Curriculum

Reading

Our Kindergarten program is currently using the MacMillan-McGraw Hill text. The students learn the alphabet, sounds, blending of sounds, and then are able to read some primer books. Phonics is strongly emphasized, as well as listening skills and following directions. Most students at St. Mary can read by the end of their Kindergarten experience.

Grades 1-5 use the texts from Silver Burdett-Ginn publishers (copyright 2000). The students are taught to read phonetically and are given a strong base in this area. The series is literature based, which encourages the students for reading. Some reading strategies and skills that are taught are:

Comprehension/critical thinking
Vocabulary/word study
Literary analysis and appreciation
Creative writing
Grammar usage and mechanics/spelling
Listening, speaking and viewing

The Accelerated Reader program is used in grades 1-5 to further develop reading comprehension and provide a challenge for every child at his or her individual reading level. Reading is fun, interesting and valuable. Children love the program!

The average number of minutes of instruction per school week for the 2001-02 school year was approximately 700 minutes.

English

Allow students to explore various genre, elements and devices of literature
Help students to be able to listen and speak effectively
Help students to develop composition skills
Help students to use grammar properly in speaking and writing.

Writing projects are used across the curriculum to apply grammar and creative writing skills.

Math

We are pleased to announce that all students, grades 1-5, are working in the new Accelerated Math program.

The average number of minutes of instruction per school week for the 2001-02 school year was approximately 200 minutes.

Art

Students are given brief introductions to master artists and examples of their work. The students frequent supplemental stories and music. A subject/media related project will be completed and evaluated. Seasonal projects are done to encourage creativity and expression.

Social Studies

The curriculum covers literacy in history, civics, sociology, current event, local and global issues, peace and justice issues, and economics. All are presented at appropriate grade levels. Social Studies also helps students to learn about a world that is diverse in cultural heritage, local and state history, and the need to be part of a community in order to build a better world.

The average number of minutes of instruction per school week for the 2001-02 school year was approximately 200 minutes.

Science

Senses, weather, seasons, plants and animals
Prediction of outcomes
Observation, exploration, classifying, comparison
Magnetism, properties of matter, electricity, and light and sound
Solar system
Earth’s land and water/ecology
Solids, liquids and gases
dinosaurs, fossils

All students are actively engaged in experiments, projects, data gathering and predicting outcomes.

The average number of minutes of instruction per school week for the 2001-02 school year was approximately 200 minutes.

Technology

St. Mary is a leader in educational technology. All of the computers are Pentium I or II. Grades 4 and 5 have one for every five students; grades Kindergarten – 3 have one for every eight students. The computer lab has thirteen computers that are networked using Windows NT operating system. All have access to the Internet. Computer education has been taken out of the lab and moved into the classroom where teachers regularly use the computers as teaching and educational tools. Computer lab time is being used to teach keyboard skills and Spanish via the Rosetta Stone Language Library.

Every class has a television and VCR. Keyboard skills are taught using Typewriter II. The school shares an In Focus with the parish. (This technology permits projecting monitor images onto a large screen).

The aim of our technology program is to:

provide students with a working knowledge of today’s technology (basic computer operations, key boarding, use of computer as a resource and educational tool)
integrate computer/technology skills across the curriculum
develop correct keyboarding skills

Technology facilitates the teaching of cross-curricular activities which both teachers and students find extremely interesting and motivating.

Physical Education

Physical Education helps our students to:

acquire a sense of Christian morality through physical activities
skillfully maintain a safe environment in the gym
use equipment safely and properly
gain opportunities to develop spatial awareness
gain the skills to use rhythmic activities as a means of communication develop skills required for participation in games and sports (both individually and as a team member)
acquire a sense of good sportsmanship and fair play

Music

The aim of the music education is to have students develop an appreciation of music. During the age appropriate lessons, students will learn about composers, their style of music and some of the songs for which they are most noted. Students will also learn:

simple tunes, rhymes and rhythms
scales and notes
to play different instruments in class
to use their imaginations and movements to create and improvise music
to develop, increase and apply knowledge of music symbols for pitch and rhythm
expand their listening skills to identify differences in instruments, melodies and rhythms
relate musical concepts to their art and academic subjects

Educational Tours (Field Trips)

Principal approved Educational Tours supplement and compliment in-class lessons. They provide valuable opportunities for students to study from a perspective not available in the classroom or through technology. Students at St. Mary's travel to museums, concerts, the ballet, the opera, the zoo, a power plant, farms and other sites to further their knowledge in their pursuit of information. Educational tours must be appropriate for the content of the curriculum being studied.

Library

Students visit the library weekly. They learn basic library skills: locating materials, the value of reference materials, cataloging, and checking out books and other materials. Both academic and leisure time books can be checked out.

The library data base is computerized enabling students to look up books by title, author and subject.