Grade 7

The religion, the focus is the life of Jesus.  Foundations of our Catholic Faith that we expand upon include:  knowledge of our faith, the sacraments and liturgy, moral formation, prayer, living within the community of our church and in society, and the Theology of the Body.  Students study the aspects of Jesus' ministry as priest, prophet and king as well as the miracles He performed.  A more in-depth study of the sacraments of the church and various forms of prayer including devotions and meditations are explored.  Students help lead school liturgies and Faith Family activities, lead the school in a Christmas prayer service, and our student final school mass. Students are encouraged to give back to their community through service learning.

Language arts consists of reading, writing, speaking, listening, spelling, vocabulary, grammar and library time. Students work on these skills through reading and analysis of a variety of formats including plays, short stories, novels and other fiction and expository texts. Further, students hone their writing skills through daily  practice, as well as formal writing pieces including reports, research papers, narratives, persuasive essay/speeches and poetry. Students practice listening and speaking to groups in many ways including oral reports and summaries.

In math, we follow the Archdiocese of Cincinnati Grade Course of Study which is aligned with the Ohio State Standards. Algebraic concepts, integers, proportions, geometry, critical thinking and problem-solving skills are emphasized through hands-on activities and projects.  Expanding recognition/use of math vocabulary and patterns, and computational speed, are strengthened throughout the year. In addition, St. Helen offers multiple math classes for 7th and 8th grade students. Our goal is to place the students in the class they will be most successful. At some point, they may have the opportunity to test into a high school math class that is offered through Carroll Highschool. If the high school class is completed successfully, students could graduate from St. Helen with a high school math credit.

In social studies, students study Western Civilization beginning with Ancient Greece and Rome through the first Global Age of Exploration. Geography, economics, government, history and world religions are included.

In science the curriculum is centered around Earth Science with integrated components of life science and physical science. On average students perform labs, conduct research, and/or complete hands-on activities once a week: Exploring the Earth’s water cycle; modeling the layers of the atmosphere; researching weather and climate change; exploring Earth’s biomes and ecosystems; identifying the properties of matter; and more. 

The curriculum also includes art, computers, library, music, physical education and Spanish.