My name is Mr. Erwin Mow, and it is indeed my privilege to work with you and your children! This year will be an exciting and not only is this their last year here at St. Jude School, 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 the wonderful Sacrament of Confirmation. By working together, this year is sure to be an enjoyable and rewarding one for all! There are many exciting and challenging activities planned, and you will be informed of these regularly.
GRADE 7 CURRICULUM
Our school theme this year is called “Living, Celebrating and Proclaiming our Faith”.
We will be exploring this theme through daily gospel reading & prayers, and class Masses. Because this is a sacramental year, we will also be focusing our efforts in preparing your children for Confirmation. We will be using the Chosen Program and other texts such as the YouCat (Youth Catechism), the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Confirmation Guide and the Holy Bible.
We will also have a unit on Sexual Education from a perspective of Christian Morality throughout the year, and this year, we will be using Theology of the Body material.
All Confirmation related events and meetings will be announced at a later date.
- Preparation for FSA, to take place from early October to mid-November
- Reading Comprehension
- Personal Writing
- Writing
- weekly journal entries and short writing
- persuasive
- narrative
- informational
- Guided Reading (This is Who I Am Book Club)
- Reading Strategies
- Novel Studies (The Bronze Bow, The Golden Goblet, Mockingbird)
- Short Stories
- Speech Arts (Class Poem, Individual Poems and Bible Readings)
- Integration with other subjects
- Weekly ReadWorks sessions
This year, we will be using the Dynamic Math program as our primary resource, as well as Math Stories for word problems. Mathletics sessions will be regularly assigned for students to reinforce the learned concepts online.
Topics this year include:
- Decimals and Fractions
- Integers
- Algebra
- Geometry
- Circles and Areas
- Data Analysis and Probability
Preparation for the numeracy portion of the FSA, to take place from early October to mid-November
In Gr. 7, we will be using All Ye Lands as the primary source to deliver the curriculum. Studying the Ancient Cultures has always been appealing to young people, and they will be studying the ancient civilizations of: Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome.
Monthly current events will also be discussed during Social Studies class time, and the main source to deliver this portion of the curriculum is What in the World?
This year, we will be using Kesler Science to deliver the majority of the Science program! Some of the topics covered in Gr. 7 include:
- Geologic Time Scale
- Natural Selection
- Fossils
- Climate Change
- Chemistry
- Electricity & Magnetism
Furthermore…
- Google Classroom
- Students’ Google account
- Assignments will be posted in the Google Classroom
- Chromebooks
- Service hours – 25 hours of service to be completed prior to Confirmation.
Field Trips:
- Outdoor Education
- field trips will be announced as the year progresses
HELPFUL INFORMATION
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 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 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. Jude School 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 on homework (when there is homework) a maximum of 60 minutes, and 20 – 30 minutes of reading. I expect all homework to be completed to the best of their ability and handed in on time. I may send e-mails to the parents when there are homework submission issues.
Communication: I sincerely believe that one of my jobs as a teacher is to work 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 e-mail, phone, a written note (in the agenda or on paper), or in person if you have a concern or just need to talk. You can reach me in the school after 3:15 p.m.. If you need to arrange a meeting, please call the school office during office hours (8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.) 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.
Agenda: I will try to communicate with you using your child’s agenda book. I will be signing it during most days so please make sure to take time to review it every night.
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 am confident that this year will be an exciting year for your child.