Junior High

Meet the Faculty:

Philosophy and Core Curriculum

BIBLE

7th and 8th Grade Bible is about helping students understand who God is. My goal is for my students to know how much God loves them. Students are encouraged to make their faith personal and to understand why they believe what they believe.

In Junior High we use the Encounter Curriculum. “The primary purpose of the Adventist Encounter Curriculum is for all students at every grade level to have a personal, deep, abiding relationship with God and to respond to His invitation to live out of the overflow of this relationship — to understand the truths of the Bible, to respond to Christ’s invitation to live in a lifelong vibrant relationship with Him, and be passionate about the salvation of others.”

LANGUAGE ARTS

My goal is to inspire my students to become lifelong readers and writers. To do this I believe in using a balanced approach to literacy that incorporates challenging work that encourages students to think critically and collaborate effectively with their peers. It is my hope to help students use their voices to make a positive difference in our world.

The junior high language arts curriculum encompasses reading, writing, grammar, vocabulary development, and speaking and listening skills. Students are encouraged to read from a wide variety of genres and to think critically about the things they read. Students will engage in authentic writing in the areas of argumentative, informative/explanatory, and narrative writing. They will work independently, as well as collaboratively, to learn how to communicate their ideas in an effective and creative way.

Social Studies

As a teacher, I believe that the ability to imagine and create is given directly by God. While many schools continue to eliminate funding for the creative arts and music, TVA is committed to fostering not only the simple acquisition of facts, but the synthesis of learned information into new creations. We push our students to take scholastic knowledge and put it into action out in the physical world. It is one thing to learn about other parts of the world, another to simply imagine being there, but creation allows us to share what we imagine with others.

7TH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES

From the fall of Rome, to the rise of the enlightenment, and the French revolution, 7th grade social studies explores the people, countries, and events that shape the medieval world, from the Byzantine empire to Charlemagne, and through the crusades.  It examines the customs, institutions, and values the dominated Europe and shaped Western thought.

8TH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES

Starting with modern events, 8th grade social studies traces the events of the United States backwards from the present situation.  It focuses on showing how current events grow from the roots of past policy decisions. It traces a path from the current tensions between globalism and nationalism back through the events of 9/11, the Cold War, the nuclear arms race, World War II, World War I, and the beginnings of interventionist policy under McKinley and Roosevelt.  It also traces racial tensions of today back through the Civil War. The class examines what the United States is, both in Constitution and in aspiration.

Math

Learning math is like learning to swim. In order to learn to swim, one must have a specific skill set and be able to integrate those skills in a way that allows one to move through water efficiently and without sinking. I view math the same way. At each level there are specific concepts and skills that students must master in order to be successful in the next set of skills. If you don't have those skills yet, you need to spend more time learning and practicing them. A solid foundation of math tools and the ability to apply them opens many doors for students' futures. My goal is for each one of my students to have the tools and resources they need to achieve their dreams. 

7th Grade Math is a culmination of all math studied up to this point.  Prerequisite skills include fluency in adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing whole numbers, fractions, and decimals.  Major topics include integers, rational numbers, ratios, rates, proportions, percents, similar figures, surface area, and volume.

8th Grade Math covers topics typically seen in a Pre-Algebra course.  Prerequisite skills include fluency in adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers and rational numbers.  The primary focus of the year is writing, graphing, and solving linear equations, inequalities, and functions. Other topics include similar triangles, Pythagorean Theorem, data analysis, and exponents.

Algebra I’s goal is mastery of the foundational concepts and skills required for success in all subsequent math courses. Students will write, solve and graph linear equations, inequalities, functions and systems of linear equations; factor, solve and graph quadratic equations and functions; simplify, write and graph exponential expressions and functions; and explore data analysis through probability and statistics topics.

Science

It is by faith that we understand that the universe was created by God's word, so that what can be seen was made out of what cannot be seen. Hebrews 11:3

Science impacts every aspect of our lives, from the circuitry of our computers to this morning's weather forecast. Science provides a way for us to explore our world and to discover the answers to our questions. Each new discovery reveals something about the character of our Creator and strengthens our faith. Students at Tualatin Valley Academy explore the world around them through exciting laboratory investigations, field experiences, projects, current textbooks, guest speakers, audio visual programs, Internet resources, relevant classroom presentations and teacher demonstrations. 

Our spacious science laboratory seats up to thirty students. Each lab station is equipped with needed equipment including microscopes and appropriate safety equipment. 

Seventh and Eighth grade general science program covers a variety of life, earth and physical science topics in depth. Subjects are rotated over the course of two years: 

• YEAR ONE 7TH AND 8TH GRADE CURRICULUM: Earth’s Waters, Animals, Sound and Light, From Bacteria to Plants

• YEAR TWO 7TH AND 8TH GRADE CURRICULUM: Weather and Climate, Inside Earth, Motion, Forces, and Energy, Environmental Science