Beginning Band:

This full-year course is designed for 6th, 7th, or 8th grade students who have no previous band experience. They will develop their basic musicianship while performing in two to three concerts per year. Instrument selection will be completed in the first two weeks of school, and instrument rentals are available. There will be a fair share fee for this course which covers uniform shirt, band books, music, clinicians, small accessories, rewards, and other class essentials. Financial obligations and occasional time commitments outside of school hours are part of this course. Before making this selection, parents are encouraged to visit our music page on our website.
https://teachers.stjohns.k12.fl.us/zentz-l/band/

Concert Band (1-year previous experience required):

This full-year course is designed for middle school students who have at least one year of prior band experience. Students will continue to develop their musicianship while performing at least two times per year. There will be a fair share fee for this course which covers uniform shirt, band books, binder, small accessories, rewards and other class essentials. Financial obligations and occasional time commitments outside of school hours are part of this course. While both band classes will learn popular Grade 1 tunes, “Concert Band” class will spend more time in this genre while “Symphonic Band” will learn more traditional band literature. Parents are encouraged to visit our music page on our website.
https://teachers.stjohns.k12.fl.us/zentz-l/band/

Beginning Guitar:

This full-year course is designed for students with little or no guitar experience. Students will develop basic guitar skills and knowledge, including simple and full-strum chords, strumming patterns, playing/singing simple melodies, foundational music theory, parts of the guitar, and ensemble skills. Beginning guitarists explore the careers and music of significant performers in pop/rock, jazz, blues, classical, country, bluegrass, and hard rock/metal genres. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals.  This course may also require students to obtain a musical instrument (e.g., borrow, rent, purchase) from an outside source.

Two-Dimensional Studio Art 1:

This full-year course aims to introduce students to the rigor and routine of the art production process, including planning, producing, and reflecting on Art. With an emphasis on studio arts, students explore various 2D and 3D media, skills, and techniques related to contemporary and historical art perspectives. Projects may include but not be limited to drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, mixed media, pottery, and sculpture. Students develop technical skills, foster their expressive abilities, and employ the elements of Art throughout the production process. All consumable materials will be supplied- including sketchbooks, pens and pencils. There is a $15.00 FairShare fee associated with this course.

STEM Explorations & Engineering Design:

In this hands-on STEM course, students design, build, and code interactive projects using LEGO® Education SPIKE™ Prime kits, Makey Makey, and Scratch programming. Through project-based learning challenges, students explore engineering, robotics, coding, and basic electronics while solving real-world problems.

Students practice the engineering design process—planning, testing, debugging, and improving their ideas—while building skills in collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. By the end of the course, students will have created a variety of innovative projects that showcase their growth as engineers and problem-solvers.