Middle Schoolers Explore Wealth of Creative Courses

Exploration is one of the tenets of the Seaford Middle School curriculum and that is fulfilled through a rich offering of exploratory classes. Students discovered the wide-range of course offerings during the Exploratory Fair on June 4 and 5.  

There are 18 exploratory classes being offered next year for seventh and eighth graders, ranging from the Viking Voice student newspaper, to Discovering Chess, to History Through Film. Students can study art, law, literature, science and engineering, the stock market and more. The courses change every quarter allowing students to take up to four each school year.  

On June 4, seventh graders roamed the cafeteria to see all of the different offerings. They spoke with students who are currently in these courses and had their questions answered while also seeing examples of work. Current sixth graders attended the fair the following day. Students then filled out sheets with their top choices to assist guidance counselors with scheduling for next year.  

Assistant Principal Joseph Polite said this was the second annual exploratory fair and the idea for it came about to give students more information on the course selections. Teachers submit proposals for exploratory classes based on their passions as well as student interests. The goal, Mr. Polite said, is to connect students and teachers on a level beyond traditional academics. It also helps students broaden their horizons to give them a more defined path in high school where they will have a wealth of elective courses.   

“We wanted our rising seventh and eighth graders to see all of the exploratory offerings that we have and see what piques their interest,” he said. “Middle school is all about discovery.”