Educational Note: School Changes

With the new school building almost complete, we decided to seperate the building into wings: high school, junior high school, and elementary school. Students should check the online website to see what grade level they have been assigned. We have been given premission to test new technology for aging and as a result, the new curriculm/grading/age requirements:

Elementary School
(children 0-6 simdays)
-generalized studies in all skill sets. Must pass skills exam with at least a one in five skills
-typical school day: morning period-skill studying/lunch break & recess/afternoon-skill studying
Junior High School
(teenagers 7-4 simdays remaining until adulthood)
-generalized studies in all skill sets. Must pass skills exam with at least a one in all skills
-typical school day: morning period-skill studying/lunch break/afternoon-skill studying

Secondary Education: Grades 9 & 10
(teenagers 4-2 simdays remaining until adulthood)
-specialized studies . Must pass skills exam with at least a four in one skill.
-typical school day: morning period-skill studying/lunch break/afternoon-skill studying

Secondary Education Grades 11 & 12
(teenagers 2 simdays remaining until adulthood)
-specialized studies. Students can chose up to three skill areas for specialized studies. Must pass skills exam with at least a six in at least one chosen specialized skill.
-typical school day: morning period-specialized studying/lunch break/afternoon-specialized studying

Classes:
Classes are assigned with the help of the teacher. All students will take the following classes at least once. Classes are assigned depending on which specialized area is chosen and focuses within the class are chosen based on student preference.

Art & Music:
Students study art by composing thier own paintings and photography series, field trips to the local art gallery. Students study music by studying the violin or piano.

Elementary/Junior High : Students will spend at least one class period painting or learning the piano.

High School: Students will spend class periods learning the violin, piano or focusing on painting/photography.

Science:
Students study science by observing bacteria in microscopes, maintaining ant farms, repairing and creating basic electronic equiptment and observing nature.

Elementary/Junior High : Students will spend at least one class period observing bacteria, ants or nature (by hunting for bugs or birdwatching) and at least one class period creating basic electronic equiptment or listening to a lecture on general mechanics.

High School: Students will spend class periods observing birds, maintaining ant farms, studying bacteria or creating electronic equiptment.

Simish & History:
Students learn simish and history by composing letters and essays, presenting speeches, reading assignments and some movie viewing assignments.

Elementary/Junior High : Students will spend at least one class period presenting speeches and at least one class period doing reading assignments.

High School: Students will spend class periods presenting speeches, reading novels and writing articles.

Physical Education:
Students practice tai chi, yoga, boxing, ballet, football and aerobic fitness. Students also learn about nutrition and healthy eating.

Junior High: Students will spend at least one class period practicing boxing or football and at least one class period learning ballet.

High School: Students will spend class periods learning the tai chi, yoga and aerobic fitness.

Home Economics:
Students learn to maintain thier living space by learning proper cleaning concepts, and basic cooking recipes.

Elementary/Junior High : Students will spend at least one class period learning proper cleaning concepts and at least one class period learning basic cooking recipes.

High School: Students will spend class periods learning the advanced cleaning concepts and recipes.

Freetime/Recess/Lunch:
Students are able to spend thier freetime playing games, reading or chatting with friends while eating thier lunch.

Homework
Students are given homework 2-3 times a simweek. Homework usually consists of simple assignments to be done with the help of the family. Occasionally students are asked to complete projects started on at school at home or to create projects at home and bring them to school.