WELCOME!

My name is Helmut Mayer and I will be your son or daughter’s homeroom teacher for the 2011-2012 school year.  I graduated from DePaul University with a B.A. in English and Education and a minor in German.  This will be my 25th year as a member of the faculty of St. Bartholomew School.  Prior to my time spent at St. Barts, I taught at St. Patrick High School.  I will be teaching 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade English as well as 7^th grade Religion, Reading, Spelling, and Art.

Students in my English class this year will be quite busy improving their writing skills, practicing and refining grammar taught in previous years, labeling parts of speech, and honing comprehension skills as well as speech skills.

Reading class will focus on a variety of different texts.  The first third of the school year (Semester 1) will focus on the basic reading skills needed for improving comprehension.  Then, in the 2^nd Semester, we will focus on reading and analyzing two novels, That Was Then, This Is Now by S. E. Hinton and And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie.  The 3^rd Semester will focus on learning about Greek Mythology.

Religion class will center on the New Testament and the life and teachings of Jesus.  The students will be presenting our annual Passion Play (also referred to as The Living Stations) on Holy Thursday and Good Friday.

Spelling will be formulaic from unit to unit.  Students will finish one unit every two weeks.  Evaluation will take place through a quiz the first week and a test the second week for each unit.

Art class will present seasonal and curriculum-related projects throughout the year.  In addition to my art classes, we will also have special art presentations each month centering on various famous artists and their styles.  After learning about these artists, the students will then embark on a creation of their own using the style of the artist.

This brief summary gives you a general idea of what to expect throughout the year.  I want to make the transition from elementary school to high school as smooth as possible.  I will be happy to answer any questions and my door is always open to you if you need to meet with me.

First and foremost, my concern is for the education and happiness of the students.  I will attempt to make the classroom environment an educational, yet comfortable, place for your son or daughter to be when they are away from home. 

I look forward to working with your children and with you.