Middle School Religion and Social Studies Syllabus.docx

"God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life. For this reason, at every time and in every place, God draws close to man. He calls man to seek him, to know him, to love him with all his strength. He calls together all men, scattered and divided by sin, into the unity of his family, the Church. To accomplish this, when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son as Redeemer and Savior. In his Son and through him, he invites men to become, in the Holy Spirit, his adopted children and thus heirs of his blessed life." Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1. 

As the Catechism  explains in its opening paragraph, God has made us to share in his own divine life. In his work, On the Incarnation, St. Athanasius writes on the mystery of God becoming man in the person of Jesus Christ. He wrote, "God became man so man might become God.  In class, students will be invited to dive into this mystery, through studying God's plan of salvation, which is fulfilled in Christ's work of redemption. Through study of the Scriptures and the life of the Church, students will ponder what it means that "God created us without us: but he did not will to save us without us," (St. Augustine). Students will be led to wonder at the mystery of being invited to share in God's life, and discuss how the Creed, the Sacraments, the moral life, and fostering a prayer life are all essential to receiving the blessed life that God desires to give to us. 

The Scriptures and the Catechism of the Catholic Church will be used frequently throughout the year. Students will be provided a  Catechism to be used in the classroom (but I strongly encourage families to have their own copy at home, if possible). Students are required to have their own Bible (for the sake of reading together in class, the NABRE translation is required in class). 

Additionally, this year sixth and seventh graders will be getting confirmed! News on that to come throughout the school year via newsletters/emails from me. 

In social studies, sixth grade will be studying world history. Seventh grade will study Kansas history in the first semester and geography in the second semester. Eighth grade will study American history.