• Choir
    Students will learn to read and perform choral music. Students will learn how to use their voices as instruments. Each class begins with a mini-voice lesson and includes instruction in reading music. Students gain confindence by performing in concerts and competitions throughout the year.
     
    Art
    Students will gain experience and scratch board techniques, mirror etching, sand art, design, plaster wrap, and clay sculpture. They will also learn drawing skills, shading techniques and two-point perspectives. Students will work in a sketchbook to further develop their creativity and imagination.
     
    Theater Arts
    This course is designed for students to learn basic acting skills such as improvisation, characterization, preparing a role in stage movement. They are guided through the production process from rehearsal to backstage crews including making the scenery.
     
    Spanish I — This constitutes a high school credit. This course provides an introduction to the five "C"s: communication, connections, comparisons, culture, and communities. All students will take a mid-term and final exam that counts 20% of their total grade.
    AP Spanish - This course prepares students for the AP Spanish Language Examination, and all students entering the course will be expected to take it (if the students are in the  8th grade).  Students develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in Spanish.  The course requires students to read and analyze fiction and non-fiction texts, write compositions, watch and listen to Spanish programming, prepare presentations, practice formal conversation, and expand vocabulary.  The course will broaden students’ understanding of Hispanic culture and foster interest in continuing the study of Spanish in college.  This course is equivalent to a fifth and sixth semester college course in Advanced Spanish.
     
    Physical Education
    Physical Education is an elective open to 6th and 7th grade students. Activities include team sports, lifetime activities, rhythmics, outdoor education, fitness, wellness and nutrition.
    Expectations for Physical Education Classes: PE INFO SHEET
     
    Health
    The health classes are the same as the high school health class curriculum; therefore, students who pass this class will receive the 1/2 credit necessary for high school graduation. The health class is taught in the fall semester, and the speech class is taught in the spring semester.   It is a State requirement for graduation.
    Topics covered in the Health class include: Introduction to Health and Wellness, Self-Esteem, Decision Making, Peer Pressure, and Stress and Stress Management, Mental Health, Violence Prevention, Substance Use and Abuse, Sexuality, Nutrition, Diet Analysis, Disease Prevention, and Environmental and Community Health.The students will also be certified in CPR/AED and receive some training in First Aid.In the Foundations of Fitness class, the students will learn more detailed nutrition facts and more about the body systems, and will learn and practice weight training and aerobic exercises.
      
    Project Lead The Way
    The PLTW Gateway program features a project-based curriculum designed to challenge and engage the natural curiosity and imagination of middle school students. They envision, design and test their ideas with the same advanced modeling software used by companies like Lockheed Martin, Intel and Sprint. They study mechanical and computer control systems; think robotics and animation. Students also explore the importance of energy, including innovative ways to reduce, conserve and produce it using solar, thermal and wind power. The knowledge that students gain and the skills they build from GTT create a strong foundation for further STEM learning in high school and beyond. Students will complete modules on Design and Modeling and Automation and Robotics. Students, based upon performance, may be awarded .5 high school credit per year for completion of this course.
     

    Investigating Careers                Course #79701, 79707, 79708       Grade: 6/7/8

    Students will engage in lab-based, hands-on activities to explore career options within the 21 high school programs of study available in PfISD. Students will also research labor market information, learn job-seeking skills, and create sample documents related to employment. This course helps students identify careers of interest and select a high school program of study, and endorsement which is required for graduation. The goal of this course is to create a foundation for success in high school and beyond through career exploration.

    Professional Communications (semester)         Credit 0.5 Course #79709   Grades 8

    Professional Communications blends written, oral, and graphic communication in a career-based environment. Careers in the global economy require individuals to be creative and have a strong background in computer and technology applications, a strong and solid academic foundation, and a proficiency in professional oral and written communication. Within this context, students will be expected to develop and expand the ability to write, read, edit, speak, listen, apply software applications, manipulate computer graphics, and conduct Internet research. Students, based upon performance, may be awarded 0.5 high school credit for completion of this course.

    FUNDAMENTALS OF COMPUTER SCIENCE     Credit: 1     Course #3851   Grade: 8

    PEIMS# 03580140                                          

    Recommended prerequisite: Investigating Careers, Technology Applications Grade 6, or Tech. Apps Grades 7 and 8

    Students will be introduced to multiple opportunities to design, implement, and present solutions to real-world problems as they use computer science knowledge and skills to support their work as an individual and in collaborative groups as they select the technology appropriate for the task, synthesize knowledge, create solutions, and evaluate the results. Students will participate in projects that use problem-solving and reasoning skills to develop the principles of computer science through the study of technology operations and concepts; including an introduction to programming languages and basic coding. This course is an excellent introduction to the high school networking program of study, and serves as the level one course of the high school programming/software development program of study. Students, based upon performance, may be awarded 1.0 high school credit for completion of this course.

     

    PFLEX                                             

     Recommended for GT students in 6th-8th grades, PFLEX (Pflugerville Learning Extensions) offers enrichment opportunities for creative thinking and high level problem solving.  This elective course emphasizes independent research and student-driven dynamic learning through innovative project-based lessons selected from topics such as: Texas Performance Standards Project, Civilizations, Community Based Service Project, Sociology/Psychology, Speech/Debate, Business and Careers, Global Systems, Humanities and Civil Affairs and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). 

    Prerequisite: Must be GT identified to enroll in the course.

     

    Journalism                                                 Course #1872                     Grade 8

    This course is for students interested in working on the middle school yearbook.  Please consult your grade level counselor for more information.


    Kickstart

    Kickstart Form Payments can be made here or at the PMS front office.