The 5^th Graders are well into the American Revolution learning about Colonial America.

In Science the 6^th graders have adopted an atom and we are onto Molecules and Bonding.

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We have spent a good deal of time on foundational information pertaining to the Old Testament.  We have studied the Patriarchs and have moved on to Moses and the Chosen People.  We have also looked at the highest holy days of our Church calendar and have talked about the Triduum.  We will celebrate a Seder Meal on Tuesday, March 31.  More information will follow as we get closer to this date.  After Easter, we will then move forward learning about the Ten Commandments.

7^th Grade

Our focus of parables has given us a greater understanding of Jesus and what God is calling us to:  to look through the words (of the story) to the wisdom of God.  We have discussed and dissected 14 different parables in class and the 7^th grade Parable Booklet is due Friday, March 12.  When we come back from Spring Break we will focus on the Miracles of Christ.

8^th Grade

We have just finished an in depth look at the Marks of the Church, the Jerusalem Cross, and we are now preparing for the Passion Play.  It is exciting to be working with your children on this beautiful tradition at St Elizabeth’s!  After Easter we will focus exclusively on Church History for the remainder of the school year.  Your students will be voting on their Charitable Giving Options this week and you will be receiving an email relating to that by Friday.

As always, should you have a question or constructive comments, please email me.  I will get back to you as soon as possible.

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We will be studying Ch14-17.  Chapter 14 deals with Europe in the Middles Ages.  This chapter will introduce the students to life in Europe during the Middles Ages.  Chapter 15 will explore the sweeping cultural changes in Europe known as the Renaissance and the Reformation.  Chapter 16 will examine European exploration in Africa between the 1400’s and 1700’s.  Chapter 17 will examine European exploration in North America, South America, and Africa.

7^th Grade Social Studies

Unit 6:  The discovery of oil, two World Wars, the Great Depression, and the Civil Rights movement all contributed to great changes in the political, social, and economic climate of Texas.  Chapter 16 describes the discovery of oil in Texas and the events that occurred during World War I and the 1920s.  Chapter 17 examines the effects of the Great Depression and World War II on Texas and its economy.  Chapter 18 discusses the economic and technological successes of 1950s and 1960s as well as important civil rights victories.  Chapter 19 explores the new, diversified economy of Texas, the emergence of cities, and the value of diversity in arts and culture.

8^th Grade Social Studies

The eighth grade class has been assigned a video project due Friday April 16^th.  This project consists of 4 chapters dealing with the time period of 1820-1860, (ch12-15).  They can use the Social Studies book, Internet, and other various resources to film a documentary.  In this documentary, they need to put key points from Ch12-15, which we will be reading and discussing in class.  They are ENCOURAGED to begin the project as soon as possible.  This project will take the place of 4 chapter tests in the book; it will be used as an assessment for these chapters.  In addition, the chapters include the Alamo and students may include the videos they did when they were in 7^th grade.

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7^th Grade Science

We are reading Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson.  Students are learning new vocabulary, answering study guide questions as well as learning about the spread of yellow fever in the 1790’s.  Students will do a variety of activities while reading the novel.

8^th Grade Science

Students are currently studying Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles.  Next they will study birds and mammals.  This unit of study on animals will end with a comparative dissection activity in which lab groups will dissect 9 specimens.  This will take place the last week of March or the first week of April.

Sea World Trip information:  please send in your payments for the 8^th grade trip to Sea World, May 4 – 7, 2010.  The cost of the trip is $450 per student which includes the fee for the bus.  8^th grade students will be given the opportunity to sell Little Caesar’s pizza kits in order to earn money toward their trip.  Please feel free to email me if you have any questions.

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We are working very hard on the research paper.  Some of the due dates are:  sources (March 9), bibliography cards (March 10), thesis statement (March 11), typed outline (March 23).  Typing the outline is the only assignment that must be done at home; it will be written at school.  Spelling for March will include lessons 27, 28, and 29.

6^th Grade Literature

We have begun our Revolutionary War journey with Johnny Tremain.  This will include comprehension questions as well as some more difficult vocabulary.  We will go over the summary of each chapter in class. In addition, the students will have a stanza of a poem to memorize by March 24 as well as a poster due by March 30.

8^th Grade English

We are continuing with our very long unit on verbs.  This will include principle parts (regular and irregular), six tenses, progressive form, active and passive voice, agreement, gerunds, and infinitives.  The test is scheduled for March 23.  We will then begin a study of adverbs which will include modifying verbs, adjectives, and adverbs; clauses; and elliptical clauses.   Spelling for March will include lessons 26, 27, and 28.

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7^th Grade

Students were assigned an extra credit assignment in February for ELA. This assignment will be due March 12^th. Since this is right before Spring Break, I will be unable to accept any late projects. We are currently studying adverbs and will have our Adverb Test on March 23^rd.  The next unit we will cover in ELA will be adjectives.

We have finished reading TheWesting Game, and students were given a choice of three essays to complete. These will be competed during class time. Students will turn in a rough draft March 12^th and a final copy will be due March 29^th. Please continue to check my website for important test and project due dates.

8^th Grade

We have just finished reading A Raisin in the Sun and have turned in rough drafts of our essay. We will read the short story “A Monkey’s Paw” and then begin our Holocaust unit. Students will be assigned specific topics of the Holocaust in which they will be producing lessons and teaching the class. This will take us several weeks to research and deliver lessons. Students will work in groups and will be given specific instructions the upcoming weeks. Please continue to check my website for important test and project due dates.

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In Science, the fifth graders will conclude the chapter on Exploring the Oceans.  Our next Unit is to Infinity and beyond! AKA Learning all about our Solar System and Beyond!

In Social Studies the fifth graders will conclude the Unit: The Land and Early People. We will make the smooth transition into Exploration and settlement!  Please have your student study the names and locations of the 50 United States along with each State’s Capital.

Sixth Grade

In 6^th grade Science we have succeeded learning the metric system ways of measurement along with the Scientific Method.  All students were given a package with all of the Science Fair Project information. If you have any questions, please e-mail or call me with any and all questions.  The 6^th graders will also learn and master the General Properties of Matter.

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6th Grade

The students have been learning about ‘sin stories’ and how sin entered the world, thanks to Adam and Eve.  We will move on after Christmas to studying about Abraham, and Jacob.

7^th Grade

Seventh graders have been working on the difference between the Gospel of Matthew’s account of the Nativity and the Gospel of Luke’s account.  There really is a difference!  We will move on to The Mission of Jesus and the learning about the Apostles after we come back from Christmas break.

8^th Grade

We have been working hard on the Faith Sharing pages and the very last one is due Thursday, January 8, 2010.  I am very sure that they will feel that a huge weight is lifted from their shoulders once they have completed this last page.  By the time Confirmation rolls around, they will be ready!  We have focused on the Models of the Church and once we are back from Christmas break we will look at Prayer and Service – St Augustine’s Prayer to the Holy Spirit and the Beatitudes.

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We are currently still working on our research paper. Students have turned in their outlines and are now working on their rough drafts. These must be submitted to www.turnitin.com by December 16^th. I will return these January 4^th in order for students to make corrections. The rough draft and the work cited page will both be completed during class time.

We are working on a newspaper project in literature class right now. Students needed a Sunday addition of the Dallas Morning News. Students will dissect this paper by locating specific articles and sections of the paper and answering many questions while creating their own articles for certain sections. We will continue on this project until Christmas break. Upon return, students will need to the novel Westing Game by Ellen Raskin.

8^th Grade Literature

We just finished Murder on the Orient Express and will be testing over this novel on December 15^th. Students will need the play A Raisin in the Sun when we return on January 4^th.

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Volunteers to judge the Science Fair on Wednesday, February 3, 2010.  Please notify me via email if you are interested.

The science article originally scheduled to be turned in on December 17 has been moved to January 14.  The bonus article is due as well on January 14.  The articles may be turned in early.  Science fair is Wednesday, February 3.  The lab write up form is due on January 20, 2010.  The completed project is due Friday January 29, 2010.

7^th Grade

Students are continuing their studies of Genetics.  The concepts will continue as we explore modern genetics.  The unit on Bacteria and Viruses will follow.

8^th Grade

Students have finished their studies of the respiratory and excretory system.  Next, the endocrine and reproductive system will be covered.  This will finish up the study of the human body.  Students will receive a new textbook in which we will study animals.

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We will begin Unit 4.  Unit 4 consists of four chapters, Chapter 10-13.  In Unit 4, students will learn about civilizations that developed in the regions of North Africa and Southwest Asia, sub Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Asia, and the Americas.  Beginning with Chapter 10, they will learn about the rise of the Byzantine Empire and its institutions and legacy.  They will also learn about the characteristics and spread of Islamic civilizations.  In Chapter 11, the focus shifts to sub-Saharan Africa.  Students will learn about the West African kingdoms of Mali, Ghana, and Songhai, and the East African kingdoms of Ethiopia and Aksum.  Chapter 12 covers early civilizations of the Americas, including the Mayas, Aztecs, and Incas.  Chapter 13 concludes the unit with a study of civilizations that thrived in China, Japan, and India.  In addition, we will be working on our books for publication.  Every Friday after Christmas break, we will be writing an historical factual book dealing with Greek Mythology.  I will allow them to research on Fridays; however, due to our strenuous schedules they will need to do some writing outside of class as well as illustrations.

7th Grade Social Studies

Texas Revolution video projects are due December 11.  We will begin Unit 4.  Unit 4 consists of four chapters, chapters 9-12.  In Unit 4, students will be studying Texas after gaining independence from Mexico, Texas establishes its own government before becoming part of the United States in 1845.  Statehood brought an increase in the population until disagreements over slavery led Texas to join the Confederacy.

8th Grade Social Studies

8^th grade is in the process of studying the United States Constitution.  We are discussing the Bill of Rights.  After that, we will begin Unit 3.  Unit 3 consists of 3 chapters, 9-11.  The unit overview is as a young republic, the United States was immediately confronted with a wide range of responsibilities, problems, and opportunities in the late 1700s and early 1800s.  This unit examines the presidential administrations of Washington, Adams, and Jefferson.  It also discusses the major political, economic, and foreign policy issues that confronted the United States between 1789 and 1825.

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We wrap up our study of adjectives which include proper, possessive, demonstrative, comparative, superlative, numeral, and interrogative.  The test is scheduled for December 9.  We will begin a unit on verbs which will conclude in January.  A quiz on helping verbs will be December 16.  Spelling for December includes lessons 15, 16, and 17.

6^th Grade Literature

The sixth grade has finished reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.  The essay over the novel is due December 7 and the test is scheduled for December 8.  We will then watch the movie.  A unit on short stories will be briefly started and then finished in January.  With the short stories, students will work on comprehension questions, vocabulary, and plot diagrams.

8^th Grade English

The graded rough draft was returned November 30; the typed final copy packet is due December 16.  In class we continue the study of nouns which include the nominative case (subject, complement, direct address, appositive), the possessive case, the objective case (direct object, indirect object, object of the preposition, adverbial objective, cognate), and joint nouns.  The test is scheduled for December 15.  Spelling for December includes lessons 15 and 16.

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In Social Studies we are continuing to learn about our Native Americans.  The 5^th graders are enjoying learning their current events in their Scholastic News!

The 6^th graders have begun learning about Physical Science.  We are learning how to apply the Scientific Method as a way of problem solving.  The metric system will be used to make calculations, applying concepts, identifying relationships, and interpreting information.  The students are also learning the working knowledge of prefixes and suffixes used in science vocabulary.

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6^th Grade Literature—The sixth grade has begun their journey into Narnia.  We are reading two chapters from the novel every other day and discussing the great amount of Christian symbolism the following day.  Along with the symbolism, the students will complete comprehension questions, vocabulary, and pop quizzes.  Along the journey, the students will also do research on beavers, lions, and evil rulers.  Hopefully you received the information about the AR program.  I will check the first AR book on November 11, so students need to either bring the book to class that day or have the title and author written down.  The first AR test is due by 3:30 pm on Wednesday, November 18.

8^th Grade English—The eighth grade is working on their rough draft of the research paper during class. They are required to write one paragraph per day.  The typed copy is due November 17.  We will return to grammar on November 16 with a study of nouns.  This will include collective, compound, common, proper, concrete, abstract, plurals, person, and gender.  Spelling for November includes lessons 11,13, and 14.

FYI…turnitin.com

This is the second year that the middle school students will use turnitin.com.  They will submit their research papers to this web site as well as turn in a hard copy to the teacher.  The English teacher (Ms. Johnson for 6^th and 8^th grades and Mrs. Borth for 7^th grade) will be notified when their paper has been received.  This web site gives the student and teacher a report that includes the word count and percentage of plagiarism.

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We are currently working on our research paper which coordinates with your child’s science fair project. Instead of writing a research paper in English class and again for science, Ms. Robb and I have combined these assignments into one paper. Students will receive a content grade in science for their paper and a grammar grade in English for the same paper.

In literature we are currently acting out the play Twelve Angry Men. However, 7A like to call it Twelve Angry Women. They are doing a wonderful job. Please remind your student that their questions that accompany each act are turned in for grading at the completion of the act.

8^th Grade Literature

At the request of the 8^th grade, we are currently reading Murder on the Orient Express. This murder mystery has the students quite perplexed. We have also begun working in our ISEE book once a week. I believe that most of the 8^th graders will be taking their ISEE exam in January. If you have not yet reserved a date, please visit http://www.iseetest.org to reserve your location and time. These tests will fill up quickly.

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7th Grade just finished their colorful and accurate Holy Land maps. Ask them questions about the different cities on the map!  We will move forward with the Infancy Narratives and the two different depictions of Nativity scenes in Luke and Matthew’s gospels.

6th Grade is studying Creation – both Biblical stories. They have just learned about the Ladder of Creation- ask them what they learned.  Next we will focus on sin, how it came into the world, and the biblical stories that show us this and the love and mercy of God which has redeemed us.

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7th Grade
Genetics is the next unit of study. Students will be doing a variety of activities dealing with Punnett Squares, DNA, and RNA.

8th Grade
Students finished their food log project for science and PE.  Students will continue their study of the human body.  Next, students will study circulation and then the nervous system.

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8th Grade American History
We are currently in Unit 2, this unit deals with the American Revolutionary era beginning with the French and Indian War in 1754.  It culminated in the first presidential election under the new Constitution of the United States in 1789.  This unit discusses the crises that led to conflict in the Colonies, the Revolutionary War, and the republic and government that followed.  Chapter 6 presents an overview of the American Revolution; including the regional battles, the Declaration of Independence, and the final campaigns and alliances that ultimately defeated the British and created a new nation.  Chapter 7 explains the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, and the ideas that shaped the United States Constitution.

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7th Grade
I am proud of your students as we have gotten off to a great start this year, singing the New Testament songs. We have looked at the impact of Christ in our lives, and we will move on to how His Church is accessible to us, through Scripture and Tradition. Christian Scripture (the New Testament) takes a huge roll this year, as we come to learn about the Evangelists and their impact on our lives today. We will also cover how the Gospels came to be written, why is Acts of the Apostles so important, and how truth is contained in Scripture even though all of Scripture may not be factual.

8th Grade
We have started off on a wonderfully great foot this year. I am so proud of your children and the work that they have done thus far. We will continue with our study of the Images of the Church, and move on to Respect Life Month, in October with the Hike for Life. Your children do receive 6 hours of Service for this event! They will also help to construct the Tree of Life that will be down the hall outside of the Social Studies, Library and Religion rooms. We will make Trinity rolls, to show how leaven grows and spreads, then we will move on to our roots of Christianity, deeply steeped in the Hebrew Scriptures, and reviewing Abraham, our Father in Faith.

Please feel free to contact me with questions or constructive comments at bbelcher@saintspride.com Looking forward to hearing from you!

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7th Grade
In October the students will be on Unit 3 which deals with the Mexican government attempted to persuade Americans to settle in Texas and live as Mexican citizens. These settlers soon rebelled against Mexico’s authority. Chapter 5 discusses the settlement of Texas under the Empresario system. Chapter 6 examines the breakdown of relations between the Texas settlers and the Mexican government. Chapter 7 describes the events that took place during the first months of the Texas Revolution. Chapter 8 explains how Texas achieved its independence form Mexico.

8th Grade
In October the Students will be on Unit 2 which deals with the revolutionary era of the United States. Chapter 5 deals with Crisis of the Colonies, chapter 6 The American Revolution, chapter 7 Creating a Republic and The Constitution of the United States, and chapter 8 Government, Citizenship, and the Constitution.

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We will discuss science fair topics during the month of October.

7th Grade
Students are studying plant and animal cells. Their edible cell project is due next week. Next we will be studying cell processes and energy. Students will select science fair topics and begin researching their topic. 7th grade will write a science research paper in English with Mrs. Borth. This paper will coincide with their science fair project.

8th Grade
Students will finish up Bones, Muscles and Skin. They did a great job creating a song which incorporated the bones of the body. Next, we will study digestions. Students will be required to keep a food journal in which they record everything they eat. They will then complete an analysis of their eating habits and make recommendations on how they could improve their eating habits. Students will select their science fair topics during the month of October as well.

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8th Grade English
We have begun taking notes on the research paper. Some of the due dates are:

• sources, October 6
• bibliography cards, October 7
• thesis statement, October 8
• typed outline, October 19

Spelling for the month of October includes lessons 7, 8, 9, and 10. Achievement testing is the week of October 12 so no tests or projects will be due that week.

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This year I am combining an ELA research paper with their science project research paper. This paper will take six weeks to write, so students need to be thinking of exactly what they want to do as an experiment. They may still work with a partner, but they will write their papers individually. They will receive a grade in both Science and English for this paper.

8th Grade
We are finishing The Giver. Please check my website or your child’s planner for test dates. We will also have a writing assignment that will be assigned after the novel is finished. Just as a reminder, students still need to take their on-line quizzes this year. They can be found at www.vocabtest.com. We have vocabulary quizzes every two weeks.

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