September 20, 2024

Welcome to the first issue of "Inside the Classroom!"

In each issue, we hope to highlight our middle school academics. Based on decades of experience, our program is designed to support the multifaceted developmental needs of middle school girls so they are well prepared for the transition to high school.

We prioritize igniting intrinsic motivation, building self-confidence across disciplines, and creating a welcoming learning environment that encourages learning from mistakes. We hope this newsletter serves as a mid-quarter update and an extra avenue of communication by bringing you inside the classroom.

English 6:

Mythology Comes to Life

In Ms. Stangel’s English class, 6th graders studied D’Aulaires’ Greek Myths. Each student created a poster depicting a chosen Greek myth. The girls then presented their posters and the project concluded with some students delivering live performances of their Greek myths!

Science 6:

Journey to the Center of the Earth

Mrs. Toler’s Science 6 class has begun a Chapter on Earth Science. As the students delve into Earth’s layers, each student built a clay model of the earth’s layers to scale.

Faculty Feature: Ms. Kate Cusack

Annual Mother-Daughter Field Trip

Ms. Cusack led 6th grade students and mothers on their annual field trip to Cantigny park! 6th grade mothers and daughters traveled to Cantigny Park last Friday for a Geography Scavenger Hunt in the gardens, followed by a picnic lunch and a visit to Sherlake Center.

Ms. Cusack plans a trip where the students can put their geography skills into practice! From a team scavenger hunt to using a compass rose to explore the gardens, the girls get hands on learning in a beautiful space.

In addition, both the daughters and the mothers have a chance to build relationships.

"The gardens are stunning, so it's a lovely way to spend the day fostering friendship!" Ms. Cusack explains.

Ms. Cusack's time studying humanities and English at the undergraduate and graduate levels as well as extensive travel experience is foundational in how she approaches her teaching.

"I have tried to pass on a love for beauty and culture to my students by weaving it into my geography and theology classes," she reflects. "I try to help each student flourish, becoming the best person she can be by growing as a student, friend, daughter, and daughter of God. Working with the parents, I hope to help the students live out their mission to 'transform society for the good.'"

Science 7:

Hooray for Chives!

Ms. Fortunato’s 7th grade science class is seen on a Spirit Friday watering and measuring their plants as part of their fast growing plant lab experiment. They are applying experimental design lessons to answer the testable question: What amount of water maximizes growth of the chives plant?

W Period:

Class Bonding

The 7th grade class had fun playing “Snowball,” a getting-to-know-you game during our first W-period. The girls wrote clues about themselves then the others tried to guess who it was. There were many fun surprises!

Science 7:

Cell Plays

Students performed their "cell plays" in the auditorium!

Science 8:

Fudging the Numbers

Mrs. Welnack’s 8th grade science classes put their math skills to use while making fudge this week. They practiced converting units and switching from scientific notation to standard notation to ensure the recipe was perfect!

Theology 8:

Structure and Soul

Theology 8 has been exploring the birth of the Church as well as its structure. They learned how it is necessary to have both a structure and form/soul to create beauty - one without the other would be incomplete! To understand this more, they created their own analogies using other real-world examples.

Introducing Your Class Representatives!

The 8th grade held their class elections after hearing speeches from their classmates and taking a vote. Congratulations to Pola Zacharewicz and Olivia Gray for taking the lead on representing the Class of 2024!