The NOVA Experience
Core classes
NOVA School classes are divided into Core classes and Specialist classes.
The Core classes are those more traditionally academic subjects of Language
Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish. The bulk of these classes
are taught in the morning while most students are fresh.
Sixth graders have a separate set of Core classes designed especially for their grade, taught by the 6th grade team. Seventh and eighth graders are mixed together in what we call the Advanced Core classes, and therefore the 7th and 8th grade class content is taught in a two year rotation.
Language Arts
Language Arts provides students with a well-balanced, thorough background in four strands of literacy: writing, reading, speaking, and listening. Students are asked to read for both enjoyment and content. A wide variety of novels, short stories, plays, essays, and poetry weave in and out of the curriculum. A heavy emphasis is placed on improving writing, specifically drafting, rewriting, revising, editing, and polishing the final product. Students are taught to write for a wide variety of purposes and to develop their own voice. Individual projects, classroom discussions, and oral presentations are common requirements. As the students mature within the program, our expectations for in-depth thinking, personal reflection and high quality work increase.
Social Studies
Social studies contains such a wide variety of topics that our curriculum focuses on the processes and skills needed to be a successful student of social science, as opposed to trying to do a broad survey and cover all topics. Throughout all three years of social studies NOVA students are taught to improve their research and note taking skills; read for content; interpret statistics, charts, graphs and maps; understand and defend various perspectives; recognize bias; and learn to be informed citizens.
Students in 6th grade study World Geography and focus on improving geographic literacy and the 5 Themes of Geography. This class also includes cultural study and current events around the world.
The 7th and 8th grade Advanced students focus on topics in U.S. History one year and the Pacific Northwest in the alternate year.
Social studies classes are presented in an interactive environment with a special focus on debate, simulations, research, mock trials, presentations, and projects.
Mathematics
Mathematics at NOVA includes the best attributes of the most successful math reform efforts throughout the country. The math program is organized to enhance the higher level capabilities of gifted mathematicians as well as to reinforce basic mathematics concepts for all our students. The program encourages students to think mathematically and solve significant problems rather than just learning and practicing the processes of arithmetic. However, we do expect students to achieve computational accuracy. Students learn to communicate about mathematical processes as opposed to simply arriving at an answer. We do not use a specific textbook adoption, but follow national math standards.
NOVA School students are ability-grouped for math, and instruction is presented to the students' levels of competence. All students complete at least one year of high school level mathematics at NOVA.
The most typical sequence is
- 6th grade Transition Math (6th and 7th grade math combined)
- 7th grade Pre Algebra
- 8th grade Algebra
- For some students Geometry
Inquiry-based Science
Science classes at NOVA
use the scientific method to provide for in-depth study of core concepts
in biological, physical, and environmental sciences. Our science classes
help students learn to use scientific processes, read scientific literature,
analyze data and communicate findings, and understand the role of science
in the modern world. Instructional methods are inquiry based, which commonly
means that the students are using lab-based experimentation to answer
real problems that they themselves have posed.
Students in the 6th grade focus on Environmental Science as the vehicle to learn lab skills and scientific attitudes as they study the inter-relatedness of ecology, physical science, and earth science within our own local environment. One example of local inquiry based study is when our students work to answer the following question from multiple perspectives, “Should Capitol Lake be returned to an estuary?”
Advanced Science students study Human Biology one year and Physical Science the alternate year. Students in these classes work at a high level of science inquiry, developing sufficient scientific understanding, background knowledge and laboratory skills to answer current questions of interest.
Recent questions our students have posed and answered have been:
“Which local plant fiber could be a possible feedstock for cellulose-based ethanol?”
“Should trans fats be banned? What other fats could be used in place of trans fats that would have similar properties of shelf life, texture, etc.?”
Spanish
All students at NOVA take three years of Spanish; however, the course is offered three days a week and it is in a middle school format. When students leave the NOVA program for high school most are very successful in 2nd year Spanish if they choose to take it.
Students study Spanish in reading, writing and in conversation using many creative means to catch their attention. Spanish classes are designed to expose students to the discipline of studying a foreign language and also emphasize an appreciation of Hispanic cultures.