Letter of Introduction - Mr. Thompson

The seventh grade class studies religion, social studies, literature and vocabulary together in homeroom. Seventh graders visit math, science, and English classes to round out each day. They also enjoy weekly classes in art, technology and music and twice weekly Spanish and physical education classes.

In ELA, St. Pius School students are engaged, enlightened, and empowered readers, writers, and effective communicators for life-long learning. As they continue to build on their progression of concrete and abstract skills taught previously, analytical, and expressive skills will be explored to gain proficiency.

In the middle school years, students develop an appreciation for the genres of literature: short stories, fiction and non-fiction, poetry, drama, and novels. Further discovery and exploration allow for the honing and refining of skills in reading and comprehension, vocabulary development, and higher-level critical thinking of analyzing, evaluating, and synthesizing texts to develop a deeper understanding of what is read. At the same time, students claim ownership to nurture reading for appreciation and personal enjoyment.

Reflection, discussion, group and independent learning, writing, listening, and speaking are the continuum of the curriculum. Equally important is that attention to research skills invites students to engage in topics of independent interest, to develop unique questions, and to support their original ideas with textual evidence.

Furthermore, students write across the curriculum by engaging and focusing on different audiences in narrative, informational, persuasive, and expository writing. In addition, emphasis will be placed on the continuance of developing skills in the study of English grammar and its mechanics.

It is the belief and with strong conviction that St. Pius School’s goals are to help in fostering and nurturing its students to become compelling communicators and passionate participants in a culture of reading, writing, and thinking. The program equips each student to succeed and accomplish from what has been imparted and learned. As students make their way into the world, they go with confidence, vision, and intellect so that they may further impart and
influence others to change the world.

By the end of seventh grade in math, students will understand and apply proportional relationships. They will be able to use rational numbers within expressions and linear equations. Students will solve problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions involving area, surface area, and volume. Finally, students will collect, describe, and analyze data as well as use probability to make predictions.

Seventh grade science begins the school year with the scientific method and then studies life science focusing on the parts and functions of cells, the role of DNA in heredity and evolution, classification of organisms and human body systems. Seventh grade participates in the science fair.

In religion class students use the Faith First Legacy series. The two areas of focus are the New Testament and the Church and Sacraments.

In social studies the students study world history from the fall of Rome to Medieval Times.