Each student at Twain Middle School will take seven classes each semester plus a Learning Seminar Advisory period.  Five of the seven periods are filled with courses that are required for all students: English, math, social studies, science, and physical education. The remaining two periods are filled with a combination of year-long and/or semester courses from the following departments: visual or performing arts, business and information technology, family and consumer science, world languages, leadership, and engineering.

To supplement the regular education curriculum, several courses are offered to give students additional support in developing English and math skills necessary for success at the high school level. Twain Middle School also provides ESOL and Special Education classes to support students’ academic needs. 

2025-2026 Dates

Course Catalogs (website)

• 7th and 8th Grade Course Catalogue

Course Catalogs (pdf)

• 7th and 8th Grade Course Catalogue

Twain Middle School Transition Information Night

We are excited to welcome our rising 7th grade (current 6th grade) parents/guardians to the  Twain Middle School Transition Information Night on  Monday, January 12, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. The event will take place in Mark Twain’s Cafeteria.

Parents/Guardians will hear presentations from the following departments: Electives, English, ESOL, Health & PE, IB Program, Mathematics, Student Services, Science, Social Studies, Special Education and World Languages. We will also review the 2026-27 course selection process and timeline.

At 7:00 p.m., parents of rising 7 ^th  AAP (Advanced Academic Program) Level IV eligible students will learn about AAP at Mark Twain. We will have a student panel on-hand to answer any questions about the transition from an elementary AAP to a middle school program.

Additionally, at 7:00 p.m. in the Lecture Hall, there will be a special presentation about the AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) program. Parents of student who have been recommended by their current teachers for AVID have received a personal invitation from me, though you do not have to be invited to attend.

Hope to see you there, 

Mark Twain Middle School 

Please feel free to contact Stephen Fitzgerald, Director of Student Services , if you have any questions.

Find information about our Electives Classes as well as the Electives Video on our Electives Overview page.

FCPS honors courses, available to middle and high school students, are based on extensions of the FCPS Program of Studies. Students may self-select one or more honors courses in areas that match their academic interests or strengths. Extensions based on the Parallel Curriculum Model add depth and complexity to student learning experiences. To learn more about the parallel curriculum model, please reference Carol Ann Tomlinson’s The Parallel Curriculum: A Design to Develop Learner Potential and Challenge Advanced Learners (2009). Students in honors courses frequently use abstract, critical thinking approaches through inquiry-based projects to extend and deepen understanding of the content. Honors courses prepare students for future success in the next step of their academic journey.

In middle school mathematics, an honors course accelerates the student to the next grade level. To learn more about specific honors courses, check the individual course descriptions in our FCPS course catalog.

Mathematics Honor Classes

Pre-Algebra and Pre-Algebra Honors are open enrollment for all students. These courses are an acceleration of mathematics curriculum which requires students to master the content assessed on the Mathematics 8 SOL assessment.

Algebra I Honors is open enrollment for all 8th grade students; however, there are specific requirements for enrollment in Algebra I Honors in 7th grade:

• Successful completion of the Advanced Mathematics Grade 6 curriculum or a year-long accelerated mathematics program
• Score a pass advanced (500 or above) on the grade 7 mathematics Standards of Learning (SOL) test

We look forward to seeing Rising 7th grade parents at our Parent Coffee on June 3, 2026 at 9 am.  If you miss the event, we will post the presentation that was shared.