RHMS students Ryland Tuers and Derek Fearon are excited to be a part of tech ER, the new elective at RHMS that focuses on aiding with technology.  Here the students are working on a new projector.

By RHMS student Sarah Bermingham; photo courtesy of RHMS student Molly Mceowen

Rocky Heights Middle School (RHMS) is constantly making improvements to make the fantastic school even better.  This year, three new electives were added for students to enjoy: speech, eSTEM, and tech ER.

Speech teacher and literacy specialist Judi Holst added speech, a new public speaking class.  Holst thinks that public speaking is very important.  Holst said, “In almost every job, a person has to give some type of speech.  It may just be preparing to ask your boss for a raise, it could be a presentation or proposal, it could be participating in a campaign, or it could be a coach motivating his or her players.”  This class is a great way to get over stage fright and become a strong public speaker.  The students taking this class think it is great, and have a lot of fun.  “This class is great because everyone is so accepting,” stated eighth grade student Elizabeth Mayr.  

Holst has done an amazing job of creating a safe, fun, and educational environment for students to learn about techniques on how to present to an audience and defeat that nervous feeling most of us get when speaking in front of others.  The students are participating in projects such as Shark Tank, Ted Talks, and mini-debates.
   
The two other electives, eSTEM and tech ER, are taught by eSTEM and technology teacher Cameron Randolph.  eSTEM is an environmental science class that is project-based.  Students get to pick an environmental issue that they are interested in and create a project on it.  Student Abby Drabing explained, “We learn from peer teaching, that means we learn from each others projects.  There is no textbook and papers to do, just your ideas.”  Kids get to help fix problems in their community, and some even want to help globally.  This is very important because the future generation of adults needs to be able to address these kinds of issues, and this class teaches them how to do it.  
   
Tech ER is a computer help desk located in the library for students to come get help with computer issues.  It is run by Randolph and a few students called the “tech medics.”  If anyone has issues with their computer or other technology, they can bring it up to the tech ER to get it fixed.  This elective is a cool opportunity for students to help other students and staff with everyday issues.
   
The new electives at RHMS are just some of the ways this great school is constantly getting better.  The new classes give students fresh options and allow students to learn important life skills.