We are one month into the new year and exciting things are happening! Preparation for Catholic Schools Week has been a success thus far and the classrooms and hallways reflect the achievements of our students. The eighth grade is preparing to display their science projects in the library on February 7th. Their creativity during this process as well as the knowledge they gained will be evident in their work. We are learning about the theory of natural selection and the seventh grade students will be giving presentations on their research project topics concerning extinct flora and fauna. The seventh graders are working to hone their ability to speak in front of an audience, a skill that will prove useful now and in the future. The sixth grade students will be presenting their consumer projects to the class in the coming week, where they will share their marketing data that they carefully gathered through surveys. They are currently working on a project to design a self contained environment that will support human and plant life with a focus on permaculture.
The eighth grade is reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, we are exploring the symbolism of the text as well as the themes of good and evil found within the novel. We are discussing the personal history of the characters and author in order to provide context. The seventh graders are learning about the struggles of a young woman during the holocaust. The Diary of a Young Girl tells a powerful story, and the students are really connecting with Anne and her family as they are reading the novel. The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe was presented by the sixth grade students in a production that took place last Friday. The many months of hard work that the students put into the production was obvious. The students are currently reading the novel, My Brother Sam is Dead and learning about the political divisions that existed during The Revolutionary War.