The seventh grade completed their Outsiders unit by applying the greasers to college! They empathized with high school seniors as they filled out the tedious college common application, composed personal statements, created resumes, and wrote teacher recommendations. Each student shared his/her personal statement to persuade the admissions director to accept the character.
On Wednesday, the middle school traveled to St. Matthias early to visit the third grade Living Museum. We enjoyed the elaborate costumes, detailed posters, and informative speeches. Way to go, third grade!
In seventh grade, the students investigated how and why the United States entered World War I. They read foreign newspaper articles about the sinking of the R.M.S. Lusitania to determine whether its sinking was justified. Next, they examined propaganda from England, Australia, and the U.S. to see how citizens at home and at war supported their countries.
As a part of their study on the water cycle, sixth grade investigated how water travels through different materials in the ground. They first analyzed the design of an experiment to see what made it a top-notch investigation, and then they watched the water flow!
Seventh grade continued exploring the human body this week. On Wednesday, they made models of the human body using clay to represent different organs and bones. Later they conducted experiments on digestion to determine how mechanical digestion (or chewing) affects chemical breakdown in our stomachs. They had fun using antacid tablets and vinegar to model digestion, and then they applied their learning to the real world by testing the effect of chewing on digesting mints in their mouths!
The student council warmed many early arrivers on Friday morning. They are in the midst of their hot chocolate fundraiser and hope to sell on Friday mornings for the next couple of weeks! Bring a dollar to support your student council!
This week, the eighth grade students wrapped up their study of global economics. For the summative assessment, each student researched the productive resources and economic power of a country. They applied knowledge learned from classroom discussions and simulations to determine appropriate trading partners for their country.
Congratulations to our eighth grade class who was confirmed on Thursday evening. We are proud of each and every one of you. You all looked wonderful for the special occasion. Your St. Matthias family will continue to pray for you during your faith journey.
Our superstars, Ms. Sagert and students, kicked off Jump Rope for Heart this week! Jump Rope for Heart is a K-8th grade fundraiser for the American Heart Association. 6th-8th grade participated in Hoops for Heart. The kids have been raising money for about 2 months and the week of Feb. 22-26th the students had their event. The gymnasium was decorated in a 60s/70s theme this year where the kids took part in different basketball activities and jumping rope. Last year the students at St. Matthias raised over $8,500 and this years goal is $8,600! On Tuesday, WGN visited St. Matthias for their “Around the town” segment. They featured the hard work of our students and interviewed the wonderful Ms. Sagert. We are so proud! Copy/Paste the link to watch the video: http://wgntv.com/2016/02/23/jump-rope-for-heart-at-st-matthias-school/
February 29-March 3—Book Fair Week
March 7th—Feed my starving children field trip. Please have permission slips signed and returned by March 1st.
March 9th—Report cards go home
March 11th—Sixth and seventh grade dance off at Depaul College Prep!
Merritt Prinzivalli and Jamie Denten