Departments

We cover the following levels of Mathematics:

• Math 6
• Math 7
• Math 7A
• Math 8
• Math 8A

Math 6

Math 7 A grade level course designed to provide students with a strong mathematical foundation to meet 6th grade Common Core Math Standards. Areas of focus include (1) Ratios and Proportional Relationships; (2) The Number System; (3) Expressions and Equations; (4) Geometry; and (5) Statistics and probability. Successful completion of this course will prepare students for Math 7.

Math 6

A grade level course designed to provide students with a strong mathematical foundation to meet 7th grade Common Core Math Standards. Areas of focus include (1) developing understanding of and applying proportional relationships; (2) developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear equations; (3) solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and working with two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; and (4) drawing inferences about populations based on samples. Successful completion of this course will prepare students for Math 8.

Math 7A

Prerequisites: A or B in Math 6 or equivalent course. 

This is a rigorous course that covers all of the Common Core 7th grade Math Standards and part of the Common Core 8th grade Math Standards. The four critical areas from Common Core 7th grade math standards are: (1) developing understanding of and applying proportional relationships; (2) developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear equations; (3) solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and working with two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; and (4) drawing inferences about populations based on samples. It will also cover one of the three critical areas from Common Core 8th grade math standards: (1) formulating and reasoning about expressions and equations, including modeling an association in bivariate data with a linear equation, and solving linear equations and systems of linear equations. The curriculum moves at an accelerated pace and with a more concentrated focus.

Math 8

A grade level course designed to provide students with a strong mathematical foundation to meet 8th grade Common Core Math Standards. Areas of focus include (1) formulating and reasoning about expressions and equations, including modeling an association in bivariate data with a linear equation, and solving linear equations and systems of linear equations; (2) grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationship; and (3) analyzing two- and three- dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity, and congruence, and understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem. Successful completion of this course will prepare students for Algebra 1.

Math 8A

Prerequisites: A or B in Math 7A or equivalent course. 

This is a rigorous course that covers parts of the Common Core 8th grade Math Standards and all of the Common Core Algebra I standards. It will cover two of the three focus areas from Common Core 8th grade content standards: (2) grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationships and (3) analyzing two- and three-dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity, and congruence, and understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem. Students will cover all Algebra I standards focusing on the four critical areas: (1) deepen and extend understanding of linear and exponential relationships; (2) contrast linear and exponential relationships with each other and engage in methods for analyzing, solving, and using quadratic functions; (3) extend the laws of exponents to square and cube roots; and (4) summarize, represent, and interpret categorical and quantitative data that exhibit a linear trend. Successful completion of Math 7A and Math 8A is equivalent to successful completion of 7th Grade math standards, 8th grade math standards, Algebra I standards, and prepares students for Geometry.

 

We cover the following levels of Language Arts:

• 6th grade ELA
• 6th grade ELA Honors
• 6th grade Reading
• 6th grade Reading Honors
• 7th grade ELA
• 7th grade ELA Honors
• 7th grade Reading
• 7th grade Reading Honors
• 8th grade ELA
• 8th grade ELA Honors
• 8th grade Reading
• 8th grade Reading Honors

Reading

A grade level course designed to prepare students to read widely from a broad range of high-quality, increasingly challenging literary and informational texts. Students will acquire the habits of reading independently and closely.

Reading Honors

Reading Honors courses will provide students with a rigorous curriculum that teaches to the same standards as the Reading courses. At the honors level, however, extended learning activities will require students to increase their use of critical thinking skills to include analysis, synthesis, and problem solving. The curriculum moves at an accelerated pace and with a more concentrated focus.

Language Arts

A grade level course designed to address the Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Literacy. The individual performance standards at these grade levels define competencies for each grade level and will gauge the degree to which a student has met the overall content standards. Instruction will include: vocabulary; expository and informational text; literature; writing; listening and speaking.

Language Arts Honors

Language Arts Honors courses will provide students with a rigorous curriculum that teaches to the same standards as the Language Arts courses. At the honors level, however, extended learning activities will require students to increase their use of critical thinking skills to include analysis, synthesis, and problem solving. The curriculum moves at an accelerated pace with a more concentrated focus.

 

We cover the following level of history:

• 6th grade Social Studies
• 7th grade Social Studies
• 8th grade Social Studies

Social Studies 6 

A grade level course designed to address the California State Standards for Social Studies. This course will  introduce students to the study of geography, culture, and history that ushered in the dawn of the major Western and non-Western ancient civilizations.  Students will cover a general study of physical and human geography terms and concepts, with an emphasis on exploring how physical features impact people. 

Social Studies 7

A grade level course designed to address the California State Standards for Social Studies. This course will focus on the social, cultural, and technological changes that occurred in Europe, Africa, and Asia during the years 500–1789 A.D. Students learn how the contributions of previous civilizations have affected later civilizations, and how the modern world has its roots in the past. Geographic literacy, organizational skills, critical thinking, and language arts are emphasized along with social science concepts. 

Social Studies 8

A grade level course designed to address the California State Standards for Social Studies. This course will focus on the ideas, issues, and events from colonial time,  framing of the Constitution up to World War I. Considerable emphasis is placed upon the study of government, the Constitution, and a citizen’s responsibilities within a democracy. Geographic literacy, organizational skills, critical thinking, and language arts continue to receive emphasis.

 

We cover the following levels of Science:

• 6th grade Science - Earth Science
• 7th Grade Science - Life Science
• 8th Grade Science - Physical Science

6th Grade Science:

A grade level course designed to be an introductory lab course for the 6th grade science curriculum. Students will be introduced to science processing skills through hands-on laboratory activities, problem-solving situations, open-ended investigations, and cooperative/collaborative work. The emphasis will be on the study of transformations of energy and matter, the role of the sun’s energy on the Earth’s systems, water in the environment, air and atmosphere, and basic chemistry concepts. A unit in Family Life is also included as part of the curriculum

7th Grade Science:

A grade level course designed to be an introductory lab course for the 7th grade science curriculum. Students will be introduced to science processing skills through hands-on laboratory activities, problem-solving situations, open-ended investigations, and cooperative/collaborative work. The emphasis will be on the life sciences with a continuation of the study of the physical sciences in the 8th grade. The topics in the 7th grade may include: The Structural Organization of Organisms, Genetics, The Diversity of Species, Earth and Life History, Structure and Function in Living Systems, Physical Principles in Living Systems, and Scientific Process. A unit in Family Life is also included as part of the curriculum.

8th Grade Science

A grade-level course designed to be an introductory course lab course for the 8th-grade science curriculum. Students will be introduced to science processing skills through hands-on laboratory activities, problem-solving situations, open-ended investigations, and cooperative/collaborative work. The emphasis will be on the Physical Sciences as preparation for 9th-grade science. The standards include: safety, measurement, scientific method, the structure of matter, the periodic table, reactions, chemistry of living systems, forces, motions, electromagnetic spectrum, waves, and density and buoyancy. A unit in Family Life is also included as part of the curriculum.

 

PE Combo

Students will study and practice the science and art of human movement. Through physical education, individuals learn to perform the motor skills necessary in everyday living, as well as the skills needed for a lifetime of physical activity. Within the physical education program, students will be required to study, research, and perform a variety of these lifetime activities. They will develop and maintain sound physiological functions through vigorous muscular activity and will increase their appreciation of movement while developing greater physical self awareness. Students may be expected to use information literacy and technology literacy skills to complete physical education assignments. 

Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and the motor skills and movement patterns needed to perform a variety of physical activities. They will develop strategies that apply to learning and improving physical performance and fitness. All students will be tested for individual fitness levels at the beginning and towards the end of the year using state mandated testing procedures. Students will participate in activities that build physical fitness and use graphs to analyze progress and improvements towards individual goals. Physical Education will provide every student with the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of the basic health, and sports related  components. Students will be required to identify specific exercises to improve each of the health related components and set realistic goals to improve each. All students will participate in both small and large groups to better develop the social and team concepts and strategies that will allow them to function in today’s society. 

Program Overview

Our WSD Spanish Dual Language Immersion Program integrates native English speaking and Spanish speaking, English language learning students in the same classroom and provides academic instruction through two languages, one of which is the primary language of each group (Spanish and English). The students will spend 50% of their day in English and 50% of their day in Spanish. The students learn a second language while they are learning content, which is very different than how most of us learned a second language. Many of us do not remember our second language, because we learned it out of context and in isolation (for example conjugating Spanish verbs). Students learn English Language Arts, Math and Science in English.  They learn Spanish Language Arts and Social Studies in Spanish.  

The goals and research based benefits of dual language immersion are bilingualism, biliteracy, cultural proficiency, global citizenship, academic achievement in all subject areas, 21st century skills, increased family involvement and the Seal of Biliteracy Pathway Award attainment at third, fifth, and eighth grades (with the ultimate goal of the student graduating with the California Department of Education formally recognized Seal of Biliteracy on their high school diploma).