8th Grade

At St. Mark’s, 8th graders are given ample opportunities for leadership, growth, and independence in and out of the classroom. While the curriculum is rigorous and challenging, including high school level courses for math, science, and Spanish, it also allows for flexibility and student interest.

Many of the projects that students complete are interest-driven, and teachers are prepared to be flexible and allow student inquiry to guide the learning process where possible. Support abounds with guidance in Advisory, Life 101, electives, and Zero Hour as students are encouraged to take ownership over all aspects of their learning.

Throughout 8th grade, students and their families also work closely with their teachers, the Head of Middle School, and the Head of School to move through the steps of the high school admissions process. We walk alongside our 8th grade families to help determine best fit for the next step in students’ academic journey!

8th Grade Curriculum

Math

8th Grade Math

Algebra 1 in 8th grade is focused on helping students continue to transfer their concrete mathematical knowledge to more abstract algebraic generalizations. As the branch of mathematics that teaches students the representation of problems or situations in the form of mathematical expressions, this course extends student thinking and prompts students to practice processes to problem-solve. Topics introduced in Algebra 1 provide the foundation required for the future success in high school mathematics, critical thinking, and problem solving. It involves numbers, variables, and mathematical operations in forming meaningful mathematical expressions. The practice of slowing down in problem solving is a skill that students can transfer from this course to the rest of their lives.

Learn more about math across the St. Mark's experience.

Language Arts

8th Grade Language Arts

In 8th grade language arts, students focus on preparing for high school English courses by reading increasingly challenging texts, analyzing and synthesizing information, and expressing complex ideas in a variety of formats, both oral and written. Students will read a wide range of literary and informational texts; continue developing grammar, writing, and vocabulary skills; publish various types of writing throughout the year; and complete a variety of individual and collaborative projects. They will be asked to compare and contrast classic stories with more contemporary novels, analyze an author’s purpose and writing style, support their arguments with textual evidence, and create products with multiple goals in mind. The objective is for students to head to high school with confidence when tackling difficult material and the ability to comfortably engage in discussion surrounding the mechanics of language and literature.

Learn more about language arts across the St. Mark's experience.

Social Studies

8th Grade Social Studies

In 8th grade American history, the focus is on the development of our nation from settlements to the creation of a government. Throughout the school year, students have extensive opportunities for critical thinking as the course is project-based. Students will develop an understanding of what it takes to create a functioning society and the problems that may arise along the way. The course also seeks to expose students to real world current events relevant to an ever-changing history. Throughout the year, they have opportunities to put the knowledge and understanding they gain into practice by sharpening their oral and written communication skills. Students learn to read critically and question sources for trustworthiness and accuracy.

Learn more about social studies across the St. Mark's experience.

Science

8th Grade Science

Integrated Physics & Chemistry (IPC) is designed to provide a foundation in the physical sciences. Although this course is taught in a primarily conceptual manner, mathematical analyses of scientific concepts are presented. Laboratory activities are an integral part of this course, used to not only reinforce concepts but also give students hands-on experience in making inferences and predictions, collecting data, and drawing conclusions. Among other labs, students work with dry ice to study phases of matter, and engage in a chemistry flame test lab to understand electron energy levels. In the chemistry portion of the course, classification of matter, atomic structure, interpretation of the periodic table, compound structures, chemical reactions, solutions, and mixtures are introduced. In physics, topics such as forces, motion, energy, and waves are discussed. Major projects include the design and optimization of a mousetrap car.

Students attend a STEM field trip to iFly where they conduct hands-on flight experiments in the wind tunnel. Students document the process using research notes, hypotheses, drawings, test data, and conclusions. Scientific writing based on their research will be incorporated into the course. Through the 8th grade science course, students are encouraged to question the world around them and remember that science is always changing and updating—an open mind to new data coming in will allow for further scientific growth. After successful completion of this course, they are eligible to receive credit for high school IPC.

Learn more about science across the St. Mark's experience.

Spanish

8th Grade Spanish

What if my child has never taken Spanish?

On occasion, students who have not had previous experience with Spanish join our middle school. In these cases, as with all courses at St. Mark's, students are met where they are. The focus is on ensuring that new students are learning and progressing at an acceptable and appropriate pace. Since 8th grade is the last half of Spanish I (which is a high school credit), new 8th graders should meet regularly with their teacher during extra help time to receive additional one-on-one support.

The Spanish 1B curriculum covers the second half of high school Spanish I and is designed to prepare students for high school Spanish II. The course entails a thorough review of the present tense and delves into using the past tense. Students are provided with a multitude of opportunities to practice their Spanish speaking and comprehension in order to form a strong understanding of grammar rules, a broad vocabulary, and an ease of pronunciation. During class, students will interact with their peers to reinforce their understanding of the Spanish language and develop their speaking and comprehension skills. A new focus in 8th grade is the presentational mode of communication in which students will be asked to produce longer speech samples to be delivered in a more formal way to the class. They will also explore a variety of cultural topics, and be encouraged to investigate issues that interest them, ask questions, and search for the answers that satisfy their curiosity. After completing Spanish 1A and Spanish 1B, the majority of our students test into Spanish II for their freshman year of high school.

Learn more about Spanish across the St. Mark's experience.

Social-Emotional Learning

Middle School Social-Emotional Learning

St. Mark’s recognizes that social and emotional learning is a critical part of the growth and success of students. Middle school can be a complicated time in a child’s development, and it is essential to be thoughtful and intentional about the ways children are guided through these years. St. Mark’s social-emotional learning program aims to give students tools to navigate social situations and seek help when necessary, manage stress, build confidence, and learn to lead by example. Depending upon their grade level, students attend a social emotional learning class weekly called Life 101, where they are guided through different activities and discussions surrounding age-appropriate topics relevant to the specific group of students. Fostering and maintaining close relationships with parents also helps faculty to ensure the guidance provided at home and at school work in lockstep. Using Character Counts as a foundation for our comprehensive student development program, all St. Mark’s students will learn about the 6 Pillars of Character: Trustworthiness, Respect, Responsibility, Fairness, Caring, and Citizenship. These Pillars are explored and reinforced through advisory in small groups, weekly social-emotional learning lessons, monthly guidance lessons, and whole school activities.

Learn more about social-emotional learning across the St. Mark's experience.

Enrichment Classes

8th Grade Religion

8th grade students take a basic course in ethics, or moral theology. By learning various methods of looking at ethical situations, students are encouraged to engage and question their actions and reactions to the world around them. Through a process of ethical inquiry, they explore the way that faith informs moral judgment. Students practice listening to others’ opinions, thinking critically about ethical situations, and justifying the reasons behind their decision. An emphasis is placed on the identification and use of core values, as well as the ways that they connect to ethical decision making.

Middle School Music

In Music, middle school students focus on reading music and learning a variety of instruments, including the recorder, glockenspiel, chimes, ukulele, and ocarina. Music class teaches students to effectively read music in both treble and bass clefs. Students have opportunities to sight-read, perform in small and whole group ensembles, and engage in competition for chair positions. Along with playing instruments, students also learn various vocal techniques, musical styles, and composer and music history. In Choir, a middle school elective, students perform on and off campus and have the opportunity to audition for local and national honor choirs.

Middle School Art

In Art, middle school students learn about artists and art movements. They acquire art techniques and art vocabulary. Students have opportunities to think creatively and produce artwork using the skills they develop in class. Each trimester, they will focus on one time period in art history—Renaissance for the 1st trimester, Impressionism for the 2nd trimester, and Modernism for the 3rd trimester. In addition to studying the great masters in art, students will be exposed to contemporary art and local Houston artists. They develop creative problem-solving skills and explore a wide variety of art mediums to prepare them for high school and beyond.

6th through 8th Grade Library

6th through 8th graders utilize the library for a variety of research projects, through classes, and for their own reading goals. Each of these grades participates in an open library rotation throughout their week, and can visit the library independently at different times throughout the school day.

Middle School PE / Athletics

Throughout the middle school PE experience, students are exposed to a variety of games and activities. PE units follow the seasons of middle school sports and offer students a foundational skill set for participating in athletics. Students also learn the importance of, and benefits around, exercising for a healthy lifestyle. They discuss muscle groups and how they are activated with different activities. In addition to PE classes, middle school students have athletic opportunities in the fall, winter, and spring to play on competitive sports teams.

Learn more about enrichment courses across the St. Mark's experience.

Electives

Middle School Electives

We recognize that we are preparing students for the world of tomorrow, not the world of today. With technology growing and changing at an exponential pace, teaching students how to be flexible, adaptable, creative, and collaborative is of utmost importance. Our electives program is an integral part of the learning experience. It is designed to give students the opportunity to explore a variety of interests while developing the critical skills they will need to thrive throughout their educational years and beyond.

Students choose from electives courses that are grouped into 4 collections: Visual Arts, Performing Arts, Communications, and STEM.

Visual arts electives allow students to express themselves creatively through the production of physical artwork. Some electives will also dive into interpreting works of art to discover meaning and understand the artist’s purpose. These electives develop skills like creativity, collaboration, innovation, self-direction, and global awareness.
Performing arts electives include everything from center stage to back stage. Some offerings give students the opportunity to strengthen their public speaking skills while others give students the skills necessary to perform in our middle school musicals. Through performing arts, students develop confidence and learn skills that translate well into their academic classes like giving presentations, perseverance, leadership, critical thinking, creativity, and global awareness.
Electives in our communications collection allow students to sharpen their ability to think on their feet, tell a captivating story, write more effectively, or track down and understand information with more ease. The competencies learned in these classes translate directly into academic classes. Depending on their choices, students get ample practice with a wide variety of skills including interpersonal communication, giving presentations, innovation, creativity, design, collaboration, leadership, and critical thinking.
Our STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) electives provide experiences that will challenge and captivate our middle schoolers and require them to dig deep to solve problems. Students can discover new ways to use technology, strengthen their understanding in math, or experiment with new inventions and creations. The competencies acquired in these classes are numerous and include practice with critical thinking, media and digital literacy, problem solving, innovation, self-direction, perseverance, and collaboration.

Learn more about t he middle school electives program.

Advisory

Middle School Advisory

Each morning, middle school students and teachers gather in small advisory groups to start the day. The purpose of advisory is multifaceted and tailored to both the grade level and pragmatic needs of the students. Advisors help students prepare for their day, practice organizational habits, monitor deadlines and assignments, set and check in on goals (both personal and academic), and communicate regularly with their parents and teachers. During advisory, students and teachers also explore helpful study skills, discuss topics relevant to adolescent lives, and plan and promote school-wide events, school spirit, and community service. Advisors also serve as the point of contact for parents and coordinate with other teachers to ensure that each student is on track and thriving. Advisories are micro-communities within our middle school, providing a consistent group and safe space for students to receive individualized support.