Middle School Grades 6-8

Middle School at St. Paul’s is an academic transition time in order to prepare our students for success in high school. Under the direction of the Catholic School Department of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, St. Paul’s follows the educational guidelines for all grade levels.  The goal is to graduate students who are effective communicators, have a life-long love of learning, and are able to utilize current technology.

Using our School-wide Learning Expectations and California Curriculum Standards to focus instruction to meet the diverse needs of all students, St. Paul’s is departmentalized from first through eighth grade.

Departmentalization allows each teacher to focus on the particular curriculum standards pertaining to the content area.  In the core curriculum, teachers identify the strengths and challenges of all students and provide for their growth and development by meeting the student at his or her individual level.

The middle school curriculum features:

• Catholic values are integrated throughout the entire curriculum establishing a strong Catholic identity.  Service projects are completed at various grade levels and allow teachers the opportunity to integrate the subject of the project into the curriculum.

• A variety of instructional strategies within the classroom, the teachers facilitate small group instruction and differentiation with the help of teacher assistants.

• There are teaching assistants in both the sixth and seventh grade classrooms and two in the middle school math department.

• Reduced student-to-teacher ratio in math classes and one accelerated group per grade moves one year above state standards.

• CMAST Program for teaching math and science was introduced for grades 3-8 in 2008, in cooperation with Loyola Marymount University.

• Language arts and social studies curricula include formal and informal writing, reports, essays, and oral presentations to gain greater comprehension of the material.

• Students visit our Sr. Stella Maria Enright Library and Media Center each week.  Our librarian exposes students to different print and electronic media through a variety of activities.

• Art Literacy is a hands-on class is held weekly.  Students are encouraged to enjoy the artistic process while learning about artists and their media.  The student art is displayed for the community to view at Christmas in the Church and in the spring.

• The music program is a developmental program seeking to expand the student’s knowledge and appreciation of music through singing, listening, movement, and hand-on activities.

• The middle school physical education program is fun while focusing on fitness, sportsmanship, and personal growth.

• Middle school students have customized learning plans with the use of new learning technologies, use of laptop carts, iPads and ePortfolios.

• 7^th and 8^th Graders are participating in a 1-to-1 iPad pilot project which began in November, 2011 and is continuing through the 2012-13 school year.

• Our classrooms are equipped with technology to educate our children so that they become 21st century learners.  The students have access to classroom computers, an interactive whiteboard, digital cameras, and many other resources.  St. Paul the Apostle’s goal is to graduate students who are effective communicators and are able to utilize all current technology.

• 98% of St. Paul’s students are accepted at and attend Catholic high schools while a very small number opt for private or public high school placement.