Why do I teach? I teach to inspire children to inquire about the world around them.  I teach because I know I am making a positive difference in the lives of our youths. What I love about teaching at St. Barbara School:  I love teaching at St. Barbara because I love teaching students that live in my community and are a part of my parish.

Seventh Grade Curriculum

Religion: Daily prayer and regular attendance to Sunday mass is essential for every student's spiritual development.  In 7th grade, students explore the life and times of Jesus Christ, as well as his mission as presented by the four Gospels. Also, seventh graders participate in various service projects to help others and to build a sense of community.

Math: In 7th grade, students practice algebraic and geometric skills and apply this knowledge to real-life situations, as well as across the curriculum. Some of the areas covered throughout the year include the following: algebraic expressions and integers including order of operations, absolute value, and inductive reasoning; solving one-step equations and inequalities including properties of numbers, simplifying variable expressions, and graphing; decimals and equations including rounding and estimating, solving equations, mean, median, and mode, and using formulas; factors, fractions, and exponents, prime factorization, and rational numbers; and finally, area, surface area, and volume.

Language Arts: In 7th grade, students focus on writing, grammar usage, oral communication, vocabulary and literature.  Seventh graders focus on writing various essays, short stories, poetry, and research papers. Students apply grammar skills in Daily Language Practice and diagramming sentences. Students develop creative writing skills through daily journal writing, as well. In literature, students explore literary elements through actively reading short stories, poetry, non-fiction journal articles, dramatic plays, and novels.  In vocabulary, students analyze new words and learn to apply them to everyday reading and writing assignments.

Science: see Ms. Hewitt

Social Studies: In 7th grade, students focus on early American history with colonial America through the Revolutionary War era. Seventh graders study the United States Constitution and take the federal test. Every other year, students travel to Springfield to visit the state capitol and several historical museums and landmarks. Daily Geography skills are taught which involve the study of maps, charts, graphs, and atlases.  Our school competes in the National Geographic Geography Bee each year so students will have an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge in this academic area. Another key component of the social studies curriculum includes student awareness of diversity among various cultures and ethnic backgrounds. Every other year, students participate in the Multicultural Fair during Catholic Schools Week.  Students conduct research about different cultures, write research reports, and present their project for the parish community.

Eighth Grade Curriculum