middle school curriculum overview
Religion
Our Middle School Religion program is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of their faith and prepare them for further religious education. The Sixth Grade curriculum focuses on foundational topics such as the Old Testament, morality, and prayer. In the Seventh Grade, students delve into the New Testament and the life of Jesus, the origins of the Catholic Church, the sacraments, and Catholic moral principles. The Eighth Grade year covers church history, morality, and Catholic social teachings. This three-year progression prepares graduates for their eventual "next step" into a Catholic high school and/or a confirmation program.
All Middle School students also complete individual service learning hours.
English Language Arts: Grammar & Writing
6th Grade
Our 6th Graders explore different genres of writing, as well as the other necessary elements needed to improve writing and composition skills. With the goal of inspiring students to develop original pieces and ideas, we work through the steps of the writing process to incorporate the necessary elements for strong writing and composition. By combining foundational skills with creative exploration, this course encourages 6th graders to grow as confident, capable, and original communicators.
7th - 8th Grades
The purpose of the 7th and 8th Grade Grammar & Writing courses is to further develop the writing ability of the student. This extends from forming and punctuating sentences properly to building compelling paragraphs to organizing meaningful stories or essays.
The student will learn how to
• recognize parts of speech
• analyze the syntax of words, phrases, and clauses
• structure sentences correctly
• use proper punctuation
• avoid common grammatical errors
Students produce original written works and receive very specific feedback on their writing from the instructor.
Note that this course helps the student to prepare for the Language portion of the High School Placement Test that s/he will take during 8th grade.
Middle School Literature
In our Middle School Literature classes, students read and analyze a wide array of stories and writing styles. We explore a variety of literary genres, including exciting short stories, creative poetry, dramatic plays, and classic novels. The main goal is to get students really thinking about what they read, asking questions, and understanding deeper meanings. These classes also help students expand their vocabulary, which facilitates communication. Ultimately, we want every student to become an even stronger, more confident reader, prepared for reading challenges they will face in high school and beyond.
Math
6th Grade Math expands elementary math foundations: studying decimals, percents, fractions, and ratios. As the trimesters progress, 6th Graders build skills in writing, manipulating, and solving equations while learning how to use variables to express mathematical relationships. We finish the year exploring the geometry of 2D and 3D shapes, area/perimeter, and an introduction to statistics.
7th Grade Math builds on and sophisticates what was covered in 6th Grade Math. We study integers, expressions/equations, inequalities, ratios/proportions, geometry (shapes, area, volume, slope) and statistical measures. Toward the end of the year, we practice probability and learn how to statistically make good decisions.
8th Grade Math focuses on Algebra and prepares our students for the HSPT (High School Placement Test), a standardized test used by Catholic and private high schools for admissions. The HSPT tests a culmination of middle school math learnings, such as: Exponents, Scientific Notation, Real Numbers, Pythagorean Theorem, and linear equations including solving and graphing. We also incorporate a plethora of geometry including advanced slope, transformations (geometry + graphing), and then end with data analysis.
Additionally, all middle school math courses include over 20 Financial Literacy lessons each year via NGPF (Next Gen Personal Finance) curriculum. Highlights include: Money, Consumer Skills, Budgeting, Credit, Savings, Investing, Digital Citizenship, and Taxes. Spring brings our Mathematician Project and the Stock Market Game, but most importantly, we celebrate Pi Day (The Math Holiday) on March 14.
Social Studies
In Middle School Social Studies, students analyze the development of societies, cultures, religions, and governments, with an emphasis on historical context, civic values, and geography. Curriculum includes individual and group activities, research, and an increasing focus on analysis, critical thinking, and connections between past and present events.
We cover a wide breadth of history, beginning in 6th Grade with the beginning of humankind and concluding with the rise of the Roman Empire. In 7th Grade, students continue to learn about medieval civilizations, ranging from Europe to China, Japan, the Americas, the Muslim world, and back to Europe. 8th Grade history begins with the pre-revolutionary colonies all the way to the Industrial Age.