Welcome to Grade 7! I hope that everyone is looking forward to start a brand new school year. This is going to be an exciting year for your children because for all of them, not only is this their last year here at St. Jude’s but it is also a springboard for them into high school. In addition, this is also a very important year in the faith life of your family as this is when they will receive the Sacrament of Confirmation. I am confident that this will be a very rewarding year for your children as I work together with them. THE FOLLOWING LIST OUTLINES THE TOPICS THAT WILL BE COVERED IN GRADE 7:
Language Arts: • Literacy Place Book Club and Strategies Unit (this is a comprehensive Language Arts program that focuses on Reading Strategies and Writing strategies) • Writing Traits and Writer’s Workshop • Spelling • Short Stories, Essays, Literature Circles, Read aloud novels Math: • Decimals and Fractions • Patterns and Relations • Integers • Algebra • Geometry • Data Analysis and Probability • Circles and Area Religion: “Serve with Joyful Hearts” • Our school theme this year is called “Serve with Joyful Hearts”. We will be exploring this theme through daily prayers, class masses, Lectio Divina, bible seminars and assemblies. Because this is a sacramental year, we will also be focusing our efforts in preparing your children for Confirmation. We will be using texts such as Life of Grace, Christ Our Life, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Holy Bible. We will also have a unit on Sexual Education from a perspective of Christian Morality and we will be using the text “Love and Life”. Social Studies: • Connections with the Past - Individual and Collective Past, Primary & Secondary Sources • Pre-history • Ancient Civilizations: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, India Science: • Earth’s Crust • Ecosystems • Chemistry & Experiments Art: • Color Harmony • Landscapes • Catholic Art • Modern Art • Integration of Art with other curricular areas Personal Planning: • Stereotypes & Self-Identity(Discovering Who I Am) • Personal Goals • Healthy Living • Substance Abuse • Media Awareness • Role of Confirmation in making moral decisions Field Trips: • Outdoor Education • “Me to We Day” • Vancouver Symphony • Museum of Vancouver • A few more in March & April • Service Days at “The Door is Open” or “Vanspec” • Vocations Pilgrimage to Mission, BC YOU MAY FIND THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION HELPFUL: My Philosophy of Education: I believe in teaching the child holistically where there is a balance between the spiritual, emotional, physical and intellectual development of the student. This starts in creating a classroom which is a social community where each member, including the teacher is responsible in fostering a learning environment that is safe, fun, caring and diverse. I believe that as a teacher, it is my cooperative responsibility with the parents to prepare students who are critical thinkers so that they can be become spiritually, socially and environmentally responsible citizens. Discipline: All students of St. Jude’s are required to follow school rules and guidelines and they are expected to strive to meet those expectations. In this classroom, both the teacher and the students have responsibilities and jobs that they are expected to fulfill. Appropriate consequences will be given to the students in the event that any classroom and school guidelines are broken. Homework: Please expect your children to be working 1 - 1.5 hours every night on homework and reading. I expect all homework to be handed in on time and to the best of their ability. I may send homework slips if your child’s homework is incomplete or not handed in. These slips need to be signed by the parent/guardian and returned the following day. Communication: I sincerely believe that one of my jobs as a teacher is to cooperate with the parents in educating the child. As such, communication between the school and the home is crucial. Please feel free to contact me by phone, a written note, or in person after school if you have a concern or just need to talk. You can reach me in the school after 3pm. If you need to arrange a meeting, please call ahead to set up a mutually convenient time. You can also email me at apenaso.stjudes@gmail.com Also, it is very important that you inform me of any current family problems, illnesses that may affect your child’s performance and attitude in school. This will allow me to modify or adapt any lessons or give any special. In this page, you will find dates and locations of upcoming class field trips and dates of upcoming meetings. You can also click on the field trip names to direct you to the website of the location or event that the class is going to.
FIELD TRIPS
October 13, 2011: Me to We Day
October 29, 2011: Spirit Day
Communication between the parents and the classroom teacher is crucial to a positive experience of the child in school. Because the Grade 7 is a very busy year, the students regularly take home permission slips and forms for parents to sign. To ensure that these they are readily available, follow the links so you can download and save a copy of these documents. Outdoor Education Forms: Spirit Day Form: Me to We Day Forms: Grad Sweatshirt Form:
UBC Pacific Museum of the Earth Form:
Icon Workshop:
Museum of Vancouver: To keep the communication lines open between the parents and the classroom teacher, the letters and notices that the Grade 7 class takes home can be downloaded by following the links below. no data
Social Studies Links
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