Iowa Tests The 7th Graders are pleased to report that they survived the standardized testing in the first two week of April. An exuberant shout of joy reverberated through the school upon completion of the rigorous series of tests!

Math: Seventh Grade students are studying Pre-Algebra whereas Eighth Grade students are deep into Algebra. The track for both courses is pretty much the same. Each class starts with correcting homework. Then, a brief lesson introduces the new material. After the lesson, students begin to work on the 30 problems for that lesson, which are designed to ease students into the new material while reviewing problems that had been introduced in the previous lessons. After every fourth lesson, there is a test on the material. The students who are achieving the greatest success are those who complete all 30 problems with each lesson and take the time to learn from their mistakes when correcting the problems.

Science Grades 7 and 8 are continuing their combined investigations of the Life Sciences. We completed our unit on Heredity: the Code of Life and learned about how we inherit traits from our parents. We are now studying Human Biology and Health, including the functions of the various organ systems and how to keep them healthy. As part of our study of the muscular and skeletal systems, we made observations of animal bone and muscle tissue in the lab.

Social Studies Grade 7's Ancestry Fair was a great success. Each student researched his or her own family tree to determine the countries of origin for their family. Then the students chose one of those countries to study in more detail. The students prepared posters or PowerPoint shows to accompany their oral presentations on the county, culture and some of their family traditions. Some students dressed in costumes typical of their countries. One student performed a Celtic dance. The highlight was a potluck feast of cultural foods including 3 types of Italian pasta, Hungarian goulash, Irish soda bread, Italian bread, Belgian cinnamon cookies, Scottish shortbread cookies, Greek kataifi and Swiss chocolate!

Social Studies: In the eighth grade we will continue our unit "Prosperity, Depression, and War". We are studying the mid-nineteen hundreds, which will include a study of the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, and World War II. Our next chapter The Great Depression we will learn about the Crash of 1929, the Great Depression that followed, and Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal.

Religion Our 7th Grade Religion curriculum focuses on the Story of Jesus, using the spiral approach of the Blest Are We textbook. In class, we learn the content of our Catholic faith and how to celebrate our faith in worship. We connect our faith to our daily life and studies and we learn to pray.

The 7th Grade students began learning about our adopted religious communities: the Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord in Vladivostok, Russia and the Sisters in Jesus the Lord in St. Paul, Minnesota. We encourage everyone to offer their support to our prayer partners. More information about their orders can be found at:

Canons Regular of Jesus the Lord
Sisters in Jesus the Lord

Religion: In eighth grade religion we have continued are study of Church history. Our current unit is discussing the major Church councils and the traditions and liturgy of the Church. We have also been corresponding with the members of our religious communities: the Sisters of Life and the Maronite Monks of Adoration. The eighth grade has enjoyed praying for our adopted religious orders and receiving letters from them.

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