4-H

In the seventh and eighth grades, students are given the opportunity to participate in 4-H. At the first meeting in October, class officers are elected. For the month of November, students are asked to exercise their public speaking skills by giving a speech on a topic of their choice. The top student from each class goes on to represent NCS in the county public speaking competition. In January, students are called on for their creativeness to design posters for 4-H that include an original slogan and design promoting 4-H.
 
Art

The seventh and eighth grade art classes study several important artists and complete projects using the principles of art related to the work of the artist being studied. One of the projects the students complete after studying Van Gogh is a simplified version of his famous painting Starry Night. The object of this project is for the student to demonstrate an understanding of motion in a piece of art. The students also study such things as Picasso and the principles of cubism. Additionally, they complete cubist portraits in oil pastel and work on a still life collage.

Junior Beta
The purpose of The National Beta Club is to promote the ideas of character, service and leadership among students. The Junior Beta Club at Nashville Christian School is comprised of seventh, eighth, and ninth grade students. Induction into the club is held each spring. Students must have a 3.3 grade point average and exemplary discipline to qualify for nomination. The faculty selects new members based on their qualifications and teacher recommendations.

To uphold membership status, students must maintain a 3.3 GPA which is checked every nine weeks and possess an exemplary disciplinary record at the discretion of the Disciplinary Committee and Junior Beta Sponsors. Students must also participate in at least 5 hours of service work. 

The big event each fall is the Junior Beta Convention. The Convention is held every November at Opryland Hotel. Schools from all over Tennessee come and compete against each other in areas from a math bowl to Arts and Crafts. In addition, they participate in a service project each spring.

For more information about The National Beta Club, visit www.betaclub.org.

Student Council
Middle School Student Council focuses on demonstrating leadership skills, school spirit, and compassion for our community. Some community service projects we have been involved in include a can food drive for the Nashville Rescue mission, serving lunch at the Nashville Rescue Mission, and we are planning to have another food drive this spring. The Student Council organizes the Spirit Week during Basketball Season which encourages the entire Middle School to be active and support student athletes. We host the games and class competitions and organize pep buses and student sections for almost all middle school sports.  The Student Council organizes the Annual Valentine Banquet every February. The Banquet has a different theme each year and includes games and competitions. At the end of the year we hold elections in which each student must present a speech before the student body about what ideas or plans they would like to bring into the Middle School. Once we hold elections the new members and the old members participate in a team building activity at MTSU. Last year the Student Council participated in a ropes course and team building games that helped bring unity to the group.

Intermediate Band
This band of second- and third-year players in fifth and sixth grades delves much deeper into understanding the “band sound.”  More difficult band literature is introduced, exploring a full range of articulations, dynamics, and rhythmic devices.  Percussion students begin to advance beyond the standard snare drum / bass drum arrangement into xylophone, timpani, crash cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments.  Clarinets are guided through the process of “crossing the break.”

Marching Band / Concert Band
Students in seventh grade through twelfth grade participate in the Marching and Concert Bands.  Marching Band performs in the fall at our NCS football games.  The themes of past shows have included “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “It’s All About Joel: The Music of Billy Joel.”  Students play an upbeat selection of pep tunes in the stands as well.

In the late fall and spring, the focus of the group turns to concert music.  The Concert Band plays a wide variety of styles, including marches, tone poems, classical transcriptions, popular music, and music from all around the world.  Members are also given opportunities to form small ensembles.

Junior Singers
Junior Singers is open to any seventh or eighth grade student with a desire to sing. This group sings a variety of music styles and continually works on improving sight-reading and vocal technique. Team work is stressed as an important component of choral singing. Their performances include the traditional Winter and Spring concerts, and they may participate in a staged and choreographed Musical Revue. Participation in the Christian School Choral Festival is also an important part of this choir.

Spanish