St. Joseph Middle School: A Unique
School within a School
St. Joseph
Catholic School is proud of its Middle School learning
environment which services the needs of our sixth, seventh
and eighth grade learners. Many of the most renowned
educational researchers have documented the challenges of
adolescent learners—academically and socially, and St.
Joseph School has designed its Middle School to best serve
this very special age group.
Each of the five
Middle School academic courses is taught by an instructor
who is licensed in his or her field. All Middle School
students who attend for grades six through eight will have
the same teachers for three consecutive years. Research
indicates and our experience tells us that this security and
familiarity is extremely beneficial to students in this age
group.
Our school
features a day which is very similar to a high school
setting: students change classes every fifty minutes, have
opportunities for elective coursework such as Spanish,
algebra, computer technology, art, band, and chorus. Our
Middle School students are also given the opportunities of
Quiz Bowl, Student Council officer positions, and the
publishing of the school newspaper.
Collaborative
projects are often implemented within the Middle School. For
instance, Science Fair requires not only science work but
language arts and computer technology requirements as well.
Seventh graders write research papers which cover
mathematics and language arts. Religion class
frequently finds students reading novels with discussions
focused on religious topics within each novel.
St. Joseph Middle
School students also have the unique opportunity to venture
outside of the classroom for their annual class trips. Sixth
graders travel to YMCA Storer Camps for four days of team
building and personal growth; seventh graders get to
experience the museums and big-city life of Chicago; eighth
graders get an up-close view of our nation when they travel
to Washington, D.C. Feedback from former students has
demonstrated that these trips are academically, socially,
and personally worthwhile in helping them during their
adolescent schooling experience.
St. Joseph Middle School
is certainly a unique place to learn. We pride ourselves in
our family-type atmosphere that features challenging
coursework, interesting electives, and dedicated
instructors. We are certain that each learner’s needs are
met through a variety of learning experiences; students take
this valuable knowledge with them as they move on to high
school and beyond. |