Seventh Grade
Seventh-grade and eighth-grade classes make up our junior high program. Situated in their own upstairs wing, the junior high students utilize lockers and rotate between each of their classes. Students are based in a homeroom class and rotate between classes together as a homeroom with the exception of math and language arts, for which they are ability grouped. Students learn from the teaching styles of multiple teachers and enjoy meeting peers from other classrooms in the rotation periods and bond with their classmates during homeroom time.
Students are provided exciting and challenging learning experiences that prepare them to meet the academic challenges in future grade levels. Rigorous academics and community service learning help transform seventh-grade students into prepared eighth-grade graduates.
Curriculum
Religion
Text: Sadlier, We Live Our Faith: Disciples - Catholic Identity Parish Edition
Focus: The New Testament, Jesus and the Gospels, the Mass, liturgical seasons, prayer and service.
Language Arts
Text: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Elements of Literature/First Course
Novels: Beowulf, The Giver, A Raisin in the Sun, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Focus: Development of literary skills through reading various genres: poetry, plays, short stories, tales, novels, autobiography, biography, drama, nonfiction. Development of writing as a process through narrative, persuasive, expository, and creative writing. Development of speaking skills through delivering oral presentations and poetry recitations. Development of grammar skills: parts of speech, agreement, verb usage, pronoun usage, modifiers, phrases, clauses, sentences, complements, types of sentences, capital letters, punctuation, and spelling. Development of vocabulary through Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
Text: Sadlier, We Live Our Faith: Disciples - Catholic Identity Parish Edition
Focus: The New Testament, Jesus and the Gospels, the Mass, liturgical seasons, prayer and service.
Language Arts
Text: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Elements of Literature/First Course
Novels: Beowulf, The Giver, A Raisin in the Sun, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Focus: Development of literary skills through reading various genres: poetry, plays, short stories, tales, novels, autobiography, biography, drama, nonfiction. Development of writing as a process through narrative, persuasive, expository, and creative writing. Development of speaking skills through delivering oral presentations and poetry recitations. Development of grammar skills: parts of speech, agreement, verb usage, pronoun usage, modifiers, phrases, clauses, sentences, complements, types of sentences, capital letters, punctuation, and spelling. Development of vocabulary through Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes.
Math – Grade 7:1 and 7:2
Text: Big Ideas Learning, Big Ideas Math: Modeling Real Life, Grade 7 Accelerated
Focus: Adding and Subtracting Rational Numbers, Multiplying and Dividing Rational Numbers, Expressions, Equations and Inequalities, Ratios and Proportions, Percents, Probability, Statistics, Geometric Shapes and Angles, Surface Area and Volume, Transformations, Angles and Triangles, Graphing and Writing Linear Equations, Exponents and Scientific Notation, Real Numbers and the Pythagorean Theorem, and Volume and Similar Solids.
Text: Big Ideas Learning, Big Ideas Math: Modeling Real Life, Grade 7 Accelerated
Focus: Adding and Subtracting Rational Numbers, Multiplying and Dividing Rational Numbers, Expressions, Equations and Inequalities, Ratios and Proportions, Percents, Probability, Statistics, Geometric Shapes and Angles, Surface Area and Volume, Transformations, Angles and Triangles, Graphing and Writing Linear Equations, Exponents and Scientific Notation, Real Numbers and the Pythagorean Theorem, and Volume and Similar Solids.
Science
Texts: Full Option Science System (FOSS) for Middle School, Planetary Science
HMH Science Dimensions, Forces, Motion, Fields
HMH Science Dimensions, Waves and Their Applications
Focus: Astronomy: Earth-moon system, solar system, stars, galaxies, rockets.
Physical Science: mechanics, simple machines, circuits.
Engineering Project: Design and Build a Water/Compressed Air powered rocket.
Texts: Full Option Science System (FOSS) for Middle School, Planetary Science
HMH Science Dimensions, Forces, Motion, Fields
HMH Science Dimensions, Waves and Their Applications
Focus: Astronomy: Earth-moon system, solar system, stars, galaxies, rockets.
Physical Science: mechanics, simple machines, circuits.
Engineering Project: Design and Build a Water/Compressed Air powered rocket.
Field trip: Students participate in a space mission simulation at the Museum of Flight performing the tasks of mission control engineers and mission specialists.
Social Studies
Text: Discovery Education, Social Studies Techbook (online only)
Supplemental Text: Holt, Call to Freedom: Beginnings to 1877.
Focus: The Rise of American Democracy, the Constitution and American Government, the Early Republic, Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion, and the Sectional Crisis & Civil War; current/world events inclusive.
Social Studies
Text: Discovery Education, Social Studies Techbook (online only)
Supplemental Text: Holt, Call to Freedom: Beginnings to 1877.
Focus: The Rise of American Democracy, the Constitution and American Government, the Early Republic, Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion, and the Sectional Crisis & Civil War; current/world events inclusive.
Spanish A
Text: Prentice Hall, Realidades A
Focus: Basic understanding of the grammatical structure of the language and how to form sentences, both written and spoken. Students will build a foundation of verbs and learn to conjugate them, and well as establish a base of vocabulary.
Text: Prentice Hall, Realidades A
Focus: Basic understanding of the grammatical structure of the language and how to form sentences, both written and spoken. Students will build a foundation of verbs and learn to conjugate them, and well as establish a base of vocabulary.
Additional Subjects
Weekly specialist classes in the subjects of art and physical education.
Electives
Combinations of seventh- and eighth-grade students meet once a week. Students look forward to choosing from a variety of elective options, which change every trimester and may include: study skills, contemporary world issues, Junior Achievement economics, fitness, leadership/service, musical theater, digital photography, first aid & CPR, printmaking, and video broadcast journalism.
Service Projects
The seventh-grade service project occurs during Lent and as such is intricately woven into the Lenten message of almsgiving. Starting with all-school activities prior to Ash Wednesday, the seventh-grade class helps prepare and organize the school soup lunch. During Lent, the seventh-grade students co-ordinate and run "Operation Rice Bowl" for the entire school. The students step into a leadership role and teach homerooms about the drive to raise funds for the hungry in our community and worldwide, and they oversee the final collection. The theme culminates in a Hunger Banquet, among other activities, for the seventh graders during Holy Week.
In addition to their grade level service projects, the 3rd grade classes work together with the entire school on school-wide annual service projects.
- Our November Thanksgiving Food Drive teaches the importance of stewardship and giving to others. The entire student body creates about two dozen “baskets” that include non-perishable food items and gift cards to create a great Thanksgiving meal and help stock the family pantry. Together with the help of the Parish and St. Vincent de Paul, the baskets are distributed to families in need right here in the St. Louise Community.
- Throughout the year, students support New Bethlehem Programs – a part of Catholic Community Services. New Bethlehem Programs offer day center and shelter services for families that are experiencing homelessness. During Advent students and families support the program by collecting much needed supplies for them.
- During Lent, students learn the importance of fasting and almsgiving. This 40-day season of giving begins on Ash Wednesday with a school-wide “Rice and Beans Lunch,” when all the students and staff give up their usual lunch for rice and beans. The money they would have spent on an ample meal is donated to New Bethlehem Programs.
Classroom Enrichment, Special Projects and Events
Seventh graders take the following field trips each year:
- Fall: Missionary Discipleship immersion experience at either St. James Cathedral or Christ Our Hope in Seattle.
- Spring: Real Life Exhibit sponsored by Medical Teams International. https://www.medicalteams.org/who-we-are/visit-the-real-life-exhibit/
