Middle School (6th - 8th Grades)
Middle school is one of the most important chapters in a young person's life. It's the season when students begin to figure out who they are, what they value, and what they're capable of. At Ave Maria, we don't just recognize that, we lean into it, walking alongside our students every step of the way.
Our middle school students are encouraged to discover and own their unique strengths as they tackle increasingly complex intellectual, emotional, social, and physical challenges. We create a culture where taking risks is celebrated, mistakes are seen as part of the process, and thinking big is always encouraged. Students leave Ave Maria not just academically prepared, but with a strong, grounded sense of who they are and where they're headed.
6th grade curriculum
Language Arts/Reading: Writing, Grammar and Usage, Poetry, Fiction and Drama, Sayings and Phrases, Novels include: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry (Mildred Taylor), Out of the Dust (Karen Hesse), and Tom Sawyer (Mark Twain)
History and Geography: World Geography (Spatial Sense; Deserts), Lasting Ideas from Ancient Civilizations, The Enlightenment, The French Revolution, Romanticism, Industrialism, Capitalism, and Socialism, Latin American Independence Movements, American Immigration, Industrialization, and Urbanization, Reform
Mathematics: Numbers and Number Sense, Ratio, Percent, and Proportion, Computation, Measurement, Geometry, Probability and Statistics, Pre-Algebra
Science: Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Ocean Chemistry and Zones, Weather/Climate, Plants and their Lives, Geologic Time, Stars, Galaxies and Universe
Religion: The Bible, Old Testament (Sacraments rooted in Scripture, covenants, important figures), Church history (roots in the Jewish faith), 10 Commandments, Vocations, Social Justice, Prayer, Liturgy
Art: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various art classes that include Landscape Painting, Paper Mache, Greek Vase, Abstract Wooden Sculpture, Ceramic Topped Weaving, Ceramic Rose Window, Pop Art Portrait, Ceramic Art Nouveau Plate, One-Point Perspective Drawing, Collage Based on Bearden, Abstract Painting, Neo-Classical portrait, O’Keeffe painting, Value-Drawing, Pastel and Tempera Painting, Wire and Nylon Sculpture, Clay Wall Pocket, Realistic Ceramic Landscape Tile, and 3-D Ceramic Building.
Music: Artists and Ensembles, Band and Strings, Guitar, Vocal and Choral
Physical Education: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various P.E. classes that include Baseball, Softball, Golf, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Bowling, Disc Golf, Flag Football, Martial Arts, Rock Climbing, Badminton Pickleball, Lacrosse, Orienteering, Weight Training, Bowling, Handball, Floor Hockey, Swimming, Dance, and Recreational Sports.
Technology: Students in middle school will have the opportunity to learn various technology classes that include Google suite programs, Graphics Design, Digital Citizenship, Word Processing, Presentations, Research, Computer Etiquette, Scratch/Programing, Web-Based Tools, Windows, Digital Photography, and Study Skills/Keyboarding.
Foreign Language: The Spanish curriculum is spread over three years and introduces students to vocabulary, grammar, writing and Spanish culture. It helps prepare students to learn Spanish or another foreign language in high school.
History and Geography: World Geography (Spatial Sense; Deserts), Lasting Ideas from Ancient Civilizations, The Enlightenment, The French Revolution, Romanticism, Industrialism, Capitalism, and Socialism, Latin American Independence Movements, American Immigration, Industrialization, and Urbanization, Reform
Mathematics: Numbers and Number Sense, Ratio, Percent, and Proportion, Computation, Measurement, Geometry, Probability and Statistics, Pre-Algebra
Science: Plate Tectonics, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Ocean Chemistry and Zones, Weather/Climate, Plants and their Lives, Geologic Time, Stars, Galaxies and Universe
Religion: The Bible, Old Testament (Sacraments rooted in Scripture, covenants, important figures), Church history (roots in the Jewish faith), 10 Commandments, Vocations, Social Justice, Prayer, Liturgy
Art: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various art classes that include Landscape Painting, Paper Mache, Greek Vase, Abstract Wooden Sculpture, Ceramic Topped Weaving, Ceramic Rose Window, Pop Art Portrait, Ceramic Art Nouveau Plate, One-Point Perspective Drawing, Collage Based on Bearden, Abstract Painting, Neo-Classical portrait, O’Keeffe painting, Value-Drawing, Pastel and Tempera Painting, Wire and Nylon Sculpture, Clay Wall Pocket, Realistic Ceramic Landscape Tile, and 3-D Ceramic Building.
Music: Artists and Ensembles, Band and Strings, Guitar, Vocal and Choral
Physical Education: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various P.E. classes that include Baseball, Softball, Golf, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Bowling, Disc Golf, Flag Football, Martial Arts, Rock Climbing, Badminton Pickleball, Lacrosse, Orienteering, Weight Training, Bowling, Handball, Floor Hockey, Swimming, Dance, and Recreational Sports.
Technology: Students in middle school will have the opportunity to learn various technology classes that include Google suite programs, Graphics Design, Digital Citizenship, Word Processing, Presentations, Research, Computer Etiquette, Scratch/Programing, Web-Based Tools, Windows, Digital Photography, and Study Skills/Keyboarding.
Foreign Language: The Spanish curriculum is spread over three years and introduces students to vocabulary, grammar, writing and Spanish culture. It helps prepare students to learn Spanish or another foreign language in high school.
7th grade curriculum
Language Arts/Reading: Writing, Grammar and Usage, Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction and Drama, Foreign Phrases Commonly Used in English, Novels include: My Brother Sam is Dead (James Lincoln Collier), The Giver (Lois Lowry), and A Wrinkle in Time (Madeline L’Engle)
U.S History: 1880-1945 – Urban Reform and Immigration, America’s new social and cultural identity, The Gilded Age, Child Labor, Spectator Sports, Jazz Age, Progressive Reform and Progressive Presidents, Women’s Suffrage, Political Machines, America’s growing role in world affairs (Age of Imperialism), New territories (Hawaii, Alaska), controversy of Imperialism, World War I Era, Russian Revolution, Roaring 20s and Great Depression Era (Capitalism, FDR/New Deal, culture), World War II (Holocaust, Age of Dictators, fronts/theaters/battles, Nuclear technology)
Mathematics: Ratios and Proportional Relationships, The Number System, Expressions and Equations, Geometry, Statistics and Probability
Science: Cells, Genetics, Dissection, Bacteria Protists Fungi, Human Body and Health
Religion: Prayer and Spirituality, New Testament, Morality; Theology of the Body, Stewardship, Liturgy
Art: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various art classes that include Landscape Painting, Paper Mache, Greek Vase, Abstract Wooden Sculpture, Ceramic Topped Weaving, Ceramic Rose Window, Pop Art Portrait, Ceramic Art Nouveau Plate, One-Point Perspective Drawing, Collage Based on Bearden, Abstract Painting, Neo-Classical portrait, O’Keeffe painting, Value-Drawing, Pastel and Tempera Painting, Wire and Nylon Sculpture, Clay Wall Pocket, Realistic Ceramic Landscape Tile, and 3-D Ceramic Building.
Music: Artists and Ensembles, Band and Strings, Guitar, Vocal and Choral
Physical Education: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various P.E. classes that include Baseball, Softball, Golf, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Bowling, Disc Golf, Flag Football, Martial Arts, Rock Climbing, Badminton Pickleball, Lacrosse, Orienteering, Weight Training, Bowling, Handball, Floor Hockey, Swimming, Dance, and Recreational Sports.
Technology: Students in middle school will have the opportunity to learn various technology classes that include Google suite programs, Graphics Design, Digital Citizenship, Word Processing, Presentations, Research, Computer Etiquette, Scratch/Programing, Web-Based Tools, Windows, Digital Photography, and Study Skills/Keyboarding.
Foreign Language: The Spanish curriculum is spread over three years and introduces students to vocabulary, grammar, writing and Spanish culture. It helps prepare students to learn Spanish or another foreign language in high school.
U.S History: 1880-1945 – Urban Reform and Immigration, America’s new social and cultural identity, The Gilded Age, Child Labor, Spectator Sports, Jazz Age, Progressive Reform and Progressive Presidents, Women’s Suffrage, Political Machines, America’s growing role in world affairs (Age of Imperialism), New territories (Hawaii, Alaska), controversy of Imperialism, World War I Era, Russian Revolution, Roaring 20s and Great Depression Era (Capitalism, FDR/New Deal, culture), World War II (Holocaust, Age of Dictators, fronts/theaters/battles, Nuclear technology)
Mathematics: Ratios and Proportional Relationships, The Number System, Expressions and Equations, Geometry, Statistics and Probability
Science: Cells, Genetics, Dissection, Bacteria Protists Fungi, Human Body and Health
Religion: Prayer and Spirituality, New Testament, Morality; Theology of the Body, Stewardship, Liturgy
Art: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various art classes that include Landscape Painting, Paper Mache, Greek Vase, Abstract Wooden Sculpture, Ceramic Topped Weaving, Ceramic Rose Window, Pop Art Portrait, Ceramic Art Nouveau Plate, One-Point Perspective Drawing, Collage Based on Bearden, Abstract Painting, Neo-Classical portrait, O’Keeffe painting, Value-Drawing, Pastel and Tempera Painting, Wire and Nylon Sculpture, Clay Wall Pocket, Realistic Ceramic Landscape Tile, and 3-D Ceramic Building.
Music: Artists and Ensembles, Band and Strings, Guitar, Vocal and Choral
Physical Education: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various P.E. classes that include Baseball, Softball, Golf, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Bowling, Disc Golf, Flag Football, Martial Arts, Rock Climbing, Badminton Pickleball, Lacrosse, Orienteering, Weight Training, Bowling, Handball, Floor Hockey, Swimming, Dance, and Recreational Sports.
Technology: Students in middle school will have the opportunity to learn various technology classes that include Google suite programs, Graphics Design, Digital Citizenship, Word Processing, Presentations, Research, Computer Etiquette, Scratch/Programing, Web-Based Tools, Windows, Digital Photography, and Study Skills/Keyboarding.
Foreign Language: The Spanish curriculum is spread over three years and introduces students to vocabulary, grammar, writing and Spanish culture. It helps prepare students to learn Spanish or another foreign language in high school.
8th grade curriculum
Language Arts/Reading: Writing, Grammar and Usage, Poetry, Fiction, Nonfiction and Drama, Foreign Phrases Commonly Used in English, Novels include: Across Five Aprils (Irene Hunt), Animal Farm (George Orwell), Lord of the Flies (William Golding), To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
U.S. History and Civics: 1945-Present, The Cold War Era, The 1950’s (Capitalism and Rock ‘n Roll), The Space Race, The Korean War, The Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam Era, Modern Geopolitical Issues (The Presidents, Natural Resources, American Foreign Policy, Civil Rights Today, Modern Culture, Political Parties)
Mathematics: The Number System, Expressions, Equations, Inequalities, Functions, Linear and Non-Linear Equations, Geometry, Statistics and Probability
Science: Chemical Building Blocks (Matter, Atoms, 25 Elements to Know, Periodic Table), Chemistry in Action (Chemical Equations, Solutions, Acids, Bases), Motion Forces and Energy (Simple Machines, Newtons Laws, Prinicples of Fluids)
Religion: Prayer and Spirituality, Creed, Morality; Theology of the Body, Sacraments; Emphasis on Confirmation, Church History, Stewardship, Liturgy
Art: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various art classes that include Landscape Painting, Paper Mache, Greek Vase, Abstract Wooden Sculpture, Ceramic Topped Weaving, Ceramic Rose Window, Pop Art Portrait, Ceramic Art Nouveau Plate, One-Point Perspective Drawing, Collage Based on Bearden, Abstract Painting, Neo-Classical portrait, O’Keeffe painting, Value-Drawing, Pastel and Tempera Painting, Wire and Nylon Sculpture, Clay Wall Pocket, Realistic Ceramic Landscape Tile, and 3-D Ceramic Building.
Music: Artists and Ensembles, Band and Strings, Guitar, Vocal and Choral
Physical Education: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various P.E. classes that include Baseball, Softball, Golf, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Bowling, Disc Golf, Flag Football, Martial Arts, Rock Climbing, Badminton Pickleball, Lacrosse, Orienteering, Weight Training, Bowling, Handball, Floor Hockey, Dance, and Recreational Sports.
Technology: Students in middle school will have the opportunity to learn various technology classes that include Google suite programs, Graphics Design, Digital Citizenship, Word Processing, Presentations, Research, Computer Etiquette, Scratch/Programing, Web-Based Tools, Windows, Digital Photography, and Study Skills/Keyboarding.
Foreign Language: The Spanish curriculum is spread over three years and introduces students to vocabulary, grammar, writing and Spanish culture. It helps prepare students to learn Spanish or another foreign language in high school.
U.S. History and Civics: 1945-Present, The Cold War Era, The 1950’s (Capitalism and Rock ‘n Roll), The Space Race, The Korean War, The Civil Rights Movement, Vietnam Era, Modern Geopolitical Issues (The Presidents, Natural Resources, American Foreign Policy, Civil Rights Today, Modern Culture, Political Parties)
Mathematics: The Number System, Expressions, Equations, Inequalities, Functions, Linear and Non-Linear Equations, Geometry, Statistics and Probability
Science: Chemical Building Blocks (Matter, Atoms, 25 Elements to Know, Periodic Table), Chemistry in Action (Chemical Equations, Solutions, Acids, Bases), Motion Forces and Energy (Simple Machines, Newtons Laws, Prinicples of Fluids)
Religion: Prayer and Spirituality, Creed, Morality; Theology of the Body, Sacraments; Emphasis on Confirmation, Church History, Stewardship, Liturgy
Art: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various art classes that include Landscape Painting, Paper Mache, Greek Vase, Abstract Wooden Sculpture, Ceramic Topped Weaving, Ceramic Rose Window, Pop Art Portrait, Ceramic Art Nouveau Plate, One-Point Perspective Drawing, Collage Based on Bearden, Abstract Painting, Neo-Classical portrait, O’Keeffe painting, Value-Drawing, Pastel and Tempera Painting, Wire and Nylon Sculpture, Clay Wall Pocket, Realistic Ceramic Landscape Tile, and 3-D Ceramic Building.
Music: Artists and Ensembles, Band and Strings, Guitar, Vocal and Choral
Physical Education: Students in middle school have the opportunity to elect from various P.E. classes that include Baseball, Softball, Golf, Soccer, Basketball, Volleyball, Bowling, Disc Golf, Flag Football, Martial Arts, Rock Climbing, Badminton Pickleball, Lacrosse, Orienteering, Weight Training, Bowling, Handball, Floor Hockey, Dance, and Recreational Sports.
Technology: Students in middle school will have the opportunity to learn various technology classes that include Google suite programs, Graphics Design, Digital Citizenship, Word Processing, Presentations, Research, Computer Etiquette, Scratch/Programing, Web-Based Tools, Windows, Digital Photography, and Study Skills/Keyboarding.
Foreign Language: The Spanish curriculum is spread over three years and introduces students to vocabulary, grammar, writing and Spanish culture. It helps prepare students to learn Spanish or another foreign language in high school.
