Middle School Academics

Valley Catholic Middle School Academics

View the Valley Catholic Middle School Viewbook

Valley Catholic Middle School provides an outstanding Catholic education, enabling students to excel in scholarship, leadership, character development and service. Valley Catholic Middle School prepares young men and women to be lifelong learners and leaders.

Valley Catholic students attend school on one of the loveliest campuses in Oregon. A friendly, caring atmosphere enables students to receive personal attention from faculty and staff. Accelerated classes give Valley Catholic students the added edge to achieve at consistently high levels.

With a college-preparatory education beginning in sixth grade that speaks to the whole person, Valley Catholic promotes a strong academic tradition of critical thinking, intellectual curiosity and active social responsibility. 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.

The program’s curriculum follows the requirements outlined in the content standards for the Archdiocese of Portland and the State of Oregon. Curriculum and policies were developed after thorough study of the Valley Catholic High School program and consultation with area public and parochial middle and high schools. 

Stem-Certified

STEM Certified

As a certified STEM school, Valley Catholic Middle School uses four academic pillars: Research, Writing, Presentation and Product to embed its STEM focus throughout the school curriculum.

This focus provides a high-quality STEM program that enables students to apply Design Thinking principles within every core subject while bringing these skills together for quarterly cross-curricular projects.

In addition, Valley Catholic Middle School has several project-based learning projects that follow the standards of the IB Middle Years Programme, SUMMA and STEM programs.

Our students score well above average on nationally standardized exams and we are one of the top schools in the area praised for creating students who are ready for high school.

Academic Resources (login required)

Learn more about the VCMS curriculum below or download the VCMS Admissions Brochure for more information.

The VCMS curriculum:

  • English – Honors and grade-level courses starting in sixth grade with focus on building vocabulary, grammar skills, literary analysis, and effective verbal and written communication.
  • Math – Advanced, honors, and grade-level courses provide students the opportunity to work at a math level that supports and challenges them. Entry level of math is Pre-Algebra and through Honors Geometry.
  • Science – Story-lined science courses provide an introduction to earth science, chemistry, physics and biology. The courses delve deeper into content and build on science skills as students progress from 6th to 8th grade.
  • Social Studies – Follow the thread of human civilization through an exploration of history, geography, archaeology, civics and culture. Extended projects in all grade levels provide opportunities to pursue research interests and present findings through creative methods.
  • STEM – Project-based learning course that teaches engineering design process and culminates in quarterly cross-curricular projects.
  • Health/PE – Daily courses that include lifelong fitness skills, healthy life styles and team building while exploring fitness activities in various countries. Additionally, all VCMS students learn life saving CPR skills as well as basic first aid.
  • Religion – Classes support students through their personal faith development with a focus on the core principles of the Catholic Church. Focuses include understanding the Bible, social emotional learning, Catholic social teaching, and the importance of service.
  • Spanish – Students explore the Spanish-speaking world while building real-world linguistic and critical thinking skills that will prepare them to be global citizens.
  • Study Skills – Sixth grade students learn to apply and stay on top of basic study, organizational, and presentation skills. They also receive instruction on how to make professional quality visual assignments using hands-on and digital resources.

VCMS Cross-Curricular Projects:

Cross-Curricular Projects enable VCMS students to develop and apply four core skills (writing, research, presentation and product) across multiple subjects.

VCMS Chart -FinalDownload

VCMS Cross-Curricular Projects:

We understand the importance for students to develop and apply a variety of skills
across multiple subjects. VCMS Cross-Curricular projects give students
the opportunity to practice these skills and demonstrate their growth as a student.

The projects enable students to practice and develop four core skills:

  • Writing
  • Research
  • Presentation
  • Product

Each of these projects help students grow in all six areas of the VCMS Profile of a Graduate:

  • Open to Growth
  • Intellectually Curious
  • Faith Formation
  • Compassionate Leaders
  • Involved Global Citizens
  • Wellness of Body and Mind

View and Download Cross-Curricular Projects

6th Cross-Curricular ProjectsDownload
8th Cross-Curricular ProjectsDownload
7th-Cross-Curricular ProjectsDownload
All Grades Cross-Curricular ProjectsDownload