Welcome to another fun-filled year, your children’s final season at St. Clare School. We are all excited to be a part of the eighth grade class and to ensure a successful year for all.
Eighth grade is an exciting time. As the kids prepare to leave the small confines of St. Clare School and take on new and bigger challenges, they also feel confusion and sadness. We all know the difficulties being a teenager these days — let’s remember to do our part and be the adults. We need to be consistent, fair and available.
In addition to the regular curriculum, it is the goal of all St. Clare teachers to assist in the moral, spiritual and social development of all St. Clare students. Whether it be called character education, “Family Life,” or Silver Boxes, our first and foremost priority is the ethical behavior of our students. Opportunities for growth can be found in all subjects, in extra-curricular activities, in class meetings and in everyday interactions.
“Do not use harmful words, but only helpful words, the kind that build up and provide what is needed so that what you say will do good to those who hear you.”
Please consult the Parent-Student Handbook and the Middle School handbook for all procedural items. Both of these documents are on available in the Parents section of this web site.
Mrs. Analiza Filion
afilion@stclareschool.org
I am happy to conference with any parents and students, provided you allow me the opportunity to prepare for our meeting. We won’t be able to accomplish much if you catch me between classes or right before school. Please contact me by phone or email, or simply send a note in with your child.
Please check www.stclareshool.org for school information. I will update my own page, found on the website, to provide information regarding eighth grade topics and events. The homework is also now posted on the website.
| Teacher | Subject |
|---|---|
| Analiza Filion | Homeroom |
| Analiza Filion | Language Arts and Social Studies |
| Greg Sereno | Math and Religion |
| Cici Martinez | Science |
| William Dempsey | Algebra |
| Ranae Marengo | Art |
| Valerye Moore | Physical Education and Health |
Mrs. Filion teaches Language Arts and Social Studies and we have created a curriculum that fully integrates the two subjects. The focus of the Eighth Grade Social Studies is U.S. History. Our school year is broken into U.S. History units, with specific activities that also cover the Language Arts standards. Tentatively, our year will include the following units: U.S. Geography, U.S. Immigration, the Constitution and Bill of Rights, Technology, the Civil War and Reconstruction, and Civil Rights in the 20th Century. Each unit will include reading and writing activities geared to each topic. We will also work daily on spelling and vocabulary development, as well as weekly on Current Events.
Every Eighth Grade students will:
Dates for Eighth Grade events will be announced and published here as they become known. Please watch this web site and make sure we always have your current e-mail address so that you receive updates in a timely fashion.
Also, please visit the News + Events + Calendar page of this website each week (at leastt to get the latest news about school events and activites.
Eighth Grade High School Information Night - TBA
This event is ONLY for St. Clare parents. High school information nights are hosted by the high
schools at local grade schools. We will provide details as they become known.
Eighth Grade Retreat - April/May 2009 (date TBA)
Eighth Grade Graduation - TBA
Each of our local high schools (with the possible exception of Bellarmine) will visit our classroom in the fall. They speak to the students about their particular schools and policies. Additionally, all of our local high schools provide eighth graders with the opportunity to “shadow” a current high school student during the a regular school day. Please speak with your children about which schools they might like to visit. All of the local high schools have asked students to individually sign-up for shadow dates through their websites. Please notify us in advance, and on the day of, shadow dates.
We will be reading The Circuit, Speak and To Kill A Mockingbird this year. These novels have already been purchased at a discounted rate.
There are some fees unique to the eight grade year. We ask that parents reimburse us for the novels mentioned above. The fee for these novels is $15.00. There are also fees for graduation expenses (gown rentals, diplomas, decorations, etc.) and the retreat in May. The graduation fees come to $14.00 per student, while the retreat, which includes overnight lodging and three meals, is $75.00 per student. Therefore, we are asking each family to provide $100.00 for the eighth grade fees. If this presents a problem, please contact Mrs. Rader. We also are happy to receive any additioanl donations that could be used to cover additional costs or to benefit our scholarship program.