Religion for Grade 8

I earned my Bachelor's degree in Political Science at Binghamton University. While I majored in Political Science, I minored in Spanish, and can speak the language proficiently. After graduating Binghamton University, I worked on Wall St. for both the Bank of New York and for J.P. Morgan Chase. I worked in the banking divisions there for ten years, developing important life skills and flourishing professionally. At the same time, I began mentoring high school students through my local parish, and soon realized that teaching could be my true calling in life. 
      Therefore, I returned to school at night to obtain my Masters of Science degree in Social Studies Education from Queens College. I am currently certified to teach middle and high school Social Studies, and I have my Diocesan Religious Certificate to teach Religion in the Diocese of Rockville Centre. 

The 8th grade Religion curriculum centers around the History of the Catholic Church. We begin the year as a class with a review of the Catholic Mass (including prayers and responses at Mass, order of the Catholic Mass, and Catholic tradition.)
The Grade 8 Word of Life curriculum is organized around four "golden threads" that explain why the faith is relevant in modern culture: Salvation History, Christian Anthropology, Heroic Virtue and Character Formation, and Learning through Discipleship. 8th Grade Religion focuses on the lives and virtues of Catholic Saints. 
It also includes teacher and catechist formation materials, and is available in different versions for Catholic schools and parish-based religious education.
The Word of Life curriculum is designed to help students:
1) Make a connection with biblical truth through reading the Acts of the Apostles.
2) Choose to truly allow God into their hearts
3) Take action on what they have learned from Holy Scripture to spread the Gospel to others in their own lives through their words and actions! 

Students will be constantly asked to search for God in their daily lives and recognize signs of His divine love, forgiveness, and mercy. Students will go to Catholic Mass once a week and will be expected to learn the various prayer responses at Mass, such as the Penitential Rite, the Invitation to Prayer, the Gloria, the Sanctus, and the Invitation to Communion. 

Students will also be challenged to deepen their faith in Christ through community service activities as well. Each 8th grade student is responsible for a minimum of five hours of community service. Community service opportunities will be presented to our students, however, I will also encourage them to seek out other community service opportunities through the local libraries, beach clean ups, working with SMT Parish Outreach, etc. Each 8th grade student will receive community service sheets on which they have to accurately describe their acts of service and how they were able to help others. All community service sheets must contain student, parent/guardian, and supervisor signatures to verify that an act of community service has been completed. All necessary signatures must be obtained and forms handed no later than 11/25/25 for the hours of community service to count for the First Trimester. 8th grade is also a very exciting time for 8th grade Catholics in that this is the year that they will be receiving the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Confirmation. Details and dates will be posted to this page, most likely around February regarding the steps students will take to prepare for this final Sacrament of Initiation into the Catholic Church.