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Why choose St. Edwards for Middle School?
Our middle school builds on the goals and mission of our school by preparing our students to be young men and women of integrity, fostering academic excellence, and living a life of Catholic Service. By creating a secure, stable, and respectful environment, students are able to take healthy risks, try something new, and build relationships with their peers and teachers. We encourage students to express ideas important to them and to become confident and independent problem solvers who know how to be active, responsible, and faith-filled citizens.
At St. Edward, we believe early adolescents should be exposed to a rich and vibrant program that enables them to explore challenges in diverse areas. Our students learn how to live the Gospel in the 21st Century through a challenging curriculum that is infused with the love of Christ. Our students thrive through their participation in academic, athletic, artistic, and leadership programs. Through caring relationships with faculty members, students learn the larger life lessons found in learning, leading, and serving. This critical aspect of our curriculum is certainly not delivered in the same manner as math or English class. These enduring lessons are delivered through authentic relationships, learning from mistakes, active self-reflection, and mentoring conversations. Ultimately, our purpose is to work closely with students and their families to develop appropriate independence, resiliency, and the skills necessary to pursue a life of learning, leadership, and service.
The students in fifth through eighth grade change classes for each subject. Specialists in each particular subject area teach courses. St. Edward School provides an updated gymnasium and technology lab. Children with Individual Education Profiles (IEP) or 504 plans are serviced at St. Edward School through the services of a full-time special education teacher and Syosset Central School District.
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Mathematics
In order to prepare today's children for the tasks of tomorrow, the Mathematics Program of St. Edward School is designed to assist students in developing logical thinking skills and reasoning ability and to apply these to real life situations. In this sequentially ordered curriculum from Kindergarten through 8th Grade, numeration, probability, geometry, statistics, measurement, mathematical operations in all number systems, and computer literacy are intricately related. Concrete and abstract experiences provide assistance to the students as they develop mathematical skills, which enable them to be competent in all areas of computation and problem solving.
Evaluation of these concepts and skills is based on testing areas of computation, problem-solving, and concepts, as well as teacher observation of performance and oral opportunities of problem solving in daily life situations.
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At the end of eight years of study, our students will:
Math Goals:- Be confident in the use of written and mental computational skills.
- Develop an ability to interpret word problems and to apply skills to solve these problems logically.
- Know and use mathematical terminology correctly.
- Be able to explain mathematical steps and procedures used to derive mathematical solutions.
- Be confidently prepared for the Catholic High School Entrance Exams and New York State math standard exams.
Math Strands:- Problem-solving reasoning
- Communication and application of concepts
- Recognize and understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build
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Science
It is the mission of the St. Edward the Confessor Middle Schoof Science Program to provide students with the knowledge and skills to understand the "how's" and 'why's" of the natural world.
Our hands on approach to learning and emphasis on group projects in addition to Individual work reflects the scientific method in the real world. Scientists constantly asking questions and making sensory observations. From these come inferences which are tested and then examined by the wider scientific community to develop the theories that explain our universe.
A Day in the Life of a Student
Classes foster science literacy through a variety of notetaking techniques, emphasis on vocabulary, and class discussions. Lessons come to life through frequent demonstrations, labs, and projects concluding with group and whole class unit reviews. Students are encouraged to connecting prior knowledge to experimental results to form explanations and support each other in reaching learning goals.
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Program Features
Students learn the interconnectedness of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math both during class and after school through our school wide STREAM Initiative, and Mad Science programs (K-4).
Field Trips include an evening at Vanderbilt Planetarium (6), Technology Day at Adventureland (7), and the Jr. Solar Sprint at the Cradle of Aviation (7).
All students participate in the STEM Fair during Catholic School's Week presenting their findings from weeks of 1 research, experimentation, and invention. Top projects in 7th and 8th grade move on to the Chaminade Invitational Science Fair in the Spring.
Students use Chromebooks to take notes, research, watch science tutorials, complete virtual labs, and collect and analyze data in Google Drive apps.
Engineering Challenges instill in students the applications of science to solve human wants or needs. Some of our most popular challenges include the Gingerbread STEM Contest (5-8) Technology Day Roller Coaster (7), Jr. Solar Sprint at Adventure land (7), and Soda Lab (8). Through these challenges, students also learn the value of perseverance, teamwork, and ingenuity.
Laboratory Experiments, including edible labs, microscope work, inquiry experiments, and dissections are used to help students visualize and model scientific processes while reaching outside their comfort zone and having fun. These take place in our renovated STEM Lab.
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Social Studies
In Middle School social studies, there are many topics that once learned will become life skills. We cover such topics as history, current events, government, citizenship, and geography. Also, the reading of maps, charts, tables, analyzing images, primary/secondary sources, and timelines add to the learning experience. Interpreting political cartoons, practicing debating and research skills will also help students achieve success. Reinforcement of lessons are achieved by using videos, art, and other resources.
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Program Highlights
- Each student has a Chromebook to research, take notes, work on group projects, and strengthen their learning skills.
- Geography is an integral part of history. In Middle School social studies the importance of this discipline is stressed throughout the school year.
- Current events are important for students to learn to follow in life. That importance is supported in Middle School social studies.
- Primary and Secondary sources are important tools for historians. Students learn to analyze these documents to help develop their research skills.
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English Language Arts
Middle School Language Arts involves both reading, writing, listening, and speaking. There is an emphasis on vocabulary, grammar, and spelling, in addition to the reading of various forms of literature. Students will read and respond to literature throughout the school year. Students write by planning, revising, editing, and rewriting. They will make connections across genres, determine themes, and analyze how an author develops and contrasts points of view of different characters in a text, by citing textual evidence.
In addition, students do journal writing approximately two times per week. The journals are kept in the ELA classroom.
In the eighth grade, much time in the Fall is devoted to practice for the Catholic high school entrance exam.
The Grade 5 ELA program uses the Into Reading anthology. Grades 6-7 use Elements of Grammar text and workbook which has a very thorough and comprehensive grammar program. These grades also use Spelling Connections and Sadlier Vocabulary. In addition to reading novels, grades 6--8 have a literature anthology with short stories, poems, and informational texts.
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Highlights and Course Topics
Students complete approximately seven book reports independently, with a different genre assigned each time.
This year in fifth grade, as a class we will read Esperanza Rising, and Because of Mr. Terrupt.
Sixth graders will read Bud, Not Buddy and Maniac Magee. and others.
In seventh grade this year, students will read A Long Walk to Water, Freak the Mighty and The Cay.
Eighth graders will read The Outsiders, A Raisin in the Sun, and To Kill A Mockingbird.
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Religion
Fifth Grade
The goal of the fifth grade religion program is to challenge the students to begin thinking about their Catholic faith and through that process to develop their personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The students study the Bible and what it tells us about Jesus Christ. Fifth graders study the Sacraments to develop a deeper understanding of how they bring us closer to Jesus. We have open discussions about our faith and pray together in class. Family life is taught in the spring of the year. This unit is taught in both religion and science. In religion, the objectives of this unit align, with our unit on the Sacrament of Marriage. In science, the students are presented with general information on human reproduction.
Sixth Grade
In religion class, much of the year is spent studying the Old Testament and learning about our "ancestors in faith". Students read most of the chapters of Genesis and Exodus, as well as other parts of the Bible. Strong emphasis is placed on how the stories of the Old Testament relate to us today and our growing commitment to becoming the light of Christ in our world.
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Seventh Grade
In religion class, the emphasis is on each student's developing faith. The Gospel message is presented as a call to respond to God's presence in our lives. Areas explored are how to live a Christian life, the New Testament, Catholic Social Teaching, and the Church. Projects, research, digital presentations, as well as note taking and tests are some of the ways students express their increasing awareness of Christ in their lives. Discussion is ongoing and intensive, and students are encouraged to ask their questions in an open and honest manner so they can find the answers that will lead them further on their journey with Christ. This open discussion is extended through a grade level retreat day held every spring. Seventh grade Family Life focuses on morals and values. Specific emphasis is given go exploring the position of the Catholic Church on these issues. Confirmation preparation begins this year.
Eighth Grade
Eighth grade religion centers on the study of Church history. Important topics include the five major world religions, the early Church, the Renaissance, Martin Luther, and the Reformation, and Pope John XXIII and Vatican II. There are larger projects multi-media projects designed to connect our faith to the challenges of real life. Other units in the Spring are Catholic Social Teaching, morality, and family life education. The children also complete their preparation for the Sacrament of Confirmation. Students leave this class really understanding what it means to live out the motto, "Pray, Study, and Serve".
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Service
At St. Edward the Confessor Catholic School, knowledge and practice of the Catholic faith are incorporated into all aspects of the curriculum. A key component of this approach is providing the link between Catholic social teaching and service which integrates those teachings into the students' daily lives through age-appropriate service projects.
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