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Middle Grades Curriculum

The middle school years are marked with much change and growth. Our desire is to help students focus on their spiritual, academic, social, artistic, and athletic gifts and talents to help them grow and mature as faithful young men and women who love and serve God, the community, and our world.

Religion

The Catholic faith is integrated into all subjects that we teach. All students attend mass on Wednesday mornings at 8:15 am and families are encouraged to attend mass on the weekends. As part of their religious development, we offer students the opportunity to serve the community by doing service projects throughout the school year. These projects are in many forms: field trips, helping around campus and with younger students, and leading prayer services. Students are given time to reflect on these projects, so they understand how these activities help us to live out our mission of service to God and others. Grade six uses Sadlier, We Believe, and grades seven and eight use Loyla Press, Christ our Live to teach our Catholic faith.
 

English and Language Arts

 

The middle grade curriculum is designed to meet the Diocese of St. Petersburg Comprehensive Standards and Benchmarks. The middle school curriculum encompasses; literature, grammar, and the  6 Traits of Writing. Language is fundamental to learning, thinking and communicating; therefore, it permeates the entire curriculum. The middle grades use Pearson Literature as well as novel studies that promote creative and critical thinking. The Wright Source is used as a supplement for the writing curriculum.

Mathematics

Mathematics provides an effective way of building mental discipline and encourages logical reasoning, critical thinking and mental rigor. In addition, mathematical knowledge plays a crucial role in understanding the contents of other school subjects such as science, social studies, and even music and art. The middle grades use Envision Mathematics and Pearson Algebra 1 Honors for their math curriculum. 
 
Students who complete our middle school Algebra 1 Honors mathematics course will take the Pinellas County Schools End of Course Exam. This course is a prerequisite for the pre-IB and Center for Advanced Technology Pinellas County School's magnet schools application.
 

Science

The middle school science curriculum follows the Diocese of St. Petersburg Standards and Benchmarks and the Common Sore Standards instructing the students in the fundamentals of Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. Holy Family use Savvas Elevate Science for our science curriculum. We also participate in a nationally accredited STEM curriculum called Project Lead the Way (PLTW). PLTW is a research-based STEM curriculum that empowers students to discover and explore interests, imagine and design solutions to real-world challenges, and become independent, confident problem solvers.

Social Studies

The middle grade Social Studies curriculum follows the Diocese of St. Petersburg Standards and Benchmarks and the Common Sore Standards. Our middle school will use TCI History Alive! and Geography Alive! and Person My Florida Civics social studies programs, to develop critical thinking skills and an understanding of our world. 

Sixth-grade students focus studies on ancient regions of the world, from China and Africa to Ancient Rome and Greece. 

Seventh-grade students focus on civics, economics, and geography, with an emphasis on U.S. political and economic systems, and U.S. geography.

Eighth-grade classes study exploration to reconstruction, with an emphasis on Colonial America, the American Revolution, and the Civil War. Students in eighth grade continue their studies of economics and culminate the unit with a trip to the Stavros Center where they experience Finance Park.