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. Personal Finance 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
Helpful Sites:
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, Math Remediation, Personal Finance, and Math Counts. Math Counts 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 an annual mathematics competition. 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 Standards
Helpful Sites:
www.kahnacademy.com
www.virtualnerd.com
www.ixl.com
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
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