Eighth Grade

Students in Eighth Grade will experience many opportunities for personal, social, and academic growth during the school year. All of these opportunities will help them to develop self-directed positive attitudes and to acquire skills for lifetime learning. A major focus during this year is to prepare and receive the sacrament of Confirmation.  The academic emphasis at this level is on preparation for high school.

ENGLISH
Text: English, Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

The Eighth Grade program is designed to improve student’s oral and written language through daily lessons in the processes and techniques of reading, writing, listening, speaking, thinking, and language study.

READING
Text: Prentice Hall Literature Silver, Publisher: Prentice Hall

Students read selections from timeless classics to contemporary literature that will cultivate a lifelong love of literature.  Each selection starts with a preview, literary analysis, reading strategy, and vocabulary development. During reading the selection monitoring comprehension and understanding is done.  At the end of the selection an assessment is taken.  There are also written and oral language strategies along with extension activities to focus on listening and speaking strategies.

SPELLING
Text: Spelling and Vocabulary, Publisher: Houghton Mifflin

Students are guided to an understanding of the major principles and patterns of English spelling. Recognizing these principles and patterns will help the student to learn reliable spelling strategies that can apply to both familiar and unfamiliar words.

SCIENCE
Text: Explorer Physical Science, Publisher: Prentice Hall

The Eighth Grade curriculum will explore matter and energy through the study of Chemistry and Physics as we look into the periodic table, atomic bonding, as well as motion.

MATH
Text: Algebra, Publisher: Prentice Hall

The Eighth Grade Algebra program emphasizes the relevance of algebra in the student’s world.  The program incorporates the use of a graphing calculator during concept development to empower students of all learning styles to succeed.  The year will begin with a review of the concepts necessary to the algebra program: graphs, order of operations, + – × ÷ integers, real numbers, and rational numbers.  The year continues with a study of functions and their graphs, modeling, and solving equations and inequalities graphing and writing linear equations, solving systems of equations and inequalities, exploring, graphing and solving quadratic equations.

SOCIAL STUDIES
Text: The American Journey, Publisher: Glencoe

The Eighth Grade program continues the study of U.S. History from the Civil War to the present.  The National council for the Social Studies identifies 10 themes as organizing strands for social studies curriculum.  The content of The American Journey addresses these themes.

RELIGION
Text: We Believe, Publisher: Sadlier

Eighth Grade students will gather to learn about beliefs of the Catholic religion and how to respond to those beliefs as a Christian through the six tasks of Catechesis: learn, celebrate, choose, pray, share, and live.  The Eighth Grade program focuses on the Catholic morality, church history, social teachings, and church traditions. The curriculum also includes human sexuality and development, taught from a Catholic perspective.

Please go to our Sacraments page for more information.

ART
Teacher resources are utilized

Eighth Grade students will produce a variety of seasonal art projects.
Appreciation for art is fostered.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Please see Other Areas of Study for more information regarding the gym curriculum.

MUSIC
Please see Other Areas of Study for more information regarding the music curriculum.

The Eighth Grade program includes the study of the Musical Theater and study of several Broadway Musicals.  Hopefully, the culmination will be a class trip to enjoy a professional performance together.

COMPUTER
Please see Other Areas of Study for more information regarding the computer curriculum.

INSTRUCTIONAL METHODOLOGIES
The Eighth Grade classroom teacher will use a variety of instructional methodologies including whole group discussions, small group cooperative learning, individual work, and one-on-one support.

Teacher Biography
Mrs. Mary Podgorski holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts Degree from DePaul University. She has an Illinois State Teaching Certificate for grades 6-12 social studies.

She began her teaching career as a Chicago Public School substitute teacher at Canty Elementary on the northwest side of Chicago. Her uncle was the principal and shared his years of experience with her.

Mrs. Podgorski began teaching in the Archdiocese in 1982 at St. Andrew’s. Aspiring to be like her uncle, she became principal at St. John Bosco. With the closing of St. John Bosco, she returned to teaching at Saint Zachary School in 1997.

She traveled the U.S. with her parents and studied and traveled in Poland. These experiences developed her love of geography and history.

Mrs. Podgorski currently teaches at the junior high level.

Mrs. Podgorski’s eighth grade page coming soon!