Electives

By Eva Marquez, Samantha Kung, and Aiden Nash

During the school year, students get to have electives! Have you ever wondered what they’re all about? There are many electives, such as Art, Mock Trial, Cuisine, Worship Arts, ASL, and much more!

Electives allow students to take a break from their core classes and learn something new. They also help build relationships between other students and teachers. These classes take place during a student's 7th period on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Each student gets to participate in two elective classes per semester. Last year, we didn’t get the chance to have electives, so we are grateful to be able to have them this year.

Mrs. Romero teaches the Art elective. She says, “I’ve always loved art! I feel so fortunate to be able to teach this elective and be able to help develop creative minds.” In her class, students will get to explore various skills and techniques, such as color, shape, and media. Mrs. Romero will also be incorporating different subjects into Art. This includes history, English, science, and even math! Students will be able to branch out into their creative side and express themselves through art.

Mrs. Smalley is our teacher for the Mock Trial elective. In this elective, students will get to learn about law and court procedure in the legal system, as well as different roles that people take in during trials. Mrs. Smalley will teach concepts such as how to speak in front of an audience, and critical thinking. Mrs. Smalley says, “Public speaking is always a good skill to develop, whether it's for stage, speeches or just to feel more comfortable speaking in front of groups, like being a teacher!”

Mrs. Ramirez teaches Cuisine! In this class, students experience the science behind food ingredients. Students learn about how to use kitchen tools, as well as baking and measuring correctly. The best part of her class is the food science experiments students get to do. She created this class at a summer school for 7 years, and the students that participated always had a great time. Mrs. Ramirez says, “I thought it would be fun to bring the experience to RCMS.”

Mr. Molina teaches the Worship Arts Elective. In this class, students learn the different ways we can honor and praise God through our individual thoughts, actions, words, and interactions with others. Students also learn the unique privilege of being able to praise God in our communities. Mr. Molina says, “My entire adult life has been based around helping lead others into worship together.” He was a worship leader at one of the churches in Pasadena and has a Master’s degree in Worship, Theology, and the Arts. He wants to continue to help people learn about “this contagious, overwhelming passion that comes with living in God’s love.”

Mr. Beebe is the ASL teacher. ASL was his second language when he was in college. This skill proved to be useful when he used to work near California Deaf School Riverside (CDSR). In the ASL elective class, students get to learn the basic understanding of the language. They get to learn how to sign things like the alphabet, numbers, colors, signs used for everyday communication, and much more! One fun thing that his ASL class has done is to sign a song in Chapel, and he hopes to do it again this year.

Electives are a wonderful way to help students grow in all areas. Students grow not just academically, but also spiritually, mentally, and socially. RCMS students also get to do fun and interesting activities in electives to help them grow and learn. We hope that students will love their experience, and keep expanding their knowledge through these classes.