Eighth Grade: Stand Up, Speak Out, Take on the World

The final year of middle school is the time when girls grow into their identities beyond JMSG. Course content takes on real-world dimensions, with the humanities focusing on topics in U.S. history and literature, math bridging to high school, and a signature leadership course called GO GIRL: Girls Out Getting Involved in Real Life raising girls’ consciousness of social justice issues. Once again, the fall overnight trip is a bonding experience, and girls return from their whitewater rafting experience and campfire ritual revved up and ready to be their best selves in the final year of JMSG. Girls take our expectations for using their voices to heart: the most common goal that students bring up during eighth grade report card conferences is to increase their participation in class and self-advocacy with teachers before heading off to high school. Leadership training becomes more explicit, as girls are challenged to speak publicly at regular intervals including leading our all-school meetings, conducting filmed mock interviews for high school, delivering persuasive speeches in English, and presenting more often in front of classes. Concurrently, optional leadership opportunities emerge: admission ambassadors, community activity leaders (school spirit and service group), and teaching assistants for JMSG Girls Summer Camp.

By spring, the Invention Convention, the most ambitious group project yet, invites teams of girls to engage in a design-thinking process to imagine and build a solution to a real-world problem. It is the moment to flex and display their creative ingenuity, collaborative approach, and presentation skills cultivated over the past three years. The JMSG experience culminates in graduation, a one-of-a-kind ceremony performed entirely by the girls, with adults visible only for the presentation of diplomas. Each girl takes center stage for one final moment as a JMSG student--to speak her truth about her middle school years and her hopes for the future. And it becomes apparent just how prepared the girls have become to follow their personal paths into the world.

Arts Elective

After two years of broad exposure to the visual and performing arts, eighth graders choose elective courses that give a deep dive into specialized areas. Courses run half the year with offerings that allow for more focused skill development, collaboration, and creation of a polished product.

English: American, English, and Classical Literature

Eighth grade English focuses on learning about different voices in American, English, and classical literature. We also develop each student's analytical skills and personal voice through reading, writing, speaking, and listening. We read novels, short fiction, essays, dramatic works, and poetry from a variety of periods and explore the intersections of identity and culture through literature. In addition to curated outside reading selections each trimester, the class reads together: The Diary of Anne Frank, Medea, The Crucible, and To Kill a Mockingbird. Girls develop the practice of annotation, close reading, critical thinking, and clear and concise writing. Furthermore, they employ a number of evaluative tools to make their learning experiences more enjoyable and meaningful.

GO GIRL (Girls Out Getting Involved in Real Life)

GO GIRL is a year-long service learning and leadership course designed for students to explore social justice issues in depth and to engage their sense of personal power. This includes planning and implementing active work in the community. By doing research, writing, public presentation, group collaboration, and experiential learning, girls will develop skills and self-confidence to be leaders in the JMSG community and the larger world.

History: United States History

Students learn to be hands-on investigators of United States history as we delve into different themes. Class begins by studying the original native cultures in America. Put into groupings based on America’s geographical regions, girls research traditional Native American lifestyles, produce a group slideshow presentation, and create an art project that embodies Native American spirituality. Next, the class explores the founding of the American colonies by European nations and their impact on Native Americans and the African slaves imported to work there. The class watches and discusses the first two episodes of the classic TV series, Roots. Students then learn about the Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, and the inception of American government. They study the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and write an historical fiction piece as a character living in 1787 who must decide if she or he approves of the newly proposed federal government. The class continues learning how America grew through industrialization, the addition of westward territories, and social reform movements. The next significant periods studied are the Civil War and Reconstruction. As the country heals, modernization and immigration increase. The girls research and write an essay on their personal family history before coming to America, their journey to America, and experiences after settling here. Finally, students explore imperialism and America's world domination in an expanding global economy. Throughout the year, students continue to challenge themselves with the following questions: What does it mean to be an American with respect to democracy, freedom, diversity, discrimination, leadership, and change? How have the challenges and victories that our ancestors encountered helped to shape the events of today?

Math: Algebra I

Eighth grade mathematics finishes a comprehensive, advanced-level Algebra I course aligned with the California common core standards. In this high school level course, students learn the fundamental concepts and skills involved in simplifying expressions and solving equations. This course emphasizes the logical reasoning behind algebraic rules and relationships, as well as their application. Students use IXL, an adaptive software for practicing discrete skills, and Desmos, a program with online graphing activities to study linear and quadratic functions providing exploration of patterns of these functions. The students develop problem-solving skills, reasoning and communicating effectively, and uncovering the “why” behind the “how.” The class focuses on understanding new material by using investigative and hands-on activities, offering opportunities to collaborate with classmates, and enabling girls to engage in robust class discussions.

Physical Education

The focus for 8th grade PE is to inspire girls to take more ownership in developing personal fitness goals, build leadership skills, and grow in their awareness and implementation of strategies in fitness or sports. Eighth graders will have the opportunity to elect courses one day a week. Additionally, regular weekly classes will focus on exposing girls to less traditional sports and providing opportunities for students to test their limits and challenge themselves physically.

RISE - Resilience, Identities, Self Awareness & Empathy

JMSG supports girls in developing their emotional intelligence and social skills through a weekly social and emotional learning class. The goal of RISE is to provide an atmosphere of trust within our community of girls, in which they can learn essential life skills, voice their feelings in a productive and safe way, and hear those feelings acknowledged by peers and teachers. RISE encourages girls to explore their choices, develop a strong sense of self, recognize similarities, and respect each other’s differences. Drawing on a combination of discussion, role-playing, videos, hands-on activities, and guest speakers, the classes will cover a number of relevant topics, including communication, diversity, gender, body image, sex education, and mental health. While topics may be similar in each grade, the RISE curriculum uses developmentally age-appropriate materials for each level.

Science: Physical Sciences

The goal of eighth grade physical science is to provide students with a basic understanding of fundamental scientific concepts, encourage thoughtful scientific inquiry through use of the scientific method, and inspire girls to be curious about the world around them. We cover a wide range of topics in both physics and chemistry, including motion, force, energy, the nature of matter, and chemical reactions. Emphasis is placed on hands-on activities, experimentation, and collaborative creative projects. Invention Convention is an eighth grade culminating interdisciplinary project in which students use the concepts they have learned throughout their three years at JMSG to create an invention of their own design. They program robots and use power tools while developing and building a functional invention. Every student plays an important role in making an idea come to life. Their confidence increases as they prepare to present their inventions to the community at the annual all-school event.

Spanish

Eighth graders are in their culminating year of JMSG's three-year Spanish program. While it is an immersion-based classroom with a focus on communicative competence, importance is also given to the academic study of language, linguistics, and culture.

STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art/Design, Math)

STEAM is a hands-on, cross-discipline class involving science, technology, engineering, art/design, and math. The course encourages collaboration and innovation, while developing communication and problem-solving skills. Through projects and activities, students are exposed to STEAM-related career opportunities. In practice, they learn the value of the Engineering Design Process—planning carefully and using failures as a springboard to continually improving their design. The year culminates in our Invention Convention where teams of girls will present a working prototype of their invention and the science, technology, engineering, art, and math concepts behind their novel idea.