Grades Pre-k through 8th

Welcome Parents and Students,

Remember to check teacherease to keep up on grades, assignments, and tests. Here is a brief breakdown of what the students study throughout the year and current topics in the classroom:

5th Grade- Regional Geography of the World

The 5th grade just got done learning about the physical geography of Russia and the Eurasian republics. We are now studying North Africa and Southwest Asia. The Nile River, the Dead Sea, and the Sahara Desert are points of interest on this quest.

5/13- None, took chapter 17 test

5/14- Complete questions that go along with the African folk tale in the handout

5/15- Complete 20-1 Review handout

5/16- Practice South Africa Map Game

5/17- Complete Paragraph on interesting landmark in Sub Saharan Africa

Click here to practice the map game of Sub Saharan Africa

6th Grade- Ancient Civilizations

The 6th grade finished up chapter 12 which covered how Rome got its start and what it was like at her very beginning. We looked into the legend of the start Rome and also who the Etruscans were. Now we are on the Roman Republic, the Punic Wars with Carthage, and the start of the Caesars. Pizza, Pizza!

5/13- None, worked on Roman armor

5/14- 15-1 Quiz handout

5/15- None, discussed the Pax Romana

5/16- None, Reviewed Roman Architecture. Ask about the Pantheon or the Forum

5/17- Complete Paragraph on Pompeii

Click here to discover in depth about a lot of the ancient civilizations that the 6th graders are learning about this year

7th and 8th Grade- American History from Prehistory until Reconstruction

The 7th and 8th graders just finished up the section about the Federalist Era and the challenges George Washington faced ruling over an infant country. Now we are learning about the Jeffersonian Era, small government, expansion to the west, and the War of 1812.

5/13- None, Checked test and watched video on western expansion

5/14- Study notes for 12-2 quiz tomorrow

5/15- Took 12-2 quiz, tried to survive on the Oregon Trail

5/16- Complete 12-4 Activity handout

5/17- Complete Paragraph on comparing and contrasting traveling out west from now until the 1800s

Click here to play the "Do I Have A Right?: Bill of Rights" Game

Click here to play the powers of the three branches of government game

**A big thank you to the St. Mary Booster Club. They were able to find grant money for all of the teachers. As a result, I purchased a projector for my classroom. Before I was showing maps, pictures and short video clips on my small laptop. Now, I am able to show interactive maps, presentations, video clips, quizzes and other cool activities on a big screen. It will really help out the audio/visual learners and make our lessons that much better. Below is a picture of Mrs. Martindale giving a presentation of her mission work in Nicaragua. The PowerPoint really gave the students an in depth look into what the presentation was all about.

A little bit about me:

I am the 5th-8th Social Studies teacher here at St. Mary's Catholic School. I grew up in Flushing and attended St. Robert. I went on to Powers Catholic High School and graduated back in 2003. After high school I moved across the state to Grand Rapids where I studied Social Studies and History while earning my Secondary Education Certificate at Aquinas College. While I was at Aquinas I played soccer and eventually coached many teams in the area. After almost 8 years of living on the west side of the state I decided to move back to the Flint area. I am very excited to be back where I grew up and to be a part of St. Mary. Teaching and learning about History and Geography is a passion of mine and I hope to make it fun and interesting for the students. In addition to teaching here I also coach boys varsity soccer at Powers.

Check back in soon for updates and information about the fun and exciting events in the classroom.

God Bless,

Mr. Rowe