Middle School – 6th, 7th & 8th Grades

St. Cecelia  School is an IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). For further information about IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org.

Religious education at SCS is a catechetical program designed for the faith development of adolescents. It is based on Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and other sources which aid in helping students acquire a deeper understanding and appreciation of their Catholic faith. It encompasses the roots of our faith– the Hebrew Scriptures, the life, values, and teachings of Jesus, the New Testament, and the origins and traditions of the Catholic Church. Character development, drug education, and Theology of the Body are also included in the curriculum. The curriculum is supplemented with Ascension Press materials that guide students through the Old Testament.  Seventh graders explore the New Testament with the Sophia Institute, Spirit of Truth series.  Eighth graders will study Church History. All Middle School students will participate in a weekly scripture study using Breakthrough!  Bible for Young Catholics (St. Mary’s Press). 

The Middle School Language Arts program promotes and develops critical and creative thinking skills and provides increasing levels of complexity and depth of subject matter.  By the end of the intermediate grades, students will have experienced authentic literature in a variety of genres.  The goal for the students is to develop a passion and love for reading and to become enthusiastic, life long, independent readers and writers.

Middle School students are offered the following two Language Arts classes:

• Grade level/advanced
• Honors: Students enrolled in Honors Language Arts will have the opportunity to engage texts at a faster pace and read a greater variety of literature. This particular dimension of our ELA program is designed to specifically help students prepare for honors English and Literature courses in high school.

Each course includes literature, grammar, Accelerated Reading, and Six Traits of Writing.  Language is fundamental to learning, thinking, and communicating; therefore it permeates the entire curriculum.  Teachers collaborate to ensure maximum writing skills are used across the curriculum.  Through a variety of speech and writing activities, students are engaged in challenging projects, encouraging growth and confidence. This comprehensive curriculum ensures our middle school students are prepared and confident to succeed in high school.

Textbooks:

• 6^th Grade: Kinneavy/Warriner’s Elements of Writing, McDougal/Littell Literature, Holt/Rinehart/Winston English Workshop Introductory Course.

• 7^th Grade utilizes Kinneavy/Warriner Elements of Writing, Holt/Rinehart/Winston English Workshop First Course, and McDougal/Littell Literature

• 8^th Grade utilizes Kinneavy/Warriner Elements of Writing, Holt/Rinehart/Winston English Workshop Second Course, and McDougal/Littell Literature

Writing

Middle school writing is a culmination of everything learned in primary and intermediate schooling. The International Baccalaureate MYP framework provides students an opportunity to express their thoughts about in-depth topics. Through the Six Traits of Writing program, students in the MYP are assessed on 4 criteria: analyzing, organizing, producing texts, and using language.

Analyzing assesses students on their ability to identify and comment upon significant aspects of text as well as creator’s choices. It encourages students to justify opinions and ideas, and it allows students to compare and contrast between texts.

Organizing assesses students on how they organize thoughts, opinions, and ideas in a logical manner that is suitable to content.

Producing Text allows students to be assessed on how they produce text using imagination, while exploring new perspectives. It gives students the freedom to make stylistic choices in terms of linguistic, literary and visual devices.

Using Language assesses students on speech, written expression, and sentence structure.

6-8: Savvas Realize

Savvas Realize utilizes interactive learning modules in the classroom and provides access to the program at home where students can complete customized homework assignments and assessments online. The program offers examples, videos, homework help and adaptive practice.  The middle school math program includes a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and global approach to mathematics.  Students solve problems through real life applications.  The 6-8 grade curriculum builds on topics such as expressions and equations, rational numbers, ratio and proportional relationships, geometry, statistics and probability. In particular, the middle school mathematics courses will guide students in the development of critical thinking skills and algebraic problem-solving skills which provide the foundation for real world problem solving.

Algebra I Honors:

We offer an Algebra I Honors course that can be taken in the eighth-grade year to students who met the qualifying criteria and who have had the pre-requisite study in Pre-Algebra.  The Algebra I Honors course is designed to provide students with an in-depth level of instruction at an accelerated pace.  Topics include properties of real numbers, equations and inequalities, linear functions, absolute value functions, piecewise functions, exponential functions, operations with rational and radical expressions, operations with polynomials, and quadratic functions.  The curriculum prepares students for future success in Geometry Honors and Algebra II Honors.  This course meets the application requirements for various High School Magnet Programs and the preparation for the State of Florida’s Algebra I End of Course Exam.

The middle school science curriculum at St. Cecelia Catholic School uses the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), to cover three main domains: Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. The curriculum resource most used within the middle school science classroom is Science Education for Public Understanding Program:   http://sepuplhs.org/

SEPUP engages students in the study of science by requiring them to use scientific evidence to solve issues and apply science to everyday life.

The sixth-grade curriculum is focused on Earth and Space.  In Earth and Space Science, the curriculum includes topics such as Earth’s place in the universe, exploring the motions of the Earth, moon, and sun, as well as the role of gravity in the solar system. Students also study Earth’s systems, including the water cycle, weather, climate, and geological processes like plate tectonics, erosion, and weathering. They examine how human activities impact Earth’s resources and environments, with a focus on sustainability and resource management.

Seventh grade focus of study is biology and the STREAM fair project. In Life Science, students explore concepts such as the structure and function of cells, organs, and systems in living organisms, as well as processes like growth, development, and reproduction. They also study ecosystems, focusing on energy transfer in food webs, population dynamics, and sustainability. Additionally, students learn about heredity and genetic variation, including how traits are inherited and the role of mutations, as well as biological evolution, natural selection, and adaptation.

Eighth graders study physical science. Physical Science topics include the properties and states of matter, atomic structure, and chemical reactions. Students also study forces and motion, learning about Newton’s Laws of Motion and the role of gravity and other forces. Energy is another key focus, with students exploring different types of energy, energy transfer, and renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. They also learn about waves, light, and sound, as well as the electromagnetic spectrum and its applications in communication technologies.

NGSS emphasizes crosscutting concepts that connect ideas across scientific disciplines, such as patterns, cause and effect, and the relationship between energy and matter. The curriculum also integrates Science and Engineering Practices (SEPs), encouraging students to engage in activities like asking questions, developing models, conducting investigations, analyzing data, and constructing explanations based on evidence. This three-dimensional approach helps students develop a comprehensive understanding of scientific principles and practices.

All SCS Middle School Social Studies classes are introduced to the IB (International Baccalaureate) MYP (Middle Years Programme) Individuals and Societies Programme.  MYP individuals and societies encourages learners to respect and understand the world around them and equips them with the necessary skills to inquire into historical, contemporary, geographical, political, social, economic, religious, technological, and cultural factors that have an impact on individuals, societies, and environments. It encourages learners, both students and teachers, to consider local and global contexts. MYP individuals and societies incorporates disciplines traditionally studied under the general term “the humanities” (such as history and philosophy), as well as disciplines in the social sciences (such as economics, business management, geography, sociology, and political science).

Sixth grade students focus on ancient regions of the world from China and Africa to Ancient Rome and Greece. Students “dig up the past” through archeology and learn how to navigate building map skills.

Seventh grade students focus on civics and economics with an emphasis on U.S. political and economic systems. Students in this grade level expand their studies of economics and culminate the unit with a trip to the Stavros Center where they experience Finance Park.

Eighth grade classes study The Age of Exploration to US Civil War Reconstruction with an emphasis on Colonial America, the American Revolution, and the Civil War. The IB MYP Programme culminates in the 8^th grade with Community Projects.  This year long project requires students to plan, construct, and implement an outreach activity to benefit the local or global community.