November 2010

7th Grade:

Religion -  I the next few weeks leading up to Christmas break, the 7th grade religion classes will be finishing up with their unit on the Incarnation with a portion about being one with God through prayer.  Many young people spend hours on the telephone or emailing friends.  Frequent communication is a natural aspect of developing relationships and discovering one’s identity.  We learn to express thoughts and feelings and to convey interest and understanding to others.  Communication helps relationships thrive; the same is true for the spiritual life.  Prayer is ongoing communication with God, expressing our relationship with God in Jesus through the Holy Spirit.  Through prayer we express our love for God and feel his love in return.

Math – Currently, in Math, we are finishing up a unit on one and two step equations, with emphasis on both algebraic equations and inequalities.  Just around the corner, in these weeks leading through December we will dive into a pretty extensive unit on exponents, factors and fractions.  These three mathematical operations are extremely important for the success of any person in the field of mathematics.  Mastery of these topics in this unit is essential for the continued advancement in this course, as well as advancement into Algebra for their 8th grade year.

8th Grade:

Religion - Currently, we are finishing up a unit on the basis of the Church from its infancy.  In the 8th grade religion classes we will soon dive into a unit about the growth of Christendom.  Christianity, in its early years burst forth as both the dominant religion of the Mediterranean world and the organizing principle of society.  Great cathedrals and basilicas embodied Christianity’s spirit of faith and optimism.  We will also focus on what it means to be part of the Universal Church.  Many US Catholics believe that the Universal Church is the Roman Catholic Church.  What they do not realize is that the Universal Church is actually composed of Eastern Rite Catholics and Western Rite Catholics.  The Roman Catholic Church is part of the Western Rite; in all, twenty-two different church traditions make up the Universal Catholic Church.