Welcome to 7th Grade!

Classroom Expectations
I expect students to do their best at everything they try. I would like them to be unafraid to fail, get up, brush themselves off, and try again.

Whatever the subject, students should be able to look at any piece of information, analyze it, take it apart, and put it back together and see what makes it tick. I create opportunities for students to learn to think. If they can analyze information and weigh it in the light of their experience and faith, then they can make informed decisions.

Content Areas

• Religion (Taught by Mr. Mark Hartley)
  • Religion covers primarily the New Testament and Church History. There will be mini lessons on liturgy and the parts of the Mass and the parts of the Church. In the first quarter, students will do a research project that will culminate into a 3 minute oral presentation. This presentation will be a dramatic monologue that will be presented to the school at which parents are welcome. I also hope to videotape them so that each parent receives a copy. Also, in the 1st quarter we will be hosting a faith fair. Details will be forth coming.

• 7^th Language Arts & Literature (Taught by Mr. Mark Hartley)
  • We look at different ways authors tell stories, explain issues, and persuade others. We learn from those examples to write our narratives, explain our new learnings, and be confident and convincing.
  • We also dive into non-fiction writing to find what writers say explicitly as well as what they are implying, looking at what motivations and points of view are revealed.
  • Our writing focuses on poems, quick writing and persuasive and informative essays.
  • Our speaking and listening skills are brought out in our Water for South Sudan and Pride Time presentations.
• History (Taught by Mr. Robert Hardin)
  • 7th Grade will cover Asian History and Washington State History. There will be an Asian Feast and an Asian Project. We will focus on two main countries: India and Japan. I am hoping that we will take up as a theme the effect that the military has had on shaping the history of Spokane.

• PreAlgebra (Taught by: Mrs. Janelle Turcotte)
  • Study concepts including solving equations, manipulation of different types of numbers, collecting and organizing data, area, perimeter and volume, percents, graphing, and probability. Real-life applications are used to show relevance of concepts.

• Life Science (Taught by: Mrs. Janelle Turcotte)
  • Expand knowledge in the area of Biology including scientific method, cell types and functions, genetics and heredity, classification of organisms, and human body systems. A variety of methods are used to promote understanding including hands-on activities and projects.

• Choir
  • I am looking for opportunities for the choir to have more opportunities to show what they are capable of doing and expanding beyond Mass or Christmas music.

• Speech Contest
  • The Speech Contest is a major part of the 7th and 8th Grade curriculum. It is usually the last major project of the year.