8th Grade

updated 03/16/2026

8th Grade GATE - Winter 2026 Highlights

We had such a wonderful close to the psychology unit with our eighth graders in December! Students dove into early psychological theories and had some really thoughtful discussions about how our understanding of mental health and wellness has grown and changed over time. It was a joy to watch them think deeply about how people learn, behave, and make decisions, and to see so many personal connections spark along the way.

As we headed into the new year, the energy in our classroom shifted into something really special. Students began preparing to serve as the experts at the upcoming 2nd and 3rd Grade GATE Convocation and they have truly risen to the occasion! Working in teams, they've been busy crafting lesson plans, building slideshows, and designing hands-on activities for our younger learners. The theme of the day is STEAM, and the workshop topics your children have created are nothing short of impressive: mindfulness, the science of sound, pixel art, American Sign Language, creative writing, and puppet making tied to their very own original stories. Watching our eighth graders step into these leadership and mentorship roles has been one of the highlights of the year.

We've also just launched what will be our final GATE unit together, Music and Movies. Through the TeachRock curriculum, students will explore the incredible power of storytelling through film and music. They'll analyze how stories come to life on screen and will have the exciting opportunity to create their own short films. We can't wait to see what they make!

Finally, we're thrilled to share that students are invited to attend a GATE trip to Monmouth University on April 21st. During the visit, university staff will lead students in a Rock History lesson, followed by a campus tour and lunch in the university cafeteria. The trip is organized by the Shore Consortium of Gifted Programs, and our students will have the wonderful opportunity to connect with students from other gifted programs across Monmouth County for this truly special day.

Permission slips and all the details will be heading home soon, so stay tuned!