ELECTIVE CLASSES AT SUMMIT

Summit offers a great variety of different electives that includes over 30 different classes. Students have the opportunity to take two preferred elective classes per semester. A required P.E. or Health elective and a suggested study hall elective are also built into student schedules each semester, for a total of four elective classes per semester. Elective classes will alternate each day, following the A-Day/B-Day schedule.

How do I pick my elective classes?

Each year, students fill out an Elective Preference Form with their preferred elective classes for the following year. Students will be able to rank 8 electives of choice, but we highly suggest that they take their time, read all course descriptions, and discuss their elective choices with their parent or guardian. Students will be held accountable for their choices the following year and should only choose electives that they are interested taking.

How do I change my elective classes?

We highly suggest that students try their elective classes for at least three weeks before requesting a schedule change. Typically, we reserve schedule changes for students who need an adjustment in their schedule to access support classes, or students who have been accelerated in a core class. Students are held accountable for the 8 electives ranked on their elective choice form. Please take your time choosing these classes, as we will not be able to change schedules for electives that students chose.

Do electives have homework?

If your read through the elective course descriptions on this page, you will notice that specific classes are marked with outside of school commitment required. Please make sure to take note of this when choosing your elective classes so that you can plan and prioritize your time.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION & HEALTH

All students are required to take at least one physical education class each semester. Students are welcome to take multiple P.E. elective classes.

Physical Education

Summit values Physical Education and all students are required to take at least one P.E. class each semester. Our general P.E. class focuses on team sports and different areas of school athletics. Students will participate in learning how to play Ultimate Frisbee, Flag Football, Soccer, Basketball. Students will also play healthy team building games.

*This class is required for all students, each semester.

Mind & Body

In this class, we will utilize yoga practices to become more physically, mentally, energetically, and emotionally fit. Students will explore yoga postures, breathing techniques, creative meditations/visualizations and relaxation tools that will help them decrease stress & anxiety and increase focus, awareness, self-image whether in individual fitness or sports and overall health & wellness.

*This class can replace a required P.E. class.

*This class is repeatable.

Strength & Fitness Physical Education

This is an exercise-focused PE class, and students who choose this class should be prepared to work hard. Students will use a heart rate monitor and track their fitness for improvement and growth. Students will also be introduced to a variety of workouts and learn the correct form and movements for each workout. Students will also be exposed to careers in the field of health and fitness from professionals in the health industry.

*This class can replace a required P.E. class.

*This class is repeatable.

Health (8th Grade Fall Semester Only)

BVSD's Health Education Program provides comprehensive, skill-based, age appropriate classroom instruction that addresses the physical, mental, emotional and social dimensions of health. At Summit, Health is an important component of the 8th grade year.

Please click here to read the BVSD 8th grade Health Curriculum Essentials Document.

*This class is required for all 8th grade students.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC ELECTIVES

Summit offers a variety of instrumental music electives for different skill levels. Our music students are able to participate in fun performances at school, as well as in our community. In the past our music electives have performed during the Parade of Lights in Boulder, at the Denver Nuggets game, and even performed holiday jingles at an assisted living home as part of a community service day.

All instrumental classes at Summit are a year-long commitment, and we do suggest one year experience with an instrument.

Concert Band

Prerequisite: one year experience with instrument.

This year-long class is open to students with at least one year of experience with an instrument. Students will be exposed to more advanced musical fundamentals, such as tone production, embouchure development, breath support, and musical interpretation.

*Some out of school commitment is required for this elective, such as practice and performances.

*This class is repeatable.

*This is a year-long elective class.

Strings

Prerequisite: one year experience with instrument.

This year long class is open to students with at least 1-2 years of experience with instrument. Strings offers students the time and instruction to develop effective technique on their chosen instrument, deepen their musical knowledge, and improve ensemble playing.

*Some out of school commitment is required for this elective, such as practice and performances.

*This class is repeatable.

*This is a year-long elective class.

Orchestra

Auditions are required to enroll in this elective.

This year long class is open to intermediate students with at least 2-3 years experience with an instrument. Repertoire will require more advanced technique and the focus will be on refining musical skills and developing musicianship as it relates to individual and group performance.

*Some out of school commitment is required for this elective, such as practice and performances.

*This class is repeatable.

*This is a year-long elective class.

Symphonic Band

Auditions are required to enroll in this elective.

This year-long class is open to 7th and 8th grade students with at least two years of experience with their instrument, as well as advanced 6th grade students by audition only. Traditional concert band repertoire as well as jazz ensemble repertoire will be covered. Jazz concepts of style, articulation, improvisation and ensemble playing will be emphasized. Jazz combo opportunities exist for interested students.

*Some out of school commitment is required for this elective, such as practice and performances.

*This class is repeatable.

*This is a year-long elective class.

Advanced Chamber Orchestra

Auditions are required to enroll in this elective.

This year-long class is open to advanced students with 3 or more years of experience with an instrument. Advanced repertoire, ensemble playing and student-directed rehearsing will be emphasized. This class is most suitable for students who study privately in addition to their ensemble playing.

*Some out of school commitment is required for this elective, such as practice and performances.

*This class is repeatable.

*This is a year-long elective class.

CHORAL MUSIC & THEATER ELECTIVES

Summit offers a variety of different choral music and theater electives. These classes perform for their scheduled performances, during fun school events, and each year a few chosen students attend the All State Choir Competition.

Concert Choir

This is a choir for everyone! There is no audition and everyone is encouraged to give it a try. In this year-long class, we sing choral music in a variety of styles including pop, musical theater, jazz, world music, traditional choral, and more.

*Some out of school commitment is required for this elective, such as practice and performances.

*This class is repeatable.

*This is a year-long elective class.

Musical Theater

Drama

VISUAL ART ELECTIVES

Summit offers a unique variety of visual art electives. Participation in these classes allow student to express their own unique visions of the world, develop their own individual inventive spirit, and provides a means of understanding oneself and the diverse world of art.

Ceramics

Drawing & Cartooning

Filmmaking

Film History and Appreciation

Graphic Design

Examine how we can harness the principles of design to communicate subtle and profound ideas in our everyday lives. These details can be found everywhere, from company logos to magazine covers to the very font you’re reading this description in. We will use the Adobe suite of professional design software to create digital graphics.

*This class is not repeatable, and may only be taken once.

Painting

Photography

Sculpture

Stagecraft

*Some out of school commitment is required for this elective, such as construction days and setting up for performances.

This class will present the technical aspect of Summit's theater production. It will include constructing and rigging scenery, lighting design and sound, and the design and procurement of costumes and props. Students will learn proper use of tools and tool safety, set design considerations, and how to collaborate with the performers to implement the director's artistic vision.

*This class is repeatable.

TECHNOLOGY & STEM ELECTIVES

Our technology and STEM based electives offer a space where students are encouraged to discover, explore, invent, and collaborate within a wide range of design and engineering challenges. The ultimate goal is to teach innovative design and engineering skills that will be useful for kids as they progress though their education, as well as long after they graduate. Students in the lab are doing much more than playing with cool tech gadgets, they are learning to use technology for the service of the community to solve real-world problems.

Creative Design

Learn to view the world through the lens of design and unleash your creativity to make an impact on your community. You will learn to implement the design thinking cycle to solve problems creatively, uniquely, and effectively. We will use 3D modeling to prototype our designs and 3D printing to test our solutions in the real world!

*This class is not repeatable, and may only be taken once.

ElectroCUTE

Do you want to create cute light-up plushies or make your backpack and sweatshirts uniquely yours? Explore the intersection between electronics and crafts through wearable technologies and e-textiles. In this class, we will incorporate both old and new technology in fun hands-on projects, learning to use basic circuits, programming, and sewing and embroidery techniques.

*This class is not repeatable, and may only be taken once.

Intro to Computer Science

What does it mean to think like a computer scientist? We will dive into the world of computational thinking by programming on paper and on computers big and small. Create projects that tell a fun story, code image filters, or even design your own smartphone app. This course is designed for students who have little or no programming experience but have a willingness to challenge themselves!

*This class is not repeatable, and may only be taken once.

Robotics

LIBERAL ART & OTHER ELECTIVES

Students who choose to engage in our liberal art electives will work towards building skills such as public speaking, research and application of research, writing skills, and interpersonal skills.

Creative Writing

In creative writing, students will have fun experimenting with writing short fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and drama. We will discuss technique and style, share in-class reads of notable examples of forms, and learn how to collaborate on certain pieces. Students will also experience a writing workshop, giving and receiving feedback from their fellow writers.

*This class is not repeatable, and may only be taken once.

Catalina Island Explore Elective

This class fills by a lottery system. If students would like to be entered into the lottery they will need to rank this elective as their first choice on their elective choice form, and complete all additional requirements.

After extensive and fun preparation work in island history, geography, ecology, conservation, trip planning and community building skills, students will travel to Fox Landing at Catalina Island Marine Institute, hosted by Guided Discoveries. The cost is roughly $1,160. The trip, scheduled for October 20-23, will include outdoor science learning in marine biology, oceanography, island ecology and adventure experiences. School will be missed on 10/20 and 10/21. Upon our return from the trip students will: analyze and synthesize their learnings from the field, and design and create a project that will educate others about Catalina Island. Financial-hardship scholarships are available via email request to Mr. Galvin, (adam.galvin@bvsd.org). See information here to make sure you meet all required application deadlines.

*This class is not repeatable, and may only be taken once.

Cooking Class

The goal of this course is for students to prepare basic meals using inexpensive ingredients and items found in most pantries. There will be an emphasis on food safety principles, basic knife skills, baking vs cooking, and presentation. Students will participate in a unit on international cooking, discussing which foods are common to most cultures and unique to those regions.

*This class is not repeatable, and may only be taken once.

Debate

Introduction to Sign Language

American Sign Language (ASL) is one of the most commonly used languages in the United States. The material of this elective covers basic vocabulary and conversational skills, as well as aspects of the Deaf culture and community. Students will learn a language in a fun and dynamic way! ASL is a complex language that employs signs made by moving the hands combined with facial expressions and postures of the body. It is the primary language of many North Americans who are deaf.

*This class is not repeatable, and may only be taken once.

Southwest Native American Travel Elective

This class fills by a lottery system. If students would like to be entered into the lottery they will need to rank this elective as their first choice on their elective choice form, and complete all additional requirements.

Do you like to travel and enjoy learning about other cultures? Have you ever spent time on a reservation or seen Ancestral Puebloan ruins? In this elective, we will explore several aspects of Southwest indigenous cultures. We will spend a week at Pueblo de Cochiti in New Mexico completing service projects at the Cochiti Elementary School. We will learn from political and spiritual tribal leaders along with unique artisans such as potters, storytellers, drum makers, and jewelers. Upon our return, we will engage in creating a permanent art installation, documentary, and various social action projects. It is important to note - enrolling in this class includes additional costs for travel, lodging, food, and the World Leadership School (WLS) program. The estimated total costs per student are approximately $2,345.00 and will be collected in two segments. Financial-hardship scholarships are available via email request to Mr. Galvin, (adam.galvin@bvsd.org). See information here to make sure you meet all required application deadlines.

*This class is not repeatable, and may only be taken once.

World War II Exploration Elective

This class will explore the many human and military facets of the deadliest, costliest war in history. By 1945, over 60 million people, most of them civilians, were dead as a result of the war. We’ll examine the rise of Hitler and Nazism in Germany, the causes and impacts of Japanese militarism in Asia and the Pacific, U.S. military strategy and battles in Europe and the Pacific, U.S. internment of Japanese-Americans, the Manhattan Project and the U.S. decision to drop atomic bombs on Japan, and the Holocaust. This class will use primary sources, films, and interactive strategies to uncover the stories, both military and civilian, of World War II.

*This class is not repeatable, and may only be taken once.

ELECTIVE RESOURCES

ELECTIVE CLASSES AT SUMMIT