software. This course is a required elective for 8th Grade Accelerated students only.
Next Level Pre-Algebra (7th Grade)
Mrs. Pipes
In Next Level Pre-Algebra, students will master computation and problem-solving with rational numbers, i.e., fractions, decimals, and percents, as part of the process of algebra readiness - preparing for 7th Grade Math. This creates a solid mathematical foundation for future subjects such as 8th Grade Math, Algebra I, and Geometry.
Middle School Policies
AEP Middle School Homework Policy
AEP Middle School Disciplinary Policy
AEP Middle School Bulletins
August & September 2022
October 2022
November & December 2022
January 2023
February 2023
March & April 2023
May 2023