Sacred Heart Catholic School - Grade 7 at 1200 Dayton Street SW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504 US - Welcome to my room!
Welcome to my room!I am an Aquinas graduate in my eighth year as a teacher here at Sacred Heart, a parishioner here (because of the supportive and active community that is involved with our school), and I am currently working on my Masters thesis at Aquinas.
Welcome to eighth grade!
Dear Parents/ Guardians and Students,
I have the curriculum for sixth, seventh, and eighth grade religion and history below as well as some other pertinent information. Please feel free to contact me with questions you might have.
Sincerely,
Mr. Walsh
Contact Information:
Classroom website: home.catholicweb.com/shgr-7
Online Gradebook: www.teacherease.com
E-mail: timwalsh@catholicweb.com
Phone: 616-450-8824
Please no phone calls on weekends or after 7 P.M. on weekdays
Brief Curriculum Overview:
Middle School Religion Program
6th Grade: Old Testament Covenant History and Roots of the Catholic Faith
7th Grade: New Testament and Basic Tenants of the Catholic Faith
8th Grade: Church History and Spirituality
- Study of the Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition – Old Testament, New Testament, and Catholic Tradition
- Community Service Project – Log hours and reflections
- Prayer – Different styles including development of their own prayers
- Participation in the weekly Liturgies
- Sacramental preparation for Confirmation - Day retreat as well as parish meetings
- Family Life – Students learn about their physical and emotional development
Middle School Social Studies Program
6th Grade: Nations of the Eastern Hemisphere
7th and 8th Grade: U.S. History – First People to the Present and U.S. Government
- Independent projects on topic nations in each unit (Africa, Europe and Western Asia, Eastern Asia, and the Pacific Islands and Australia)
- Presentation skills - Through technology, oral presentation, and papers
- Research skills - Determining credible sources and data interpretation
- Geography
- Use of primary sources
- Simulations – Such as planning and implementing a mock election
Vocabulary
The students expand their vocabulary through the study of challenging words in their homeroom and on weekly assignments. Activities are also done as a class per unit to promote the use of unit words. Typically one half of the unit exercises are assigned at a time and students have one week to complete each half. The unit exercises are a large part of the grade in vocabulary. Assessments are administered at the end of each unit (approximately every two weeks).
Other Information:
Acceptable Assignments
All assignments are to be completed on lined notebook paper unless otherwise noted. A heading in the upper right hand corner must include the student’s name, the date, and the name of the assignment in that order.
All assignments must be legible and done in (black or blue) ink pen or pencil unless otherwise noted.
All typed assignments must have a heading (see above), be in black ink, 12pt Times New Roman font, and double-spaced unless otherwise noted.
At times students will be asked to email in assignments. If your student does not have an email account, I’ll provide another option for turning in the assignment.
Grading Policy
Tests 40%
Daily Assignments 50%
Participation 10%
Service must be completed in order to earn a grade in religion at the end of each quarter. This means service must be recorded on the service log and a reflection must be completed (more details are available on the classroom website).
Extra credit can be earned at my discretion and at times students are asked to complete more or less based on their own abilities.
Part of Middle School is learning responsibility. Late assignments will be assessed a penalty. There will be a deduction in points by 10% in the first quarter, 20% in the second quarter, 30% in the third quarter, and 50% in the fourth quarter for all assignments turned in late.
Grading Scale
A+ 99 – 100
A 95-98
A- 93-94
B+ 91-92
B 87-90
B- 85-86
C+ 83-84
C 79-82
C- 77-78
D+ 75-76
D 72-74
D- 70-71
F 0-69
Exams
Cumulative exams will be given at the end of each semester in both religion and social studies. Students will be given review sheets.
Confirmation
In eighth grade students will complete preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation as part of religion class. It is the student’s choice to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation, but all students will go through the preparation process as part of the religion curriculum.
Eligibility
Students in grades five through eight have the privilege of playing a variety of different sports here at school. In order for students to participate they must maintain a 75% average in core subjects. (More detailed information is available in the Parent/ Student Handbook).
Online Gradebook
In order to better communicate with parents of students we use an online gradebook, which makes it possible for you to view your student’s academic progress throughout the school year. As long as you have a valid email account, you will be able to use your password to access information about your student.
8th Grade Fundraiser and Trip
I am excited to help the eighth grade throughout the school year to raise money for their class trip at the end of the year (see the school calendar). It is my first year organizing the class trip and fundraisers to support it, but I look forward to working with you on this. It is important to note that the class trip is a privilege and participation will be based on participation in the fundraising and on behavior.
Camp Roger
Middle school students participate in a team building retreat day at the beginning of each school year. The purpose is to focus on unity as a Catholic community and to learn how to better work with one another to solve problems as well as build confidence.
Classroom Parties
I am looking forward to working with room volunteers and our room parent coordinator on classroom parties. We have parties for All Saints Day, Christmas, and St. Valentine’s Day.