Language arts is introduced to the
students through the Open Court reading series. Open Court uses a strong phonics
approach to teach reading and enhances the students' literature experience with
time-honored and contemporary classics as well as award-winning fiction and
non-fiction. Grammar introduction includes nouns, verbs, and punctuation.
Students incorporate writing skills by sentences, journals, short stories and
collaborative stories.
The students visit the library once a week
where they learn introductory library skills. Checking out books, locating fiction and
non-fiction areas, and learning about encyclopedias are covered. Students listen to
stories and poems.
Students are introduced to math concepts
by using many different types of manipulatives, and by working in cooperative
groups. Mastery of addition and subtraction facts to 10 is expected along with
introduction of facts to 18. An understanding of place value of numbers between 1
and 100 is essential to comprehending future math concepts. Students are also
introduced to coin mony amounts, measurement, time, basic geometry, and fractions.
All math concepts are reinforced through activities in the computer lab.
Students investigate the following topics:
the human body, living and non-living things, physical science, and earth science.
Lessons are reinforced with special projects and experiments. Students are also
encouraged to enter a project in the school's science fair.
In first grade, students investigate the
family, home, school, and their neighborhood. Differences in the way people live
and work together around the world is discussed. Special holidays are woven into
the curriculum. Topics of family and want and need are reinforced through the Junior
Achievement program.
Study focuses on God as our Father who
loves us, Jesus as the Son of God who tells us about our Father, and the Holy Spirit who
helps us to be holy. Students attend Mass twice a week. Religious themes are woven
into other subjects whenever possible. Personal and class stewardship projects are
encouraged.
Students learn basic computer skills and
terminology: using the mouse, opening and closing application programs, and saving their
work. Programs used reinforce classroom lessons as well as introduce the students to
fonts, word processing editing functions, and art tools. During the holidays,
special projects are made on the computer.
Among the field trips and lessons outside
of the classroom, students visit the Civic Theatre, the University of St. Francis
Planetarium, and Matea Park.
Students participate in the D.A.R.E.
program to learn about the dangers of drug use. Students also participate in the
Junior Achievement program.
Art is taught using Discipline Based Art
Education (DBAE) which includes art history, art production, development of the ability to
describe and express your own feelings about a piece of art, development of the ability to
criticize a piece of art constructively. Each grade level "scaffolds" or
builds on the grade level before it. Vocabulary and techniques used increase in
difficulty with the cognitive abilities of that grade level.
In the first grade, students are
introduced to the art theories of perspective, color, shading, texture, 2-D art, 3-D art,
line, and painting techniques.
Students are introduced to music
theory. Music is analyzed for AB form. Note and rest value, simple rhythm,
and instrument families round out the introduction to theory. Learning also touches
on the lives of composers and their music.
Activities are planned to develop
cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, endurance, and flexibility all while having
fun and learning new skills.
