On Friday, students signed up for their first elective classes of the year. Just glancing at the list of offerings, you get a sense of the fun – yoga, crime scene investigation, backpacking, collage, cycling, songwriting, and rock climbing, to name just a few. But electives are about a lot more than fun. 

Electives are also about choice. We know that choice is important to middle school students as they assert their independence in the world, and so we build choice into many different parts of our program, from electives to Exploration Week. We structure the sign-up rotation so that everyone gets a chance to be the first to sign up at some point in the year. With choice comes the possibility of disappointment, and not every student will get his or her first choice each elective cycle. While a few students here and there may feel disappointed they didn’t get their first choice the first time around, they have the chance to practice grace in disappointment, and even discover a new activity. Over the years students have told us they learned to truly appreciate something that wasn’t necessarily their first choice. We love this. 

Electives are also about breaking students out of their grades and sections and into new cross-grade groupings that produce long-lasting bonds that are important to the Hyla experience. Eighth graders get the chance to look out for younger students. Younger students get to feel seen and known by older kids. 

Electives are also about encouraging self-awareness. The broad range of activities offered through electives speak to the multi-dimensional skills, talents, and passions of our faculty. They bring that passion to each activity, and invite students to explore a new activity or subject area. When students choose an elective, they might be choosing a hobby that will stay with them for life, or an area of study that will guide them professionally. Many alumni return to tell us how electives shaped their paths. Just as students learn that faculty are multi-dimensional people with a variety of interests, they learn to recognize and appreciate this same complexity in themselves.