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Middle School
| Teacher | Years Teaching | Years at OLC |
|---|---|---|
| Mr. Jeff Hankey | 3 | 3 |
Education: Bachelor of Science, Biology, The Pennsylvania State University; Secondary Education Certification, Mercyhurst College
"The best thing about teaching is seeing students change from dependent and scared of change on the first day of 7th grade to more independent, self-confident, and responsible by the time they leave 8th grade."
| Teacher | Years Teaching | Years at OLC |
|---|---|---|
| Ms. Kim Cairns | 29 | 1 |
Education: Bachelor of Arts, Elementary Education, Mercyhurst College; Dual-certified in Pennsylvania in Middle Grade Math and Elementary Education.
"I choose to teach in a Catholic School because it's Christ-centered. I choose to honor my faith and my religion on a daily basis. The ties that bond those who work, learn and pray together are much more profoundly close than those who simply attend school together. "The family that prays together, stays together."
| Teacher | Years Teaching | Years at OLC |
|---|---|---|
| Mark Eisert | 41 | 40 |
Education: Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, Gannon University; Bachelor of Arts, Education, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
"The best thing about teaching is being able to influence the future. Students like my class because I try to make education relevant…and because my jokes keep them awake.”
| Teacher | Years Teaching | Years at OLC |
|---|---|---|
| Dan Arndt | 2 | 1 |
Education: Bachelor of Science, Secondary Education Comprehensive English 7-12, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania; Currently working on Master of Education, Reading Specialist, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
"The best thing about teaching is that I get to impact the lives of my students through an in-depth exploration of literature and how it relates to our lives each day. Students like my class because we work as a team to understand concepts, themes, and ideas found in the literature read in class."
What we're learning
Middle school is a time of transition at Our Lady’s Christian School.
During these two years, middle school teachers give students additional responsibilities for their own educational development. In addition, the students are encouraged to take on more of an adult role in their moral development in areas such as self discipline and respecting the rights of others.
Middle school students begin to see the connection between the past, the present, and the future as they study the people and events of history and geography. Through their work in government and economics, they learn how to become effective, responsible citizens. All social studies course work includes strong emphasis on technology, research projects and public speaking.
The science curriculum at Our Lady’s Christian School incorporates cooperative learning, technology, math-language integrated activities, and hands-on labs into the students' daily routine. This strategy reinforces concepts being taught in a stimulating and enjoyable atmosphere. The students have the opportunity to participate in the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) competition.
The Middle School Math Program at Our Lady’s Christian is a pre-algebra curriculum for the seventh grade and an algebra curriculum for the eighth grade. These curricula are enhanced by various teaching techniques. Such techniques include cooperative learning, reviewing for tests in multileveled stations, computer support programs, research projects, maintenance sheets and integration with social studies, language arts and science.
Field trips enrich the multifaceted curriculum. Also, the eighth grade reads the novel A Gebra Named Al as an integrated project of math and science (chemistry). This grade will also be involved in a ten-week project, The World-Wide Stock Market Game. Parents who work in the financial field serve as guest speakers to enhance the student's background on the stock market and assist the students in building a portfolio. The seventh graders research a famous mathematician or scientist and write a 2-3 page report. They develop a two-point interview, dress as their research subject, and present the subject’s life and their contribution to mathematics or science.
In our language arts class the students master many grammar skills through the art of diagramming and applied English. The skills are also integrated into their literature units. The students review and practice the writing process throughout the year. Students are exposed to various genre of literature through the use of thematic units. The students work cooperatively within literature circles to read and analyze many different novels such as To Kill a Mockingbird, Across Five Aprils, Every Drop of Blood, The Summer of My German Soldier and The Giver.
7B -- 7/8 Math & 7th Gr. Religion