Academic Newsletter
St Timothy Catholic School
Religion
First Grade students began writing their Guardian Angel stories by brainstorming questions to ask and creating the answers. Students also studied the sacraments which gave them a better understanding that Jesus gave us the sacraments as an outward sign of God's love. Students focued on the rites and symbols associated with each sacrament. Boys and girls created "Alleluia" pictures and Lenten crosses.
Second Grade students celebrated the sacrament of forgiveness, discussing ways to celebrate individually and with a group. Boys and girls discussed how to make good choices and what it means to be reconciled. Students began their study of Lent and created "palm leaves of sacrifice" for their bulletin board.
Third Grade boys and girls talked about how Jesus taught His followers to pray and listed different ways the church prays all the time. Students also discussed the role of a parish and the different parish ministries, understanding that a parish cares for its members and others. Students learned that God calls each of us to serve in different ways. He calls everyone to be holy.
Fourth Grade students discussed spiritual nourishment and giving thanks. Boys and girls also discussed the word family and what it means and related their families to faith communities. Students discussed the fourth commandment and created cartoon strips and skits to show understanding of respect. Building on this understanding of respect, boys and girls discussed the value of human life and created public service radio announcements aimed at protecting and respecting all life.
Fifth Grade students studied seasons of the church year in cooperative learning groups. Each group created student-friendly hand-outs and taught their classmates the important points from each season. They followed this with their study of the sacraments. They wrote original acts of contrition and discussed two ways to celebrate the sacrament.
Sixth Grade students explained how the Mass fulfills the four purposes of prayer and discussed how Jesus prayed both publicly and privately. Students considered the impact of the Catholic Church on society. This was followed by a study of the Old Testament particularly asking students to recognize that the covenant of Sinai is irrevocable between God and His people.
Seventh Grade students worked to understand how sin damages our relationship with God, and related this to the sacraments and the Apostle's Creed. Students conducted an in-depth study of the Creed and matched the 7 sacraments with their matter and form.
Eighth Grade students began a Bible study and recognized that reading the Bible is a valuable way to enrich prayer life. Students came to understand how the Bible is divided and how revelation is passed on. Following this, boys and girls looked at the early church and found characteristics of the church listed in the New Testament.
K-2 Academics
Kindergarten
Boys and girls in kindergarten worked on measurement, understanding teen numbers, and addition. In science, students made and used models and in language arts, students added details to their writing.First Grade
In science lab students worked on understanding the states of matter and compared properties of liquids and solids. Boys and girls worked on geometry and characteristics of plane shapes. Students worked on conventions and focused on sentence starters in Traits writing.
Second Grade
Boys and girls added and subtracted two-digit numbers in math. In writing, students learned the parts of a friendly letter and wrote letters focusing on sentence fluency. In science lab, students worked on the water cycle and its phases, along with a unit on health and hygiene.
3-5 Academics
Boys and girls worked on math problem solving skills involving more than one step, and continued multiplying and dividing using fact families and one-digit divisors. In writing, students worked on revising writing that lacked transition and sequence words. Boys and girls also explored the human body and its major systems including respiration, muscles and the skeleton.
Fourth Grade
Boys and girls worked on forms of energy including sound, kinetic and potential energies. In math, boys and girls studied fairness of outcomes and practiced dividing using two-digit divisors. Students also revised writing by identifying and editing poorly written sentences, and in social studies students studied the life of Pocahontas.
Fifth Grade
Fifth graders worked hard to master fractions and mixed numbers. In writing, students identified clearer and more logical sentences and wrote a formal opinion piece on the dangers of youth football. In science students studied heat energy, including measuring and transferring. Boys and girls have also studied the culture and geography of Africa.
Middle School Academics
Sixth grade students are engaged in their novel unit, The Bronze Bow. In addition to reading and discussing what they have read, students are working on quarterly projects that enable them to show a better understanding of the book through 3D models and PowerPoint presentations.
Seventh grade students are reading Crispin: The Cross of Lead (by Avi), an historical fiction account set in 14th century England. Students are using their research skills to become experts in several key areas covered in the book: Religion, Feudalism, the Black Plague, and Maps & Charts. These will be presented in both three-dimensional and PowerPoint format.
Eighth grade students are working on an author study whereby groups of students read several books by one particular author. Each group will show their understanding of the characters, plot and theme through extension projects, which range from creating a restaurant menu to building an Instagram account to filming a three-minute movie trailer.
Science
Sixth grade students investigated the unique properties and characteristics of water and its roles in the natural and human-made environment, including water as the universal solvent. Students then turned their attention to weather and compared and contrasted chemical and physical weathering.
Seventh grade students designed and implemented an independent research project and participated in the Science Fair competition. Student also investigated and explained chemical changes of matter using the theory of conservation of matter and energy. Students then began microscopic investigations of cells.
Eighth grade students participated in the science fair competition, designing original research projects. The students then investigated basic principles of electricity and magnetism including static electricity, current electricity, and circuits.
Social Studies
Sixth grade students studied Ancient China and the rise of the dynasty and considered how Emperor Shi Huandgi attempted to unify the economy and culture. Students then focused on Ancient Greece and discussed public life in Athens, how Athenians spent their time away from home, and how slavery operated in Greece.
Seventh grade students studied the American Revolution and drew inferences about the Continental Army and its ability to win independence from Great Britain. Students then discussed the strengths in the arguments presented at the Continental Congress.
Eighth grade students have considered the rise of the United States as a world power. Students weighed U.S. actions in world affairs around the turn of the 20th century and considered if these actions should be praised or condemned?
Math
Math 6 Pre-Algebra students have worked on roots and radicals, found surface area of solids, understood the Pythagorean Theorem, solved for unknowns and used the Distributive Property.
Algebra students reviewed fractions as an introduction to ratios and proportion and applied this knowledge to their work on equations with fractional coefficients. Students also discussed and used negative exponents and defined x to the zero power.
Geometry students reviewed ratio and proportion, Geometric mean, studied the Altitude to Hypotenuse Theorem and worked on sine, cosine and tangent.
Spanish
Sixth grade students discussed likes and dislikes using the verb gustar, practiced reciting the Lamb of God in Spanish, and gained an appreciation of the culture and people of Spain.
Seventh grade students described clothing and people and also described their family members by learning how ask and tell their ages and write their birthdays. Students were able to give dates and show possession, and they practiced the Prayer to St. Joseph in Spanish.
Eighth grade students talked about sports and learned to express preferences, and make comparative statements. In addition, students practiced a prayer to St. Joseph in Spanish.
Language Arts
Sixth grade began working on persuasive writing and analyzed what makes a good persuasive topic. Students focused on word choice in writing and researched and wrote persuasive arguments.
Seventh grade discussed effective persuasive arguments and wrote effective opening paragraphs. Students researched their topic and accumulated statistics, quotations, and supporting/contradictory evidence about their topic.
Eighth grade students examined sequence and transition words and how they are used in writing. Additionally, students discussed and practiced writing dialogue, focusing on the trait of voice.
St Timothy Catholic School
Email: drutledge@sainttimothyschool.org
Website: sainttimothyschool.org
Location: 13809 Poplar Tree Road, Chantilly, VA, United States
Phone: 703-378-6932