The 8th grade class of 2024 has been up to some exciting things! They have all
participated recently in the Ring Day Ceremony. Each student received their class ring, which
was blessed by Father Marc after Mass on February 1st. Each of the students can look at their
ring and be reminded of all their hard work and memories created during their time at St. James!
Many of them have been asking classmates, teachers, and friends to turn their rings for good
fortune and luck that will carry them throughout their academic careers.
8th grade is working diligently to become independent students and servant leaders. In
Reading and Language Arts, they have been honing their grammar, vocabulary, and writing
skills. 8th grade is currently reading the novel, The Outsiders, by S.E. Hinton in which they are
discussing important themes such as honor, self-discipline, sacrifice, empathy, and individual
identity.
In Social Studies, they are currently doing presentations which involve them teaching a
lesson to the remainder of the class. The lessons they are teaching are related to the period of
American History after the Reconstruction Era up to the beginnings of the Great War, World War I.
For Music class, the 8th graders are researching influential Black Musicians who have made countless invaluable contributions to the world of music. They are required to listen to artists like Little Richard, Nina Simone, Bob Marley, Ella Fitzgerald, Mahalia Jackson, and B.B. King. Each student selected an artist to learn more about, listen to their works, and write a report about the music they've heard. The 8th grade students are constantly learning about individuality and self-expression. They are becoming model servant leaders by frequently collaborating with younger students in the school.
Every few weeks, 8th graders meet with the Pre-K class to do fun partner activities that support the Pre-K’s classwork and social-emotional wellbeing. Many 8th graders are realizing that their time at St. James is coming to an end. Although a difficult pill to swallow, they are anxious to become high school students and meet new people as well as face new challenges. Their work is never over!
Mr. Strapp, 8th Grade