Our Pre-K 4 program seamlessly scaffolds from our Pre-K 3 foundation, elevating your child’s development to the next level. While continuing to honor the core philosophy that play is essential for child development, our Pre-K 4 curriculum introduces deeper project-based investigations and targeted pre-academic skills to prepare children for Kindergarten and beyond. Our classroom environment is thoughtfully designed to promote self-selected, interest-based exploration. In Pre-K 4, children use their growing independence to collaborate, negotiate, and problem-solve.

• Learning through Play: Through diverse play areas, Pre-K 4 students acquire essential, lifelong social-emotional skills such as empathy, communication, and conflict resolution.
  • Expression & Creativity: Art, Music, Cooking, and Pretend Play.
  • Logic & Discovery: Blocks, Sensory Activities, Manipulatives, and Games.
  • Literacy & Reflection: A dedicated classroom Library and quiet spaces.
• Literacy & Numeracy: We utilize Handwriting Without Tears to develop fine motor control, letter formation, and early math concepts.
• Phonemic Awareness: We incorporate Heggerty, a fun and interactive program that helps students hear and manipulate sounds, building the ultimate launchpad for reading.
• Group Dynamics: Development is nurtured through a balanced blend of large-group collaborations, targeted small-group lessons, and individualized one-on-one teacher interactions.
• Gospel Connections: We use the Seeds Gospel weekly pamphlets to bring scripture to life at an age-appropriate level, fostering a deep love for God and teaching young hearts how to live out Catholic values daily. 

St. Monica Academy Kindergarten strives to support our students academically, socially, physically and spiritually. Our goal in kindergarten is to offer a child centered, developmental learning environment that uses whole group lessons and small groups to reach each child's individual potential and develop a love of learning. We provide hands-on learning opportunities to engage our learners in a literacy rich classroom, full of math, science, social studies, religious studies, art and play. 

• • Heggerty- allows our young learners to practice their phonemic awareness skills, alphabet knowledge, rhyming, segmenting and blending skills to help them become strong readers.
  • ABC and Word Family Bootcamps- Kindergarteners will be introduced to letters and sounds through the science of reading to help them not only identify their letters and sounds with confidence but also begin to manipulate them to make words. Along with the use of decodable readers our kindergartners develop their reading skills.
  • Amplify Knowledge- Students will use read alouds based on various units of study to build their background knowledge, vocabulary, listening and reading comprehension. Students will focus on the story elements, critical thinking, connections and deeper comprehension to develop their reading and oral language skills.
  • Sight Word - Kindergarteners are introduced to about 60 sight words throughout the year to start developing an understanding on how to decode words and remember sight words.

  • Amplify Skills- This program helps our kindergarteners develop their decoding skills needed for practicing their independent reading. The Skills program also helps students work on their handwriting and fine motor skills. In kindergarten, we utilize the same vocabulary that our preschoolers learn in their Handwriting without Tears program, to help our students write their letters correctly.

  • Secret Stories- Our kindergarten uses Secret Stories, which is rooted in the science of reading. This program uses our natural brain systems to help develop our reading skills. We use stories, visuals, movements, sounds, experiences and feelings to help with our retention of sounds, blends, and digraphs.

Mathematics

• • Envision Math- identifying numbers and counting, addition and subtraction, composing and decomposing numbers from 20, measurement, shapes, sorting and classifying data. 

Science

• • SEEDS curriculum includes vermicomposting, plants and gardens, life cycles, living and non- living things, planning investigations and experiments.

Social Studies

• • The students learn about rules and having responsibility for our own actions and behaviors, as well as consequences of the rules we follow. 
  • Kindergarteners gain knowledge of our community and where we live. They will recognize our national symbols and  learn about leaders in their communities, school and country.

Religion

• • Promise- Weekly lessons that focus on listening to and developing an understanding of the scripture for Sunday mass. 
  • Kindergarteners understand we are all children of God , learn about Jesus and the Holy Family and develop an understanding of God’s Golden Rule
  • Students attend mass  with their older buddies and learn to identify symbols they will see in church. 
  • Kindergarteners learn prayers we use throughout the day, at our lunch and snack times and at the end of the day.

In second grade, Saint Monica Academy encourages a nurturing and positive environment and allows all students to become the best version of themselves: academically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and faithfully. We offer differentiated instruction to meet the needs of all our students and develop foundational skills in all areas. One of our goals is to make sure students have developed the love of learning and feel safe to express themselves in the classroom. We have large and small group lessons to try and meet every student's needs.

Our academic focus is on Illinois State Learning and Archdiocese of Chicago Learning Standards. Our core subjects are religion, reading, writing, English, math, social studies and science.

• In English we follow Voyages by LoyolaPress. This covers grammar and writing and gives our  students the skills to learn how to write complete sentences and identify parts of speech. 

• For our reading curriculum we follow Scott Foresman Reading Street Common Core. Students read a new story each week and learn different comprehension and vocabulary skills. This leads to several novel studies that allow our students to apply these comprehension skills. We follow the science of reading to help our students become fluent readers. Our phonics and phonemic awareness skills are obtained by using Heggerty and Sadlier Phonics. 

• We use Envision Mathematics. This helps students learn how to do math mentally and accurately. 
• Fluently Add and subtract to 20
• Count to 1000
• Compare 2 digit and 3 digit numbers 
• Work with Time and Money 
• Reason with shapes and their attributes.
• Number and Operations in Base Ten

• Second grade is also a big year for our children's religious journey as they complete the sacrament of Reconciliation and First Eucharist.  We use the Blessed Are We religion series to focus on these standards.
• Sacred Scripture and Tradition
• Christian Living 
• Catholic Creed 
• Living Discipleship 
• Catholic Prayer
• Religious Diversity and Christian Unity

• In sciences, we follow our SEEDS curriculum which stands for Student Environmental Education and Development Studies. This is an interdisciplinary project-based learning curriculum to help students have an understanding of the environment around them.  
  • Life Science -life cycles, habitats, and adaptations  
  • Earth Science-  types of rocks, layers of the earth and weather 
  • Physical Science 

• Our goal for social studies is to inspire our children to use their knowledge of the world around them to overcome challenges and be able to spread compassion, understanding and hope throughout our global community.  
• Civic and Political Institutions
• Processes, Rules, and Laws
• Geographic Representations
• Change, Continuity, and Context
• Historical Sources and Evidence

Third grade fosters the transition from the primary to intermediate grades while guiding students to grow academically, spiritually, and socially. Students are encouraged to become more independent and are introduced to the study skills they will need throughout their academic career. With the use of homework planners, study guides, and extra online resources students learn to take initiative in their own learning within a safe environment where mistakes are part of the learning process. 

At the heart of every school day is teaching students how to live their Catholic faith. Mass is attended weekly with several opportunities to lead the mass celebration. Students are introduced to scripture stories, religious historical figures, and saints. There is an everyday focus on how to treat and help others. Students learn that they are the hands of God here on Earth and learn how to recognize God in their everyday lives. 

Students participate in iReady diagnostics three times a year to show academic growth, areas of strengths, and pinpointing areas of support needed. iReady lessons allow for differentiation by providing individualized instructions based on the needs of each student.

Reading

• Reading Street, Scott Foresman; novel studies 

Math

• enVision Mathematics, Savvas
• • Addition and subtraction fluency within 1,000
  • Multiplication and division fluency within 100
  • Representing and interpreting data
  • Understanding fractions and fraction equivalence
  • Time, capacity, and mass
  • Attributes of two dimensional shapes
  • Area and perimeter
  • IXL integration to support topics

Religion

• Blest Are We, Benzinger; Family Life, Benzinger
• • The Catholic Church: it’s structure and core beliefs
  • Liturgical seasons and feasts
  • Introduction to scripture stories
  • Sacraments
  • Prayer
  • God’s gift of family, self, life, love, and community 
  • Moral catechesis
  • Child safety

Language Arts

• Voyages in English, Loyola Press; Vocabulary Workshop, Sadlier; Six Traits of Writing, Scholastic

• • Parts of speech
  • Punctuation usage
  • Writing process
  • Vocabulary development
  • Writing traits: ideas, sentence fluency, organization, word choice, voice, conventions

Science

• Science, McGraw-Hill; SEEDS program

Social Studies

• Our Communities, Harcourt

In fourth grade it is my goal to provide a safe learning environment for every child. This environment strives to be welcoming, collaborative, and challenging. My goal is to provide a space in which students develop, learn, and make mistakes, while further developing critical thinking skills. We tackle these goals by having fun in a classroom that’s full of growth, change, and love. 

“Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ.” 

(Romans 10:17) 

Fourth grade students build a solid foundation for learning about the Catholic faith. Our thematic curriculum focuses on the Catholic doctrine of: What Catholics believe, how Catholics worship, how Catholics live, and how Catholics pray. As your child’s teacher, it is a major goal that I help them make a commitment to live as Jesus taught us to live. We attend weekly masses and pray daily in our classroom. Additionally, we address moral catechesis by helping build strong families and promoting child safety.

• Reading Street, Scott Foresman; novel studies
  • Read texts accurately, smoothly and with expression
  • Utilize reading skills such as: predicting, making connections, asking questions, monitoring reading, visualizing, and summarizing 
  • Use context to determine unknown words
  • Demonstrate understanding of a text through written and/or verbal retelling of a story

Math

• enVision Mathematics, Savvas

Religion

• Blest Are We, Benzinger; Family Life, Benzinger
  • Catholic faith & Church
  • Catholic heritage
  • God’s goodness, Ten Commandments, The Beatitudes, sacraments
  • Feasts & seasons
  • Prayer
  • Family Life
  • God’s gift of home, family, self, life, love, and community

Language Arts

• Voyages in English, Loyola Press; Vocabulary Workshop, Sadlier; Six Traits of Writing, Scholastic
  • Write complete sentences with correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation
  • Written & oral communication: personal narratives, persuasive and descriptive writing, how-to articles, and research reports
  • Six traits: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions

Science

• Science, McGraw-Hill; SEEDS program 
• Skills: using scientific reasoning to ask questions, make observations, and investigate ideas
• Life Sciences
  • Cells, classifying organisms, ecosystems, organ systems, animals as living things   
• Earth Sciences

Social Studies

• States & Regions: Illinois Connections, Harcourt
  • Skills: drawing conclusions, summarizing, compare/contrast, cause/effect, note taking

Welcome everyone to the 5th grade!  This is the last year of elementary school and is used as a transition period for students to gain more independence and responsibility with their learning.  Questions are always welcomed in the classroom as we are all searching for interests that might help drive our educational futures.  

As a part of the 5th grade we are preparing ourselves for a new life in middle school.  While we are in classes we reflect on how these lessons represent or impact our beliefs as Catholics.  We learn that being Catholic means the ability to see God’s presence in everything.

Students use technology as a way to have constant access to information that can help them achieve their goals, no matter what style of learner they are.  We learn a wide variety of tools that can help everyone succeed.  

With all the change and freedom, respect and kindness play a huge role in the classroom.  Being curious is a good thing that leads us to being great learners.  

English Language Arts

• Voyages in English, Loyola Press; Vocabulary Workshop, Sadlier; Six Traits of Writing, Scholastic
  • Write complete sentences with correct spelling, grammar, and punctuation
  • Written & oral communication: personal narratives, persuasive and descriptive writing, how-to articles, and research reports
  • Six traits: ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions

Math

• enVision Mathematics, Savvas
• • Generalize place value understanding
  • Add, subtract and multiply decimals
  • Models and strategies to divide whole numbers and decimals
  • Add, subtract, and multiply fractions
  • Represent and interpret data
  • Converting measurements
  • Graph points on the coordinate plane
  • Algebra: analyze patterns and relationships
  • Geometric measurement: classify two-dimensional figures
    

Religion

• Blest Are We, Benzinger; Family Life, Benzinger

Science

• InspireScience, McGraw-Hill; SEEDS program
  • Skills: using scientific reasoning to ask questions, make observations, and investigate ideas

• States & Regions: Illinois Connections, Harcourt
  • Skills: drawing conclusions, summarizing, compare/contrast, cause/effect, note taking
  • Geography
  • Exploration and settlement
  • American Revolution
  • Civil War
  • World Wars
  • Illinois history
  • Government

6th Grade English Language Arts 

Vocabulary Text Book: Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop Achieve Level A

Grammar Text: Voyages in English Grammar and Writing; Loyola Press and workbook

Literature Text: The Language of Literature; McDougal Littell

• Writing
• • (W.6.1) Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
  • (W.6.2) Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
  • (W.6.3) Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
  • (W.6.4) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
  • (W.6.5) With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. 
  • (W.6.6) Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
  • (W.6.7) Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
  • (W.6.10) Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

• Vocabulary (Vocabulary Acquisition and Use)
  • (6.LVAU.4) . Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple‐meaning words and phrases based  on grade 6 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  • (6.LVAU.5) . Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word  meanings.
  • (6.LVAU.6)  Acquire and use accurately grade‐appropriate general academic and domain‐specific words  and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to  comprehension or expression.
• Grammar (Conventions of Standard English)
• • (6.L.CSE.1) Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when  writing or speaking. 
  • (6.L.CSE.2) Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing. 

7th Grade English Language Arts

Vocabulary Text: Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop Achieve Level B

Grammar Text: Voyages in English Grammar and Writing; Loyola Press and workbook

Literature Text: The Language of Literature; McDougal Littell

• Writing
  • (W.7.2) Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
  • (W.7.3) Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. 
  • (W.7.4) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.) 
  • (W.7.5) With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed
  • (W.7.6) Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and link to and cite sources as well as to interact and collaborate with others, including linking to and citing sources. 
  • (W.7.7) Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions for further research and investigation.
  • (W.7.10) Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
• Vocabulary (Vocabulary Acquisition and Use)
  • (7.LVAU.4) Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 7 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies. 
  • (7.LVAU.5) Demonstrate understanding of figurative language , word relationships, and nuances in word meanings. 
  • (7.LVAU.6) Acquire and use accurately grade- appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression. 
• Grammar (Conventions of Standard English)
  • (7.L.CSE.1) Demonstrate command of  the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing and speaking. 
  • (7.L.CSE.2) Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

8th Grade English Language Arts

• Writing
  • (W.8.2) Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
  • (W.8.3) Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
  • (W.8.4) Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)
  • (W.8.5) With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
  • (W.8.6) Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
  • (W.8.7) Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
  • (W.8.8) Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
  • (W.7.10) Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.

• Vocabulary (Vocabulary Acquisition and Use)
  • (8.LVAU.4) . Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple‐meaning words or phrases based on  grade 8 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
  • (8.LVAU.5) Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word  meanings.
  • (8.LVAU.6) Acquire and use accurately grade‐appropriate general academic and domain‐specific words and  phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to  comprehension or expression. 

• Grammar (Conventions of Standard English)
  • (8.L.CSE.1) Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing  or speaking.
  • (8.L.CSE.2). Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and  spelling when writing.

SMA Junior High School Mathematics Scope and Sequence

At St. Monica Academy, we believe in building confidence through differentiated instruction and assessment, and meeting students where they are.  We work to develop both understanding of math concepts as well procedural fluency.  We weave the idea of math as a language with its own symbols and vocabulary into daily instruction to aid in student understanding of real-world problems and how they are represented mathematically.

To accomplish these goals, we use the enVision Mathematics Common Core curriculum.  The curriculum for each grade builds on previous concepts and introduces new ones to increase students’ depth of understanding.

We also strive for balance between the use of modern tools such as the electronic resources offered with enVision and other tools such as IXL and putting pencil to paper using the math tools in our toolkit to solve problems.

6th Grade

Text: enVision Mathematics 6th Grade 

Domains:  Ratios and Proportional Relationships, The Number System, Expressions and Equations, Geometry, Statistics and Probability

Topic 1: Use Positive Rational Numbers

Topic 2: Integers and Rational Numbers

Topic 3: Numeric and Algebraic Expressions

Topic 4: Represent and Solve Equations and Inequalities

Topic 5: Understand and Use Ratio and Rate

Topic 6: Understand and Use Percent

Topic 7: Solve Area, Surface Area, and Volume Problems

Topic 8: Display, Describe, and Summarize Data

7th Grade

Text: enVision Mathematics 7th Grade

Domains:  Ratios and Proportional Relationships, The Number System, Expressions and Equations, Geometry, Statistics and Probability

Topic 1: Rational Number Operations

Topic 2: Analyze and Use Proportional Relationships

Topic 3: Analyze and Solve Percent Problems

Topic 4: Generate Equivalent Expressions

Topic 5: Solve Problems Using Equations and Inequalities

Topic 6: Use Sampling to Draw Inferences About Populations

Topic 7: Probability

Topic 8: Solve Problems Involving Geometry

8th Grade

Text: enVision Mathematics 8th Grade / enVision Mathematics Algebra 1

Domains:  The Number System, Expressions and Equations, Functions, Geometry, Statistics and Probability

Topic 1: Solving Equations and Inequalities

Topic 2: Linear Equations

Topic 3: Linear Functions

Topic 4: Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities

Topic 5: Piecewise Functions

Topic 6: Exponents and Exponential Functions

Topic 7: Polynomials and Factoring

Topic 8: Quadratic Functions

Topic 9: Solving Quadratic Equations

Topic 10: Working With Functions

Topic 11: Statistics

6th Grade - Earth and Science Unit

Inspire Science:  Earth and Space (McGraw-Hill Education - 2020)     

Unit 1 Module 1: The Sun-Earth-Moon System

Overview: Students investigate cyclic patterns of the seasons, lunar phases, and eclipses of the Sun and Moon.

Unit 1 Module 2: Exploring the Universe

Overview: Students learn how gravity affects the formation and structures of stars, solar systems, and galaxies.  They also investigate how gravity influences the motions of objects in space.  Students learn about the technology used to explore space, and develop models to illustrate the scale properties of objects in the solar system.

Unit 1 Module 2: Exploring the Universe

6th Grade Reading 

• Realistic Fiction/ Historical Fiction
• • Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
  • Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
  • Sophia’s War by Avi
  • The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
• Short Stories
• Poetry

• Reading Literature
• • (RL.6.1) Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • (RL.6.2) Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
  • (RL.6.3) Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
  • (RL.6.4) Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone
  • (RL.6.5)  Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
  • (RL.6.7) Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they "see" and "hear" when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.
  • (RL.6.9) Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.

• Reading Informational Text
• • (RI.6.1) Key Ideas and Details: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • (RI.6.2) Key Ideas and Details: Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
  • (RI.6.3)  Key Ideas and Details: Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
  • (RL.6.4)  Craft and Structure: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
  • (RI.6.5) Craft and Structure: Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.
  • (RI.6.6) Craft and Structure: Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
  • (RI.6.7) Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
  • (RI.6.8) Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
  • (RI.6.9) Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Compare and contrast one author's presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).

7th Grade Reading 

• Realistic Fiction/ Historical Fiction
• • Ghost by Jason Reynolds
  • My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier
  • Rumble Fish by S.E. Hinton
  • Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
  • Short Stories
  • Poetry

• Reading Literature
  • (RL.7.1) Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • (RL.7.2)  Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • (RL.7.3) Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
  • (RL.7.4) Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
  • (RL.7.5)  Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning. 
  • (RL.7.7) Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).
  • (RL.7.9)  Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

• Reading Informational Text
• • (RI.7.1) Key Ideas and Details: Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • (RI.7.2) Key Ideas and Details: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • (RI.7.3)  Key Ideas and Details: Analyze how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters or plot).
  • (RI.7.4)  Craft and Structure: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of rhymes and other repetitions of sounds (e.g., alliteration) on a specific verse or stanza of a poem or section of a story or drama.
  • (RI.7.5) Craft and Structure: Analyze how a drama’s or poem’s form or structure (e.g., soliloquy, sonnet) contributes to its meaning. (RL.7.6) Craft and Structure: Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
  • (RI.7.6) Craft and Structure: Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author distinguishes his or her position from that of others.
  • (RI.7.7) Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Compare and contrast a written story, drama, or poem to its audio, filmed, staged, or multimedia version, analyzing the effects of techniques unique to each medium (e.g., lighting, sound, color, or camera focus and angles in a film).
  • (RI.7.8) Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims.
  • (RI.7.9) Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Compare and contrast a fictional portrayal of a time, place, or character and a historical account of the same period as a means of understanding how authors of fiction use or alter history.

8th Grade Reading

• Realistic Fiction/ Historical Fiction
• • NightJohn by Gary Paulsen
  • Sarny by Gary Paulsen
  • Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse
  • Lord of the Flies by William Golding
  • Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
  • Short Stories
  • Poetry

• Reading Literature
• • (RL.8.1) Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • (RL.8.2) Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • (RL.8.3) Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
  • (RL.8.4) Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
  • (RL.7.5)  Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.
  • (RL.8.7) Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors.
  • (RL.8.9)  Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new.

• Reading Informational Text
• • (RI.8.1) Key Ideas and Details: Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • (RI.8.2) Key Ideas and Details:Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
  • (RI.8.3)  Key Ideas and Details:Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
  • (RI.8.4)  Craft and Structure:Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
  • (RI.8.5) Craft and Structure: Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.
  • (RI.8.6) Craft and Structure: Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
  • (RI.8.7) Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
  • (RI.8.8) Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
  • (RI.8.9) Integration of Knowledge and Ideas: Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.

Soccer - students develop foot skills such as dribbling, passing, and shooting while

learning spacing and teamwork. As they progress, they apply offensive and defensive

strategies in small-sided and full games.

Basketball - Students practice dribbling, passing, and shooting while learning the basic

rules of the game. Older students focus on offensive plays, defensive positioning, and

game strategy in competitive settings.

Volleyball - Students learn basic skills such as serving, passing, and setting while

developing hand-eye coordination and teamwork. As they progress, they apply game

strategies, positioning, and communication during modified and full games.

Floor Hockey - Students learn stick handling, passing, and shooting while emphasizing

safety and control. As skills improve, they apply teamwork and positioning in structured

Gameplay.

Handball - Students develop throwing, catching, and movement skills while learning

how to create space and score. Advanced students focus on offensive strategies and

defensive positioning in team play.

Baseball / Softball - Students learn throwing, catching, batting, and fielding while

understanding game rules and positions. Older students apply strategy, teamwork, and

situational awareness during gameplay.

Kickball -Students develop kicking, fielding, and base-running skills in a game similar to

baseball. The activity emphasizes teamwork, strategy, and inclusive participation for all

skill levels.

Dodgeball- Students participate in modified, safe versions of dodgeball that emphasize

movement, awareness, and strategy rather than elimination. The focus is on teamwork,

quick reactions, and inclusive play.

Relay Races - Students build speed, agility, and teamwork through a variety of running

and movement-based challenges. Relays emphasize cooperation, effort, and

encouragement among teammates.

Bowling - Students practice rolling techniques, aim, and control while working on

accuracy and consistency. The activity promotes focus, coordination, and individual goal

Setting.

Cornhole -Students develop underhand tossing skills and hand-eye coordination while

aiming for a target. The game encourages friendly competition and can be used to

teach scoring and strategy.

Fitness - Students participate in activities that build strength, endurance, flexibility, and

overall physical health. In addition to the daily warm-up routine, they learn the

importance of goal setting, proper technique, and maintaining an active lifestyle through

individual and group fitness activities.

Fall Sports

• Soccer
• Cornhole
• Relay Races
• Fitness

Winter Sports

• Basketball
• Handball
• Volleyball
• Dodgeball

Spring Sports

• Floor Hockey
• Baseball / Softball
• Bowling
• Kickball

Elementary STEAM Scope and Sequence

Semester 1: Digital Foundations, Coding, and Robotics

Semester 2: Design, Engineering, and Innovation

Key STEAM Skills Progression

Semester 1

• Digital literacy
• Collaboration tools
• Computational thinking
• Programming logic
• Robotics foundations
• Engineering design process

Semester 2

• 3D modeling
• Prototyping
• Advanced coding
• Scientific experimentation
• Physics and engineering applications
• Creative problem-solving

This sequence builds foundational digital skills first, then progresses toward hands-on engineering, coding mastery, and innovation-based STEAM challenges by the end of the year.

STEAM Scope and Sequence (Middle School)

Semester 1: Digital Foundations, Coding, and Robotics

Semester 2: Design, Engineering, and Innovation

Key STEAM Skills Progression

Semester 1

• Digital literacy
• Collaboration tools
• Computational thinking
• Programming logic
• Robotics foundations
• Engineering design process

Semester 2

• 3D modeling
• Prototyping
• Advanced coding
• Scientific experimentation
• Physics and engineering applications
• Creative problem-solving

This sequence builds foundational digital skills first, then progresses toward hands-on engineering, coding mastery, and innovation-based STEAM challenges by the end of the year.