| Middle School
Curriculum
RELIGION
In Religion, we proudly share the Catholic faith with
our students by exploring the Church. The students can then use their
talents and abilities to grow within their faith. We explore ways
of making their faith meaningful in today’s world. The students attend
weekly school masses and participate in morning school prayer. Each
class will prepare and assist in several of the school masses.
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6th Grade– Students will explore the Bible.
They will observe how the Old and New Testament off the story of God’s
people as a community of knowledge, love and service.
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7th Grade-Exploring the Sacraments and studying
Jesus’ life, values and teachings are the focuses for the students.
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8th Grade– Students will study the Church,
its history and our Creed.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Sixth and seventh grade will use the five themes
of geography: place, location, regions, movement, and human-environment
interaction as they apply to specific hemispheres and the features therein.
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6th Grade- The fundamentals of geography
and mapping are emphasized. The students will also explore North
and South America.
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7th Grade– Students will concentrate on the
Eastern Hemisphere including Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Pacific
Islands.
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8th Grade– Students focus on the history of
America from its early beginnings to the Civil War.
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MATHEMATICS
Students will take an active approach to the daily lessons
and work cooperatively to learn objectives. Students will reinforce
their mental math skills as well as become familiar with the calculator
to solve problems. Each student is required to demonstrate all procedures
and steps needed to solve a math problem.
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6th Grade– Statistics, geometry, fractions
and decimals, perimeter and area, probability, and algebra.
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7th Grade– Algebra, similarity, ratio and proportion,
integers and calculations, place value and scientific notation, linear
algebra, and probability.
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8th Grade—Linear algebra, functions and slopes,
Pythagorean Theorem, exponents, quadratics, place value and algebraic reasoning.
SCIENCE
Each grade covers the three major fields of Earth, Physical,
and Life Science. Their studies include group lab work and independent
problem solving. Students become familiar with the parts and operation
of several pieces of laboratory equipment including the microscope, triple
beam balance and others.
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6th Grade– Students focus on ecology, the circulatory
system, matter and molecules, and plate tectonics including a map study.
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7th Grade- Sound and light, the nervous and
endocrine systems, the rock cycle, as well as classification and kingdoms
are all concepts students will master.
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8th Grade– Students develop an understanding
for factors that cause the weather, the water cycle, simple machines and
energy, as well as the role genetics plays in development, especially in
cells. Students also review the human body systems.
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LANGUAGE ARTS
Language Arts teaches students to see God’s hand in all
they say, hear, read, write, view and present; to communicate thoughts
in a logical, effective and organized manner; use strategies to improve
reading comprehension; utilize reading and writing in real-world situations;
utilize resources to apply the conventions of writing; use the writing
process to develop and express thoughts; and appreciate and enjoy the art
of communication through reading.
Students will develop into independent readers by implementing
strategies that they have learned into their everyday reading. Students
also develop an understanding of the various genres and the components
that go into the elements of each style. Trade books, anthologies,
leveled texts, and various other resources provide the vehicle for independent
and guided reading.
Students produce various genres of writing in order to
demonstrate the importance of purpose in writing. The traits of writing,
ideas, sentence fluency, organization, word choice, voice and conventions,
are developed and practiced.
EXPLORATORIES
Physical Education, Spanish, Art and computer applications
are taught throughout the year.
ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Band
Student Council
Academic Honor Roll
Play
Activity Nights
Highfield’s Breakthrough
Mary Goeddeke Walk-a-Thon
Retreats
Christian Service/Stewardship
Prayer Services
Study Trips
Honors Banquet
Living Museum
Freedom to Learn Laptop Program
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One God, One Faith, One School