Religion

The students will recognize that God is the creator and nurturer of all things; that Jesus is the Son of God, our friend and brother, and that the Holy Spirit gives us special gifts to help us live good lives.

The students will learn that the Bible is Jesus' way of teaching us about God and His love for us through the narratives of the past.

The students will recognize that prayer is communication with God; that Mary is the Mother of God.

The students will participate in worship individually and as part of a community through the Eucharistic celebrations.

The students will begin developing personal responsibility and an understanding that their decisions have consequences.

The students will recognize that we respond to the Christian message by serving others.

Language Arts

The reading program is centered on childrens literature in a variety of genres. Poetry, fiction and non-fiction stories are discussed. Reading instruction highlights the use of phonics, grammar, context clues and background knowledge to promote meaningfu lreading experiences. Students make inferences, draw conclusions, and predict outcomes from orally and silently read passages.

Auditory skills are developed as students articulate letter/sound recognitionin consonants, blends, digraphs, silent letters and long and short vowels.

Appropriate use of Standard English in speaking and writing is practiced. Students will identify and use the following skills: correct punctuation and capitalization, four main types of sentences, concept of rhyme, parts of speech, subject and predicate of a sentence, main idea and alphabetical order.

Students practice oral and group reading and recitations. Public speaking skills are developed by oral presentations.

D'Nealian Manuscript handwriting is taught, practiced and perfected.

The spelling program emphasizes mastery of phonetically regular words, sight words, short and long vowel words, (including silent 'e's) blends, digraphs and word endings -ed and -ing.

Students will practice applying the principles of writing as a process by using pre-writing, drafting, editing and publishing. Student portfolios include a range of writing styles (narratives, poems, stories and letters.)

Math

Students skip count by 1's, 2's, 5's and 10's, compare and order numbers, identify ordinal position to tenth, identify sorting rules, identify and extend patters, solve routine and non-routine problems, master basic addition and subtraction facts, add and subtract two-digit numbers with and without regrouping, picture and name fractions, measure by inches, feet and centimeters, compare volume, mass and area, tell time to the half-hour, count pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters, identify and draw polygons, identify geometric solids, tally, create, read and make observations from real graphs, pictographs and bar graphs and identify inequalities using less than (<) and greater than (>) symbols. 

Science

Students engage in hands-on or minds-on activities that seek to set the stage for the various concepts to be learned. Students explore phenomena using observation and demonstrations.

The curriculum covers:

• How matter can be described, measured and exist in three physical states -- solids, liquids and gases

• The scale and structure of the materials that make up the Earths surface

• The scale and structure of living things by examining their parts and how they grow and change Constancy and change are also emphasized in the areas of weather, the seasons, and the health of the human body including the five senses.

Social Studies

The concept of civic responsibility is introduced in ways that are meaningful to first grade students. An understanding of social skills in school and in the family is developed. Special emphasis is placed on Christian values and responsibilities as well as the uniqueness of individuals and families.

Students explore the concepts of change over time, timelines, the characteristics of places, food production, basic needs, economic links and interdependence of people.

Cultural likeness and diversity as well as current and historical events and figures are explained Major American and patriotic symbols are identified.

Students are introduced to basic map skills. Geographical areas in which one lives (farm, town, city, state and country) are learned. Students identify and locate countries, continents, oceans, the equator and the primemeridian on maps and on the globe.

Physical Education

Our physical education curriculum is composed of physical fitness fundamentals, motion skills and movement, social skills and sportsmanship. Basic skills that enhance balance, endurance, strength and agility activities, ball handling skills individually, with partners and in groups, and rope jumping are taught. Each skill involves creative thinking, sportsmanship, fairness, cooperation and following directions.