Grade 7

GRADE 7  SCHEDULE

MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
8:30 – 8:45 OPENING ACTIVITIES OPENING ACTIVITIES OPENING ACTIVITIES  OPENING ACTIVITIES MASS
8:45 – 9:25 MUSIC DPA

(UP TO 9:20)

 MUSIC FRENCH MASS
9:25 – 10:05 RELIGION MATHEMATICS

(9:20 – 10:05)

 RELIGION MATHEMATICS MATHEMATICS
10:05 – 10:20 RECESS RECESS RECESS RECESS RECESS
10:20 – 11:05 PE/SCIENCE 6 LANGUAGE ARTS MATHEMATICS RELIGION SCIENCE
11:05 – 11:45 MATHEMATICS LANGUAGE ARTS MATHEMATICS SCIENCE SCIENCE
11:45 – 12:30 LUNCH/RECESS LUNCH/RECESS LUNCH/RECESS LUNCH/RECESS LUNCH/RECESS
12:30 – 1:15 LANGUAGE ARTS COMPUTERS LA/RELIGION

(12:30 – 1)

LIBRARY

(1 -1:30)

 PE/SCIENCE 6 PE/SCIENCE 6
1:15 – 1:55 COMPUTERS FRENCH VISUAL ARTS

(start at 1:30)

 SOCIAL STUDIES BUDDY READING (1:15 – 1:45)
1:55 – 2:35 CAREER ED/PERSONAL PLANNING SOCIAL STUDIES VISUAL ARTS SOCIAL STUDIES SOCIAL STUDIES

(1:45 – 2:35)

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WELCOME TO GRADE 7

I hope that everyone is as excited as I am to start another new school year. This year is an an exciting and challenging year for your children. For all of them, not only is this the last year here at St. Catherine’s but it is also the year when they will be prepared for high school. In addition, Grade 7 is a very important year in the faith life of your family as it is also the year when they receive their confirmation. I am confident that it will be a rewarding final year for your children as I work together with them in the classroom.

This year’s school theme is “”I can do all things through Christ.” This verse is from the 4th chapter of the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians. Biblical scholars say that he wrote this letter while he was in prison in the city of Rome. Today’s prison is a luxury in comparison to a Roman prison during the time of St. Paul and is the last place that anyone would want to be in during that time. Yet if we read Paul’s entire letter to the Philippians, we will notice his encouraging tone and the lightness of his spirit. Indeed, it would seem as if Paul wrote this while he was in a villa relaxing and enjoying life, when in fact, he was being held captive in a dark prison, uncertain of what may come to him. How then is he able to write this letter? The answer lies in 13th verse of the 4th chapter: he is able to do everything, exactly because Christ gives him strength. 

What does this mean then for us? Though, we are not in prison or held captive, we as parents, still go through the ups and downs of life and indeed,  some valleys are deeper than others and some hills seem insurmountable; and as adults, it is easier for us to attend to the bleakness of life’s challenges, without being aware that in doing so, we might be setting an example to our children. It is true that life is difficult, and our children should value hard work. But how do we act when we encounter life’s difficulties? What is our attitude when we are facing challenges? More specifically, how are we modelling it to our own kids? Again, the great St. Paul has an answer for us. He says:

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4: 4-7)

This will be a year of change for your children. They will have to navigate the challenges of friendships, and of academic and extra-curricular aspects of Grade 7, including the emotional upheavals that they experience at this age. And, they will look to you for support and guidance. Most importantly, they will look to you for encouragement. Echo what St. Paul said to the early Christians in Philippi. Let them know that in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, that they should present their requests to God. Let them know that they can “Do All Things Through Christ who strengthens them”

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WHAT WILL WE BE DOING IN GRADE 7?

Language Arts

  • Guided Reading
  • Literacy Place Book Club Unit (this is a comprehensive Language Arts program that focuses on Reading Strategies and writing strategies)
  • Essay Writing (Persuasive, Descriptive, Expository)  with a focus on the 6+1 Writing Trait
  • Essays, Poems and Short Stories
  • Novels: Firegirl, The Golden Bull, The Golden Goblet, The Bronze Bow

Mathematics

  • We will be using the textbook Mathlinks 7 as our primary textbook. There will be teacher-created supplementary materials that we will also be using. The online program called “Mathletics” will be a regular staple in the classroom as well
  • Topics this year will include:
    • Decimals
    • Fractions
    • Integers
    • Algebra
    • Geometry (Transformations, Tesselations)
    • Circles (Circumference and Area)
    • Volume of Prisms (Triangular, Cubic, Rectangular) and Cylinders
    • Percentages
    • Data Analysis and Probability

Religion

  • Our school theme this year is called “I Can Do All Things Through Christ”. We will be exploring this theme through daily prayers,  school masses,  Bible seminar. Because this is a sacramental year, we will also be focusing our efforts in preparing your children for Confirmation. We will be using the program “Chosen” as our main resource and supplemented by texts such as the YouCat (Youth Catechism), and the Catechism of the Catholic Church and the Holy Bible. We will also have a unit on Sexual Education from a perspective of Christian Morality later in the year and this year, we will be using “Theology of the Body” material.

Social Studies

  • Studying the Ancient Cultures has always been appealing to young people. This year, we will be studying the ancient civilizations of: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Ancient Maya/Inca and we will also be discussing some topics concerning our indigenous population here in Canada.

Science:

  • This year, we will start by covering Ecosystems during the first term, Chemistry in the second term and then Electricity and Magnetism in third term
  • We will also try to go on a field trip at SFU so students can experience learning opportunities that we cannot recreate in the classroom.

Art:

  • This curricular area is integrated with other areas as often as possible. For example, we will be doing Cave Art which and Mesopotamian Cuneiform Tablets which are both integrated with our Social Studies Curriculum.
  • We will also be covering topics such as:
    • Impressionism
    • Surrealism
    • Tesselation
    • Pop Art/Modern Art

Career Ed:

  • We will start this year with Growth Mindset followed immediately by SMART GOALS; This year, we will also be using a program called Second Step – a program that will help students learn empathy and communication, emotion-management and coping skills, and decision making. 
  • The students will also work on personal goals throughout the year, learn about substance abuse and strategies to avoid it and the role of their faith in making decisions.

ADST (Applied Design and Skills Technology):

  • This year, students will attempt to learn how to code using the program scratch and create simple websites using Google Sites.
  • They will also be doing robotics
  • Spaghetti Bridge

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GOOGLE CLASSROOM

Last year, the school purchased a class set of Chromebook laptops for the Grade 7s. The hope is that these laptops will be used for “Google Classroom”. Many schools in our Catholic school system are using Google Classroom to improve the students’ educational experience and learning. Some of the local high schools are also using it. We used it last year and learning opportunities for the Grade 7s last year were greatly enhanced with the use of Google Classroom.

Google Classroom is a web app designed to provide one “dashboard” that allows the teacher and the student to consolidate the use other Google education applications such as Google Docs (for creating documents), Google Sheets (for creating spreadsheets), or Google Slides (for creating presentation) among many other educational web applications. It also “facilitates a paperless communication” between teachers and students and streamline “educational workflow”. Google Classroom allows me, the teacher, to create classes, post assignments, organize folders, and view work in real-time. Additionally, it allows the students to submit assignments, collaborate on projects, and on occasion, work on on-line teacher created tests and assessments.

For example, students can begin their work by viewing an assignment and opening a document with just one-click. When students do this, the teacher can have a real-time view of the students’ progress and can offer feedback as they work on their assignment. Students can also each have their own Google Drive folder that allows students and teachers and parents perpetual access to previous work/assignment.

To make all of this possible, each student will be given an email address that they will use to login to classroom.google.com. The email address will have this format: Firstname.lastname@stcatherines.ca

There a few caveats that need to be clarified:

  • Because they have an email address, this will allow them to receive and send emails.
  • Although they have access to email, the students will only use it for educational purposes which may include:
    • Signing up for required educational websites that require email verification
    • Sending the teacher questions on assignments or tests
    • Receiving email from the teacher in response to queries.
    • Receiving email from each their classmates especially when working collaboratively
  • To mitigate possible issues that may arise because of improper use of digital communication, you, the parent, and I, the teacher, will receive a copy of any emails that is sent from their “stcatherines.ca” email address.
  • The parent’s email address will be added in each “classroom” so you will be notified of all the assignments and activities that the students are doing online.

I am looking forward to using this technology with your children to enhance their learning experiences and opportunities. If you wish to learn more about Google Classroom, you can view this video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIdhiUX1C9w

 

TIMBERLINE CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT LIST

The following is a list of clothing and equipment that each of the students will need to bring with them for our trip to Timberline Ranch in September. Please do not go to any needless expense for clothing and equipment. If you look over the list of required gear and find that you do not have some of the items then borrow where it is possible or make appropriate substitutions.

The two key things to keep in mind concerning clothing will be that your child has:

  • Sufficient clothing that will allow them to stay dry in wet weather.
  • Proper footwear for all of the activities

Required Items for Timberline

Clothing Bathroom Items Sleeping Gear
  • warm jacket
  • windbreaker
  • sweater
  • shirts and/or T-Shirts
  • socks: 6 pairs
  • hat (rain and/or sun)
  • underwear (4-5)
  • pants (2-3)
  • pajamas
  • shorts
  • swimsuit

 
  • towels
  • wash cloth
  • soap
  • hairbrush
  • toothpaste and toothbrush
  • shampoo (and conditioner)
  • insect repellant
  • sunscreen

 
  • pillow
  • sleeping bag
  • novel or drawing pad/coloring pad or something for them to do during downtime 
Equipment Footwear Horseback Riding
  • flashlight (optional)
  • water bottle (very important)
  • runners plus an extra pair of casual shoes or extra pair of runners
  • hiking boots (if available) or rubber boots
  • must have runners
  • must have long pants  (jeans)

 

Please DO NOT bring the following items:

Cellular Phones – I will have my cell phone on me at all times. As well, Timberline Ranch has pay phones that the students will be allowed to use if they need to get in touch with their parents. No students will be allowed to take pictures with their phone. Only adults will take the photos and they will be shared at a later date.

  1. Jewelry
  2. Any electronic equipment
  3. Candy and junk food

The one obvious question that comes to mind is that most children now have their camera through their iPod or cell phone. If that is your child’s only camera, then they are allowed to bring that along. Please let your children know, however, that they are not to text nor play electronic games while at camp

Identification of Items

It is most important that you do not lose clothing or other possessions. All personal items and equipment should, therefore, have your name and preferably the school’s name as well, clearly marked on each item. It would also be beneficial to make a list of items taken so that it is possible to recheck the equipment once your child has returned home.

MEET THE TEACHER


About myself: I am happily married and have been for 16 years. We have three kids (Ava, Theresa and Damien). This year, they are starting Grade 5, Grade 3 and Kindergarten at a school in Burnaby. 

I enjoy the outdoors (camping, hiking, backpacking) and constantly wish to do more of it with my family.

I am in my 11th year of teaching, 10 of which are with Grade 7s.

I completed my first degree at SFU with a major in Philosophy and minor in Math. After working in the tech industry, I went back to SFU and completed my degree in Education.

My Philosophy of Education: I believe in teaching the child holistically where there is a balance between the spiritual, emotional, physical and intellectual development of the student. This starts in creating a social community in the classroom, where each member, including the teacher is responsible in fostering a learning environment that is safe, fun, caring and diverse. I also believe that the classroom is and should be an extension of the domestic church, which is the home. As such, faith is integrated in almost every activity that we will be doing both inside and outside the classroom. In addition, I believe that it is my responsibility as a teacher to prepare young men and women who are faith filled but at the same time who are also critical thinkers, so that they can be become responsible citizens. 

Discipline: All students of St.Catherine’s are required to follow school rules and guidelines and they are expected to strive to meet those expectations. In this classroom, both the teacher and the students have responsibilities and jobs that they are expected to fulfill. Appropriate consequences will be given to the students in the event that any classroom and school guidelines are broken. 

Homework: Please expect your children to be working 45-60 minutes on evenings that there is homework and 20 – 30 minutes of reading. Most of their homework will be posted at the St. Catherine’s website. You will also be notified though Google Classroom of the activities that they are doing online. I expect all homework to be completed to the best of their ability  and handed in on time. I may send homework slips if your child’s homework is incomplete or not handed in. These slips need to be signed by the parent/guardian and returned the following day. 

It has been my belief that parents need to spend as much time as they can with their children to foster and reinforce the attachment that their children need. Therefore, I will not give homework or assignments for them to work on during the weekends so they can spend Saturday and Sunday with their family.

Communication: I sincerely believe that one of my jobs as a teacher is to cooperate with the parents in educating the child. As such, communication between the school and the home is imperative. Please feel free to contact me by phone, a written note, or in person after school if you have a concern or just need to talk. You can reach me in the school after 3pm. If you need to arrange a meeting, please call ahead to set up a mutually convenient time. Also, it is very important that you inform me of any current family problems, situations, or illnesses that may affect your child’s performance and attitude in school. This will allow me to modify or adapt any lessons that may be sensitive, or give any special attention to your child.

Most, if not all of the homework, assignments, and field trip forms will be posted in the Grade 7 website. Please regularly check it.

I will also send out the field trip forms, news, pictures vial email to the parents.

Agenda: I will try to make sure that students write their assignments on their agendas during the first term, so please make sure to take time to review it every night. By mid second term, I will simply remind your students to write on their agendas. 

I hope the information that I provided here will help us work together in the common interest of educating your child. Thank you for your cooperation and support. I hope that this year will be an exciting one for your child.

Francais: with Mme. Sills

Thursday, November 14th – quiz on directions.

Right, left, straight…..check your binder and look at the map on page 12 of your Student book to practice as we did in class.

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There will be weekly number quizzes from now on. They will be on the numbers from 1-100. Be prepared.

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