Our junior high program includes grades seven through nine. Ninth grade is included in order to provide more support as students get ready to transition into high school. All classes are taught using the NC Standard Course of Study. Teachers use accommodations and modifications where appropriate to ensure that the curriculum is accessible to all students. Small class sizes and multisensory learning help make the environment conducive to learning. We use this safe, supportive environment to our advantage, as it helps our students learn better.

Other key features of our junior high school are skill building, ORB, the advisor/advisee relationship, organization, and the Individualized Education Plan (IEP).

Skill Building
Skill Building is a mini-class first thing in the morning that incorporates movement and academic skills to get our students’ brains ready for the day. Students participate in a variety of games and drills that review math and language arts skills. Students are grouped by advisee groups and some of the classes meet together for relays and other movement activities. Periodically, the counselor joins the  advisee groups to provide lessons from the counseling curriculum.

Outside Reading Book (ORB)
Every night, students in grades seven and eight are assigned 20 minutes of ORB, during which time students read a book of their choosing or read certain genre that the reading teacher has assigned. The rationale behind ORB is that the more exposure students get to text that they are interested in, the better readers they will become, with higher rates of fluency and increased vocabulary. Parents are encouraged to be involved with students’ ORB by talking to their children about what they have read. In addition, there are frequent written response assignments.

Advisor/Advisee
All students are placed into an advisee group for the year. Students are arranged into advisee groups by grade. In most cases, the advisor teaches his/her advisees in at least one other class. Students report to their advisor for the first 15 minutes before school starts to ensure readiness for the day. Advisors check for planners to be signed off, pencils to be sharpened, and help take care of any other “business”. Students also return to their advisor at the end of the day for checkpoint. Since advisors see their students so many times during the day, they get to know them very well and can often identify and address global emotional and organizational needs. Advisors usually act as advocates for their advisees and are also often the teacher who is in closest contact with the family.

Organization
Since disorganization often goes hand in hand with ADHD and other learning disabilities, we have many strategies to address this problem. Junior high school students carry the “Perfect Notebook” to all of their classes. The Perfect Notebook is a strategy that is enforced across the board, as all teachers make sure that all handouts are hole-punched, and they leave time at the end of class for students to file their papers before leaving class. Another key part of the Perfect Notebook is the assignment book. At the end of each class, students are responsible for writing down their assignment. Teachers come around to each student and initial that the assignment is written down correctly. At the end of the day, all students attend checkpoint, a seven minute period with their advisor. The advisor’s job at checkpoint is to make sure that students have been signed off in each of their classes and that they have all the materials packed that they need to get their homework done. Students who do not complete their homework stay 20 minutes after school for detention.

IEPs
An Individualized Educational Plan (IEP) is written for each Noble Academy student.  IEPs include student strengths, classroom modifications, current levels of performance, and an academic checklist for reading, written language, and math.  Evaluation measures include observations, anecdotal information, formal and informal tests, teacher generated tests, projects, surveys, and work samples.  Parent-teacher conferences are held twice per school year to review progress on the IEP. Students are included in their IEP conferences beginning in sixth grade in order to promote self-advocacy skills and increase knowledge of their disability area.

Academics


Language Arts - (Grades 7 and 8)

English
Writing is taught using The University of Kansas writing strategies. Students progress from Proficiency in the Sentence Writing Strategy to The Paragraph Writing Strategy to The Theme Writing Strategy. English classes frequent the computer lab, in order to get valuable practice time on word processing skills. Keyboarding fluency is important as well, especially for students with dysgraphia who have trouble writing. English teachers often incorporate projects into their lessons, such as poetry writing and class newspapers.

Reading
Students may be placed into one of four types of reading classes, depending on their instructional needs. Multi-Sensory Structured Reading (MSSR) primarily uses Wilson Reading but also draws on other research-based methods (Hill Center, Great Leaps, Lindamood Bell) in a class of one to three students who have severe reading disabilities. Small group Wilson classes teach students who need extra support in decoding and encoding in a small class setting. Direct instruction classes support students who need a lot of instruction in reading strategies. Direct instruction classes may contain some instruction in phonics and spelling while also incorporating novels and short stories to improve reading comprehension. Vocabulary is also stressed in these classes. Literature classes are for students who do not need instruction in phonics but still benefit from being taught reading strategies. Novels are frequently the method of delivery in literature classes. Eighth graders take the NC End of Grade test in reading. While this is not a major focus of instruction throughout the year, teachers do incorporate helpful test-taking strategies into each reading class.

Language Arts - (Grade 9)

All ninth graders take ninth grade English, which is a graduation requirement. Freshman English focuses on the study of various literary genres, including the short story, drama, poetry, biography, autobiography, and personal essay. As junior high students, our ninth graders also have a second English class, Learning Strategies. The focus of Learning Strategies depends on the needs of the students in the class. The class may include instruction writing strategies, study skills, technology use, or decoding skills. Seventh and ninth grade students take the Noble Academy Writing Assessment that is patterned after the North Carolina Writing Test.

Math
Math is taught using a multi-sensory approach. Class begins with a review of previously taught skills through class discussion, dictation, and daily facts practice. There is a focus on math facts fluency, and students are assigned flash cards each night to aid in their memorization. Hands-on activities are used whenever possible. Students have several math courses available to them in junior high. Seventh graders who are not yet ready for Pre-Algebra take a basic math class that addresses their weaknesses while preparing them for future math classes. Seventh and eighth graders can also take Pre-Algebra and Algebra I, depending on the students’ readiness for these classes. Ninth graders generally take Algebra I or Geometry as part of their graduation requirements. Eighth graders (except those students taking Algebra I) take the NC End of Grade test in math. Any student who takes Algebra I or Geometry takes the NC End of Course test for that subject.

Science
Seventh and eighth grade students take a full year of science, which rotates among the curriculums for seventh (Life Science) and eighth grade (Physical Science) each year. Ninth grade students take Earth Science, which counts as one of their three required science credits for graduation. Hands-on activities, experiments, and projects are used frequently in all science classes.

Social Studies
Seventh and eighth grade students take a full year of social studies, which rotates between the seventh (Africa, Asia, and Australia) and eighth (NC History) grade curriculums each year. Social studies classes include many projects and activities and inspire many field trips. Geography may be part of the elective course offerings for ninth graders, but a social studies course is not generally part of the curriculum for ninth grade.

Specialists
Seventh and eighth grade students follow a rotation schedule that includes PE, drama and art. Seventh and eighth graders are introduced to fitness and team games in physical education. Students improve their volleyball and  basketball skills as well as learn about healthy living one day a week in physical education. Ninth graders take PE/Health for the entire school year, which is a graduation requirement. Drama performances are held for seventh and eighth grade parents at the end of the drama rotation. Ninth graders also have the option of taking Drama I as their elective. Drama I students participate in a drama competition each fall and some seventh and eighth graders participate in competition in the spring.  Art focuses on improving skills in a variety of media. Students learn about perspective, proportion, mixing of colors and how these themes developed through art history.

Guidance
There are two guidance counselors at Noble Academy. Students are assigned to one counselor who is available for many different needs. The counselor meets with all students several times each semester as a class to cover the guidance curriculum. She is also available for one-on-one or small group counseling sessions. Please see the “Guidance” tab under the “Academics” menu for more information on our guidance program.

Technology
There are three computer labs and one mobile laptop cart at Noble Academy that are available for class use. English teachers usually visit the computer lab one to three times per week to work on writing and word processing skills. Math teachers take their classes to the computer lab once every one or two weeks to work on spreadsheet skills. Social studies teachers take their classes once every week or two to work on database skills as well as to do research for projects. Science teachers also frequent the computer lab for research, as well as to work on PowerPoint presentations.

Athletics
Students in grades five through eight are eligible to participate in any (or all) of the fiveJunior Varsity sports teams: soccer, flag football, volleyball, basketball, and cross-country. Teams are open to athletes of any skill level and do not involve try-outs. Teams play against four other local private schools, and each sport includes a championship tournament. Students in ninth grade are eligible to play on any varsity athletic team.

Ninth Grade Curriculum
Although ninth graders are included in the junior high in order to provide more support, they still follow the NC Curriculum in order to meet graduation requirements. Students completing ninth grade at GDS will be prepared to transition into any high school that follows NC graduation requirements (see High School Curriculum Guide).

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