Curriculum
Pre-SchoolOur pre-school classes emphasize the growth of the whole child. The program takes an integrated approach to the development of social and emotional skills, oral language skills, early literacy skills and love of literature, fine and gross motor skills, health and safety awareness, math, science, social studies, technology and the fine arts. Thematic units that integrate religion, art, drama, music, cooking, and science are the basis of the academic program. As part of the school-wide accelerated math curriculum initiative, the students work on the Kindergarten-level Sadlier Progress in Mathematics curriculum.
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Primary Grades K-2Our Catholic faith is central to our curriculum and permeates the life of the school. The students are given daily religious instruction to support their spiritual growth. This instruction utilizes daily prayer, devotion, and opportunities to serve others. Preparation for the Sacraments of First Holy Communion and Reconciliation is the central focus in second grade. The language arts curriculum encompasses reading, writing, phonics, grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. Emphasis is placed on shared reading, guided reading, independent reading, and read-alouds. Leveled readers and reading groups provide differentiation of reading instruction. The Sadlier Progress in Mathematics curriculum focuses on understanding and exploring the concepts of numbers, money, time, geometry, and place value. Using an integrated, cross-curricular approach to social studies and science, students gain a deeper understanding of their culture and surroundings.
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Intermediate Grades 3-5Children continue to grow in their awareness of God through their studies of the Beatitudes, Ten Commandments, and sacraments. The language arts curriculum builds upon the primary curriculum and initiates higher thinking skills, increased vocabulary, and reading responses. Using an integrated, cross-curricular approach we focus on comprehension and higher level thinking skills. In grades 3-5, students work in a math curriculum that covers concepts such as place value, number sense, computation, geometry, and problem-solving skills. When students complete 5th grade they are prepared to enter the middle school math program that will allow them to complete algebra by the end of 8th grade. The science curriculum focuses on life, earth, physical sciences, and the human body. Lessons in economics, landforms, and government at local, state, and national levels in the social studies program are enhanced by various field trips. Fifth grade instruction in language arts, math, and science is provided in an instruction block to allow for a broad-based curricular approach. At the end of the fifth-grade year, students are invited to the middle school to meet their prospective teachers and are oriented to the middle school curriculum and routines.
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Middle School Grades 6-8Students spend one class period each day in formal religion classes, in which Catholic values and morality are taught. The Old Testament, New Testament, and a study of the Church form the focus for these religion classes. The English program focuses on teaching students the writing process, vocabulary enrichment, and grammar. The literature program is designed to stimulate critical thinking by exposing students to a variety of literary genres. Public speaking, oral presentations, and group projects are included in the curriculum. The mathematics program teaches students to integrate their pre-algebra and algebra skills with statistics and geometry. Students are grouped into three ability levels. The fully equipped science lab allows students to take a hands-on approach to the study of science. Students are introduced to ancient civilizations, the United States Constitution, and United States history in social studies.
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