Seventh Grade

Mrs. Tina Brueggemann

This is my seventeenth year of teaching middle school. Math is my expertise and Religion is my passion. All four of my children received an excellent education here at St. John’s, along with a good foundation for being successful in life. This school helped mold them into productive members of society, but most importantly, they learned the love of God and how to treat others the way Jesus teaches.

7th Grade Curriculum

Reading/Spelling

Reading class consists of novels picked by Mrs. Hall from an outstanding award winning authors with amazing stories to tell. We read chapter books and complete reading packets and brainstorm together about these books. We also cover poetry and spelling. Our spelling consists of a book called Wordly Wise. Wordly Wise is aimed to improve your child’s vocabulary, spelling, and general understanding of words. It is a great textbook to have in the classroom. Students are also expected to complete a monthly book report over a book of their choice in their reading level each month. 

Social Studies

Social Studies covers World History. Students learn about different civilizations starting with prehistory, to ancient Egypt, Greece, China, and Medieval Times. Students love learning about these topics. We have many discussions and brainstorm all of the possibilities during these times. Students also participate in many hands-on projects to engage them further in this rich history of our world. 

Mathematics

St. John’s uses the Saxon Course 3 book which is considered a pre-algebra course. This course will give the students the basic skills needed for an algebra class.

Topics covered include:

* Properties of numbers and operations                       
* Using Pythagorean theorem
* Ratio and proportional reasoning                                
* Coordinate geometry
* Patterns, relations, and functions                                 
* Measurement
* Variables, expressions, equations, and inequalities    
* Data analysis and probability
* Properties and relationships of lines, angles, polygons
* Problem solving

Religion

The seventh-grade program of ‘Christ Our Life’ series is devoted to the study of God’s saving love as it is revealed through his Son, Jesus. The textbook, ‘Jesus the Way, the Truth, and the Life’, is designed to help young adolescents grow in their knowledge of Jesus, that they may love him more ardently and serve him more generously.

· Students attend Mass twice a week and participate in preparing and evangelizing the Liturgy throughout the year.

· Seventh grade students are partnered with a kindergarten student called Church Partners. The seventh grader sits next to their partner and helps him/her stay focused during the Mass.

· Students visit the Blessed Sacrament during the year and participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least twice a year

Science

Science concentrations on Biology. In Biology, we focus on cells, the human body, and ecosystems. During this year we will also learn the parts of the microscopes and use them during experiments.

Writing/Grammer

In middle school English, we work on grammar and writing skills. I prepare the middle school students by giving them the tools they will need in the future. I strive to do 3 days of writing and 2 days of grammar each week. They are both very important and work together. I believe this is the best way to achieve all English goals.

For writing, I use many different types of writing assignments. Some of these include personal narratives, creative writing, and research papers. I also include some fun activities such as mock interviews and how-to presentations. I encourage the students to read all their work aloud to help with their public speaking skills.

For grammar, we learn about the parts of speech among other things. I have them work on proofreading sheets to improve their editing skills. They will put their skills to the test when they peer review each other's writings.