MIDDLE SCHOOL GENERAL ELECTIVES
Each semester many electives are offered to HNES middle school students, providing a path for each student to discover or enhance interests, talents, social skills and leadership abilities. Some electives include a small fee, usually for materials; a fee is charged by professional instructors for sailing, tennis, Bricks4Kidz and zumba. Electives offered
Art
Yoga
SGA
Service Club
Body Conditioning
Robotics
Photography
Technology
Tennis
Math Team
Sailing
Yearbook
Photography
Directed Study
Costume & Design
Theatre Arts - Musical and Costume & Design
Board Games
Coding
Video Production
Book club
Helpful Elective Information:
In May, Theatre Arts present an annual musical. A companion elective, Costume and Design, is the group of students who prepare the costumes, sets and do the backstage work during the annual musical performance.
Board Games enhances students' critical thinking, logic, and strategy skills.
Computer Coding teaches how to write computer code in Python using Codesters curriculum.
Directed Study is intended to give students time to work on their homework during the school day. Students are also allowed to attend Directed Study if they have been absent and need to work on missing assignments.
FLVS Students interested in taking classes with Florida Virtual School are welcome to use Directed Study class time to work on their virtual school class. Virtual School classes will also require students to work at home.
MathCounts is a national competitive and club program designed to inspire excellence, confidence, and curiosity in middle school students through fun and challenging math problems. The MathCounts curriculum provides exciting math problems for work individually or with a team of four. Bay County MathCounts competitions occur in January and February here in Panama city. Students who choose this elective must be prepared to do math work each class.
Math Team is composed of student “mathletes” who train by doing fun and rigorous math problems and attend county-wide competitions in January and February.
Sailing is an opportunity for our students to go sailing in St. Andrews Bay. Students will check out of school and to to the St. Andrews Bay Yacht Club where their sailing instructor will teach the course. The cost of the course is $200; paid to the St. Andrews Bay yacht Club at the beginning of the course. This fee covers the cost of the Jr. Sailing Team and allows students to participate in regattas.
Spanish This elective sets a foundation for further foreign language studies in high school, as well as an appreciation of different cultures. This is an optional elective and meets once per week.
Tennis elective is an opportunity for students who play tennis or are interested in learning to play tennis. Coach Dobbins from the Panama City Racquet Club will be working with the students on fundamental skills and/or improving their game. Students may take tennis once or twice a week, the cost is the same. The cost of the class is $40 a month and checks are written to Coach Dobbins.
Yearbook actually produces the 120 page hardback HNES yearbook which showcases the school's events and activities for the year. This class includes learning about digital photography, photo editing and graphic design. Students submit an application for this elective.
Yoga class is an introduction to Ashtanga-based Vinyasa yoga, which means linking physical movement with breath. Students should wear comfortable clothes and bring a yoga mat.
Video Production During this semester long course students will work both independently and in groups to learn the skills involved with producing videos. Students will learn pre-production skills including topic selection, research, interviewing, use of still cameras, video cameras, microphones, and tripods. Students will learn the components of video production including set, lighting and sound. Students will learn to use video editing software to create original productions. Students will develop writing and public speaking skills as they produce videos for a variety of audiences. Self-motivation and a willingness to work outside of class are critical skills for students in the class. Students will actively use the Internet to collaborate using Google Docs and Google Classroom. Our productions may include audiences within and outside of Holy Nativity Episcopal School. Opportunities will be given, but not all students will choose to be in front of the camera. We will give first name only credit to all students involved in the productions. There will be homework for this class from time to time including research, script writing and rehearsing. Students will need to practice their scripts outside of class, so we can efficiently use class time to record them.
Directed Study is offered daily, but students select this class a maximum of twice per week, unless approved by administration. It is offered as an opportunity for busy students to complete homework or work on special projects while still at school. Directed Study is expected to be a completely quiet class.
Technology elective topics are rotated each semester, based on student interest.
Art is taught by our incredibly talented art teacher and student work is sometimes displayed at appropriate venues such as the Bay County Fair or at the Visual Arts Center. Please see all of our art offerings under our tab Art on the home page.
Photography: Thanks to smartphone and tablet apps, students are getting behind a camera earlier than ever before. From selfies and snapshots, backyard panoramas, family portraits to still-life compositions; learning the elements of photography gives students a whole new way to see the world. Documenting field trips and photographing school events while learning the basic elements of design are just a few of the topics covered in our photography class. In middle school, students submit their photographs to our yearbook and to our annual HNES Art Auction.