Academic Excellence
Inspired By Faith
Our students enjoy listening and reading stories that help spark their love of reading. Using authentic books with robust vocabulary they are exposed to various types of literature. They are provided with opportunities to expand their speaking and listening skills. During reading instruction, they will make predictions, retell stories, sequence events, develop their opinions about topics, and answer questions about main story elements. Students are explicitly taught phonics skills so they can begin to read (decode) and write (encode) words, as well as taught sight words/ high frequency (words that are most often in print and need to be recognized). Students are assessed regularly both informal and formal, using a variety of methods including iReady. We are currently using Saavas’ “My View” and Sadlier Oxfords’ “Into Reading” to support our reading instruction. We follow the Diocesan and New York State Guidelines and Standards.
Kindergarteners are naturally curious about math and numbers. Whether building with blocks, legos, or tiles, students are planning and taking into account numbers in order to balance their buildings. In Kindergarten through hands-on learning students are taught about numbers and shapes and are taught using a variety of methods and materials. Students will learn one to one correspondence, the correct way to write numbers, how to use a ten frame, put objects in arrays, identify groups that are greater, etc. We are currently using Saavas’ “Envisions” to support our instruction. Again, we follow the Diocesan and New York State Standards and Guidelines.
Throughout the day, we are given opportunities to practice our faith. Starting with school wide morning prayers, classroom prayers and prayers before we eat, students learn to give thanks to God for what we are given and ask for God’s blessings and guidance. In our classroom we are able to connect our beliefs to what we learn and get the opportunity to practice our faith. As a school we attend Mass every first Friday with our sixth grade buddies. We also teach our students about Holy Days and attend Mass on Holy Days of Obligation and before special holidays. We are currently using “Word of Life” published by St. Augustine to support our religious instruction.