“WIN” Course Descriptions
2015-2016
BMS uses WIN (What Individuals Need) time for intervention and enrichment activities. The class is held during 4th period on
either an A-day or B-day schedule. That is, students will be participating in 2 WIN classes for each semester or the year. Every student
should select their 5 top choices. Once students are enrolled in WIN classes they cannot change before the end of the semester. The best
effort will be made to give students what they choose, however this selection process does not guarantee a spot in that class. Some WIN
classes involve a greater commitment that should be considered when making choices and may require an additional application, audition,
work samples, or fees and are indicated by an asterisk (*).
Our first priority is giving student what they need in terms of academics, so students may be enrolled in Language Live!, Math
Intervention, Reading Fluency or Reading Comprehension Connections based on multiple data points. Students are administratively placed in
these classes. Students placed in these WIN classes always have the opportunity to “exit” an intervention class during the semester, based on
student progress as measured by progress monitoring checkpoints.
*Battle of the Books (6th, 7th, & 8th): Students read from a statewide book list of 27 books. Reading, writing and answering competition–
style detail questions is a part of the expected. Students will read books for plot, setting, and characterization details. District competition is
in March. Regional and state competitions follow for teams that win at each level. Students need to begin reading from the list and writing
questions as soon as possible. For more information, contact Mrs. Moose at katherine_moose@iss.k12.nc.us
*Chess (6th, 7th & 8th): Chess is a class to allow students to utilize their skills acquired by playing chess. These skills are trainable to all
students. Chess educators have argued that chess is beneficial, research has shown that test scores improved by 17.3% for students who
engaged in chess classes, compared with only 4.6% for children participating in other forms of enriched activities. For more information
contact Mr. Edge at jedge@iss.k12.nc.us.
*Envirothon (6th, 7th, & 8th) The Envirothon is an annual competition in which middle school and high school teams compete for
recognition and scholarships by demonstrating their knowledge of environmental science and natural resource management. The teams, each
consisting of five students from participating schools, home study groups and environmental clubs, exercise their training and problemsolving skills in a competition centered on five testing categories: soils/land use, aquatic ecology, forestry, wildlife and current environmental
issues. aoffchiss@iss.k12.nc.us for more information.
Hip Hop Appreciation (6th, 7th, 8th) “…a class that would study the birth and evolution of hip hop through documentaries, videos, music
listening sessions, discussions etc…” It’ll be a great place to see where the current Hip-Hop excitement originated from!!!
Film Appreciation (Semester 7th, 8th) Students will survey and discuss key motion pictures by genre. A major goal will be understanding
the value of viewing Film. Early Film history, the Film making process, as well as key directors and composers will be explored. All movies
are rated PG-13 or below. Written permission from Parent/Guardian is required for viewing. A list of the movies is available at Mr.
Mercereau’s room #106.
*Middle School Mentors (6th, 7th & 8th): Students will work together to explore the education system, assist our classmates through
tutoring, and support our school staff. We will help teachers with organization, tutor classmates, develop games for classrooms, learn how to
become a teacher, and become leaders in our school. Interested students should be curious about becoming a teacher, willing to tutor
classmates, interested in learning about the field of education, motivated and trustworthy, and eager to assist and help school staff.
Applications are required to enroll in this WIN class. Please see Mrs. Pavao with questions or concerns. jpavao@iss.k12.nc.us.
*Odyssey of the Mind (6, 7, & 8): is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students
from kindergarten through college. Kids apply their creative intellect to solve problems that range from building mechanical devices to
presenting their own interpretation of literary classics. They bring their solutions to competition on the local, state, and World level.
Thousands of teams from throughout the U.S. and from about 25 other countries participate in the program. Students must be good in
teamwork situations and enjoy finding creative solutions. A cost is part of the program and in the past was approximately $100. Students
should expect to spend time after school completing their team problem. For more information contact Ms. Patterson at
kpatterson@iss.k12.nc.us
*Performance Choir (6th, 7th & 8th): Chorus is for students who enjoy singing a variety of music. The group will be performing in a
minimum of 2 concerts in the 2014-15 school year. We will also participate in the North Carolina Choral festival. Any student wishing to
audition for County & State level Honors Choir must be a member of chorus. Students who sign up for this group will be expected to be at all
performances and exhibit a positive attitude. New members wishing to participate need to see Mrs. Holden to sign up for an audition time.
There is no limit to the number of singers in this group, and those students who participated last year will not need to audition. For more
information, contact Mrs. Holden at jholden@iss.k12.nc.us.
Debate (6th and 7th only) Do you love to argue? Take on some of today’s controversial topics and present your side of the story. Keeping an
open mind to other’s ideas and opinions is a must to be successful in this world, so this is a great place to start. Contact Mrs. Simpson at
rsimpson@iss.k12.nc.us for more information.
*Robotics (6th, 7th, & 8th) Lego Robotics is a year long class that involves going off campus for 1 or 2 competitions. Students will build and
program a robot to do specific tasks within a specified time. ALL grades can participate; girls are strongly encouraged to apply. Applications
will be available to those that sing-up here first. It’s time to defend our title!
Dance (6th, 7th, & 8th Fall or Spring): The Dance WIN class will have students moving and learning different dance styles and
techniques. Students will perform dance routines, costume design, and make-up techniques. There will be a minimal fee to cover the cost of
guest teachers, t-shirt, and music. Dance attire will also be required for class. *Prior approval is needed to register for this class. For more
information, please contact Mrs. Hanson at gwynhanson@iss.k12.nc.us
Girl Power!! (6th, 7th, 8th – Girls) Be a positive and powerful girl! There are so many choices and distractions for how you spend your
time. Learn about topics that can help you be healthy and strong. Low impact exercise and fun activities that emphasize your best qualities
will be the focus of the Girl Power WIN.
We'll be outside often, completing tasks that challenge you to be strong and help you develop team skills. Fun exercise, music, and problem
solving will be the focus of our WIN class time!
CSI: Mooresville (Semester 6th, 7th, & 8th ) Class will introduce students to our local criminal justice fields such as Crime Scene
Investigation, Detective work, Police patrol, Dispatch Center (911) and much more! Plan to learn all the ins and outs of the criminal justice
line of work with guest speakers and a mock crime scene investigation.
Tech-Know Kids (6th, 7th, & 8th): Are you a ‘gamer’? Would you like to create your own online game using block based coding tool,
Scratch? If so, join Tech-Know Kids! Ms. Flowers at kimflowers@iss.k12.nc.us.
Community and Service (Semester)– It’s time to give back to the community. Participate in a number of projects to benefit a number of
different groups. Write a letter to the troops, organize a food drive, help the nursing home are just a few of the things you can do to give back.
Contact Mrs. Lee for more information at rlee@iss.k12.nc.us.
School Newspaper (6th, 7th, 8th) – Showcase what we are doing here at Brawley. Students create stories, write articles, take pictures,
interview staff and students about what’s happening. Writers, editors, photographers and more are needed. Publish the paper digitally for all
to see.
Stock Market Game: (6th, 7th & 8th): The Stock Market Game™ program teaches and reinforces these essential skills and concepts: critical
thinking, decision-making, cooperation and communication, independent research, and saving and investing. Students use real internet
research and news updates, making the simulation an even better mirror of the real marketplace. For more information check the online
information at www.stockmarketgame.org or Ms. Calloway at mdcalloway@iss.k12.nc.us.
*Murals (7th & 8th): Students are selected based on their application responses (which include a recommendation from a teacher other than
Ms. Hopkins) and a sample of their artwork. If you are: Interested in Art, interested in improving the look of Brawley Middle School, work
well with others, responsible and hardworking, and like working on long term projects, then you qualify for this WIN course. For more
information contact Ms. Jennifer Hopkins at jhopkins@iss.k12.nc.us
* Advanced Art (7th & 8th): Students are selected based on their application responses (which include a recommendation from a teacher
other than Ms. Hopkins) and a sample of their artwork. If you are: highly interested in Art, disciplined and responsible, have a creative spirit,
willing to try new things, hard working, focused, like working on long term projects, then you qualify for this WIN course. For more
information contact Ms. Jennifer Hopkins at jhopkins@iss.k12.nc.us .
Reading is Fun: Reading Enrichment – this class is for students who have a great enthusiasm for reading. Each student will bring their own
novels and reading materials. We will have “Book Talks” and share recommended books to inspire others in the class! Information found
with Mrs. Aldridge at kaldridge@iss.k12.nc.us
Geography Bee (year-long competition) In teams of six, students compete in the national Geography Bee. Using material prepared by
National Geographic Society students learn about the interesting world around them. This competition is more than just labeling a location
on a map, its about developing a sense of worldliness and appreciating different cultures. Any questions can be directed to Mr. Mercereau.
Life Skills (Semester) – These skills would teach time management, setting and obtaining long and short term goals, finding and keeping
jobs, learning independence, and managing your money. Contact Mrs. Storace for more information.
Travel and Tourism (Semester) - Train ride to Raleigh to visit our own state capital!Sign up with a friend as the travel project will be done
with a partner! Travel project includes planning a trip to a US destination of interest complete with your budget for favorite activities, the
food you would like while there, your hotel, and landmarks. You will also enjoy entertaining videos to discover our county and the fun that
we can have here right in the good 'ole US of A!
God Bless America and all that she has to offer!!!
STEM class (Semester) - Do you like explosions?
Flying airplanes? Figuring out how many ants really in the hill? Do you create,
invent, investigate? Do you build? Are you looking for some "WOW" during your school day? Become part of the Creative Encounters a
STEM/STEAM group!
Drama (Semester) - We will be reading various skits and plays in WIN class. As a group we will perform some of them in class and then
choose one play to perform for an audience. It’s just what you think it is!
Fantasy Football (Semester) - Fantasy Football and Mathematics is a game that is played by millions of adolescents and adults nationwide.
Participants will create fantasy teams by selecting players from professional football. Each week, students will use newspapers or online
resources to locate and analyze statistics to earn points.
Learning to Code (Semester) - Taking students through Code Academy learning to write computer code. We will start with JavaScript and
proceed from there.
Boys Basketball (8th Fall, 7th Spring): Students will be working on basketball skills through drills and tournaments. For more information
contact Mr. Sherrill at jsherrill@iss.k12.nc.us.
iTunes / Garageband / iMovie (Semester) - Do you want to join the society of great movie directors such as Steven Spielberg, Michael
Bay, or Tim Burton? Or, be considered one of the world's top music producers one day? If so, then join the iMovie & Garageband WIN class.
This course will focus on basic and advanced methods of using iMovie and Garageband to create amazing film and music...or even better,
scoring music for film! Students will have the opportunity to generate different types of movies and music to be utilized for a variety of
purposes, including national contests and school promotion, as a part of this course.
Exploratory German (Year long) Students will be exposed to the basics of beginner German. From the alphabet, numbers, greetings, and
vocabulary from daily usage. We would also be watching videos , music and learning about the various elements of German culture. Students
will need a notebook and notecards, colored pencils, or markers, and their macs. German pocket dictionary recommended.
Photography (Semester) - The class will cover the basic skills of digital photography, such as shutter speed, ISO settings, and Aperture to
capture the best photos. We will also assist in taking pictures for the yearbook. The students will learn about different layouts and create a
digital photo book. Students will need to have a camera or phone to take pictures.
Current Events (Semester): If you are interested in “what’s going on in the world” and are interested in reading and participating in
activities related to the local, national and international news this is the class for you. This is an opportunity to engage your parents in adult
conversations regarding the news. Student’s need to be upbeat, positive and open minded. Supplies for this class are one newspaper or
magazine per week (or determined by the pace of the class). For more information contact Ms. Simpson at rsimpson@iss.k12.nc.us.
Creative Reuse (Semester): Collect old magazines, newspapers, paper from recycling bins even and create new products out of them. The
projects that we choose can be made for someone/groups of people - like paper baskets for nursing home residents, or paper dolls for sick
children...extend it out into the community.
Creative Writing (Semester) - Creative outlet for students who love to write.
Scale Modeling (Semester) - Scale modeling allows students to design several scale models over the span of several weeks. Scale modeling
involves following directions, attention to detail and patience. The reward is a replica of a famous building, plane or car.
Personal Finance (Semester) – How do I buy a car or house or boat? Wouldn’t it be great to understand how money actually works and find
out the real story behind credit? Student explore real-life scenarios and experiences like buying a car, buying a house, renting an apartment,
balancing a check book, balancing a checkbook on debit statement to your bank statement, and credit cards( benefits and pitfalls). It’s never
to late to start saving! For more information contact Mr. Scott at jlscott@iss.k12.nc.us
Scrapbooking (Semester): Come use your artistic ability and create a scrapbook of your vacations, family and friends to share will all. Bring
your favorite photos and share a story in pictures. Some of the supplies will be provided but you may need to purchase some pages, stickers,
and letters at a craft store.
*Show Choir (Year-long 6th, 7th, 8th) - Do you watch Glee?? Do you like to sing and dance? Do you like to put on a costume and perform
in front of people? Then Show Choir is for YOU! Join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a toe-tappin', finger snappin' good time! Contact
Mrs. Hanson at gwynhanson@iss.k12.nc.us or Mrs. Holden at jholden@iss.k12.nc.us for more information.
Auditions times to be announced