Thomas B. Riley School Complementary Programs: Purpose: At Thomas B. Riley School, students are able to study Career and Technology Foundations (CTF), Fine Arts, French as a Second Language, and Locally Approved Courses as part of their complementary program. These experiences are designed to help students: Explore - discover their gifts and talents Integrate - connect their knowledge and skills from other subject areas Extend - delve into an area of interest Student Choice: Students select from a variety of programs based on their conversation with parents and teachers and by applying knowledge of themselves as a learner. Please be aware that some courses may be cancelled due to demand, timetable constraints, expertise, and other unforeseen circumstances. Trimester System: Our school year will be divided into three trimesters. Students will take four complementary courses in each trimester. French and Band are full year courses. TLC students are required to take French and Band at all grade levels. During the third trimester, two blocks will be used for a special CTF program that all students in grade 7 through 9 will take. Exploratory: The complementary program allows students to try different courses and experiences. By providing a variety of courses within any given area, students are able to delve into areas of passion, or experiment with up to ten different complementary courses over the course of the year. Grade Five and Six Experiential Wheels: Grade 5 and 6 TLC students will take French and Band as required by the TLC program. They will also complete an experiential wheel that enables them to try out a variety of courses. In grade 5, students will take a trimester each of art, computers, and drama. In grade 6, students will take a trimester each of computers, foods, and drama, and a full year of art. Choose Wisely! Please read through the attached descriptions before filling in the attached selection form. Please rank all choices on the sheet provided. We will do our best to get you into your top picks!
The Fine Arts The Fine Arts includes art, drama and music. In each area there are common outcomes - the student is involved as creator, performer, historian, critic and consumer. Art Art Techniques 7, 8/9 Students will be focusing on techniques in art forms. Art forms can include drawings, paintings, ceramic/metal/glass/found object sculpture, digital work, aerosol, or mixed media involving anything and everything. Students will be expected to learn a new technique every week (from the teacher or from their own research) for the first half of the term and will spend the second half utilizing these techniques in their own selfdirected projects every week. Techniques are to include 2D and 3D forms. Students are expected to be highly self-directed and to utilize sketchbooks, research, and will include self, peer, and teacher evaluations. Art Culture 7, 8/9 Students will examine how art and culture are connected. Artwork acts as a record of our human experience. Students will grow in their understanding and appreciation of unique cultures and come to understand how art is essential to a community's wellbeing, economic and cultural vitality, sense of identity, and heritage, and will notice how art can change a culture and political views. Students will examine lessons on anthropology, art history, folklore, mythology, religion, and the cultures of which they are a part including reflections in contemporary art. Students will produce their own pieces as they reflect upon their own beliefs, life experiences, and that of their own culture. Art Directions 7, 8/9 Students will examine various directions art takes in our society. Some examples are to include: political views, nature, culture, public art, and contemporary graffiti, street art, architecture, and kinetic art forms to name a few. Students will plan and create their own artworks after research and planning. Dramatic Movement 7 Drama Are you a dancer or mover? Are you interested in creating movement through music or poetry? Dramatic Movement will allow you to explore movement and how the elements of energy, focus and control work together. You will focus on movements through tableau, creative movement and improvisation activities. 2 7
Dramatic Characters 7 Are you an actor or actress? Do you enjoy making characters for presentations or just because? Dramatic Characters will allow you to look at how speech and emotion are created through a variety of characters. You will look at TV shows and movies to see how actors create stock characters. You will be asked to create your own character through monologues, short skits or improvisation activities. Dramatic Explorations 7 Are you not sure if drama is the right option for you? Then give this Drama option a try! Dramatic Explorations will allow you to have the opportunity to create and discover an area of drama that you enjoy. You will explore a variety of drama games, improvisation and acting activities. You will also have an opportunity to experience the technical side of the theatre to see where you re most passionate. Dramatic Performance 8/9 Are you a natural born actor or actress? Do you think performing is your calling? Dramatic Performance will have you looking at all aspects of a theatre performance from the stage to the house to the business. You will learn the technical theatre side (sets, lighting, costumes, and sound) and how each choice impacts a performance. You will be asked to perform and analyze monologues, short skits, or pieces from a larger script. Dramatic Adaptations 8/9 Do you enjoy taking stories and making them your own? Are you creative and think outside the box? Dramatic Adaptations will have you using your movement, speech and creativity skills to adapt or modernize classic works or fairy tales. You will look at how others have done this through film and stage and you will work on a modern adaptation of your own. Dramatic Creations 8/9 Are you an enthusiastic storyteller? Do you enjoy creating a scene and imagining how everything will play out? Dramatic Creations will allow you to use your creativity, storytelling and script writing skills to create your own production. You will look at what elements and conventions are required in movement pieces or script writing (dialogue, directions, characters and settings). Band 5-9 (Full Year Course) Music The concert band will explore exciting and challenging music including popular and movie music. Instruments included will be flute, saxophone, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, tuba and percussion. Extra fun activities include band clinics with professional musicians, several performance opportunities, and a senior band trip to the Banff Music Festival. 3 7
Career and Technology Foundations Career and Technology Foundations (CTF) provides project-based learning experiences designed to help students explore their talents related to occupationspecific knowledge and skills related to five career clusters: business, communication, resources, technology and health/human services. Students complete related projects and are assessed according to how they design, create, and appraise their process and product. Computers 7, 8/9 Computers Computer students at TB Riley will work through and complete modules that will focus on design and creative elements. This will provide skills and understanding in ergonomics, typing, multimedia, programming, 2 dimensional and 3 dimensional drawing, technical drawing, animation, game design, photo manipulation and web design. Students will use a wide variety of software from basic Microsoft Office Suite tools, Free Web, and Mac based programs to the more sophisticated Adobe CS5 suite. As students progress through their modules they will learn to display their portfolio projects on a Webpage. Students may also complete modules in what we call computer publishing. In this module, students will gain desktop publishing skills by learning the fundamentals of layout, graphic design, art, copy writing, and editing. The tools used will be Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, all part of the Adobe suite of applications. Students will work through projects to learn to how to capture, transfer, and manipulate photos. They will add text and graphics to create pages for the TB Riley yearbook. These pages will then be uploaded to Jostens Yearbook Avenue site to be readied for publishing. Students will also learn to market their own book of memories. Construction Construction courses are designed as a progression of modules. Students may choose to take Construction for one trimester, two, or for all three. Students will work through a series of modules based on their experience and abilities. Construction 7 Construction allows for students to try out a wide variety of trades-oriented skills and concepts. In this course, students will develop appropriate shop tool safety. They will have an opportunity to design objects through drafting different views and 3 dimensional orthographic projections. They will learn to use both metric and imperial units of measurement. As a student moves through the various projects they will acquire different skills with various hand and power tools and apply construction processes to produce many useful items out of both wood and metal. 4 7
Construction 8/9 Construction will allow students to try out a wide variety of trades skills and concepts. Students will also develop appropriate shop tool safety. They will have an opportunity to design objects through drafting different views and 3 dimensional orthographic projections. They will learn to use both metric and imperial units of measurement. They will learn to apply construction processes to produce many useful items out of both wood and metal. Students will be guided through introductory projects, which they will be able to modify. When prepared, they will be encouraged to design their own projects within certain guidelines, and complete them. They will work with tools such as scroll saws, wood lathes, and routers. Welding is a possible an option for more experienced students. Some larger projects or some specific materials could require an additional cost to students. Digital Photography 7, 8/9 Digital Photography Students will improve their camera knowledge and learn techniques to use digital cameras for a variety of projects. They will focus on angles and poses, principals and elements of art in photography. They will learn advanced camera usage techniques, tips on how best to photograph landscapes, and how to create balanced compositions. Students will create and enhance their pictures using various programs including Photoshop and iphoto. They will create a photograph portfolio and learn to display it in different formats from print to multimedia. Environmental and Outdoor Education Environmental and Outdoor Education 9 West Coast Sailing This course is focused around a culminating sailing experience in the Gulf Islands. Students will learn about the marine and rainforest ecosystem and develop the skills and knowledge necessary to become a participating crew member on a large sailing vessel. This course is designed for students participating in the spring sailing trip. Please note there is a significant extra cost for this trip. Fashion 7, 8/9 Fashion Students will learn the basics of sewing and how to safely use and care for sewing and pressing equipment. Students will apply these skills to complete a variety of projects appropriate for their skill level. 5 7
Film Studies Film Studies 7, 8/9 Students will focus on the process that goes into the making of a film. You will learn how to start with an idea for a short film and then turn it into a screenplay, storyboard, scout locations, cast, and film your script. Foods 7 Baking Foods Students will develop an understanding of basic baking ingredients by combining them in a variety of ways. Students will bake a variety of items that may include muffins, cookies, and desserts. Foods 7 Basics This course consists of four projects: Managing Kitchen Resources; Safe and Sanitary Food Handling; Selecting Healthy Recipes; and a Final Project. Course work will include assignments, cooking activities, and the use of multimedia resources. Basic cooking activities will include biscuits, smoothies, soups, salads, and a few easy meals. Foods 7 - Convenience Foods Convenience foods are great for people in a hurry. Students will learn which ones are worthwhile and which ones are not worth the cost. Students will select, prepare and compare a variety of convenience foods and foods made from scratch. Students will consider time, cost, quality of food and taste. Foods 8/9 Baking Students will develop an understanding of basic baking ingredients by combining them in a variety of ways. Students will bake a variety of items that may include muffins, cookies, cakes, scones, and pies. Students will be introduced to yeast breads such as pretzels and may have the opportunity to learn basic cupcake decorating techniques. Foods 8/9 International Cuisine Students will discover other cultures by exploring their cuisine. They learn a variety of international cooking techniques, and prepare food for a cultural event. Foods 8/9 Meals Students will begin to develop an understanding of meal requirements through the creative planning, preparing and serving of food. Students will be making full meals that are quick, delicious and nutritious. 6 7
Sports Medicine Sports Medicine 8/9 With the increased number of participants involved in physical activity, competitive sport in schools, and the community, this program will help meet the increasing need for students to become familiar with the care, prevention, and rehabilitation of athletic injuries. Students will acquire basic knowledge of the body s skeletal and muscular system and be provided with training in First Aid and CPR. Students will also be taught taping techniques for various body regions. French as a Second Language French as a Second Language - **full year course** Alberta s French as a second language program (FSL) provides students with an opportunity to learn the French language as a subject in a typical English- language school. In FSL, students study French to learn to communicate in a variety of school, leisure and job-related situations. Their learning is centred around four components, all equal in importance: Communication experiences, Language experiences Cultural skills and knowledge, Specific language learning strategies. Locally Developed Courses Leadership 7, 8/9 Leadership Develop leadership skills and the confidence and ability to take initiative! Students will find ways to contribute to the school and community. Students will model active citizenship by being involved in local, national, and/or global initiatives. Students will develop the skills, attitudes, and knowledge necessary to practice effective leadership and meet identified needs and foster positive school culture. Sports Performance Sport Performance Do you want to be a better athlete? Do you know which food choices are the best for your body? As youth sports continue to be more and more competitive, it is helpful to learn and train to be your best! This course will help you improve your physical health and well-being, fitness level and self-confidence through nutritional education, muscular endurance/strength and flexibility training. Topics include: nutrition, hydration, goal setting, aerobic training, agility training, power training, speed training and flexibility. 7 7