Academics
The school requires four core classes (Math, Science, History, and English) and P.E. for each student. Also, students can choose up to four electives. However, some electives are only for a semester instead of a full year, in which case a student may take more electives.
The school offers a Choral, Band, Orchestra, and Theater program as part of its electives. Robert Zazzara heads the Band program while Mark Taylor heads the Orchestral program. Stephen Kogut heads the Choral program, while Lois Stanziani heads the Theater program. Every year, Stanziani puts on a Winter musical production, starring students who first audition for the production. The school has done such productions as The Wizard of Oz, Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, Guys and Dolls Jr., Godspell and Bye Bye Birdie. The 2006-7 school year marked the first year in which two productions (Wizard of Oz and Godspell) were done.
The school allocates the rest of its time to two brief periods: Panther Block (PB), and Sustained Silent Reading (SSR). During PB (also called TA), teachers check students' S.T.A.R. cards, deliver character education lessons, help students with organization, or teach Read to Succeed lessons. In addition to Panther Block, the school has daily fifteen minute universal sustained silent reading time at the beginning of fourth period. Students can also be seen cleaning up grounds, taking study hall or playing in musical ensembles.
Stone Middle School has traditional scheduling on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, and block scheduling on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Read more about this topic: Ormond Stone Middle School
Famous quotes containing the word academics:
“Our first line of defense in raising children with values is modeling good behavior ourselves. This is critical. How will our kids learn tolerance for others if our hearts are filled with hate? Learn compassion if we are indifferent? Perceive academics as important if soccer practice is a higher priority than homework?”
—Fred G. Gosman (20th century)
“Almost all scholarly research carries practical and political implications. Better that we should spell these out ourselves than leave that task to people with a vested interest in stressing only some of the implications and falsifying others. The idea that academics should remain “above the fray” only gives ideologues license to misuse our work.”
—Stephanie Coontz (b. 1944)