JUNIOR HIGH (Grades 6,7 & 8)

At the Junior High School level, the emphasis upon skill development is continued. In addition to reading, language arts, social studies, math and science, junior high school students have an opportunity for more extensive programs. The CPSA educational program follows an accelerated curriculum in addition to the curriculum prescribed by the Illinois State Board of Education.

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM

The Junior High school program is designed to enable the student to prepare for advanced high school courses such as Advanced Placement (AP) and other standardized tests. None of the Jr. High courses is an honors course. The following courses are offered in Jr. High classes:

1. English
Two separate courses are offered in each year of junior high to improve the writing skills, with considerable emphasis on grammar, vocabulary, speech, writing and presentation. In addition to reading short stories and poems included in textbook anthologies, students are also required to read selected novels and prepare detailed book reports.

2. Math
Pre-Algebra - Grade 6
Algebra -I - Grade 7
Intermediate Algebra - Grade 8

This accelerated program helps the students' abilities of reasoning, interpretation and problem solving. It lays the foundation of the advanced courses they will face in high school and college. The problem-solving skills of the math curriculum coordinates with the science courses and develops student confidence.

3. Science
Unlike the general science courses offered in all 3 years of public school system, CPSA has taken a step further by advancing its science syllabus into the following:

Physical Science (Grade 6)
It is a combination of physics and chemistry, outlining the basics of science. The curriculum stresses the fundamentals of physics and chemistry, and the basic concepts of experiments and laboratory techniques.

Life Science (Grade 7)
Biological science is introduced as a separate course in this class, thereby educating students about living things around us and also about the human body systems.

Junior Chemistry (Grade 8)
A simple basic course covering the outlines of chemical science is taught during the final year of junior high. This course further advances the chemistry units of the physical science course covered in grade 6.

4. Social Studies (History and Geography)
To enable students to know about different cultures and civilizations of the world in general and the United States of America in particular, these courses are offered in junior high classes. Great emphasis is placed on world cultures and civilizations, past and present, in Grade 6, and U.S History and U.S. Constitution in Grades 7 & 8. The main focus in grade 8 is on the U.S Constitution.

5. Foreign Language - Arabic
CPSA being an Islamic school, much emphasis is given to this course which enables the children to read and write grammatically correct Arabic, read and memorize the Quran and Hadith in all the junior high grades.

 6. Islamic Studies
A series of Islamic textbooks will be used to help students develop in the fields of Islamic Doctrine (Aqeedah); morals (Akhlaq); Islamic Law (Fiqh) and Islamic History. These studies will ensure that students develop a basic understanding of these essential Islamic topics and that they appreciate Islamic academics as much as they realize the need to incorporate Islamic values and ideology in their other subjects. A course in the Geography of the Muslim world has also been added.

7. Computer (Keyboarding skills and word processing)
The goal of this course is to enable the students to become proficient typists using the computer as typewriter. Later the students will focus on speed typing.

The word processing course will introduce students to the basics of computer hardware with emphasis on word processing, page layout, spreadsheets, and data base management.

With its accelerated program CPSA not only introduces the above courses in junior high but encourages and coaches students to participate in various competitive and standardized tests such as IOWA, Math Count, Illinois Math league, American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) and above all PSAT (Preliminary Scholastic Assessment Test) which is a major criterion in the selection processes of most U.S colleges and universities.

8. Physical Education
Physical education is offered as a regular subject separately to both male and female students. CPSA has full- time separate P.E. instructors for boys and girls. Grades are based on achievement and participation in activities including basketball, aerobics, badminton, table tennis, fitness. Indoor games such as Scrabble and chess etc. are also promoted in winter. Inter-Islamic schools games and sports competitions are encouraged.  

CLASS RANK AND HONOR ROLL

Class rank is not determined at CPSA. Grades earned in all courses, exclusive of physical education will be used to determine eligibility for the Principal's List and the honor roll.

Principal's List
Top six students from Grades 6 & 7.
Top three students from Grade 8 (boys & girls are separate)

Honor Roll
Honor Roll-A: Minimum 3.8 grade point average,
Honor Roll-B: Minimum 3.5 average with no grade below a C