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                      Upper Division Electives
girls_outside1.png6th, 7th and 8th grade students at St. Francis Solano School have a wide variety of electives from which to choose.  We, at St. Francis Solano School, believe that our well-rounded electives program enriches and expands learning, while giving students the opportunity to explore their diverse interest areas.

Some electives require a teacher recommendation or invitation to the class.  Read the class descriptions to check for these or other prerequisites.  New electives are chosen each trimester.  Some electives are offered only once a year.

Looking for Computer or Spanish classes?  These classes are part of the regular curriculum for which all students are automatically enrolled.

ACADEMIC DECATHLON
Mrs. Momsen
The decathlon is a team competition where students match their intellects with students from other schools in the Santa Rosa Diocese.  Winning teams compete at the state level.  This class prepares a team of invited students for competition.

ART
Mrs. Picard
Students work in a variety of media to broaden their understanding and appreciation of the visual arts.  Open to all.

BEGINNING GUITAR
Ms. Swing
Did you know that, with only three to five chords, you can play hundreds of songs – from rock to pop to folk – and beyond?  You will learn these chords and other basics in this class.  You just need to provide the guitar!  Open to all.

BEGINNING & ADVANCED BELLS
Ms. Swing
Students in the introductory course learn to play chimes (bells) as an ensemble, emphasizing rhythm, meter and harmony.  Students in the advanced course refine their musicianship with more complex pieces and more performance opportunities.

CAREERS
Mr. Monga
Are you really sure you want to be an astronaut – or maybe you want to be a vet?  Weekly guest speakers will share the inside stories about their own careers and how they began.  Open to all.

CHOIR
TBA
Open to those interested in singing for Masses, and other school functions.

DANCE
Mr. Ligotti
Focus is on the basics of social dance: proper posture, steps, rhythm and dance routine.  Students will both lead and follow to many types of dance music, from waltz to foxtrot to salsa.

DEBATE
Mr. Ligotti
Learning how to argue in a civilized format is a powerful tool!  Learn to form a solid argument and speak confidently and convincingly in front of anyone.  Open to all.

FITNESS
Mr. Vukicevich
Students will train their bodies and educate their minds in the science of fitness, learning about nutrition, diet and exercise and will apply what they’ve learned “in the field” with aerobic exercise and light weight training.  Open to all. Must be willing to work out!

GREAT BOOKS
Mrs. Sawicki
A small, once-weekly, seminar-style class, where students meet to discuss books the class has chosen to read.  (Think "book club.")  Open to all who love to read.

ITALIAN
Ms. S. Smith
Are your parents planning a vacation to Italy?  Maybe you’d just like to be able to talk to your Italian grandparents in their own language.  This course emphasizes conversational and written Italian, focusing on pronunciation and practical communication skills.  Benvenuto a tutti!  (In other words, all are welcome!)

JOURNALISM
Mr. Monga
Students in this twice-weekly class produce the school newspaper, The Padre Palooza.  Open to 7th and 8th-graders.

MATH CONTEST
Mrs. Stava
Students meet once a week (Fall trimester only) to prepare for the Diocesan math competition.  By invitation only

MATH LAB 8
Mrs. Stava
8th-Grade students meet once a week for help with both Algebra and Introductory Algebra.

MATH THERAPY
Mrs. Momsen
These classes meet once a week to reinforce basic math skills and newly-learned math concepts.  You may be invited to enroll or you may request this class yourself.

PERCUSSION
Ms. Swing
Students in the introductory course learn to play chimes (bells) as an ensemble, emphasizing rhythm, meter and harmony.  Students in the advanced course refine their musicianship

SOCIAL JUSTICE
Mr. Monga
The Catholic Church has historically supported the causes of social justice.  Students research and discuss some of these issues, using magazines, newspapers and the Internet as source materials.  Each class also chooses a worthy local cause to support, to put into practice what they have learned in the classroom.  Open to all.

SPEECH AND DRAMA
Mrs. Sawicki
Students read, memorize and act in plays, write and perform in skits in this active learning environment.  Students study different genres of speeches and learn to write their own.  Open to all.

STUDENT LEADERSHIP
Mrs. V. Smith
Members of the St. Francis Solano Student Council attend this once-weekly class, where they learn about the responsibilities of running a student government.  Class meetings are also used to plan school events such as the Talent Show and Spirit Week.

TEACHER ASSISTANT
Supervising Teacher TBA
Students perform duties as directed, under the supervision of their assigned teacher.  You must have a teacher’s recommendation to apply for a TA-ship.

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THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX
Mrs. Sawicki
Students research, analyze and discuss important social, political and moral issues and work within cooperative groups to develop creative projects utilizing their own unique points of view.  Open to all.

YEARBOOK
Mrs. Sawicki
Students will create and publish the annual school yearbook.  Motivation and creativity are a must!