St. Ignatius Middle School Academia

St. Ignatius middle school students following a rotating schedule each day for every class period in preparation for high school. This means each teacher focuses on one specific subject matter which allows them to be masters of their topic.  Additionally St. Ignatius middle school students break into single sex classes every day for both science and Theology.

Theology- Mrs. McDonald- mcdonaldc@stignatius.org . Theology is taught as a single sex course over the three years.

• • 6^th Grade- Old Testament. The main focus of 6^th grade is becoming well versed in the Old Testament and to learn about all the key figures in salvation history with a special focus on Genesis.
  • 7^th Grade- New Testament. The goal is to transform our minds and renew our hearts as we learn about Jesus, the Word made Flesh, through studying His Word, the Scriptures.
  • 8^th Grade- Ecclesiology- the study of the church. We will study the nature of the Catholic Church. Primarily it’s history, sacraments and moral teachings. Students will end the year with a unit on morality including Theology of the Body.

Literature- Mrs. Pritchard- pritchards@stignatius.org

• • 6^th Grade- Student will examine short stories, poetry, magazine articles and more. They will work on core literature terms and skills. Students will develop summaries, fill in thought charts and begin thinking critically. They will do several independent reading projects. They will also focus on Greek Mythology and the fantasy world like The Phantom Tollbooth.
  • 7^th Grade- Students will see an increased emphasis on learning root words in order to breakdown complex vocabulary. Classes will spend more time annotating and analyzing text. Emphasis on nonfiction texts. Among the many novels they cover is The Outsiders which concludes with a theme day of Socs or Greasers! There is a big focus on character development, point of view and conflict.
  • 8^th Grade- Students will be challenged to think critically. They will be asked to compare and contrast a variety of texts in order to draw conclusions and hone in on their deductive reasoning skills. There is a focus on Greek Gods to build upon their 6^th grade unit of Greek Mythology. Students will finish the year with William Shakespeare. This will help fine tune their skills in analysis, citing textual evidence, character development, point of view and figurative language.

 Science- Mrs. Vinh- vinh@stignatius.org  Science is taught as a single sex course over the three years.

• • 6^th Grade- Earth Science. Students focus on movement of continents, plate tectonics, weathering and erosion, non-renewable energy sources and the atmosphere. In the final quarter they will study Earth and Space science. 6^th grade usually goes on a field trip to McGill-Toolen Catholic to visit the senior Earth and Space class for an experiment.
  • 7^th Grade- Life Science. Students focus on classification, natural selection, plant and animal cell structure, photosynthesis and Gregor Mendel’s pea plants to understand heredity. They will also start a focus on the human body.
  • 8^th Grade- Physical Science. Students will fcus on properties of matter, forces, energy, acceleration, friction, gravity and Newton’s Laws of Motion. Students will study the pH scale, sound waves and electromagnetic waves. They will end the year studying magnetism and electromagnetism.

English Grammar & Composition- Mrs. Atkins- atkinss@stignatius.org

• • All middle school students prepare to write narrative essays and focus on vocabulary development. Each grade level ends the year with a research essay. All grade levels will complete quarterly projects and formal class debates.

Social Studies- Mr. Ryan Lott- lottr@stignatius.org 

• • 6^th Grade- American History. Students will focus on industrialization, urbanization, women’s rights, terrorism and 9/11. There is a big focus on American imperialism, WWI, WWII and the Cold War.
  • 7^th Grade- Geography. Students will focus on physical features, landforms and cultures around the world. They will learn how cultural features, traits and diffusion help define regions. Students will also learn about the Age of Exploration, civics and government.
  • 8^th Grade- Ancient Civilizations. Students will focus on pre-history, early man and early river civilizations. They will also study Ancient India, Ancient China, Hebrews, Judaism, Ancient Greece, the Greek World and Ancient Rome.

Math- Ms. Risco- riscoa@stignatius.org

• • 6^th Grade- Students will learn rates and ratios, fractions, decimals, percent and integers. They will begin computing with multi-digit numbers and will work with expressions, equations, functions, geometry, statistics and probability.
  • 7^th Grade- Students will learn ratios, proportional reasoning, integers, rational numbers, expressions, equations and inequalities, geometry figures, measurement and statistics.
    • 7th grade students take the Algebra placement test at the end of the year to determine if they will register in 8^th grade math or Algebra 1 for their final year.
  • 8^th Grade- Students will elaborate on the number system, expressions, equations, functions, triangles and the Pythagorean Theorem. They will also study transformations, congruence, volume and surface area.
  • Algebra 1- Students will learn expressions, functions, linear and non-linear equations, linear inequalities, exponents, polynomials and quadratic functions.

 Student Success Services- Mrs. Fairley– fairleyc@stignatius.org

• • Students who are enrolled in the SSS program will partner with Mrs. Fairley, their parents and the school to cultivate a successful learning platform. Parents will receive weekly communication regarding assignments, tests and methods for success. Parents will also meet quarterly (minimum) to discuss success strategies.