Academically Speaking in Middle School

Tying in the History
By Isabel Suschitz
News Editor
 
            Students in Texas history and United States history are working harder than ever in these last few weeks. The seventh graders finished talking about the Republic of Texas, the Texas annexation to the U.S., and the Civil War and Reconstruction. They focused on their notetaking skills and the transition from Texas being independent to statehood. Seventh graders have been preparing for eighth grade by tying in Texas history into United States history with Texas’s annexation into the U.S.
            The eighth graders have been learning about sectionalism in the North, South, and West and were learning about the Civil War and Reconstruction. Their main focuses are getting ready for high school history classes by analyzing higher level primary sources, learning how to take notes, and independent working. Dead American Day was a big project done by the eighth grades. They made an interactive timeline about a Dead American, and dressed up like them. Then they shared & presented their timelines to the younger students. It has been a challenging quarter for these historians!
 
Spectacular Science!
By Izzy Christiansen
Feature Editor
 
            The sixth grade class has been very dedicated to their work in science. Right now, they are working nonstop on space science. They recently did a research project where they looked for information online and in their textbooks on types of telescopes. After, they will do another project on comparing and contrasting the life cycle of a star. To really understand the idea of space, the sixth graders ended with a field trip to NASA where they got to explore the history of space travel, what scientists are doing for the future, and how science is fun and interesting. The sixth grade science class has had an amazing and exciting year!
            It has been a very hectic nine weeks as the eighth graders wrap up the year with chemistry. The students worked together to understand main ideas by doing paired reading, worksheets, and projects. The students had plenty of fun with their experiments and projects such as researching the periodic table. Their latest experiment was on a flame test lab about metals and what colors they burn. Mrs. Cueva is leading the eighth grade science class on a perfect path to laying a foundation for chemistry in high school.

 













Seventh graders create potato babies to learn about DNA and inherited traits.

Searching for Answers in Seventh Grade Science
By Beatriz Eade
Features Editor
           
          This quarter has been spectacular for the seventh graders! To finish off the cellular and DNA portion of the year, the students completed several virtual labs about DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis. Along with the several virtual labs, the students modeled the cell cycle with Oreos and gummy bears. The students then created potato babies, which helped the students learn about the process in which parents pass traits to their offspring.
            To learn about evolution and the world around us, the students learned about Darwin’s discoveries in an online webquest where they tried to keep Darwin’s finches alive. They also completed a lab in which they created toothpick fish. As well as learning about natural selection, the students also learned about the traits that will determine survival. To organize all of this information, the students created many colorful foldables and content maps.
            To make sure they did well on the IOWA and COGAT tests, the students have been doing questions of the week, which ask questions similar to those on standardized testing. At the end of the quarter, the students dissected a frog. They looked inside the frog and labeled each part.
This final quarter was very busy for these seventh graders and they are definitely ready for eighth grade!
 
All They’ve Got
By Alexa Halim
Editor-in-Chief of Halo News
 
            The school year may be winding down, but the students in Mrs. Kinchen’s math classes have not stopped! The seventh and eighth grade students prepared for standardized testing with warmups every week. They also continued to practice their IXL skills every week. In addition, Mrs. Kinchen implemented new technology with songs, Nearpod, and visuals, such as videos and slides.
            The seventh graders spent the fourth quarter learning geometry. They reviewed surface area, volume, area of composite figures, and the Pythagorean Theorem. They also prepared for eighth grade by working on their algebraic foundations. They mastered isolating variables and using formulas. It was challenging having to remember all the formulas and integer rules. During the summer, the seventh graders will have IXL skills to practice that need to be sharpened before the school year.
            During the last quarter, the eighth graders learned about factoring and quadratics. They also had a project on quadratics. They built a catapult and launched objects. They then graphed the parabola of the objects launched and replicated the graph algebraically by changing it from vertex form to general form. The students found it challenging to use everything they’ve already learned to solve problems. They also prepared for high school math with everything they’ve learned from quadratics, polynomials, linear equations, isolating variables, to systems of equations and inequalities.
            As the year closes, the seventh and eighth graders finish off the year with everything they’ve got from geometry to quadratics!
 
Practicing Goodbye
By Laura Merlina
News Editor
 
            All classes have been vigorously working to get work done before the end of the school year, with the sixth grade math class as no exception. They have been working on everything from ratios, percents, and proportions, to geometry. While they haven’t had any projects, they used this time to catch up on work they needed to get done.
            This whole year the sixth graders have been improving, but not just by learning more skills. They have finally started showing their work more and are becoming more determined. Whether it’s from their tests every two-three weeks, or from their fun review games they played, they have grown in more than just learning math. They are also learning to not get down when they don’t understand one of the concepts.
Their hard work is taking them farther than ever, and with finals approaching, it is much needed. They are going to review for the final by getting and completing a review sheet. We know the sixth graders hard work learning math concepts will reward them next year as seventh graders!
           
Going the Distance
By Thomas Whitson
Sports Editor
           
          The sixth graders in Ms. Festa’s classes have finished the year off strong. In language, the students reviewed the parts of speech, capitalization, and punctuation. They also wrote letters to their Saints Family leaders to thank them for their leadership and to show Ms. Festa that they can write well-structured letters with correct grammar and punctuation.
            In literature, the sixth graders finished their vocabulary book. They also did their final book project of the year on a Newbery Award-winning book. They kept up their reading in the final quarter as well.
The main objective for the last nine weeks was to prepare for seventh grade. Ms. Festa says most of the students have done a very good job of participating in class, and some could participate a little more! She is teaching the sixth graders the importance of following directions and thinking before they act. Both of these are very important skills moving through the rest of middle school, high school, and college.
            Although the students are excited for seventh grade, they are very anxious. They are worried for the amount of work next year and all of the increased challenges. Ms. Festa is confident in her students and proud of them for all of their hard work. Good luck in seventh grade!

 















Eighth graders take part in a Seder Supper.

House of Holiness
By Dylan Michaels
Photo Editor
           
            Mrs. Hartfiel’s students have had a great last quarter! They have been learning a variety of different things from salvation history to human dignity. The seventh graders have been working hard learning about the Acts of the Apostles and the structure of the Church. Mrs. Hartfiel has also been teaching the students that they need to become more selfless instead of selfish. They prepared for their finals by studying past tests and the review Mrs. Hartfiel gave them.
            The eighth graders had a great quarter and are ready for high school theology. Mrs. Hartfiel says that she is confident in their readiness for high school theology. They have been learning about early Church history and the developing Church. They also studied the teachings of St. John Paul II known as The Theology of the Body.
            The students had a great quarter in theology and can’t wait for next year. Way to go, Mrs. Hartfiel!
 
Learning in Style
By Thomas Jewett
Technology Editor 
           
           The sixth graders have been diligently working in their theology and social studies classes. In theology, they learned about the Bible, discussing the Old Testament, and reading the narrative about Joseph. Afterward, they will be starting on the narrative of Jacob. They also performed their Stations of the Cross, which was a success! They haven’t had that many projects this quarter, but were busy and hard at work in theology.
            In social studies, the students have been working on learning about Western Europe and Eastern Europe and a bit of Russia. To review for their tests, they have discussions in class, take notes on their Chromebooks, and create study guides for the whole class. They have had two tests this quarter so far, and have done very well on them. They have been doing an excellent job keeping up in Mrs. McBee’s classes, and they are ready for the road ahead of them. What a great way to end the year strong!
 
Poetic Students
By Taylor Schababerle
Editor in Chief, The Spirit
           
          This last quarter for the eighth graders has been a busy one, preparing them for high school especially in Mrs. Drewes’ class. In language, the students turned in the big research paper that they had worked on throughout the third and fourth quarters. The students chose the topic that they wanted to research, and then wrote facts about their topic on notecards. The students used this method of researching to ensure that they did not plagiarize their work. Next they created an outline which the students then used to write their final copies. In literature, the students read the book Night by Holocaust survivor, Elie Wiesel. They answered reading comprehension questions on every chapter. While the students were reading the book, they talked about the five levels of discrimination. They also studied different poems and dramas, and created their own plays. All in all, this was a very busy last quarter for the eighth graders!
 
Eighth Grade, Here We Come!
By Hannah Yohr
Technology Editor
           
            Mrs. Bowring’s seventh grade language and literature classes faced tests, projects, and other activities in the fourth quarter. In language, the students worked on Holocaust research papers. The papers furthered their knowledge of the Holocaust and went along with The Diary of Anne Frank that they had read. The main focus in language was learning the research process that included planning, researching, and documenting. Mrs. Bowring has been getting the students ready for eighth grade by helping them understand how not to plagiarize when they are writing any paper. This will help them for the rest of their lives. Some other concepts in language that the students were learning were how to summarize, paraphrase, and quote; they also used trusted websites for research and made bibliographies for their research.
            The students also learned to understand poetry this quarter by analyzing and summarizing poetry. The authors of the poetry that the students read were William B. Yeats and Emily Dickinson. To help the students study for tests, Mrs. Bowring let the students practice the skills in class with her and she modeled the skills to help the students understand them easier. To help the students learn vocabulary, Mrs. Bowring used games, flashcards, textbook work, and the students learned new study techniques.
The tests for literature were a poetry test, a Heroes Journey test, and a vocabulary test for unit 14. The students have been working hard for this last quarter. The students are now ready for eighth grade!