St. Paul School teachers create an atmosphere of love, discipline, and support to help students succeed in Junior High. The curriculum emphasizes strong basic skills and advanced learning opportunities. Students develop faith, leadership, and academic skills that build a solid foundation for high school and the future.

Religion

• Students will continue their journey toward Confirmation with the Chosen video and interactive workbook series to help guide them in their Catholic faith.

English

• Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
• Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey complex ideas & information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
• Write narrative pieces to develop real or imagined experiences using effective techniques, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
• Use technology to produce & publish writing and to interact & collaborate with others.
• Build endurance by writing routinely over an extended time for a range of tasks, purposes and audiences.
• Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations.
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of English capitalization, punctuation & spelling when writing.
• Use style conventions (MLA) when writing.

Literature

• Read closely to determine meaning, explicitly and logically, as it relates to theme, setting, plot, dialogue, events and character interactions over the course of a text and multiple texts.
• Cite textual evidence, verbally & written, that supports an analysis in a clear, relevant and concise way.
• Determine author’s style, tone & use of figurative language, and analyze how the differing style and structure contributes to a text’s meaning.
• Read and comprehend complex literary texts such as: Red Badge of Courage, The Pearl, The Giver and Diary of Anne Frank. Compare and contrast them to other literary texts, media, poems and short stories.
• Apply knowledge of language and vocabulary to understand how language functions in different contexts and to comprehend more fully when reading and listening.
• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade-level reading and content.
• Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media formats, including visually and orally.
• Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen evidence and add interest.  

Math:  Based on their ability, work ethic, past/current assessment scores, and teacher input, students are selected to participate in the Algebra class or the accelerated Algebra I class.

In the standard Algebra class:

• The course begins with a review of Pre-Algebraic concepts to ensure foundation and prepare students for Algebra concepts.
• Students study real numbers and the coordinate plane.
• They solve linear equations and apply them to real-world situations.
• They are introduced to functions and graphing functions,
• They study systems of linear equations.
• They apply rules of exponents in real-world problems.
• They study geometry, transformations and measurement while applying various formulas learned.
• Problem-solving strategies and applications.

In the accelerated Algebra I class:

• The course begins with a review of expressions, equations, functions, and properties of real numbers.
• Students solve and graph linear equations and functions,
• They solve and graph linear inequalities while applying the concepts to real-world situations.
• They work with exponents and exponential functions with application to real-world situations.
• They cover polynomials, factoring and quadratic equations and functions,
• They make in-depth connections with radicals and geopmetric concepts.
• Real-world problem solving application and strategies.

Science

• Students explore matter and energy, the scientific method, and physical science in action.
• Matter is studied through measuring mass and weight, learning the difference between mass and weight, and learning that everything is composed of matter.
• Students study physical and chemical properties, and learn how they are alike and different.
• They study energy, changes of state, and how moving particles make up all matter.
• Students learn about elements, compounds, and atoms.
• They draw, explore the elements, and distinguish the patterns in the Periodic Table.

Social Studies

• Eighth grade students continue their study of United States History.
• Geographic, civics/government, and economics content is integrated within the historical context.
• The course focuses on five eras of US history: US expansion and reform (1792-1861), Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877), the development of an industrial and global US, the causes & effects of World War I and II, and finally Post WWII to the present.
• A highlight of the year is a class trip to the battlefields and museums in Gettysburg, PA.

Advanced Spanish: Based on their ability, work ethic, and past performance, students may be invited to participate in the Advanced Spanish class.

• The combination of two years of this program is equivalent to the first year of high school Spanish.
• Students study vocabulary for their daily lives, verb conjugations, adjective agreement, sentence structure and the past and present tense throughout the two years.
• Through skits, oral activities, and cultural activities, all the previously learned Spanish skills are practiced and reinforced so that a level of conversational fluency can be achieved.
• Once completing the program students are prepared to enter Spanish II in High School.

Specials

• Eighth Graders attend weekly specials classes including art, music, Spanish, gym and computers.

TAP

• Every other week, Junior High students participate in the Thursday Advisory Program. This program pairs supportive adult role models with small groups of students across the Junior High grades.  The groups explore interests, goals, concerns, and share fun activities.  It is a productive program designed to help students work through the transitions of their early teenage years.  

Alternative Recess Activities

• After lunch, Junior High students can choose from a variety of fun activities such as outdoor recess, band, choir, newspaper, yearbook, yoga, boot camp, crafts, and games.  They can also use the time for homework or to get extra help from teachers.

Extracurricular Activities

• St. Paul School offers a wide variety of activities including forensics, chess, safety squad, art, altar service, and a full range of CYO sports (soccer, volleyball, cheerleading, cross country, basketball, baseball, softball, lacrosse, tennis, and track).