Middle School Electives

St. Catherine School offers an array of electives for our sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. Courses include:

7th and 8th Grade Leadership

Designed for 7th and 8th grade students. Focus is on providing experiences to help build character and leadership skills by working collaboratively to plan and organize various activities. Students are responsible for planning numerous assemblies and school-wide events throughout each trimester. This is a fast paced and fun opportunity to learn and apply speaking and presentation skills, as well as script writing. This class meets twice a week.

“Adulting” 101

"Adulting" 101 - students will learn and practice life skills such as laundry, basic sewing/mending, budgeting, basic cooking/food prep, and more! This class will meet once a week.

Academic Resource Class

Provides additional time and instructional support for students to maximize their academic success in any content area. Class size is limited to ensure individualized student support is available as needed. This course may be recommended by teachers, or self-selected by students or parents. This class can be taken more than once and may be offered several times a week depending on student interest.

Band

Students will learn how to play an instrument both individually and in a group setting. Instruments offered include the flute, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone and percussion. It is highly recommended that students have prior band experience, but it is not required. Please note that instruments are not provided, but can be easily rented through Metropolitan Music or Ted Brown Music. This class will meet once a week.

*Please note that this is a year long elective commitment.

Board and Card Games

Students will be exposed to a variety of board and card games designed to promote verbal or spatial intelligence. Students will rotate through games to become familiar with them and play with different partners and groups. This class will meet once a week.

Comic Making

Students will engage in telling stories through the art of comics by researching comics, understand the essentials of storytelling, and write and draw their own comic strips either by hand or using online illustration tools. This class meets once a week.

Academic Resource Class

Drama

An introduction to theater arts. This class will include theater games as well as individual and ensemble performances that focus on character creation. The goal for this elective is to build confidence as well as acting skills, theater vocabulary, stage presence, and vocal projection and articulation. This class will meet once a week.

Math Support

Provides additional support for students in their current mathematics course. Provides extra time for assignments and assessments to be completed and individual attention to help students build a stronger foundation for success in their current mathematics courses. This course may be recommended by teachers, or self-selected by students or parents. This class meets once a week.

Outdoor Sports & Games

Provides opportunities to enjoy a variety of sports and activities. Focus is on building interpersonal communication skills and cooperation among team members. Popular options are kickball, wiffle ball, basketball, and four square.

Strategic Games

Students will research and play strategy games like Chess, Battleship, or Settlers of Catan, note their common attributes, and then design a game of their own. This class meets once a week.

Yearbook

Join the 2023/24 yearbook team! Students will learn the principles and techniques required to create the St. Catherine yearbook—including photography, layout, design, and shooting photos to be used in the book. This class meets once a week.

Walk! Jog! Run!

Emphasis on walking, jogging, and/or running as a means to improve one's overall health and happiness. This class will meet outdoors. Students must be prepared to be outside even during a typical day in Seattle, i.e. it might be raining and cold! This class can be taken more than once and may be offered several times a week depending on student interest.