Grade 8

• In religion, the focus is on virtues, servant leadership, the history of our church, and the sacrament of Confirmation. Sacramental preparation takes place during the school day and students attend two retreats – one in the fall and one in the spring to prepare for the sacrament. The 8th graders also lead our faith families in Mass and activities throughout the year.

• Language arts consists of reading, writing, speaking, listening, spelling, vocabulary, grammar, and library. Once students understand the structures of various forms of writing, they are encouraged to develop a more individual style of writing. The goal is to prepare the students to be highly successful in high school and throughout life in written and spoken communication.

• In math, we follow the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Grade Course of Study which is aligned with the Ohio State Standards. Algebraic and geometry concepts, integers, graphing functions, solving linear systems of equations, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are emphasized through hands-on activities and projects. Expanding recognition/use of math vocabulary and patterns and computational speed are strengthened throughout the year. In addition, St. Helen offers multiple math classes for 7th and 8th grade students. Our goal is to place the students in the class they will be most successful. At some point, they may have the opportunity to test into a high school math class that is offered through Carroll Highschool. If the high school class is completed successfully, students could graduate from St. Helen with a high school math credit.

• In social studies, students cover U.S. history from 1492 through 1877, exploration through Reconstruction. Students will learn about the founding of the U.S. including the key documents such as the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution.

• In science, there is an integration of four standards:  Science Inquiry and Application, Earth and Space Science, Life Science and Physical Science.  Some of the skills that we work on improving are:  discovering patterns, trends, structures and relationships that may be described by simple principles related to properties within and between systems.  In Earth Science we focus on erosion and deposition of the Earth's surface, the interior of the Earth, plate tectonics, geologic change and the Geologic Time Scale.  In Life Science we study reproduction, heredity, evolution, natural selection and evidence of change over time.  And in Physical Science we concentrate on forces and motion.  Students participate in a school Science Fair, are judged by local engineers/scientists, and have the opportunity to compete at district and state levels.

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The curriculum is enriched with art, computers, library, music, physical education and Spanish.