Career & Technology Foundations & Fine Arts

Students are asked to select 6 courses. Of these 6, students will receive 4 for next year. ONLY French and Band are given priority, if students select these they will be enrolled in these courses.  All other courses are randomly placed in a students’ schedule by our scheduling program.  Note:  Band and French are full year and fill two spots each.  

These courses are offered based on student interest and teacher availability. 

Art 8                                                                                                               

Course Fee: $30

In this course, students will expand their technical proficiency in the visual arts by demonstrating their skills in contour rendering, texture application as well as including lights and darks in their work. Students will demonstrate thoughtful decision making by creating compositions that include a background, middle ground, and foreground in addition to including overlapped and underlapped imagery in their work.  Students will work with a variety of tools and mediums. With respect to the design component of the course, students utilize the design tools to create their own templates and motifs as well as learn how to balance, create space, differentiate between geometric and organic imagery as well as apply accurate measurements to their design work.

Band (Instrumental Music) 8 

Instrument Rental Fee: $100

Students will play either a woodwind, brass, or percussion instrument throughout the year while exploring and improving skills and knowledge related to theoretical, historical, and technical aspects of music.  Optional Field Trips with associated costs. 

CTF Human Services 8

This course is fun and well-balanced to prepare students for work and life beyond school. It will cover budgeting, investing, strategies to save money, passions/hobbies that students can share, strategies for marketing and advertising, as well as new crypto trends. Students will have the opportunity to discuss a variety of career paths and wellness strategies in order to maintain a balance with work and daily life. A variety of guest speakers will be invited to come and share their careers with students as well.

CTF Communication Technology 8                                                            

Course Fee: $30

Discover and develop skills to use computers to relay a message in a variety of ways. In this course we will use inquiry and design thinking to learn about photography, spreadsheets, website building and some computer programming.

CTF Construction 8                                                                                      

Course Fee: $30

In Construction, students will develop their knowledge and skills in designing and building products. They will work through the design process in both collaborative and individual settings, while learning to use both traditional woodworking hand tools and machinery to bring their ideas to life. Grade 8 Students will have the opportunity to advance their skills using available hand tools and machinery while collaborating to resolve a design challenge.

CTF Design Studies 8 (Computer /Technology studies)                           

Course Fee: $30

In Design studies, students will develop their skills in designing and building products in response to challenges. They will plan, create and test prototypes they produce using a 3D printer, laser cutter and robotic components. Grade 8 students will be given the opportunity to work collaboratively while working to overcome a series of design challenges.

CTF Foods 8                                                                                                  

Course Fee: $30

Students will learn kitchen safety and etiquette, develop basic culinary skills and explore nutrition and some of the various careers in the food industry.  After completing a kitchen safety orientation, students will start off their food journey with creating snacks from simple recipes.  From there they will venture into working with more complex main and dessert recipes.  They then progress to a hands-on group project where they will demonstrate their skills and share their knowledge with classmates as they lead the class in a recipe of their choosing.  Following the project, nutrition and careers will be researched and discussed. 

CTF Resources 8                                                                  

Course Fee: $10 + Field Trip Fees

Students will learn about the conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.  Students will develop motivation and commitment to work towards the conservation and responsible use of air, energy, forests, land, water, and wildlife through experiential learning

Drama 8                                                                                                         

Course Fee: $10

This course will expand and deepen the students’ skills as actors and is for those interested in developing and performing on stage. Students will explore how to create well-rounded characters and will work on developing a strong voice projection. Memorizing and performing scenes in front of others is a skill that is developed in this course. Students will discover how the use of costumes, props, and set pieces enhances a scene.  Theatre history is infused into this course helping students to read and think critically while reading scripts of a historical nature. Students will experience the genres of comedy, tragedy, and musical theatre throughout the semester. 

French as a Second Language 8

Students learn to understand and respond to oral and written language in French. Each class, students will learn and practice skills associated with speaking and writing in French, including understanding the grammar, pronunciation, and culture associated with the language. Major areas of focus in Grade 8 include vocabulary associated with Animals, Food, Clothing, and Holidays/Celebrations.  Optional Field Trip to Quebec offered. 

Leadership/ Service 8

Student leadership and service development is integral to developing positive school culture, that teaches students the power of collaborative teams, and that focuses on the betterment of communities. These leadership and service experiences help students to understand that leadership includes both the ability to lead and to follow. At the grade 8 level, students will apply the concepts and skills of leadership.

Music 8 

This is a general music course in which students learn about and create music. Students will compose and record songs on iPads, create instrumental (djembe, ukulele, recorder) and vocal music, develop critical listening skills, and learn about music theory. Students will build on understandings of rhythm, melody and harmony explored in Music 7. This one-semester course is distinguished from Instrumental Music (Band) in that it is not as performance and instrument based. This is a great option for students who would like to do music but are not interested in Band, or for students in Band who would like extra music opportunities.