Harry C. Fulton Middle School

Harry C. Fulton Middle School is a middle school in the Fountain Valley School District (FVSD). The school is in Fountain Valley, California off the corner of Magnolia Street and Talbert Avenue. The school was established in the mid-20th century. It was originally a kindergarten through eighth grade school but now it is just a sixth through eighth grade middle school.The current principal is Chris Christensen and the Vice principal is Chris Mullin. This year, 2008, they have a staff of 45 members with 32 teachers. Fulton's school mascot is the falcon. A new mascot outfit was purcased in 2007 to replace the other aging outfit.

Mission

The mission of Fulton Middle School is to promote academic excellence and establish a lifelong foundation for success in a safe learning environment. The focus is on the unique needs of middle school learners as they transition from elementary school and move toward the challenges of high school.

Electives

Sixth grade electives for the school are band, woodshop, art, cooking, Spanish, and computers. Seventh grade electives are the same with the additions of Communcations and Mindquest. Eighth grade electives are Media, Advanced Art, Yearbook, Advanced Woodworking, Cooking, and Spanish 1. Choosing Spanish 1 as an elecive for 8th grade has benefits. Sudents who pass the test given by Fountain Valley High School are able to do one less year of language in high school. Some new electives were added during the 2008–2009 school year, including photography (sixth grade only)advanced P.E. (seventh grade only), theater arts (sixth grade only), and debate (seventh grade only). Military History was also added as an eighth grade-only elective. Band was removed in 2008 from being a sixth grade all-year elective.

Fulton provides the GATE program for students who are gifted and talented in their school work. These students learn many more complex things such as depth and complexity where they not only read something but go into it and read between the lines. Teachers who teach the GATE program must be gate certified. The GATE program is offered from 3rd to 8th grade in this school district.

Yearly Activities

Fulton also hosts the track and field events once a year. The track and field events contain a multitude of events, including the fifty meter, one hundred meter, two hundred meter, long jump, and standing long junp.

For lunch at Fulton Middle School you can bring your own lunch or buy lunch from either the hot lunch or à la carte line. In the hot lunch line, lunches are only $2.25. However, in 2008, the price of hot lunches was increased to $3.00. In the a la carte line, you choose what you want and buy it. A la carte gives you more freedom but is usually more expensive.

Fulton also has a service points/spirit points system. Spirit points are earned by wearing blue and gold on blue-and-gold days, and turing in monday envelopes, earning two service points for participation. Sixty spirit points are needed for sixth and seventh graders to attend Boomers!. Service points are earned by helping out the staff, and students normally earn one point per 15 minutes. Eighth graders can earn both service and spirit points, but sixth and seventh graders can only earn spirit points. Eighth graders need 80 service or spirit points for Santa Catalina Island, California, and 100 for promotions.The top two spirit point earners in each sixth and seventh grade homeroom, along with the top fifteen service point earners in the eight grade go to Knott's Berry Farm at the end of the year.

During the 2008–2009 school year, the school day was changed from seven to six periods because of budget cuts. The school day was not shortened, but instead the periods were made longer. English and literature classes were combined into one class. English teachers are also required to teach history in addition to English and literature.

End-of-Year Activities

There are different end-of-year activites for different grades. Both sixth and seventh graders walk to Boomers! On the last day of school. However, eighth graders go to Disneyland California a few days before school ends, and have promotions on the last day of school. Eighth graders go to Catalina for three days if they pay the fees. Almost all students attend this, as it is very popular.

Ambassador Program

As of the 2008/2009 school year, Fulton is offering the experience of traveling overseas with the People to People organization. Sixth graders have the opportunity to travel to Australia, and seventh and eighth graders may go to China. On these trips, Fulton students will learn more about the countries they are visiting. They stay with a family in the country they visit, and learn about the daily life of its people. The trip to China for the seventh and eight graders includes stops in Hong Kong, Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, and Wuhzen. Some highlights of the this trip are excursions the Great Wall of China, a visit to the Forbidden City, seeing the Terra Cotta Warriors, touring the 2008 Olympic Stadium in Beijing, and taking a morning cruise in Hong Kong.

External links

* [http://www.fvsd.us/home_page.asp?tid=8 Harry C. Fulton Middle School]
* [http://www.studentambassadors.org/destinations/2009/KJ.asp?tid=8 China Student Ambassador Trip]
* [http://www.studentambassadors.org/destinations/2009/southpacific.asp?tid=8 Australia Student Ambassador Trip]