Middle School

 The Middle School Band program provides students with a comprehensive musical experience, fostering both technical proficiency and artistic expression. Students develop fundamental skills in instrumental performance, music reading, and ensemble playing while exploring a diverse repertoire of music. Through regular rehearsals, performances, and sectional instruction, students build teamwork, discipline, and confidence. The program emphasizes the development of tone quality, rhythm, intonation, and musical interpretation, preparing students for continued success in high school and beyond

Drawing and Painting is a course that introduces students to the visual arts through the Elements of Art and Principles of Design. This course will provide opportunities to develop skills and techniques as well as strengthen critical thinking capabilities. Students will also develop skills needed to analyze and interpret the social and cultural influences in art as well as the expressive, technical and formal properties of art. Requires no art background due to the artistic structure and guidelines for creating aesthetically pleasing works of art.

Middle school physical education (PE) is designed to help students develop physical fitness, motor skills, and an understanding of teamwork and sportsmanship. The curriculum often includes a variety of activities, such as:

1. Team Sports – Basketball, soccer, volleyball, and softball help students learn about collaboration, strategy, and the importance of physical activity in a group setting.
2. Individual Sports – Activities like tennis, track and field, swimming, and gymnastics allow students to focus on personal skill development and goal setting.
3. Fitness Activities – Exercises such as running, strength training, yoga, and circuit training help students improve overall physical health and stamina.
4. Health Education – PE may also include lessons about nutrition, personal hygiene, mental health, and the importance of staying active throughout life.
5. Cooperative Games – Games and activities that promote teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills are a key part of PE, helping students build social skills and confidence.

The goal is to foster a positive attitude toward physical activity that students can carry into adulthood. PE classes also aim to help students understand how to stay active, improve their physical health, and enjoy sports and exercise.

 In this hands-on, project-based technology course, students will dive into the exciting world of programming, design, and robotics!

💻 Coding & Web Development – Learn the foundations of programming by creating interactive websites with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. Build and style web pages, add animations, and even create simple web-based games!

🎨 Design & 3D Printing – Explore the design process by bringing your ideas from concept to reality using Tinkercad and 3D printing. Create custom prototypes, solve real-world problems, and see your designs come to life!

🔌 Micro:bit & Embedded Systems – Get hands-on experience with micro:bits, small but powerful microcontrollers that allow you to code and control sensors, LED displays, and more. Build interactive projects that react to the environment!

🤖 Robotics & Autosense Applications – Step into the future with robotics! Learn how to program and control robots with autonomous sensing—watch as your robots navigate, avoid obstacles, and respond to their surroundings using real-world sensors.

This course is designed for curious minds who love to create, explore, and innovate. Whether you're a beginner or have some experience, you’ll develop problem-solving skills, creativity, and a passion for technology. By the end of the course, you’ll have an impressive portfolio of digital and physical projects to showcase your new skills.

This course is an introduction to the language and its culture.  It establishes a foundation of the Spanish language in the four skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking.  Students will be able to express themselves, understand others and function in simple everyday situations.  Basic grammar and vocabulary are taught using the communicative approach and structural analysis.  Students listen to recordings by native speakers, participate in daily speaking and listening activities, and write simple, guided sentences.

Participants will be exposed to the following dance elements in the popularized Detroit Style Ballroom partnered dancing. This activity promotes artistic expression, technique and kinesthetic awareness. The format of the class will include the following two components:

I. Basic Fundamental Steps of Ballroom Dancing-includes etiquette, initial address, Ballroom Line Dances

II. Intermediate Combinations-spins and dips, walk-arounds, promenades, etc.

1. University ChorUs grades 8-12
2. University UNIson Voices grades 6-7

The purpose of both groups is to:

•  cultivate creative mindsets by teaching and learning concepts of music theory and vocal techniques that enrich and challenge vocal performance ability and skills. 
• bring more diversity and opportunity for creativity in our academic climate.
• create a sense of community among our middle and high school scholars.
• provide another avenue for leadership growth and development.
• make room for more extracurricular performance opportunities.
• expose our scholars to the fine arts through vocal music and performance.
• challenge our scholars and staff to learn new things and develop an appreciation for performing arts.

UNIson Voices

The younger vocal group will focus on basic choral singing, mostly in unison, but including singing in cannons (singing in rounds) where listening to and for the parts of other singers while singing their own vocal part is developed. As the year progresses, students will be introduced to singing in 2 part harmony and singing in a combined choral group with the older students.

UNIson Voices singers will be taught breathing exercises and techniques, basics on how to read vocal music (score and line tracking and following), and singing using vocal dynamics and expression.  They will be exposed to age-appropriate music  from different countries and cultures and holidays and customs, as well as American children’s classics and some original pieces. Students will spend 2 years in UNIson voices before being promoted to sing with ChorUs.  Any 7th grade student who shows a high aptitude for singing may be invited on occasion to sing with ChorUs for certain special performances.  Otherwise, UNIson Voices singers will perform as a unit during Winter and Spring Concerts and for middle school programs and assemblies where they are needed or invited to perform.

University ChorUs

University Chorus is for our older vocal scholars grades 8-12 with or without prior vocal experience in UNIson Voices.  They too will focus on the basics of choral singing as well as more advance principles which will include song with expression and technical accuracy, singing music with 3-6 part vocal parts a capella (without accompaniment) and some with instrumental backing tracks, sight reading vocal scores accurately and expressively, composing original music and arranging “covers” of existing songs, and finally learning how to direct, lead, and solo for choral pieces that we perform. ChorUS will also learn microphone techniques since most of our music will be a capella. 

University ChorUs will perform during the Winter and Spring Concerts, University K-12 high school graduation, UNiversity K-12 8th grade promotional, City of Southfield events, invitational community events, and will continue to network to get more singing opportunities.

The Theatre Club provides an opportunity for scholars with an interest in performing arts to create and perform plays. This opportunity will allow scholars to develop creativity, social skills, and confidence. Scholars will

 spend time learning and performing different acting techniques and activities through individual and group stage activities, games, and improvisation.

The Middle School Drumline program provides students with an engaging and dynamic percussion experience, focusing on rhythm, coordination, and ensemble performance. Students develop essential drumming techniques, stick control, and musicality while learning cadences, warm-ups, and full ensemble pieces. The program emphasizes teamwork, discipline, and leadership through rehearsals and performances at school events, concerts, and community functions.

The Middle School Jazz Band introduces students to the exciting world of jazz through performance, improvisation, and stylistic interpretation. Students develop technical proficiency on their instruments while exploring jazz standards, swing, blues, Latin, and funk styles. The program emphasizes creativity, ear training, and ensemble cohesion, encouraging students to experiment with improvisation and soloing. Through rehearsals and performances at school and community events, students build confidence, teamwork, and a deeper appreciation for jazz as an art form.

The Middle School Rubik’s Cube Club is a fun and engaging space where students develop problem-solving skills, critical thinking, and perseverance through the challenge of solving the Rubik’s Cube and other twisty puzzles. Members learn solving techniques, including beginner and advanced methods, while improving speed, accuracy, and pattern recognition. The club fosters a collaborative and supportive environment where students can compete in friendly challenges, participate in team-solving events, and explore the mathematical and strategic aspects of cubing. Whether a beginner or an experienced solver, all students are welcome to join and improve their skills.

Our MS Girls Who Code club is a program designed to inspire and educate girls in computer science. Girls are provided coding skills and a supportive community, aiming to close the gender gap in the technology field. Young women are empowered to pursue careers in tech through hands-on learning and mentorship.

Key points about Girls Who Code clubs:

• Focus on closing the gender gap:
  The primary purpose is to encourage more girls to enter the tech industry by providing them with accessible coding education and a supportive network. 
• Accessible to all levels:
  Clubs cater to girls of various coding experience levels, offering beginner-friendly introductions to programming concepts. 
• Curriculum and activities:
  The curriculum includes hands-on coding projects, learning about inspiring female tech leaders, building problem-solving skills, and exploring different aspects of computer science. 
• Community building:
  Clubs foster a sense of community among participants, allowing them to connect with peers and mentors who share their interest in technology.

Coming Soon!