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My name is Dr. Julie A. Brua, and I am very excited to return as a member of the staff at St. Joseph Catholic School (SJCS)! I have been blessed to work in education for over 35 years, teaching students from grade kindergarten through adults. This is my fourth year at SJCS.

I have earned the following degrees:

Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from University of Illinois at Urbana with 13 years of experience in teaching English Language Arts in grades 6-7-8 while at Deer Path and Northbrook Junior High Schools;

Master of Education with an emphasis in Curriculum and Instruction from University of Illinois at Urbana;

Type 75 Endorsement in Administration from DePaul University;

Doctorate in Educational Administration and Superintendent Endorsement from Northern Illinois University;

Chief School Business Official Endorsement from Northern Illinois University; and,

English as a Second Language and Bilingual Endorsement from Benedictine and St. Francis Universities.

I have spent over 22 years in leadership positions while also serving in many roles associated with my faith: cantor, RCIA sponsor, religious education teacher, 8th grade Confirmation sponsor, Catholic school principal, etc. My daughter Audrey, who went through religious education at St. Joe's, is a senior in college, graduating in December 2025. My husband RJ and I live in Libertyville, and in our spare time, we enjoy exercising, spending time with family, and spoiling our dogs, Paisley and Colsen. I feel blessed to be here as a cantor/choir member at St. Joe's masses and as a teacher at St. Joe's Catholic School.

About our English language arts program:

All of our middle school students will complete HMH Grammar lessons, and we will incorporate Gretchen Courtney's writing program and other genres of writing.

Our program offers support to students in many forms. In addition to the help and support I provide to all students in the classroom, IXL, an online practice program, offers additional support to students, including step-by-step demonstrations.

All of our students will leave St. Joseph Catholic School with a solid foundation in grammar and writing and will be ready for the challenges of high school English language arts.

Posts

Week at a Glance: May 4 - 8

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of agreement
- Review: Monday and Tuesday, May 4-5
- Assessment: Wednesday, May 6
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation writing with Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of sentence patterns
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation with editorial writing in decades project

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of sentence patterns
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through TED Talks

Week at a Glance: April 27- May 1

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of agreement
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation writing CANVA presentations and Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of sentence patterns
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation with editorial writing in decades project

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of clauses
- Review: Monday-Wednesday April 27-29
- Assessment: Thursday, April 30
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through TED Talks

Week at a Glance: April 20-24

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of agreement
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation writing CANVA presentations and Public Service Announcements (PSAs)

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of clauses
- Review: Monday, April 20
- Assessment: Tuesday, April 21
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation with editorial writing in decades project

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of clauses
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through TED Talks

Week at a Glance: April 13-17

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of agreement
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation writing

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of clauses
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation and editorial writing

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of clauses
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through TED Talks

Week at a Glance: April 7-10

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of agreement
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation writing

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of clauses
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation writing

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of clauses
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through TED Talks

Week at a Glance: March 30 - April 3

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of sentence patterns: DO, IO, PN, and PA
- Module Review: Wednesday, April 1
- Assessment: Thursday, April 2
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation writing

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of phrases and clauses
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through argumentation writing

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of clauses
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through Paul Harvey essay style and TED Talks

Week at a Glance: March 16 - 20

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of sentence patterns: DO, IO, PN, and PA
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through animal best pet informative CANVA presentations and elevator speech preparation

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of phrases
- Review: Monday, March 16
- Assessment: Tuesday, March 17
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through commercials

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of phrases
- Review: Monday, March 16
- Assessment: Tuesday, March 17
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through Paul Harvey essay style

March 9-13: Week at a Glance

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of sentence patterns.
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through animal best pet informative CANVA presentations
Note: Wednesday, March 11 - Field trip to Improv Playhouse.
- Lunch is at 10:10 - 10:30 - then 10:40-1:40 Field Trip
- Bring bag lunch, water, and snack for the day - no hot lunch available

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of phrases
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through commercials

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of phrases
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through Paul Harvey essay style

Week at a Glance: March 2-6

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of sentence patterns.
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through animal best pet informative essays

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of phrases
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through commercials

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of types of phrases
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through Paul Harvey essay style

Week at a Glance: February 23-27

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the parts of speech II
- Review: Wednesday, February 25
- Assessment: Thursday, February 26
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through animal best pet informative essays and Women's History Month webquest

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the direct objects, indirect objects, predicate nominatives, and predicate adjectives and introduction to types of phrases
- Review: Monday, February 23
- Assessment: Tuesday, February 24
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through commercials and Women's History Month webquest

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the direct objects, indirect objects, predicate nominatives, and predicate adjectives and introduction to types of phrases
- Review: Monday, February 23
- Assessment: Tuesday, February 24
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through Paul Harvey essay style and and Women's History Month webquest

Week at a Glance: February 17-20

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the parts of speech II
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through best pet informative essays and Women's History Month

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the direct objects, indirect objects, predicate nominatives, and predicate adjectives
- Review: Thursday, February 19
- Assessment: Friday, February 20
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through If We Could Change the World (PSA) CANVA presentations, commercials, and Women's History Month

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the direct objects, indirect objects, predicate nominatives, and predicate adjectives
- Review: Thursday, February 19
- Assessment: Friday, February 20
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through memory poem sharing, Paul Harvey essay style, and and Women's History Month

Week at a Glance: February 9-13

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the parts of speech II
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through best pet informative essays

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the direct objects, indirect objects, predicate nominatives, and predicate adjectives
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through If We Could Change the World (PSA) CANVA presentations and commercials

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the direct objects, indirect objects, predicate nominatives, and predicate adjectives
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through poetry timelines

Week at a Glance: February 2-6

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the parts of speech II
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through descriptive writing CANVA menu teams presos

Grade 7:

to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through If We Could Change the World (PSA) CANVA presentations

Grade 8:

to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through poetry timelines

Week at a Glance: January 26-30

Monday: Decades Day for CSW: Grade 6 - Wear 50s or 60s; Grades 7/8 - Wear 70s or 80s

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the parts of speech II
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through descriptive writing: CANVA menu teams

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the parts of speech II
- Review: Wednesday, January 28
- Assessment: Thursday, January 29
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through If We Could Change the World presentations

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the parts of speech II
- Review: Wednesday, January 28
- Assessment: Thursday, January 29
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through Why I Love SJCS essays

Week at a Glance: January 20-23

Grade 6:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the parts of speech: nouns, adjectives, and pronouns
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through descriptive writing: CANVA menu teams

Grade 7:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the parts of speech II
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through If We Could Change the World essays and presentations

Grade 8:

to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking through the study of the parts of speech II
to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience through 20th Century Most Influential Person speeches and Why I Love SJCS essays

Name: Dr. Julie Brua
Position: Middle School ELA Teacher
Phone: (847) 362-0730 x311