Middle School Program
Curriculum development is performed on various levels. Administratively, the Principal oversees the curriculum. Grade level team meetings are held every Wednesday to discuss the curriculum and to develop ways to integrate subject matter across the classes.
Adoption of new series of textbooks are planned to meet the Sunshine State Standards’ requirements as well as standards from the Diocese of Orlando. Once a new text is adopted, faculty and administration plan new levels of integration and strategies for meeting educational goals and standards.
In Mathematics, students are instructed in ability groups. This permits students to pursue pre- algebra in the eighth grade. Mathematics is supplemented by student participation in math enrichment through a computerized software program entitled - SRA Math which is implemented in the Computer Lab as well as the classroom.
In English, grammar, and literature are used to reinforce writing skills for each student. Each middle school teacher focuses on grammar so that writing skills are reinforced across the curriculum. The students complete research papers for Science and History classes. Students receive the integrated writing skills so important for high school success. Literature exposes students to a wide
variety of literary forms including plays, poetry, novel studies, and great works of fiction. Students learn the basic elements of plot, character, theme, and become versed in completion of character studies. Students also are learning how to analyze literature at the same time. All of our middle school students participate in our Accelerated Reading Program in order to enhance their reading level. At
the completion of each book read each student is able to test their knowledge by taking an automated test in our Computer Center or a student’s classroom. The Accelerated Reading Program tracks the books each student has read, the level of the book, and the overall score and points received. This assists the teacher in tracking each child’s reading level and if necessary, implement additional initiatives. Each child’s Accelerated Reading results is shared with parents at appropriate intervals.
Three levels of Science are offered at St. Peter Catholic School. In the sixth grade year, Earth and Space Science introduces students to the world and universe in which they live. This curriculum is closely linked to the Social Studies curriculum, which in sixth grade emphasizes world civilizations. For example, plate tectonics are discussed to consider the landforms caused by the movement of plates throughout the world and how those landforms affect or affected the civilizations that thrived in those areas. The Science curriculum emphasizes how plate tectonics create those landforms and how the earth continues to change. Emphasis on beginning laboratory skills is started in the sixth grade. In seventh grade, lab skills are enhanced to include microscope techniques as students are introduced to Life Science, ranging from cells to the complexity of the human body. The eighth grade Physical Science class introduces basic concepts in physics and chemistry. This integrates both Science and Math curricula. For
example, in pre-algebra and algebra classes, solving simple equations and manipulating those equations to obtain different variables supplements the Science curriculum. Then, in Science, these equations are taken to develop formulas for solving specific scientific principles like speed and acceleration and the use of integers in balancing chemical equations.
The Social Studies curriculum seeks to promote citizenship and an understanding of our relationship with the world around us. The curriculum includes World Civilizations at the sixth grade level, Geography at the seventh grade level, and American History at the eighth grade level. The literature classes frequently read work pertinent to the time period in history being studied.
As previously stated, Social Studies and Science work together to give the student a total concept of the world in which we live. Each level incorporates current events into lessons by way of discussion and by reading the newspaper or researching pertinent topics on the Internet.
Physical Education works to promote the students’ understanding of proper body mechanics, health, sportsmanship, and overall wellness. Health curriculum is coordinated with Life Science curriculum, each reinforcing the other. Students are provided with opportunities to participate in both competitive and noncompetitive sports. Many middle school students enjoy a varied extracurricular sports program that promotes team concepts and sportsmanship. Students are expected to maintain excellent academic grades, as well as set examples in conduct and behavior.
Music classes help the student to develop a more advanced knowledge of the world of music, its structures, and its composers.
The Spanish language is taught throughout the grade levels at St. Peter’s. In Middle School, emphasis is placed on verb conjugation and conversational Spanish. |
