MIDDLE SCHOOL RELIGION
St. Agatha Catholic School middle school is designed to prepare students for what lays ahead … high school! Each grade has a homeroom where they go in the morning, get settled and start their day with prayer. From there they move from class to class, subject to subject. With five basic subjects and four specialty subjects and an elective, there are seven periods each day.
Middle School Religion
Key Areas of Study
The Old Testament
• Creation, Sin, Promise - The Bible, The World, and faith in the Lord
• Freedom and Covenant - Trust in Providence and the Covenant at Sinai
• Land and Kingdom - The Promised Land and special places of God’s presence
• Exile and Return - Speaking God’s Word, Prophets of Hope and Stories of Wisdom
• The Covenant and the World - Jesus, the Church and the Sacraments
The New Testament
• Authorship of the bible
• Divine Inspiration
• Inspiration and history
• The culture of Jesus and His times
• The Gospels- Four different points of view
• John the Baptist- Bridge between the Old and New Testament
• The Miracles, Parables and Teachings of Jesus
• The Origin of the Church
Service Learning
• Each grade level participates in service learning several times a year
• In addition to in-class participation, students complete independent service house outside of school
Church History
• The spread of Christianity despite opposition
• The many changes in the Church during the 4th century
• Growth in the Church during the early Middle Ages
• Explore why the Crusades failed to achieve their objectives
• How the Church of the Renaissance survived crises and challenges
• Examine the Church’s response to the age of the kings and the Scientific Revolution
• Impact of the French Revolution on the Church
• Response to liberalism and nationalism in the 19th century
• Examine the growth of the Church around the world
• Appreciate the Church’s story in art
Morality
• Morality - Moral life, friendship with God, and grace
• Happiness - Beatitudes, and Ten Commandments
• Discipleship - Baptism and community of the Church
• Sin and Forgiveness - Original and personal sin, effects of sin, and Jesus and forgiveness
• Freedom - Conscience and first Commandment
• Sacred - Prayer, second and third Commandments
• Love - Family, Obedience, fourth Commandment and authority
• Life - Fifth Commandment, healthy self-love, sixth and ninth Commandments, sexuality, chastity, and modesty
• Justice - Seventh and tenth Commandments
• Truth - Eighth Commandment
• Virtues - Cardinal virtues and theological virtues
• Moral Life - Challenges, Works of Mercy, and Laws of the Church
• Decisions - Influences and steps in decision making
• Future - Vocations, priesthood / religious life, active and contemplative Religions
• Stewardship - Citizenship, service to the community, and Service Learning
• Theology of the Body - A Catholic Understanding of Human Identity, Vocation and Sexuality.
Prayer
Prayer in all forms is emphasized in the Middle School - from traditional to spontaneous, from music to meditation, from the spoken word and formal liturgical prayer to the psalms and prayers of the heart. Students learn how to pray alone, in a small group within the classroom or school and in the church.
A priest and a dad co-teach a St. Agatha religion class
The duo helps ‘lessons come alive’
CATHOLIC SENTINEL
JANUARY 2019
At the front of a St. Agatha School classroom, eighth-grade theology teacher
Arnaud Prevot begins the day’s lesson on Advent and the sacraments. He’s just
a few sentences into his introduction when another voice chimes in from across
the room: “Advent comes from the Latin word ‘adventus,’ meaning ‘coming.’”
Father Luan Tran steps around a desk and smiles at the students, who sit with
open notebooks and attentive looks.
For the next 40 minutes, the quick-witted pastor of St. Agatha Parish in Southeast
Portland and Prevot, a gregarious father of three, pace back and forth in front of the
room gesticulating, asking questions, finishing each other’s sentences — engaging the students while tackling substantial theological ideas...
continue with the rest of the article a with the link to article from Sentinel
TEACHER: LAUREN NELSON
6th and 7th GRADE RELIGION
Ms. Nelson loves teaching all learners and watching them become successful students. She has a passion for swimming, watching college sports and writing letters to her friends.
At St. Agatha since: 2015
Education
Bachelors degree in Elementary Education and a Reading Certificate
Whitworth University
Masters of Education
University of Portland
Click here to email Miss Nelson
TEACHER: ARNAUD PREVOT
8th GRADE RELIGION - MS THEOLOGY OF THE BODY
Arnaud Prevot has taught for close to 15 years, teaching in Oregon, Washington and Maryland. Originally from France, he has also authored 7 books and spoken internationally on the topic of school marketing. He has a passion for teaching religion in a systematic and practical way.
At St. Agatha since: 2014
Education
Bachelor of Arts in French/Spanish
University of Dallas
Master of Business Administration
University of Dallas
Doctorate of Business Administration
Argosy University / Seattle, WA
E-mail Dr. Prevot
TEACHER: FR. LUAN TRAN
8th GRADE RELIGION
Fr. Luan loves the community and the children here at St. Agatha. He enjoys the 8th grade Religion class he co-teaches with Dr. Prevot.
At St. Agatha since: 2018
Education
Bachelor of Electrical Engineering
Portland State University
Priestly Ordination (June 1994)
Portland Archdiocese
E-mail Fr. Luan