My name is Stacey Larson and I have taught in Catholic schools for 14 years now. I hold a Professional Teaching Certificate from the state and am a proud graduate of St. Martin’s University with a BA in Elementary Education with an additional endorsement in English/L.A. and a minor in Religious Studies. I also earned a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction: English Language Arts from Liberty University.
Middle school can be some very challenging years, but with a fabulous middle school team of teachers in partnership with parents, the transition between elementary and high school can be filled with many successes. I love that I get to be a part of the caring and faith-filled community at Cabrini and that I get to share my passion for middle-grade literature and writing with my students. My classroom is a cooperative environment where students, parents, and teachers work together to find academic success. The students are challenged to develop academically, socially, and spiritually.
Spiritual
8th graders are at a stage of questioning the religion that they accepted without question in the past. Through the next few years, they will reevaluate and integrate a new set of values with which to direct their lives. Helping them through this period of needed growth can make them receptive to a meaningful relationship with the person of Jesus.
Social/Emotional
Students at this age are often unsure about themselves and others. They are greatly influenced by their peers and find safety in conformity. They enjoy socializing and usually have friends of both sexes. They also are very sensitive and vulnerable to criticism. They enjoy being allowed to make their own decisions, but they face momentous choices and pressures.
Physical
There can be a wide variety of physical maturity within a group of 8th graders and socially, emotionally, and intellectually as well. Sensitivity to these differences is vitally important.
Specialists
- Art
- Library
- Music
- Health
- Physical Education
Leadership Opportunities
- Student Council (Executive Council and Class Reps)
- Student-led Mass
- Safety Patrol
- Liturgical Choir
- Christmas Baskets
- School-wide mission project: Water for South Sudan
Learning Experiences
- Beginning and end-of-year retreats
- Various field trips
On-campus After-school Activities
- Art
- Cross-country
- Basketball
- Volleyball
- Coding
- Spanish
- Robotics
Part of our focus is to develop a missionary spirit within our students. Therefore, middle schoolers participate in service projects that relate to Catholic Social Teaching. There are numerous school-wide service projects throughout the year including Christmas Giving Baskets and collection for Guadalupe Maternity Center and Nativity House. The school, led by our Middle School Student Council, joins together in a service project that varies dependent on the needs of our global and local community every school year. Additionally, the 8th grade class leads the school in our school-wide mission project for Water for South Sudan.
Religion:
• Primary Resources:
• Alive in Christ
• Catholic Youth Bible
• Catechism of the Catholic Church
• Family Life
• Units of Study (all aligned with 2016 Religion standards):
• History of the Catholic Church
• Morality
• Catholic Social Teaching
Literature:
• Primary Resources: Prentice-Hall Literature: Short stories (The Lottery, Flowers for Algernon, etc.), poems (“Paul Revere’s Ride” etc.), nonfiction (“Brown vs. Board of Education” etc.) and speeches; Novel-study: The Giver, All but my Life, various independent reading novels
• Units of Study: Fiction, Nonfiction, short story (dystopia, American History, short story analysis, Holocaust)
Language Arts (Writing and Grammar):
• Units of Study (Writing): Literary Analysis, Narrative, Research, Argument, Expository
• Units of Study (Grammar): Units of Study (Grammar): Punctuation, Sentences, Parts of Speech, Figures of Speech
Math:
• Primary Resources:
• Algebra: Text – Holt McDougal, Algebra 1 (Common Core)
• Geometry: Text – Holt McDougal, Geometry (Common Core)
• Secondary Resources:
• IXL Online – Math teachers correlate the use of IXL to their specific curriculum.
History:
• Texts: HMH: United States History
• Areas of Study: American Government and US History Revolutionary War through Reconstruction
Science:
• Primary Resource: Text – Prentice Hall: Science Explorer
Assessment:
A progress report and report card are issued three times during the year at the middle and end of each quarter respectively to inform parents of their child’s progress. In addition, weekly grades are available on SchoolSpeak Parents Portal.
Technology:
Our eighth graders are 1:1 with technology and each student has their own Google Chromebook. Throughout each school week, they use it to conduct research, practice note-taking skills, and create presentations that allow them to combine their writing and oral presentation skills with a creative technology component. We reinforce digital citizenship through student collaboration on projects, and they use Google Classroom to allow for effective communication on mini-projects and class assignments.
Enrichment: Students attend weekly enrichment classes for Physical Education, library, music, and art.
