Trevor Grade School

Our middle school exploratory program is an important component of our middle school program as it actively engages students in challenging, high-interest, and integrated activities.

The ojectives of the exploratory program are:

• To foster self-knowledge as students discover their unique abilities, talents, and interests, thus preparing students for adult life.
• To build students' intellectual, communication, social, physical, and technological skills.
• To provide students with ongoing, concrete, experiential learning in order to help them develop intellectually.
• To address topics which students perceive as genuinely important and worth knowing.
• To provide hands-on experiences that allow students to learn through engagement and interaction.
• To allow students to collaborate on the creation of a finished product.
• To create new interests and encourage students to explore new ideas.
• To help students discover opportunities for making contributions to society.
• To encourage students to develop positive relationships with teachers and with one another through organized team-building activities.
• To introduce students to enriching and healthy activities that they may pursue beyond the school day.

After prioritizing their top eight choices, students are grouped together and participate with other 6th, 7th, and 8th graders for six 80 minute sessions on Wednesday afternoons. These choices allow students to experience an activity to which they may never have been exposed. Students look forward to Exploratories and want to try a new class each year. The choices for this year's program which include:

1. Jewelry Making
Are you interested in trying out different kinds of jewelry making techniques? Me too, so let's try it together this semester in this beginner's "how to" class where we will make and wear our own creations!

2. Hunter Safety
The hunter education course instills in students the knowledge and skill to be a responsible and safe hunter. The basic course consists of a minimum of 10 hours of safety instruction. Students learn how hunting accidents are caused and how they can be prevented. Hunter responsibility and safety are stressed throughout the classes, which consist of lectures, demonstrations, group discussions, practical exercises, and individual study and activity assignments. Hunter education graduates receive a certificate that is accepted in every state, Canadian Province, and Mexico.

3. Uncle Sam Wants You!
Have you ever given a thought about going into the military? Would you like to help out our men and women who are serving in a war zone? Here's your chance to find out more! We'll hear from active duty personnel and retired folks. We'll write letters of encouragement and collect items to send to service people who are deployed. Ten-hut!

4. SWEEEET!!!
In this exploratory, you will learn how to make a variety of handmade candies including truffles, candy corn, dinner mints and Tootsie Rolls.

5. Make it, Take it!
Join us for six weeks of projects that you can design, make and take home. Learn how to use inexpensive items like shoeboxes, tissue paper, fabric, chocolate and pretzels to make inexpensive gifts for friends, family or yourself. Making a uniquely designed item doesn't take a lot of money, just time and creativity. Sign up to express that imaginative and artsy side of your mind! 

6. Is RISK Real?
Have you every wondered how battles have been fought through History? Why some generals always won and why others always lost. In this exploratory you will learn the History of Warfare throughout the ages. We will use computer programs to put "you" in the footsteps of the world's greatest generals. We will also design a game that incorporates the ideas of historical warfare. Are you Ready?

7. FLUXX
Do you enjoy learning new games? Fluxx is a card game that you will love! As its name suggests, the rules fluctuate a bit even as you play. In this exploratory, you will not only learn this game, but you will create your own Fluxx! deck to relearn with every time that you play.

8. BIG BAD – The Trial of the Wolf
Be in our middle school play! No singing or dancing required! The play is called Big Bad and it is a smart and wickedly funny play about the most notorious criminal in the fairy-tale world! During this exploratory, we will be blocking, rehearsing, and costuming this crazy, fun show!

9. Stained Glass Window
Beautify the entire glass surface of an architectural salvage window with special stained-glass paint and your own design. These are real house windows and quite big, so if you sign up for this exploratory.

10. Fitness Mania
This exploratory will teach you how to become more active and physically fit at home.