Miss Kristen Walker

Kristen Walker was born in Boston and has lived in Oregon, Washington, and Delaware. She graduated from Lindbergh High School in Renton. Miss Walker received her B.A. in History from Eastern Washington University and M.A. in Education from Pacific Lutheran University. She also just finished a principal certification program at Western Washington University. Miss Walker started at Star in 2003. Her hobbies include crocheting, knitting, and cross-stitch and she really, really likes to read. She has been working on Retreats at St. Stephen the Martyr in Renton since 2000.

8th Grade Textbook Websites

8th Grade Important Information

Download Miss Walker’s Classroom Guidelines

Below, you can find the links to Catholic High school application information for schools that Our Lady Star of the Sea students have attended in the past. Other schools can be located on-line or through the Seattle Archdiocesan website.

Make sure to check with the schools about placement tests as soon as possible. Please, please, be sure to get your applications to Miss Walker/School Office as soon as you can. Most are due the second or third week in January. Inclement weather last year made for a mad-dash at the last minute.

Subjects

Religion

In 8th Grade students use “Our Life In the Church” from the Ignatius Press Faith and Life Series. Main topics covered are: The Church, The Christian in the World, and Means to Fulfill our Call to Holiness.

In grades 6 through 8 students learn about Catholic Social Teaching and how the principles of Social Justice can be applied to what they learn in other classes and in their daily life. The Pastor of Our Lady Star of the Sea spends time with each grade once a month answering students questions.

Language Arts

Focus: The biggest focus in 8th Grade Language Arts is using a variety of medium’s to portray information. News papers, television shows, reports, and comics are just a few examples of the types of work students produce. This is to stress to the students that writing goes beyond the paper. The main project in the 8th grade is the History Opinion Report. The students spend a whole trimester researching an American History event, and then write an opinion about the historical influence of that event. The level of work that these students produce continue to impress staff and adults yearly!

Vocabulary – The Vocabulary Workshop program helps students build their English vocabulary in preparation for higher quality speaking and writing, elementary school achievement testing, and SAT, ACT, and GRE testing. Each text presents 300+ key words in 15 units.

Reading – This anthology, Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes (Silver Level), is divided into ten units with universal themes so students can relate to their reading through familiar, relevant topics. The genres presented in this anthology include short story, poetry, essay, autobiography, folk tale, article, and report. The anthology includes a broad collection of award-winning literature that engages students and inspires them to write and to think. Many writing activities are inspired by the readings in this anthology. During the course of the year, students will engage in at least one novel study.

Reading Logs- All 6th-8th grade students will maintain a reading log for literature class throughout the year. Students are to complete an average of 15 hours per month. With the time allowed in class students should read 15-20 minutes per day. Guidelines are provided. The reading log is 20% of the literature grade

Accelerated Reader (AR) Quizzes are 20% of the literature grade. The AR quiz requirement is 4 quizzes for an A and 3 for a B for each grading period. Every week, students have at least one entire literature period to read AR books in class and take AR tests. Each week, students have the opportunity to go to the school library to check out new books or take tests in the library.

Research and Speech – In 8th grade, students have a chance to cultivate their public speaking skills and ability to conduct research. These classes meet once every week and involve many ongoing projects. Instruction on public speaking and research is derived from the Step Up to Writing 2nd edition teaching manual and the English textbook- Writing and Grammar: Communication in Action. Eighth graders will write at least two research papers and four speeches during the course of the school year.

Physical Science

The 8th Grade uses the text: Science Explorer: Physical Science. In this class the students will study matter, its different phases and what it is composed of (atoms, etc.). We will also explore some basic chemistry (periodic tables, elements, reactions, etc.), motion and forces, energy, work and machines. The students will be assigned a project that will have them not only constructing a machine, but also writing on what they have learned.

Mathematics

All 8th graders at Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic School take beginning-algebra or algebra. The students are given a competency test at the end of seventh grade; this test, along with results of standardized tests, math grades from prior years, and teacher recommendations is used to place students in the appropriate math class. In beginning-algebra students being the year by solidifying their learning of basic arithmetic including fractions and decimals. The curriculum then takes a spiral approach of algebra to give the students the tools necessary to begin their math journey in highschool. In algebra the students start by reviewing the basic building blocks of algebra such as the order of operations, properties of real numbers and arithmetic operations with real numbers. Much of algebra involves equations and the students learn how to solve multi-step equations and inequalities, systems of equations and inequalities, quadratic equations, radical equations, and rational equations. The students also learn how to add, subtract, multiply, divide and factor all kinds of polynomials.

History

The 8th graders study American History. Predominantly, the focus is on the foundations of the United States. Areas of emphasis include (but are not limited to): the Revolution; creation of the Constitution; Manifest Destiny; the Civil War; westward expansion; and the emergence of modern America. Main projects are: The Explorer’s Journal and Pack Your Trunk. American History Book: Creating America: Beginnings Through World War I from McDougal Littell.

Latin I

During the course of the year we will cover Chapters 1-10 of our text “Ecce Romani.” Each chapter contains new vocabulary and grammar. Learning new vocabulary not only gives the student an opportunity to learn words in another language, but expands students’ understanding of how Latin words have influenced English. Grammar covered includes nouns used as subjects, direct objects and indirect objects; verbs in the present tense, the verb “to be,” the use of infinitives; and adjectives. Latin is an excellent first foreign language and a great foundation for learning the Romance languages. In addition, each chapter has a section on Roman history, literature, or culture that will expand the students’ appreciation for Roman life and how our own civilization has been influenced by the Romans.

Culture Fair Project

The 8th grade project is a family history project the requirements can be found here. 8th graders are not required to share any information. The guidelines are meant to be flexible enough that each student shares appropriate information during their in class presentation and their presentation to other students during our Culture Fair day .

English – Students are taught language skills through a balanced approach to grammar and writing. Students learn through a process that combines language skills with immediate application to writing. Writing skills and process are also cultivated though Step Up to Writing—a program that focuses on various writing styles and the necessary steps to writing effectively. In general, students will write an essay every two weeks.
The 8th Grade Culture Fair Project is an individual Family History Study which includes an emphasis on Religion.

Eighth Grade