Religion

Religion class is taught daily by the homeroom teacher. Students attend weekly mass.  Altar serving opportunities are available beginning in 5th grade.

Our focus in religion is to:

• Develop a personal and ongoing relationship with God
• Build reverence for and knowledge of Holy Scripture
• Emphasize Catholic practices, images, and models of faith
• Incorporate forms of prayer into personal devotion
• Encourage family devotion
• Stress Christian values

In addition to the religion curriculum, our students engage in a simple yet powerful process to make a difference. We participate in Students Rebuild which brings together students and teachers from around the world for collective action, inspiring young people to engage with our world’s most pressing issues.  Students channel their creativity through various artistic mediums to create meaningful change. Our goal is to empower a new generation eager to make a difference, building a community of global problem solvers.

Reading
We use a developed reading program that is based on novel studies providing a way for students to apply and reinforce comprehension strategies and focus skills.  They also build background, world exposure. authentic vocabulary, communication, dialogue skills, development of social skills, engagement and excitement for learning.  Our novel studies are designed to help students meet high academic standards and prepare them for future success and give support in developing: 

• Foundational skills of phonics, vocabulary, spelling, and word study
• Engagement in close reading of complex text and text evidence skills
• Proficiency in academic writing
• Academic conversations with peers

We also introduce Book Clubs – shared reading experiences among small groups of students.  Book Clubs are a way to motivate the kids to read, get them talking about books, and have them share ideas and perspectives. Our goal is to transition from the traditional teacher-led small reading groups to encouraging the students to facilitate their own book discussions.

Reading progress is monitored using the i-Ready formative assessment which measures student progress in relation to state academic standards. The Aimsweb benchmark and progress monitoring system is also administered to monitor student reading progress and to ensure that our students are working at grade level and above skills in each subject. 

During the year, students work on:

• • Understanding characters in-depth (how they respond to challenges, their point of view, their thoughts, feelings, and motivations)
  • Comparing characters in a story by drawing on specific details and quoting accurately from the text
  • Reading fiction texts, non-fiction texts, and poems.
  • Summarizing the text by explaining the relationships between ideas and quoting accurately
  • Using multiple strategies (previewing and predicting, activating prior knowledge, setting a purpose for reading, summarizing, asking questions, and synthesizing information) to read and comprehend a nonfiction text
  • Using elements of poetry (figurative language, imagery, rhythm/meter, alliteration, onomatopoeia, consonance, and assonance) when talking about poems
  • Figuring out the theme/author’s message of a poem by drawing on evidence and quotes from the text (tone, language used, imagery)
  • Comparing and analyzing different points of view by reading multiple texts on the same topic
  • Communicating multiple sides of an issue using evidence from research
  • Forming an opinion based on information gathered using multiple sources and points of view
  • Comparing books with similar themes using specific details (setting, characters, lessons, etc.) and quoting accurately from the text
  • Engaging in discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on topics and texts, building on others’ ideas, expressing their own ideas clearly, and using evidence to support claims

Science
Students continue their studies of Physical, Life & Earth Science following the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS).  We focus on a STEM approach education that is a hands-on and problem-based learning approach.  Our program focuses on:

• Asking Questions
• Developing and Using Models
• Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
• Analyzing and Interpreting Data
• Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking
• Constructing Explanations
• Engaging in Argument from Evidence
• Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
• Emphasis to Engineering Design & Practices and to Scientific Inquiry.

• Physical Science
  • Matter (States of Matter, Properties of Matter, Phase Change-heating and cooling)
  • Physical vs. Chemical Change 
  • Mixtures 
• Life Science
  • Human Impact on the Environment
  • Solving Environmental Problems
    
• Earth Science
• • Astronomy (Sun’s Movement and Shadows, Seasons, Celestial Cycles, Phases of the Moon, The Solar System, Star’s: Movement at Night & Seasonal Constellations

Math
Students work to build strong mathematical skills by focusing on foundational math concepts in an atmosphere which encourages questions and collaboration. Students continue to develop their number sense and work to apply their skills to solve problems.

• Numbers and Operations in Base 10: Estimating, place value, operations with whole numbers and decimals, multiply and divide, powers of 10, divide by 2-digit numbers, decimal operations, partial product & quotients & area models, factors and multiples & patterns, prime and composite
• Numbers and Operations as Fractions: Fractions on a number line, visually comparing and ordering, making equivalent fractions & simplifying, greatest common factor (GCF) & least common multiple (LCM), adding/subtracting unlike denominators, mixed number addition and subtraction with renaming, multiplying fractions, dividing whole numbers by fractions, relating fractions to decimals, comparing & ordering decimals
• Geometry: Polygons (quadrilaterals, triangles, angles), perimeter & area, volume, 3-dimensional prisms and pyramids
• Measurement: Line plot, graphing on a coordinate grid, converting customary and metric units, elapsed time
• Operations & Algebraic Thinking: Solving using variables, numerical patterns and analyzing relationships, equations, order of operations
• Regular Collaborative Learning: Small-group settings which allow for frequent formative and summative assessments.
• Test Improvement Opportunities: Available through one-on-one teacher-student consultations and test corrections for test scores 76% or lower. 

Social Studies
Students will gain an understanding of:

• Early Life, East and West: Life in the Western Hemisphere, Native Americans of North America, Life in the Eastern Hemisphere, Connections Across Continents
• Spain Builds an Empire: The Struggle to Found Colonies, Colonial Life in North America
• The American Revolution: The Road to War, Winning the Revolution
• Life in a New Nation: Forming a New Nation, The Young United States, A Growing Nation
• War Divides the Nation: A Divided Nation, War and Reconstruction
• Expansion and Change: Crossing the Continent, Into the Twenty-First Century

Language Arts
Our writing program emphasizes giving students many opportunities to write each day across subject areas. As they write during the year, students work on:

• Organizing ideas on a topic into a multi-paragraph piece
  
• Linking ideas in their writing (consequently, specifically, in contrast, especially, however)
• Writing a conclusion that goes beyond simply repeating the introduction
• Using formal, informal and specialized language appropriate for the purpose and audience
• Using figurative language (metaphors and imagery) to create an effect on the reader
• Using details and evidence to support an idea
• Writing sentences of varying lengths and structure to communicate meaning or mood
• Correctly spelling grade-level words
• Correctly using multiple tenses in one piece of writing

Over the course of the year, students will complete five types of writing: Personal Narrative, Comparative, Persuasive, Explanatory, and Expository. Our program also includes:

• Writing: Personal narrative, comparative, persuasive, explanatory, expository, various responses to informational texts
• Building Skills: Note-taking and summarizing, informal outlining, vocabulary, fact and opinion, test-taking strategies, using reference materials
• Composition Skills: Identifying main ideas and details, writing leads and endings, organization, writing dialogue, revising and editing
• Grammar and Mechanics: Types of sentences, nouns, verbs, adjectives, pronouns, adverbs, prepositions
• Writing: Personal narrative, comparative, persuasive, explanatory, expository, various responses to informational texts
• Building Skills: Note-taking and summarizing, informal outlining, vocabulary, fact and opinion, test-taking strategies, using reference materials
• Composition Skills: Identifying main ideas and details, writing leads and endings, organization, writing dialogue, revising and editing