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Electives & Course Offerings

For the 2025-26 School Year, Hillview Middle School will be offering a wide range of elective options from year-long electives to trimester electives for all grades.  Hillview has a 7-period day, and 5 of those periods will be filled with the core academic subjects of ELA, Math, Social Studies, and Science, plus physical education. That leaves 2 periods for electives.*  

2025-26 Course Catalog

2025-26 6th Grade Courses

6th Graders have three choices for their two elective slots. Please review the 6th Grade Course Catalog, linked below, to learn more details about these options.

  1. 6th graders will be introduced to Hillview’s rich elective offerings through the “exploratory wheel.” The wheel has six “spokes,” and all 6th graders will move through these six-week courses in a different order. 
  2. Students may also choose a year-long elective, one of three language options: Spanish 1A, French 1A, or Spanish Language and Culture 1 (the middle school extension of the elementary immersion program). Please note that enrollment in a world language adds another academic class to a student’s schedule, and we ask you to thoughtfully weigh this choice as 6th grade is an important transitional year where students are getting accustomed to new routines and expectations.
  3. 6th Grade students also have the option to take Double Compacted Math (7B/8). This is a year long academic elective that must be taken in conjunction with Math 6B/7A. Please note that enrollment in an additional math course adds another academic class to a student’s schedule, and we ask you to thoughtfully weigh this choice as 6th grade is an important transitional year where students are getting accustomed to new routines and expectations.
  4. 6th graders also have the option to take Qu3ST as a year-long elective.  Qu3ST is an acronym standing for Quiet Sustained and Supported Study Time, and it is a class held during the 7th period (last period of the day). Almost 75% of our 6th graders took Qu3ST in the 2023-24 school year.

There are two more elective options for 6th graders that do not require them to spend one of their two non-academic/PE periods:

  • If your student has at least one year of experience on an instrument, they may want to join Band 6 or Orchestra 6. Band and Orchestra pull out from PE, so these classes do not conflict with other electives.

Our Course Catalog reflects our current planning and assumptions for the 2024-25 school year. Also, only those electives that are viable will run, meaning that some may not be offered if there is not sufficient interest. Please register for your electives by March 10, 2025.

2025-26 7th/8th Grade Courses

7th and 8th graders will need to select two electives. These choices can include combinations of trimester electives and year-long electives, including Qu3ST. To understand what courses are offered either as trimester electives or year-long electives, please review the course catalog below. In addition to the two courses, students can also select a special PE elective (Hillview On the Move or Advanced Dance) instead of traditional PE. Qu3ST is also a year-long elective available to 7th/8th graders. Rising 8th graders also have the option to apply to be a part of ASB (Associated Student Body) which is a year-long elective. Details on how to apply and what leadership roles are available will be shared in May, 2023. Aspiring ASB members still need to select electives; if accepted to ASB, students will work with counselors to help sort out previous choices. 

Our Course Catalog reflects our current planning and assumptions for the 2023-24 school year. Also, only those electives that are viable will run, meaning that some may not be offered if there is not sufficient interest. Please register for your electives by March 10, 2025.

Qu3ST

All students take two electives. Many of our students choose Qu3ST as their second elective.  Qu3ST is an acronym standing for Quiet Sustained and Supported Study Time, and it is a class open to all students during the 7th period (last period of the day). This important time provides students with essential academic support before the school day ends, allows them to get a jump start on homework, use extra time to complete a task or to ask questions about difficult concepts.  Qu3ST is staffed by one of the student’s academy teachers.  Some students may choose to take a second elective during 7th period instead of participating in Qu3ST.

*For students interested in beginning band/strings (open course) or jazz band (entrance by audition) they can select those as a “additional” period option. Meeting time is TBD.  This would be in addition to a student’s other 2 selected electives.