Valley Catholic Middle School Brochure

Valley Catholic Middle School

An education that will last a lifetime.

OUR MISSION Valley Catholic School, sharing in the mission of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon, fosters a faith-filled community of lifelong learners and compassionate leaders committed to living out Catholic values and following Jesus’ example through prayer, service, and love.

VALLEY CATHOLIC MIDDLE SCHOOL

WHO WE ARE Located on the beautiful 43-acre campus of the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon in Beaverton, Valley Catholic Middle School is part of Oregon’s only pre-K through 12th grade Catholic educational system: Valley Catholic School.

Founded in 1903 by the Sisters of St. Mary of Oregon (SSMO), the school has a strong academic tradition of promoting critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and active social responsibility. The Sisters place great value on music education, emphasizing music in the curriculum and offering private lessons on campus at Valley Catholic Music School.

Valley Catholic Middle School is a collegepreparatory school with high academic standards. Students in the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades participate in a specialized program designed to provide them with an age-appropriate transition through the middle school years and to prepare them for the academic challenges they will face in high school and college.

Valley Catholic provides an outstanding Catholic education that speaks to the whole person, enabling students to excel in scholarship, leadership, character development and service.

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Valley catholic middle school Profile CURRICULUM Students at Valley Catholic Middle School are provided the opportunities to excel with an advanced curriculum that provides a wellrounded educational experience.

COURSES INCLUDE: Art Exposure Language Arts Math Music: Band, Choir, Glee, Orchestra Physical Education/Health (daily) Religion Science Social Studies Study Skills Technology World Language: French or Spanish VALLEY CATHOLIC MIDDLE SCHOOL

GRADE LEVEL Valley Catholic Middle School includes grades 6-8.

ACCREDITATION Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC) REGISTRATION Oregon Private School ENROLLMENT 2013-14 Total enrollment is 240.

STUDENT to TEACHER RATIO Student to teacher ratio 1:8 (based on all teaching staff)

FACULTY/STAFF 39 total faculty/staff includes shared staff with Valley Catholic High School and Valley Catholic Elementary School 82% of the faculty have a master’s degree or higher.

AVERAGE SERVICE HOURS Students complete an average of 12.5 service hours annually.

HIGH SCHOOL ADMISSIONS 96% of the students attend Catholic high school.

NATIONAL TESTING 49% of students test at 95% or higher on nationally recognized testing programs such as Scholastic Testing Service (STS) and Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY ).

ADVANCED CLASSES 72% of Valley Catholic Middle School graduates enroll in Honors, AP or IB classes in high school.

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VCMS Program Highlights In grades 6-8, students may: u Participate

in the Valley Catholic Middle School Speech Tournament, an annual event attended by students from schools across the region.

u Participate

in Science Fair, NW Science Fair and Expo and AMC-8 National Math Exam.

u Choose

from band, choir, glee or orchestra as their daily music class and perform in two concerts each year.

u Attend

high school-level math and World Language (French or Spanish) classes taught by high school teachers.

u Choose

from more than 32 clubs and activities.

u Participate

in CYO sports, including football, swimming, lacrosse, basketball, volleyball, track and field and cheerleading.

Valley Catholic also offers a cross country running club.

u Apply

to be Student Ambassadors, who escort prospective students on visit days, or act as junior counselors at sixth-grade Outdoor School.

u Apply

to be a Peer Helper to help Valley Catholic Elementary and Early Learning students to resolve common peer-to-peer problems at school.

u Participate

in National Junior Honor Society (NJHS). Members meet weekly to advance leadership qualities and work on service activities decided on by the group.

u Apply

to be a Counselor-in-Training and volunteer as a counselor (with staff guidance) for the last day of Outdoor School.

u Students

have access to two computer labs where they are taught skills on Windows and Google platforms. Students also have access to one of 30 iPads that travel to the classrooms. All eighth-grade students participate in a one-to-one iPad program.

VALLEY CATHOLIC MIDDLE SCHOOL

In grade 6, students: u Attend

one week of Outdoor School in the fall.

u Spend

time each week reading to children and guiding them in play at Valley Catholic Early Learning School.

u Learn

infant and child first aid, CPR and a modified version of the Red Cross babysitting course.

In grade 7, students: u Meet

with Sisters (SSMO) weekly to establish relationships and learn interviewing skills.

u Participate

in Waves of Love, an annual service project designed to serve the greater community. Students travel to the Oregon Coast to clean the beach with SOLVE, a non-profit service and conservation group.

In grade 8, students: u Visit

each week with residents of Maryville (the skilled rehabilitative and intermediate care facility on campus) to form relationships and write residents’ personal biographies.

u Learn

Hands-Only CPR and teach others in the greater community in conjunction with Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue.

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4420 SW St. Mary’s Drive, Beaverton, OR 97078 | (503) 718-6500 | valleycatholic.org