Homeroom Update:

In the blink of an eye, we find ourselves entering our final month of 8th grade! To say that  the Middle School staff are proud of these ‘almost graduates’ would be a vast understatement. We are so excited for these St. Leander Gaels to go forward into their new school communities and continue to make positive impacts on the world around them. Let’s take a look at some key dates to add to your May calendar:

• May 5th: Special Person’s Day; 12pm dismissal
• May 8th: STAR reading test
• May 10th: STAR math test
• May 11th: SFMoma Field Trip
• May 12th: At-school 8th grade retreat with Fr. Mark Ruiz
• May 19th: 12pm dismissal for 8th only (time to get snazzy!)

*Ms. T will have the 8th graders in front of the school for pick up, since lunch will be happening at that time on our yard for the younger grades*

       Dinner Dance at 6pm (Gym)

• May 22nd: All missing assignments/ make up work/ redos are due no later than Monday, 5/22. No extensions will be granted. Please be sure to triple check PowerSchool as we close the school year strong!
• May 26th: 12pm dismissal
• May 29th: Memorial Day (no school)
• May 31st: Exploratorium Field Trip
• June 1st: Last Day of Middle School for 8th graders! 

     Baccalaureate Mass at 9am (in the Church)

    Graduation at 6pm (in the Church)

Social Studies & Religion:

 As we enter our final month of 8th grade, our 8th graders will be learning about American life during and post- Civil War. We will read about the ideals that inspired Reconstruction and the policies that were enacted in the North and the South. Our students will study the impact of these policies on various ethnic, socio-economic, and geographic subgroups that make up our American brethren.  In Religion class, our 8th graders have wrapped up our third unit “The Age of Faith and Beauty”, where they learned all about the similarities and differences in mass around the world and the different devotions that Catholics worldwide participate in. This coming month, we will be completing our final unit “Reason, Rebellion, and Reform” by looking at the practice of Penance and Reconciliation and the changes to the Church made during the Renaissance, as well as wrapping up our Family Life lessons.

Math & Science:

For Math, 8th grade students are reviewing Geometry and learning new concepts such as geometric transformations. We will now move into more advanced concepts like synthesizing our algebraic knowledge to describe geometric concepts, Pythagorean’s Theorem, “Solving X for Triangles,” and volume of 3D objects. These concepts will be a great introduction and set foundations for your student’s later exposure in their geometry classes. We will end the year with an introduction to Data and Statistics.

For Science, 8th grade has been learning about genetics, heredity, the fossil record, and forms of comparative anatomy. After our more in depth analysis of genetics, we will move on to our final unit on human dependence on natural resources, our dependency altering environment and climates, and global warming.

ELA:

 In Literature class, we will be finishing up our poetry unit and students will move into two mini units with one focused on reading of informational texts, and a drama unit.  In Language Arts, students will be completing their compare and contrast essays and then begin reviewing past Noredink lessons, as well as a mini narrative assignment.  Overall, it has been a joy teaching your children these past three years and I am so proud of how far they have all grown as readers and writers.