In 8th Grade ELA with Miss Allen, students are immersed in our dystopian fiction unit on Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451. After finishing Part 1: The Hearth and the Salamander, we held an engaging class discussion on the symbolism of the title and explored key questions, such as: Why are books burned? What commentary is Bradbury making about mass media? What is Montag’s inner conflict? Students then closely analyzed and annotated Beatty's speech, examining his manipulation of language and ideas.
To prepare for a Socratic seminar, students reflected on what makes a good conversationalist and listener, completing a “Preparing for Discussion” worksheet alongside a PowerPoint lesson on preparing for an analytical discussion and asking meaningful questions. As we transitioned into Part 2: The Sieve and the Sand, students reflected on the necessity of books for individuals and society, the power of literature, and whether other media—such as TV or podcasts—can transmit truth and information in the same way. They also explored historical and modern-day book censorship, debating whether it is ever necessary or effective. Students then completed a "Technological Elements" worksheet, identifying how Bradbury predicted many of today’s technological advancements in the 1940s and '50s. A PEEL (Point, Evidence, Explanation, Link) writing assessment followed, where students analyzed major themes, responding to prompts such as: How has Montag changed since the start of the novel? and What central message does Bradbury present about the power and importance of literature?
After finishing Part 2, we held a silent discussion, with students circulating the room to write definitions, ideas, quotes, and questions on key themes such as conformity, individuality, identity, and compliance. Following another excellent Socratic seminar, where students practiced and refined their discussion skills, we launched into Part 3: Burning Bright. Here, students engaged in a PowerPoint lesson on Bradbury’s unique word choice and sentence structure, analyzing how his language shapes tone. Students are preparing for an in-class essay assessment on Monday, reflecting on: How is Montag’s confrontation with Beatty a turning point for his character? How does Bradbury present the dangers of mass media? and What does the river symbolize? Additionally, students completed Lessons 11 and 12 in Wordly Wise vocabulary, and in grammar, they are strengthening their understanding of types of adverbs.
In 8th grade Math with Mr. Pritchett, after students developed a proficiency with representing and solving linear equations, they have moved on to applying their skills to quadratic equations. In chapter 8, students learned about the basics of polynomials (terms of numbers, variables, or their products) and how to combine, expand, and factor them. Special attention was paid to how to use FOIL (First, Outer, Inner, Last) as a strategy to multiply binomials (polynomials with two terms) and how to factor monomials (polynomials with one term) and binomials out of larger polynomials. To summarize their knowledge in this section, students played a version of the board game “Battleship.” Students’ boards were sets of various binomials from which they could choose where to put their ships while their opponent had to factor a larger polynomial and call out the terms they got to see if they hit one of their opponents’ ships. After completing this section, students moved on to chapter nine where they have been applying their skills at factorization in working with quadratic functions. Whereas they had previously only worked to solve individual or series of linear equations, students are now hard at work in analyzing and solving quadratic equations through a variety of methods.
In 8th grade Social Studies with Miss Falcone, students have been diving deep into the workings of the Legislative Branch, exploring the roles and responsibilities of Congressional leaders, the privileges of members of Congress, and the detailed process of how a bill becomes a law. Through discussions, activities, and research, they have gained a strong understanding of how laws are made and the impact of legislative decisions on our democracy. To bring their learning to life, students are now working on a special project—designing a board game to teach second-grade students about the process of how a bill becomes a law. This hands-on, creative activity challenges them to simplify a complex topic in a fun and engaging way. They are excited to share their games and watch the younger students learn through play, reinforcing their own understanding of this essential part of our government. We look forward to seeing their hard work in action and celebrating their creativity and leadership!
In 8th grade Science with Mr. Pritchett, students wrapped up their unit on Genetics and Inheritance and have used that foundation to approach the topic of Natural Selection and Evolution. By the end of the previous unit, students developed a fluency in discussing topics concerning how genes are contained in an organism’s chromosomal structure, how sexual vs. asexual reproduction differs in creating genetic variation in a population, and how to create pedigrees and Punnett squares to track the movement of genetic traits over time. While learning about the amount of genetic material that exists in organisms, students were able to participate in an experiment where they mixed a combination of everyday cleaning and food products to extract the genetic material out of a small amount of powdered milk. Students were shocked to see how much physical material they could extract from what had appeared to turn into a liquid when mixed with water. Once they had finished this section, students moved on to study how these trait variations could work over the course of many generations. Students have been taking a look specifically at how various types of penguins that exist today may have a common ancestor which explains their similarities.
In 7th and 8th Grade Religion with Miss Allen, students are deepening their understanding of the Sacraments as visible signs of God’s grace, drawing us into His divine life. We are exploring how the Church herself is a Sacrament, pointing to Christ’s Kingdom, and how the Mass re-presents Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary. Through the seven Sacraments—Baptism, Confirmation, Eucharist, Penance and Reconciliation, Anointing of the Sick, Holy Matrimony, and Holy Orders—Jesus invites us into His love.
A key focus has been the Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation (Confession), where God’s mercy knows no limits. The students prepared to receive this Sacrament by learning its institution and effects. They learned that Jesus gave St. Peter and the Apostles the authority to guide the Church and forgive sins, a mission continued by bishops and priests today. This Sacrament restores our relationship with God and the Church, freeing us from sin and offering grace. We’ve also explored its rich symbolism—keys, a stole, raised hands, and the cross—all reminders of Christ’s forgiveness and mercy. After learning about this Sacrament, students had the opportunity to receive it yesterday, experiencing firsthand the grace and healing it offers.
