Curriculum and Programs
Overview
Vision and Learning Outcomes
The vision of DCMS is to create a learning environment where students will not only learn the subject matter from The Bahamian national curriculum, but focus on academic growth, leadership, and responsible citizenship. This vision shapes our learning outcomes. Learning outcomes are the skills that we want all DCMS students to acquire by the time they graduate. Our curriculum and programs are designed to support the acquisition of these skills:
Critical thinking and problem solving skills: Students will be able to gather and evaluate information to make decisions and innovate solutions.
Communication skills: Students will be able to understand and synthesize information in order to communicate ideas effectively.
Interpersonal/intrapersonal skills: Students will be able to recognize and value differences in order to compromise, collaborate and cooperate.
Curriculum
The innovative curriculum of Deep Creek Middle School meets all Bahamian Ministry of Education requirements and provides additional programs to support the mission and learning outcomes of the school. Core academics include math, English, science, social studies, health and family life, art, and religious knowledge.This is supplemented with special programs designed to promote the DCMS core values of leadership, responsible citizenship, and academic growth. These include community outreach, SCUBA, TEAM, Field Trip Series, summer bridge, physical education, and life skills. DCMS also provides other unique extracurricular opportunities for students that further promote our vision and learning outcomes. These programs include summer camp, boarding school preparation, after school sports, and junkanoo rush.
The entire DCMS curriculum is built on the foundation of a nurturing community. The expectations for the DCMS nurturing community are modeled by our staff and reinforced by the curriculum and discipline system of the school. The expectations of all community members are: honesty, respect, promise-keeping, responsibility, self-control, and kindness.
Core Academics
These courses are part of the Bahamian national curriculum for grades seven, eight, and nine. The DCMS curriculum prepares students to take the Bahamas Junior Certificate exam in these subjects by the end of ninth grade.
Math
The math curriculum is a spiraling curriculum in which concepts are revisited each year. Seventh grade serves as an introduction, eighth provides an opportunity to master the skills, and ninth requires students to apply their knowledge and skills. The curriculum focuses on problem solving strategies and incorporates real-life situations. Topics range from number theory to fractions and decimals, from statistical analysis to geometry, and from symmetry to pre-algebra.
English
The English curriculum focuses on increasing literacy and improving writing skills. Writing skills are honed through grammar studies and frequent essay writing in preparation for the BJC examination. Students become better readers through in-depth readings of class novels, nonfiction articles, performing dramatic scenes, and vocabulary study. Some of the books read in class include Where the Red Fern Grows; Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry; The Diary of Anne Frank; and To Kill a Mockingbird. In addition to their class work, students have a Quiet Reading period three times a week and read for at least 30 minutes each night in a book of their choice.
Social Studies
The Social Studies curriculum covers topics in geography, and Bahamian History. In grade seven students acquire mapping skills and learn local and world geography. Grade Eight begins their study of history bylearning about the indigenous people of The Bahamas, colonialism, piracy, and changes in government. In grade nine, students learn about slavery in The Bahamas, emancipation, independence from England, and the current government system of The Bahamas. The curriculum develops students’ abilities to write, research, and debate important issues. Field trips to local ruins, farms and historic sites bring the curriculum to life.
Science
The science curriculum covers topics in life, earth, and physical sciences, and is tailored to the context of Eleuthera. Place-based topics include hurricanes; air, soil, and water; marine ecology; and electricity and magnetism. The curriculum focuses heavily on teaching problem-solving skills. Students engage in authentic research projects, generating questions, designing their own experiments, collecting data, and making conclusions.
Health and Family Life Education
Health and Family Life Education teaches the importance of all around good health providing students with knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their physical, social, and emotional health as they mature. Students learn about nutrition and fitness, and explore each of the major body systems in preparation for BJC coursework.
Art
The art curriculum covers the basic elements of art: line, shape, color, value, form, texture, and space. These concepts are introduced and explored in grade seven. In eighth and ninth grade, students apply these skills and knowledge to drawings from observation, self-portraits, graphic design problems, and finally the Bahamian Junior Certificate course work and examination.
Religious Knowledge
The Bahamian Ministry of Education religious knowledge curriculum is an introduction to the study of the Bible and the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The purpose of the course is to teach students the role spirituality and the church can play in their lives. It also provides students with a moral guide for making decisions as they move through adolescence into adulthood.
Special Programs
This part of our curriculum is unique to DCMS. The following programs are specially designed to provide students with opportunities to practice the core values of leadership, academic growth, and responsible citizenship.
Community Outreach
Community outreach is a partnership between DCMS students and students at the Island School semester program. Every semester, students work in teams with Island School students to research, design, and implement a project that benefits the greater community of South Eleuthera. Projects can be social or environmental in nature. In the past, they have included implementing an aluminum can recycling program, raising awareness about the impact of lionfish on Bahamian coral reefs, and planning a community art fair. View a press release about the ninth grade's spring 2009 community outreach project here.
Field Trip Series
Please join us for the Field Trip Series Presentation of Learning, February 12, 2010 at 5:00. For a six-week period in January and February, each grade tackles a unique and pertinent issue confronting the surrounding community. This issue is explored in different core classes and through full-day fieldtrips once a week. Topics include environmental and social issues. Recent projects included an exploration of Haitian immigration to The Bahamas, the impact of lionfish to marine ecosystems and the local community, and marine ecology and habitats of Eleuthera. The program culminates with a Presentation of Learning where students share what they have learned with the community.
Skills
The skills curriculum covers a wide range of subjects to support the children's development success as students, young adults, and future leaders. For grade seven, the curriculum focuses on study skills, computer literacy, and community building. Grade eight students, learn teamwork, leadership, communication, and decision-making skills. Grade nine students gain SCUBA certification.
SCUBA
In ninth grade, students at DCMS work towards a PADI certification through open water SCUBA diving. Students learn to dive safely through a combination of classroom lessons, contained water skills instruction, and open water dives. PADI certified instructors from the Island School lead weekly dives that teach basic diving skills, expose students to the local marine environment, and build teamwork and perseverance. Underwater graduation takes place at the end of the year.
Tourism Education and Management (TEAM)
Tourism Education and Management is a semester long class taught by the Ministry of Tourism for grade nine students. Lessons cover the economy of The Bahamas, the role of tourism in this economy, eco-tourism, career awareness, and training in some basic job skills.
Extracurricular Programs
DCMS also offers opportunities for students to continue realizing our mission beyond the school day and their DCMS careers.
Boarding School
Students in grade nine may consider attending the local high school or applying for boarding schools in the United States. DCMS supports students and families with the process by helping with applications, school contacts, interviewing and placement. DCMS graduates have earned over $1.5 million in scholarships over the last six years. Alumni attend or have attended the following schools: Episcopal High School, Garrison Forest School, Hebron Academy, Kimball Union Academy, Lawrence Academy, Lawrenceville School, Marvelwood, Proctor Academy, Trinity Pawling School, and Vermont Academy. View alumni profiles to read about the achievements of DCMS graduates who have attended boarding school.
Summer Camp
Students in all grades can apply for full scholarships to summer camps in the United States and The Bahamas. This opportunity allows students to act as ambassadors for DCMS, meet people from all over the world, and travel internationally. The campers try many new activities such as canoeing, horseback riding, sports, and crafts projects. Past summer camps have included Camp Kieve, Camp Kiniya, Camp Wavus, Camp Dudley, Boys Club New York, Sail Caribbean, Wildwood, and Camp Frank A. Day.
Junkanoo
Junkanoo is a distinctly Bahamian cultural event involving music, dance, and colorful handmade costumes. All fall, communities come together to prepare for the Boxing Day or New Year's Day rush. A rush involves a parade of colorful costumes created within specific parameters; intricately choreographed dances; and the rhythmic sounds of cowbells, drums, horns, and whistles. At DCMS, the students compete in the all-island Junior Junkanoo rush in early December. They meet weekly after school to create the theme; choreograph the dance; make the cardboard, wire, and paper costumes; and practice for their performance.
After School Sports
All students at DCMS are encouraged to participate in inter-school athletics. Throughout the year, students practice twice a week after school learning the skills and strategies of a variety of sports. A special emphasis is put on teamwork and sportsmanship. Students compete with other public high schools on Eleuthera in softball, basketball, track and field, cross county, and volleyball.
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