Adolescence is a critical period of change and transition for the middle school student. Through challenging coursework, differentiated instruction and real-life experiences, St Francis-St James students realize their potential and what it takes to be a contributing force to society. 

The middle school curriculum requires a commitment to academic growth. Students learn effective communication skills, acquire strategies to become critical thinkers and understand their responsibilities in this interconnected world.

Religion

Activities with others aids in gaining respect for life, importance of our call to service and an understanding of how Jesus can be seen in others.

The Religion textbook, along with the Bible, creates an understanding of how God reveals Himself and His plan of salvation. The students are offered lessons and activities on ethical decision making, parables and how they can apply to daily life, and interpreting and applying scripture to daily life, just to name a few.

In 8th grade the religion curriculum is part of the broader Confirmation program. One major focus for study and discussion in the classroom is morality. The Bible becomes a main resource.  Daily emphasis is on learning and showing ways to demonstrate our role as Christians. Participation in service opportunities is a practical application and mandatory part of the Confirmation program. It is designed to teach students how to strengthen their commitment to faith through study, prayer and service.
The students gain an understanding that prayer and faith in God is a way of life.

Language Arts

All students must have the opportunities to utilize their language skills in a functional, meaningful manner.

Middle school students are exposed to several genres including poetry, non-fiction, historical fiction, realistic fiction, mystery, fantasy, science fiction and folktales. Character analysis, identifying themes, point of view, vocabulary development, plot structure, irony, foreshadowing and conflict are concepts covered when reading short stories and novels.

With daily reading assignments, the focus is on comprehension (literal, interpretive, inferential and evaluative) predicting outcomes, identifying details, sequencing, cause and effect, and comparing and contrasting. 

Through writing assignments and daily oral language activities, the students learn spelling, the parts of speech and sentence structure. The students learn and practice the correct writing process through the following forms of writing: research, formal and informal letters, poetry, informational, descriptive, narrative, and persuasive. By practicing the these steps, they learn to focus on the imperative skills of organization, quality of ideas, audience and purpose.

Speaking skills, listening skills and media literacy are also integrated in the daily language arts curriculum.

Social Studies

Minnesota, U.S., and World History are studied in each middle school grade. The students gain an understanding that people in other times and places have struggled with the basic questions of truth, justice, and personal responsibility. They need to understand that ideas have real consequences, and to realize that events are shaped both by ideas and the actions of individuals. 

To be successful contributors to a democratic society, students  need to have an understanding of geography, which means that they need to have an understanding of the spatial context of people, places and environments on Earth.  They come to understand where important things are, why they are located in those places and the importance of the locational patterns of the world.

Today’s students will face an increasing variety of important economic decisions in their personal lives and as citizens in society. The study of economics encourages students to make important decisions about both personal economic questions and broader questions about the changing world.

Civic education allows students to gain the required skills to be a competent and affective participant in the political process.

Math

All students can and should be mathematically proficient. They need to learn important mathematical concepts, skills and relationships with understanding.
The middle school math curriculum is ultimately set up as a comprehensive preparation for high school mathematics.

Specific core concepts include place value, whole numbers, decimals, fractions, geometry, measurement, graphing, probability and estimation. Algebra concepts are incorporated throughout each text.

Problem solving strategies are learned with each new concept, enabling students to enhance their critical thinking skills and improve their understanding of the need for problem solving skills in so many facets of their lives. There is a strong focus on practicing and maintaining computation skills.

In order to accommodate individual learning styles, math class allows students the opportunity to learn through teacher instruction, hands-on activities, current technology, real-life experiences, peer evaluations, self evaluations and cooperative learning groups.

Science

Students will develop a greater understanding of life, earth, and physical sciences through questioning and training in research methods.

By the end of their middle school experience, students will:

• Evaluate science as a means to knowledge. They will use classification systems to gain an introductory appreciation of plant and animal diversity.  The student will be able to describe laws which govern the interaction of plants and animals on the planet and will explore our world through the physical laws
  that govern its inhabitants.
• Practice science as a means of discovery.  They will learn how theories of geological evolution were first developed and received.  Students will describe Earth's past and acquire an understanding of Earth's future and the impact and causes of climactic changes.
• Middle school students also participate in a Science Fair held yearly at SFSJUS.  The goal this year is to enter our students in the National Science Fair Competition.

2010-2011 Middle School Schedule