Middle School Newsletter

Dear Middle School Families,

We hope you're enjoying the Halloween season! We’re excited to bring you the latest news, updates, curriculum, and stories from our school community. We really got into the season with our Halloween costume parade today, which was such a blast, and we’re looking forward to the fun continuing with our Trunk or Treat and costume contest event this afternoon!

Progress Report Cards have been released, so please take a moment to review them. We’re proud of our students for their hard work and dedication to academics so far this trimester!

Warm regards,

The Middle School Team

Our 7th and 8th grade students enjoyed a field trip to Pear Bio Lab last week! Their clinical scientist team presented on cancer and how innovation technology can help doctors in treating cancer patients. Students visited the lab itself and learned all about Pear Bio’s biotechnology and the power of science and innovation in shaping the future of healthcare.

October 25 – Friday

• Trimester 1 Progress Reports Released
• EDP Ends at 3:30 PM
  
• Trunk or Treat from 4:00 - 6:00 PM

October 31 – Thursday

• Halloween Dress Down Day

November 1 – Friday

• Dress up as a Saint

• All Saints Day Mass at 12:10 PM (All Families Welcome!)

November 3 – Sunday

• Daylight Savings Time Ends, Turn Clocks back 1 hour

November 5 – Tuesday

• No Brookline Lunch Program - Bring Lunch from Home

November 11 – Monday

• NO SCHOOL - Veterans Day

November 22 – Friday

• Trimester 1 Grades Close

November 26 – Tuesday

• Thanksgiving Liturgy of the Word (All Families Welcome!)

• No EDP/Clubs

November 27 - 29

• NO SCHOOL - Thanksgiving Break

December 2 – Monday

• Last week of Fall Clubs

• First Week of Advent - Parking Lot Prayers at 8 AM

December 3 – Tuesday

• Touring Tuesday

• St. Mary’s Tree Lighting at 4 PM

December 4 – Wednesday

• Trimester 1 Report Cards Released

December 5 – Thursday

• Parent Teacher Conferences from 2:30-5:30 PM

December 6 – Friday

• NO SCHOOL - Parent Teacher Conferences

December 9 – Monday

• Second Week of Advent - Parking Lot Prayers at 8 AM

• Mass of the Immaculate Conception at 12:10 PM (All Families Welcome)

December 10 – Tuesday

• No EDP

December 13 – Friday

• St. Mary’s Christmas Concert and Pageant at 9 AM in the Church (All Families Welcome)

December 16 – Monday

• Third Week of Advent - Parking Lot Prayers at 8 AM

December 18 – Wednesday

• EDP ends at 4:30 PM

December 19 - January 5

• NO SCHOOL - Christmas Break

St. Mary of the Assumption Parish invites all teens from grades 6-8 to a Middle School Social this upcoming Sunday, October 27th, from 12:00-1:30 PM, in the school cafeteria! There will be games, pumpkin painting, cider, decorating fall cookies, pizza and more! Come and bring friends!

In 6th grade ELA with Miss Allen, students have finished reading The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis. After reading the final chapters in the reading corner, the class discussed what it must have been like for the four Pevensie siblings to transition from being kings and queens in Narnia back to children in the real world. Students then explored the symbolism of Aslan and the biblical figure of Jesus Christ, drawing parallels between their passions, deaths, and resurrections. Additionally, they worked on identifying similes, metaphors, and personification in the novel, and wrote paragraphs analyzing how C.S. Lewis' use of figurative language enhances the story. To reinforce comprehension, students have been preparing for vocabulary and reading quizzes after every few chapters. They have completed their second lesson of Wordly Wise and are currently studying types of sentences in grammar.

In 6th grade Math with Mr. Pritchett, students finished up chapter two, marking the midpoint of their first trimester. Students learned how to properly use and incorporate exponents into the order of operations while simplifying expressions. They also learned how to seamlessly switch between and compare rational numbers in the form of both improper fractions and decimals. They rounded out this chapter learning how to express numbers in scientific notation and convert it back into standard form.

In 6th grade Social Studies with Miss Falcone, the students researched careers people choose in the History field, such as Archaeologists, Genealogists, and Paleontologists. They discovered the amount of education required to pursue that career, the amount of work that goes into that field and where the person spends most of their time doing their work. The students created slideshow presentations to show the entire class. The students wrapped up their studies of what a Historian does with a test on Chapter 1. They are now beginning to learn about The Geographer’s World in Chapter 2.

In 6th grade Science with Miss Falcone, the students worked on a Windproof Design STEM challenge. Using limited resources, the students were tasked with designing and building a structure (such as a house, tent, or tower) that can withstand strong winds. The students learned about stability, aerodynamics, and materials while working creatively and problem-solving through the design stages. This challenge fostered teamwork, critical thinking, and introduced students to basic engineering concepts in a fun, interactive way.

In 6th grade Religion with Miss Allen, students have been learning about the importance of silence in prayer and how it helps us hear God's Word. We’ve discovered that God’s Word is alive, transformative, and speaks directly to our hearts. The Bible is unlike any other book, and learning how to read it is essential. We also practiced Lectio Divina, or "divine reading," to pray with Scripture using its four steps: reading a Scripture passage, meditating on it, praying with it, and contemplating it. Students were divided into four groups, with each group becoming "experts" on one of the four steps and then teaching the class about their step. This week, we dedicated a block period to studying for our upcoming Unit 1 Test: "What is Sacred Scripture?" which will take place on Tuesday, October 29th.

In honor of their classroom saint, Pope St. John Paul II, the 6th grade class celebrated his feast day with a Polish-themed celebration. Students brought in a variety of Polish treats, with Sam providing delicious food from the Polish deli in Dorchester, and many others contributing as well. The celebration was extra special as it coincided with Miss Falcone's birthday, so the 8th grade class joined for a joint celebration—a fitting tribute to Pope St. John Paul II’s love for community! Students also watched a short video on the life of Pope St. John Paul II and a special interview between Sam and former St. Mary’s student, John Maciejuk, whose family is Polish. It was a delightful day filled with learning and delicious treats!

In 7th grade ELA with Miss Allen, students have finished Ellen Raskin's novel, The Westing Game. The ending left the class in shock, with some students in tears, others laughing, and jaws dropping all around! Students used their Detective Case Books—featuring clue trackers, evidence logs, character biography booklets, discussion questions, and vocabulary graphic organizers—to unravel the mystery of The Westing Game. Students engaged in their first official Socratic Seminar on the novel's themes, with students also debating theories and analyzing characters. Students have been taking quizzes on reading, analysis, and vocabulary to reinforce their understanding. In vocabulary, students have completed their second lesson of Wordly Wise. In grammar, students are examining the details of sentence structure, focusing on how to identify and use simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences, as well as reviewing the parts of speech.

In 7th grade Math with Mr. Pritchett, students finished up chapter two, marking the midpoint of their first trimester. Students learned how to compare rational numbers and switch between fractions and decimals. They utilized factor trees to find the quickest way to simplify fractions. They wrapped up this chapter by learning how to properly use formulas and interpret numbers in scientific notation.

In 7th grade Social Studies with Miss Falcone, after learning about South Asia in their textbooks, the students were assigned a certain country in South Asia to learn more about the country, including the food, clothing, festivals, cerebrations, music and customs. The students created beautiful Canva slide show presentations on the countries in South Asia that included music and videos. 7th graders wrapped up their studies on South Asia with a Chapter 1 test, and are now beginning to learn about The Countries of Central Asia in Chapter 2.

In 7th grade Science with Mr. Ahmad, we finished our unit on interactions within ecosystems. The unit consisted of learning about how matter and energy move through an ecosystem beginning with the sun and ending in decomposition. Students completed the unit test on Thursday. We look forward to starting our next unit on DNA, Genetics, and Reproduction.

In 7th and 8th grade Religion with Miss Allen, students have been exploring the virtues of faith, hope, and love and how they guide our relationship with God. We've also discussed the many forms of prayer and how the Gifts of the Holy Spirit help us grow in these virtues. By consistently choosing the good, we develop virtues as habits that shape our actions towards God and others. We'll begin preparing for our Unit 1 test on "Personal Growth" next week.

In 8th grade ELA with Miss Allen, students have finished S.E. Hinton's impactful novel, The Outsiders. We've had rich discussions about significant themes such as loyalty, friendship, class conflict, and the quest for identity. Students have completed their final reading and vocabulary tests for the novel, and worked through a series of text-dependent analyses (TDAs) focusing on character traits, mood, plot, point of view, and themes in the novel. Next week, we’ll begin our argumentative court case essay. In vocabulary, students have completed their second lesson of Wordly Wise. In grammar, they have been learning about different types of nouns and how to distinguish between plurals, possessives, and contractions.

In 8th grade Math with Mr. Pritchett, students finished up chapter two, marking the midpoint of their first trimester. We dove in-depth into how to solve algebraic equations with increasing complexity. Students learned how to properly cross-multiply, find the reciprocal of a number, and convert units. They began to apply their ability to solve equations to the geometric field by comparing similar shapes and finding side lengths. They finished up the chapter with a look into percentages and how to find relative increase and decrease.

In 8th grade US History with Miss Falcone, the students finished up their glimpse of the entire United States Constitution by learning about the Bill of Rights and the 27 Amendments. The students are now taking a step back and learning about the Path to Citizenship. Among the topics in Chapter 1, are the steps to becoming a citizen, the rights of citizens and the duties and responsibilities of being a United States Citizen.

In 8th grade Science with Mr. Pritchett, students wrapped up their unit on physics by looking at drag and friction. We were able to push and pull objects to see what made some more resistant to movement than others. We even created paper airplanes with different designs to demonstrate how the air also causes objects to slow down. Students then applied all of their knowledge in physics to create their own sports, keeping in mind Newton’s Laws, kinetic and potential energy, and much more. We have just begun our next unit on astronomy, looking at phenomena like Manhattenhenge to help demonstrate how the earth’s orientation to the stars changes over the course of a year.

In 7th and 8th grade Religion with Miss Allen, students have been exploring the virtues of faith, hope, and love and how they guide our relationship with God. We've also discussed the many forms of prayer and how the Gifts of the Holy Spirit help us grow in these virtues. By consistently choosing the good, we develop virtues as habits that shape our actions towards God and others. We'll begin preparing for our Unit 1 test on "Personal Growth" next week.

The 8th grade students have been excited every week to welcome one or two high school visits and learn about the academics and programs that these schools offer. So far, we have been visited by Xaverian Brothers, BC High, Ursuline, Fontbonne, Boston University Academy, The Newman School, Noble & Greenough, St. Sebastian, Roxbury Latin, and Catholic Memorial. Many thanks to Mrs. Bayazid for arranging the visits!

In French with Mr. Awad, students have been working on masculine and feminine articles, possessive adjectives, and different ways to say goodbye in French. We've also been practicing the song "Je Dis Jésus" ("I Speak Jesus"). Additionally, the students wrote heartfelt, encouraging letters, both in English and French, to be sent to those affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

In Latin with Mr. Pritchett, students are learning the fundamentals of Latin declension and have begun to translate full sentences on their weekly quizzes. For the past few weeks, students have been assigned two pages to read over the course of the week as they continue along with the story of our textbook. We are continuing to learn the foundational prayers of the Catholic faith in the Church’s official language, including most recently the Ave Maria.

6th grade: In what ways can you specifically make more time for prayerful reflection? Why do you think silence is so valuable?

7th & 8th grade: What form of prayer moves you to God the most? Why do you think you are drawn to it in particular?