Beyond the Classroom (Gr. 6-8)

List of 15 items.

• Chorus

  Chorus meets after school for those who wish to perform at a variety of events on campus. A performance at our annual Christmas concert serves as the focal point of their efforts. Chorus members also perform at all of the Middle School prayer services and liturgies.

• CJSF (California Junior Scholarship Federation - Grades 7 & 8)

  CJSF is an academic honor society for those who have met the required standards of scholarship and citizenship. Members assist the Student Council in coordinating many events on campus including the Halloween Carnival and book drive. They also participate in a lunchtime peer tutoring program.

• Community Outreach

  The Middle School student body adopts primary grade students from a local elementary school and annually hosts a Halloween Carnival, a Christmas Program and an Easter activity for them. Students also participate in projects assisting children from Alexandria House and Covenant House and retirees at Hollywood Royale Gardens. Various food drives and scarf sales are held to benefit these organizations. We also participate in the annual Adopt-a-Family Drive, Operation Gratitude and Project Angel Food.

• Community Service

  Since Christian ideals and values are more than intellectual concepts, students are required to become actively involved in volunteer service by contributing a minimum number of hours per grade level. The curriculum provides many service opportunities, such as food drives for the families on Skid Row and at Alexandria House, excursions to a local retirement home, Operation Gratitude and Home Boy Industries, baking and knitting for fundraisers, and knitting bereavement prayer shawls for a local parish and baby Baptismal scarves for Children's Hospital.
  
  

  Required Hours:
  Grade 6 / 12 Hours
  Grade 7 / 15 Hours
  Grade 8 / 21 Hours

• Field Trips

  Students expand their classroom learning experience with trips throughout the year to areas of interest. Past field trips have included: the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the Huntington Library, the Norton Simon Museum, the Getty Center, the Getty Villa, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Long Beach Floating Marine Lab, the Los Angeles Library, the Gene Autry Museum, the Museum of Tolerance, the Los Angeles Science Center, the Reagan Library, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), and the Planetarium at Glendale Community College.

• Heartbeat

  The Heartbeat is Immaculate Heart Middle School's creative arts magazine, featuring students’ work in grades sixth through eighth. It highlights original artwork, photography, creative writing such as short stories, essays, and poetry. The magazine is published annually in the spring, and it is a beautiful testament to our Middle School students’ talents and hard work.

• Mock Trial

  The California Mock Trial Competition is a statewide event designed to give middle school students a working knowledge of our judicial system. The trial is a simulation of a criminal case in which students have the opportunity to portray the principals in the cast of courtroom characters. Students participate as lawyers, witnesses, court clerks and bailiffs in a "real trial" setting. Our student team studies a hypothetical case and conducts legal research under the guidance of volunteer attorneys.

• Panda Press

  The Panda Press is Immaculate Heart Middle School’s student-run newspaper. The paper is published quarterly in an electronic format. It features news articles, DIYs, movie and book reviews, and various important subjects within the Middle School community and the surrounding communities.

• Pandabots Robotics Team

  Robotics is integrated into the 6th grade Science curriculum and is available as an afterschool activity as part of the Pandabots Robotics Team. Using critical thinking and engineering skills, students design and program Lego EV3 Mindstorm robots to perform a variety of functions. The Pandabots team competes in the First Lego League as well as the annual REAL Robot Rally held each year on the campus of Cal Poly Pomona.

• Retreats

  At the beginning of each school year, the 6th and 7th grades participate in a day-long retreat held off-campus. These retreats focus on friendship and caring for one another as students explore their relationship with God. The 8th grade also begins the year in a similar way but also gathers again at the end of the year to reflect on their time at Immaculate Heart. This year end retreat gives students the opportunity to say good bye and make amends to all of their classmates before they embark on high school.

• Student Council

  Students gain leadership and service experience as they coordinate programs, outreach, and other activities for the Middle School. Among these are New Student Orientation, Welcome Day, Family Heritage Day, Spirit Week and talent show, Big & Little Sister activities, and the Halloween Carnival and other holiday activities for the students at Immaculate Heart of Mary Elementary School. Members also act as hostesses for more public events such as Back to School Night and the Open House for prospective students.

• Team Sports

  The Immaculate Heart Middle School Athletic Department believes that participation on an athletic team is a vital part of the education of young woman. Team participation develops leadership skills, personal growth and good sportsmanship. Students exhibit behavior and choices that lead to optimal physical and psychological health and conduct themselves in an ethical and socially responsible manner.
  
  

  Immaculate Heart Middle School prides itself on a strong, comprehensive and competitive athletic program and is a member of the Delphic League. The program is overseen by the Middle School Athletic Director and individual coaches assist students in the development of their athletic skills. Participation is encouraged at all grade levels.
  
  

  Fall: cross country, volleyball and swimming
  Winter: soccer and basketball
  Spring: softball and track & field

• Theater Arts Program

  Teaching artists from Educational Theatre Institute (ETI) join our campus each year to produce two musical theatrical productions. The shows always include original material based on children’s literature and often written by students. Sets, costumes, makeup and choreography are all student powered, resulting in creative events. Theater arts classes are offered after school and require an additional fee.

• Traditions & Celebrations

  The Immaculate Heart school year is filled with traditional days of celebration. Through these events and activities, students are given the opportunity to create and celebrate together as a community. Many of these activities are unique to Immaculate Heart and are coordinated by the Middle School Student Council. These days include: Welcome Day, Halloween Carnival, Christmas Program, Spirit Week and Talent Show, Family Heritage Day, Spring Fling and Class Day.

• Yearbook

  The yearbook staff is responsible for creating and producing our school’s annual memory book. The design of the book is student directed and is produced with the guidance of the Middle School art teacher. Students work on Mac computers and learn about photography and layout while they work in both Photoshop and InDesign.