Elementary School
Elementary School at SVDP
Your child will spend roughly 6,120 hours in elementary school. As a parent, you understand the importance of a positive learning experience — your child's teachers, friends, and environment will shape their young minds. You want them to build a strong, Catholic-centered, and diverse academic foundation and find time to be a kid and have their childhood nurtured and protected.
Everything we do in elementary at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic School is designed to support both goals. Below you'll find a brief overview of what we offer, including:
How We Approach Learning
Maybe you're already familiar with a Dual Language Immersion education and know that's what you want for your child. Or perhaps you're still learning about Dual Language Immersion and what it will mean for your child. Regardless of where you're coming from, we're happy to tell you more about how we define Dual Language Immersion Catholic education and how it will impact your child's learning environment.
AT SVDP, IT MEANS YOUR CHILD WILL:
1. Learn not only self-expression and self-discovery but also learn facts
2. Become an independent thinker who values wisdom
3. Begin to realize their God-given strengths, gifts, and talents
4. Grow into lifelong learners and virtuous shapers of modern culture
What Other Parents Have to Say About Us
"A phenomenal program and school for young learners! We love the staff and the school's promotion of dual language in our community. I can't imagine sending my student anywhere else!
My husband and I were looking for a small faith-based school for our son. Our son attended another Catholic school in Salem, but St Vincent De Paul's Dual Language program made us choose them over the other school. Since our son has attended SVDP, we have had nothing but great experiences. The program is an immersion program that allows our son to explore language and culture. The staff is kind and nurturing, the classes small, and we cannot imagine sending students anywhere else. As a Catholic family, we love seeing our son explore his faith in a safe environment with teachers who can answer any questions he might have. If you are looking for a small school with great instruction, this is the school for you".
Reasons Why Parents Choose SVDP:
Reading Comprehension
Daily reading lessons are designed to help your child increase their reading abilities. Our teachers model fluency and expression as they guide students to comprehension. Small group activities, independent reading, and practice with sight words help your young reader tackle increasingly challenging texts. Our teachers are also trained and certified in Guided Language Acquisition Design (GLAD), a strategy and model specifically targeting and promoting language skills, academic achievement, and cross-cultural skills with groundbreaking efficiency.
Starting in the 2023/2024 school year, we'll have two teachers trained and certified in the Orton-Gillingham Approach, which is a direct, explicit, multisensory, structured, sequential, diagnostic, and prescriptive way to teach literacy. This assists students when reading, writing, and spelling do not come easily, such as those with dyslexia. It is most properly understood and practiced as an approach, not a method, program, or system. In the hands of a well-trained and experienced instructor, it is a powerful tool of exceptional breadth, depth, and flexibility.
Engaging Academics
At SVDP, your child won't just learn the essential building blocks of academics but will understand how those building blocks are supported by biblical truth. We integrate virtues, values, and critical thinking into math, reading, phonics, Bible, social studies, science, and enrichment activities.
Technology's Role in the Classroom
Your child will learn keyboarding, coding, and internet navigation skills during technology enrichment. Your child will become an engaged problem solver as they join in hands-on learning opportunities that encourage creativity, collaboration, and innovation. We integrate a biblical worldview with science, technology, and mathematics to create collaborative and purposeful teamwork opportunities. To support internet safety, your child will learn these three rules:
1. Technology is a tool that should glorify God
2. People are more important than screens
3. If I see something wrong, I look away, I turn it off, and I tell an adult
Enrichment Opportunities
We want your elementary child to discover with excitement their God-given talents, which is why we offer enrichment opportunities and extracurriculars to our youngest learners. Your child doesn't need to wait until middle or high school to explore performing arts, Spanish, art, clubs, or service opportunities — they can enjoy all those, starting in preschool.
What to Expect
What to Expect in Kindergarten
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14
Classroom Curriculum
Religion: Students learn and understand that God created all people and we are part of God's family. Students learn how to pray together and treat each other with love. They learn how to talk and listen to God, and they practice reciting simple prayers. Students understand that the Holy Spirit lives in each one of us and helps us to make good choices. Students identify mass as a way to worship and thank God as a community. Students learn about creation, the importance of stories from the Bible, and the meaning of the Ten Commandments.
Literacy: Students learn to develop a love for reading as teachers use children's literature to teach the concepts of print, characters, setting, and the sequence of stories. Students also learn foundational reading skills in phonological awareness, which include blending, segmenting, and decoding. Students begin reading emergent texts to develop fluency and comprehension skills in whole-group and small-group settings.
Writing: Students learn and practice correct letter formation to encourage proper handwriting skills. Students learn the beginning fundamentals of writing through a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing sentences to compose opinion and narrative pieces.
Math: Students learn foundational math skills, which include counting to 100 by ones and tens, identifying "how many" in a group, and recognizing which group is greater than, less than, or equal to the number of objects in another group. Students learn how to add and subtract numbers within 20, and they learn to describe measurable attributes of objects.
Science: Students use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals need to survive. They also share observations of local weather conditions and patterns over time and make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on the Earth's surface.
Social Studies: Students use and identify respectful dialogue, show fairness and empathy, and explain how rules are different in different settings. Students give examples of different jobs performed in communities and identity, compare, and contrast pictures, maps, and globes. Students learn to understand the culture and examine religious, family, and culturally significant traditions.
Enrichment
Daily Mass: Attending mass is an important part of Catholic worship and helps students deepen their faith and understanding of Catholic teachings. Daily mass can provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their spiritual life, seek guidance, and participate in the Eucharist, which is a central sacrament of the Catholic Church. Additionally, attending mass regularly can help students develop a sense of community and belonging within their school or parish as they gather with their peers and other members of the Catholic community to worship together. It can also instill a sense of discipline and commitment as students make a daily commitment to attend mass and participate in religious education.
Music: Students use music as a prayer form and will participate in a variety of liturgical celebrations using sacred music. Students learn to sing independently, on the pitch, and in rhythm, and they use physical movement to respond to music characteristics. Students play basic rhythmic and melodic patterns on a variety of percussion instruments.
Dual Language (Spanish): Students are immersed in the Spanish language and culture throughout all aspects of their day. Native Spanish-speaking students and native English-speaking students are integrated into the same classroom, where they develop bilingual and biliterate academic proficiency.
Art: Students are provided opportunities to explore their God-given gifts and talents in art each week. Students learn to recognize and name types of lines, use lines to create patterns, construct a color wheel of primary colors and use primary colors to express feelings. Students create paintings, drawings, and projects through creative expression by using various elements and principles of art.
STEM: Students integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics through engaging, hands-on projects where students learn to work cooperatively as a team. Students develop simple sketches, drawings, and physical models to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem. They also take time to analyze data and test their designs for effectiveness.
Technology: Students practice responsible use of technology through teacher-guided online activities and interactions to understand how the digital space impacts their life. Students understand that technology is a gift from God to be used to spread God’s loving message.
Physical Education/Health: Students attend PE class each week. They learn a variety of motor skills and the basics of various sports and engage in activities that promote character and good sportsmanship. Students exhibit responsible personal, social, and cultural behavior that respects self and others as a gift from God.
Library: Students visit the library weekly. They are provided lessons that promote a desire for life-long reading and are given opportunities to check out books to bring home and share with their families.
Recess: Students have recess twice each day.
Special Events
Classroom and family come together for Muffins for Moms, Donuts for Dads, monthly cultural-themed celebrations, and more. Students present songs at various events in our local parish.
What to Expect in First Grade
“Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Mark 10:14
Classroom Curriculum
Religion: Students learn that families are called to pray together and are a community of faith. They understand that we love all people through our words and actions, and we share our God-given gifts with the community. Students learn that there are multiple ways to pray and they practice reciting prayers. Students learn to respect others and themselves, to listen to the ten commandments, and to follow God and the rules made for us. Students identify the sacraments used by the church, they identify the different liturgical seasons, they learn what it means to be a saint, and they explain that they are created by God.
Literacy: Students read and analyze text features to locate key facts or information in a text. They use different parts of the text to help find key ideas, and they identify basic similarities and differences between the two texts. Students also participate in poetry readings, and they find the main idea of poems. Students focus on phonological awareness and decoding skills as they learn to read and comprehend grade-level texts in whole-group and small-group settings.
Writing: Students learn to research a given topic, use a graphic organizer to organize ideas, and complete writing pieces that include a beginning, middle, and end. Students inform readers about a topic through writing and participating in shared research projects. Students also use a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing.
Math: Students use various mathematical strategies to add and subtract two-digit numbers, and they use addition and subtraction within 20 to solve word problems. Students count to 120 by starting at any number less than 120, and they recognize and create shapes that have symmetry. Students also focus on measurement by comparing the lengths of multiple objects.
Science: Students learn about light and sound, make observations and record what different objects look like in different amounts of light. They also learn about patterns and cycles of daylight throughout the seasons. Students read texts to learn how animal parents help their offspring survive and will compare and contrast how animal parents and offspring are similar and different.
Social Studies: Students describe ways people celebrate their diverse cultural heritages in the community, and they describe and compare how people lived in a community in the past and present. Students locate and identify important places in the community, and they construct maps of these familiar places. Students also develop and analyze a timeline of important family events in sequential order.
Enrichment
Daily Mass: Attending mass is an important part of Catholic worship and helps students deepen their faith and understanding of Catholic teachings. Daily mass can provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their spiritual life, seek guidance, and participate in the Eucharist, which is a central sacrament of the Catholic Church. Additionally, attending mass regularly can help students develop a sense of community and belonging within their school or parish as they gather with their peers and other members of the Catholic community to worship together. It can also instill a sense of discipline and commitment as students make a daily commitment to attend mass and participate in religious education.
Music: Students use music as a prayer form and will participate in a variety of liturgical celebrations using sacred music. Students learn to sing independently, on the pitch, and in rhythm, and they use physical movement to respond to music characteristics. Students play basic rhythmic and melodic patterns on a variety of percussion instruments.
Dual Language (Spanish): Students are immersed in the Spanish language and culture throughout all aspects of their day. Native Spanish-speaking students and native English-speaking students are integrated into the same classroom, where they develop bilingual and biliterate academic proficiency.
Art: Students are provided opportunities to explore their God-given gifts and talents in art each week. Students name secondary colors and use secondary colors to express feelings. Students use lines to create shapes and forms and recognize patterns and textures created with lines. Students explore form in art and create form by modeling, assembling, and constructing various projects.
STEM: Students integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics through engaging, hands-on projects where students learn to work cooperatively as a team. Students develop simple sketches, drawings, and physical models to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem. They also take time to analyze data and test their designs for effectiveness.
Technology: Students practice responsible use of technology through teacher-guided online activities and interactions to understand how the digital space impacts their life. Students understand that technology is a gift from God to be used to spread God’s loving message.
Physical Education: Students attend PE class each week. They learn a variety of motor skills and the basics of various sports and engage in activities that promote character and good sportsmanship. Students exhibit responsible personal, social, and cultural behavior that respects self and others as a gift from God.
Library: Students visit the library weekly. They are provided lessons that promote a desire for life-long reading and are given opportunities to check out books to bring home and share with their families.
Recess: Students have recess daily.
Special Events: Donuts for Dads, Muffins with Mom, and singing at our Christmas program. Students also participate in service projects.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN SECOND GRADE
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14
Classroom Curriculum
Religion: Students explain the Church's mission that Jesus Christ has given. They love Jesus through their actions and use their talents to help others. Students explain the importance of praying, use prayer to talk to God and participate in praying the Rosary. Students listen to Bible stories and discuss what is moral and immoral within the story. Students participate in the sacrament of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. Students explain that the Trinity is three persons in one God, and students tell the stories of Jesus's life, death, and resurrection.
Literacy: Students explore children's literature and learn to describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges, as well as identify the characters' feelings, the plot or problem, and how it is resolved. Students also describe the overall structure of a story, and students compare and contrast two or more versions of the same story by different authors or from different cultures. Students apply phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words as they fluently read grade-level texts in whole-group and small-group settings.
Writing: Students write multi-paragraph informative pieces to examine a topic and convey ideas and information. They also write opinion pieces that introduce the topic, state an opinion, supply reasons that support the opinion, and provide a concluding statement. Students also produce narrative stories to develop real or imagined experiences using descriptive details and clear event sequences. Students participate in shared research and writing projects and work together to strengthen writing with learned revision and editing skills.
Math: Students fluently add and subtract within 100 using strategies based on place value, properties of operations, and the relationship between addition and subtraction. Students use addition and subtraction within 100 to solve two-step word problems using drawings and equations. They also tell and write time from analog clocks, recognize and draw shapes with specified attributes and generate measurement data by measuring the lengths of several objects using appropriate measurement tools.
Science: Students focus on the structure and properties of matter by planning and conducting investigations to describe and classify different materials by their observable properties. Students also use and share observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time. They compare multiple solutions designed to slow or prevent wind or water from changing the shape of the Earth's land.
Social Studies: Students evaluate how individuals, groups, and communities manage conflict and promote justice and equality, and students analyze the different ways they can affect their local community and parish. Students use basic information on maps to locate, identify and describe physical and human features of the community, and they identify cultural characteristics of the local community. Students also differentiate between events that have happened in the recent and distant past and develop a timeline of events in the local community's history.
Enrichment
Daily Mass: Attending mass is an important part of Catholic worship and helps students deepen their faith and understanding of Catholic teachings. Daily mass can provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their spiritual life, seek guidance, and participate in the Eucharist, which is a central sacrament of the Catholic Church. Additionally, attending mass regularly can help students develop a sense of community and belonging within their school or parish as they gather with their peers and other members of the Catholic community to worship together. It can also instill a sense of discipline and commitment as students make a daily commitment to attend mass and participate in religious education.
Music: Students use music as a prayer form and will participate in various liturgical celebrations using sacred music. Students learn to sing independently, on the pitch, and in rhythm, and they use physical movement to respond to music characteristics. Students play basic rhythmic and melodic patterns on a variety of percussion instruments.
Dual Language (Spanish): Students are immersed in the Spanish language and culture throughout all aspects of their day. Native Spanish-speaking students and native English-speaking students are integrated into the same classroom, where they develop bilingual and biliterate academic proficiency.
Art: Students are provided opportunities to explore their God-given gifts and talents in art each week. Students learn to construct a full-scale color wheel, mix tints by adding color to white, recognize and describe light and shadow and use warm and cool colors to create art pieces. Students create texture in composition using various materials and explore patterns in art while creating multiple projects.
STEM: Students integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics through engaging, hands-on projects where students learn to work cooperatively. Students develop simple sketches, drawings, and physical models to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function as needed to solve a given problem. They also take time to analyze data and test their designs for effectiveness.
Technology: Students practice responsible use of technology through teacher-guided online activities and interactions to understand how the digital space impacts their life. Students understand that technology is a gift from God to be used to spread God's loving message.
Physical Education: Students attend PE class each week. They learn motor skills and the basics of various sports and engage in activities promoting character and good sportsmanship. Students exhibit responsible personal, social, and cultural behavior that respects self and others as a gift from God.
Library: Students visit the library weekly. They are provided lessons that promote a desire for life-long reading and are given opportunities to check out books to bring home and share with their families.
Recess: Students have recess daily.
Special Events: Donuts for Dads, Muffins with Mom, and singing at our Christmas program. Students also participate in service projects.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN THIRD GRADE
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14
Classroom Curriculum
Religion: Students understand the Catholic faith traditions, explain each person's roles in the Holy Trinity, and identify symbols of the Holy Spirit. They study and participate in the church's life and mission, learn the church's origin, and identify scripture from the Bible as one way God has revealed Himself to us. Students read and reflect on Scripture passages and identify the Paschal Mystery's events. Students celebrate Mary's roles in the Church through Mass, holy days of obligation, and prayer. They explain the importance of prayer, recite the Catholic prayers and pray the rosary.
Literacy: Students recount fables, folktales, and myths from diverse cultures to determine the central message, lesson, or moral and explain how it is conveyed through key details in a text. Students also compare and contrast the themes, settings, and plots of stories written by the same author about the same or similar characters. Students use text features to locate information relevant to a given topic in an informational text. Students use information gained from illustrations and the words in a text to demonstrate an understanding of a text.
Writing: Students write multi-paragraph opinion pieces on topics by supporting their points of view with reasons. Students also write informative texts to examine an issue and convey information and ideas clearly. Students learn to strengthen their writing by following the writing process of planning, editing, revising, and publishing. Students use technology to produce and publish writing and interact and collaborate with others.
Math: Students fluently multiply and divide within 100 by understanding the relationship between multiplication and division. Students learn to use multiplication and division within 100 to solve word problems involving equal groups, arrays, and measurement quantities. Students learn the values of fractions, explain their equivalence, and compare fractions by reasoning about their size. Students draw scaled pictures and bar graphs to represent a data set with several categories, and students understand concepts of area measurement.
Science: Students represent data in tables and graphical displays to describe typical weather conditions expected during a particular season and learn the impacts of weather-related hazards. Students learn the unique and diverse life cycles of organisms, and they know that plants and animals have traits inherited from their parents. Students also learn the effects of balanced and unbalanced forces on the motion of an object and the cause-and-effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two things.
Social Studies: Students examine how different levels of city and county government provide services to community members, and they describe the responsibilities of people in their community and state. Students use geographical tools to identify multiple ways to divide Oregon into areas. Students analyze Oregon's natural resources and describe how people in Oregon and other parts of the world use them. Students learn how significant people and groups have shaped its history, and they compare it to other communities in the region.
Enrichment
Daily Mass: Attending mass is an important part of Catholic worship and helps students deepen their faith and understanding of Catholic teachings. Daily mass can provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their spiritual life, seek guidance, and participate in the Eucharist, which is a central sacrament of the Catholic Church. Additionally, attending mass regularly can help students develop a sense of community and belonging within their school or parish as they gather with their peers and other members of the Catholic community to worship together. It can also instill a sense of discipline and commitment as students make a daily commitment to attend mass and participate in religious education.
Music: Students use music as a prayer form and will participate in leadership roles in various liturgical celebrations using sacred music. Students sing independently, on the pitch, and in rhythm, conveying feelings, moods, and messages of songs. Students have opportunities to play on at least one string, wind, or percussion instrument. Students identify music from different historical periods and cultures, and they learn the role of the Catholic Church in the history of music.
Dual Language (Spanish): Students are immersed in the Spanish language and culture throughout all aspects of their day. Native Spanish-speaking students and native English-speaking students are integrated into the same classroom, where they develop bilingual and biliterate academic proficiency.
Art: Students are provided opportunities to explore their God-given gifts and talents in art each week. Students learn to recognize artistic elements in works of art, and they know to describe an idea or a feeling connected with viewing a work of art. Students create art forms using their experiences, imagination, artistic methods, and composition to achieve the desired effect.
STEM: Students integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics through engaging, hands-on projects where students work cooperatively as a team. Students work together to define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want. They compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well each will likely meet the criteria. Students plan, analyze and conduct fair tests to find the most logical explanation.
Technology: Students engage in positive and safe behavior when using technology. Students collaborate with a teacher and within a team to employ age-appropriate research techniques to locate digital resources to help them learn. Students understand that technology is a gift from God to be used to spread God's loving message.
Physical Education: Students attend PE class each week. They learn various motor skills and the basics of multiple sports and engage in activities that promote character and good sportsmanship. Students exhibit responsible personal, social, and cultural behavior that respects self and others as a gift from God.
Library: Students visit the library weekly. They are provided lessons that promote a desire for life-long reading and are given opportunities to check out books to bring home and share with their families.
Recess: Students have recess daily.
Special Events: Donuts for Dads, Muffins with Mom, and singing at our Christmas program. Students also participate in service projects.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN FOURTH GRADE
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14
Classroom Curriculum
Religion: Students learn to locate bible passages and describe parts of the Bible. Students recognize that Mass is a time to hear the Scriptures proclaimed and live out the mysteries of our faith. They understand the significance of each Sacrament and the significance of the seasons in the Liturgical Year. Students locate the Beatitudes in Scripture and retell stories of Saints who model the Beatitudes. They summarize and explain examples of the seven corporal and seven spiritual works of mercy. Students state how the Church helps us grow in our relationship with God as a community committed to serving others.
Literacy: Within children's literature, Students compare and contrast similar themes, topics, patterns of events, and myths from different cultures. Students describe characters, settings, and events in a story and determine the meaning of words and phrases used in the text. In informational texts, students describe the structure of events, ideas, concepts, and information and explain how the information contributes to understanding the text.
Writing: Students write multi-paragraph opinion pieces on topics by supporting their points of view with reasons. Students also write informative texts to examine an issue and convey information and ideas clearly. Students learn to strengthen their writing by following the writing process of planning, editing, revising, and publishing. Students use technology to produce and publish papers and interact and collaborate with others.
Math: Students learn to add and subtract multi-digit whole numbers using standard algorithms fluently, and they learn to interpret multiplication equations. Students use the four operations to solve word problems involving distances, time intervals, liquid volumes, masses of objects, and money. Students compare fractions, find common denominators and use decimal notation for fractions. Students also recognize angles, understand the concept of angle measurement and draw points, line segments, rays, and angles within two-dimensional figures.
Science: Students apply scientific ideas to design, test and refine a device that converts energy from one form to another, and students compare multiple solutions that use patterns to transfer information. Students learn that plants and animals have internal and external structures supporting survival, growth, behavior, and reproduction. Students also analyze and interpret data from maps to describe patterns of the Earth's features. They generate and compare multiple solutions to reduce the impacts of natural Earth processes on humans.
Social Studies: Students learn the organization and functions of the Oregon government, and they explain how Oregon achieved statehood. Students compare and contrast varying settlement patterns in Oregon and identify political, economic, cultural, and physical conflicts involving the use of land, natural resources, economic interests, competition for scarce resources, and cultural differences within Oregon and between different geographical areas. Students learn how diverse individuals and groups influenced Oregon's early growth and changes. Students evaluate timelines that show relationships among the people, events, and movements in Oregon history.
Enrichment
Daily Mass: Attending mass is an important part of Catholic worship and helps students deepen their faith and understanding of Catholic teachings. Daily mass can provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their spiritual life, seek guidance, and participate in the Eucharist, which is a central sacrament of the Catholic Church. Additionally, attending mass regularly can help students develop a sense of community and belonging within their school or parish as they gather with their peers and other members of the Catholic community to worship together. It can also instill a sense of discipline and commitment as students make a daily commitment to attend mass and participate in religious education.
Music: Students use music as a prayer form and will participate in leadership roles in various liturgical celebrations using sacred music. Students sing independently, on the pitch, and in rhythm, conveying feelings, moods, and messages of songs. Students have opportunities to play on at least one string, wind, or percussion instrument. Students identify music from different historical periods and cultures, and they learn the role of the Catholic Church in the history of music.
Dual Language (Spanish): Students are immersed in the Spanish language and culture throughout all aspects of their day. Native Spanish-speaking students and native English-speaking students are integrated into the same classroom, where they develop bilingual and biliterate academic proficiency.
Art: Students are provided opportunities to explore their God-given gifts and talents in art each week. Students learn to identify art from different cultures, identify various cultural expressions and themes within art, and recognize religious art forms. Students create, present, and perform artworks, using their experiences, imagination, observations, and technical skills to achieve the desired effect.
STEM: Students integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics through engaging, hands-on projects where students work cooperatively as a team. Students work together to define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want. They compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well each will likely meet the criteria. Students plan, analyze and conduct fair tests to find the most logical explanation.
Technology: Students engage in positive and safe behavior when using technology. Students collaborate with a teacher and within a team to employ age-appropriate research techniques to locate digital resources to help them learn. Students understand that technology is a gift from God to be used to spread God's loving message.
Physical Education: Students attend PE class each week. Students learn a variety of skills related to various sports. They learn to analyze, reflect, plan, and strive for a healthy level of physical activity and fitness for life. Students exhibit responsible personal, social, and cultural behavior that respects self and others as a gift from God.
Library: Students visit the library weekly. They are provided lessons that promote a desire for life-long reading and are given opportunities to check out books to bring home and share with their families.
Recess: Students have recess daily.
Special Events: Donuts for Dads, Muffins with Mom, and singing at our Christmas program. Students also participate in service projects.
WHAT TO EXPECT IN FIFTH GRADE
"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." Mark 10:14
Classroom Curriculum
Religion: Students acquire and demonstrate skills to recognize their gifts from God and engage in Catholic expressions of prayer to deepen their relationship with God and the church. Students determine the reason for creation and interpret how the Bible illustrates the story of creation. Students develop a moral conscience informed by church teachings and conform to Christ. They recognize the presence of Christ and enter into communion with him through active participation in the liturgical celebrations and sacraments of the church.
Literacy: Students are required to analyze literary and informational texts to identify the author's purpose and point of view, determine the main idea and supporting details of a text, use context clues to understand unfamiliar words, compare and contrast different texts on similar topics, and explain how authors use literary elements to convey meaning.
Writing: Students write informative and explanatory texts and narratives that use effective techniques and clear sequences. Students must produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience, conduct research using multiple sources and proper citations, and revise and edit their writing for clarity, coherence, and use of standard English conventions.
Math: Fifth-grade math encompass a variety of mathematical concepts and skills, including number operations, measurement, geometry, data analysis, and probability. Students must understand and use whole numbers, decimals, and fractions, solve real-world problems, and interpret and construct different graphs and charts.
Science: Students learn the properties of matter by developing models to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen. Students use models to explain that the energy in animals' food was once energy from the sun. Students create models to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. Students also learn ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact and how communities can protect the Earth's resources and environment.
Social Studies: Students use geographical tools to investigate and compare how areas in the United States can be divided in multiple ways. They learn the principles of U.S. democracy found in the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. Students explain the religious, political, and economic reasons for the movement of people from Europe to the Americas and analyze the multiple perspectives of the interactions between settlers and American Indians. Students also identify and examine the roles and impact of diverse groups of people within the 13 British colonies that became the United States.
Enrichment
Daily Mass: Attending mass is an important part of Catholic worship and helps students deepen their faith and understanding of Catholic teachings. Daily mass can provide an opportunity for students to reflect on their spiritual life, seek guidance, and participate in the Eucharist, which is a central sacrament of the Catholic Church. Additionally, attending mass regularly can help students develop a sense of community and belonging within their school or parish as they gather with their peers and other members of the Catholic community to worship together. It can also instill a sense of discipline and commitment as students make a daily commitment to attend mass and participate in religious education.
Music: Students use music as a prayer form and will participate in leadership roles in various liturgical celebrations using sacred music. Students sing independently, on the pitch, and in rhythm, conveying feelings, moods, and messages of songs. Students have opportunities to play on at least one string, wind, or percussion instrument. Students identify music from different historical periods and cultures, and they learn the role of the Catholic Church in the history of music.
Dual Language (Spanish): Students are immersed in the Spanish language and culture throughout all aspects of their day. Native Spanish-speaking students and native English-speaking students are integrated into the same classroom, where they develop bilingual and biliterate academic proficiency.
Art: Students are provided opportunities to explore their God-given gifts and talents in art each week. Students learn to identify distinguishing features of works of art and their historical and cultural contexts. Students create, present, and perform artworks, using their experiences, imagination, observations, and technical skills to achieve the desired effect.
STEM: Students integrate Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics through engaging, hands-on projects where students work cooperatively as a team. Students work together to define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want. They compare multiple solutions to a problem based on how well each will likely meet the criteria. Students plan, analyze and conduct fair tests to find the most logical explanation.
Technology: Students engage in positive and safe behavior when using technology. Students collaborate with a teacher and within a team to employ age-appropriate research techniques to locate digital resources to help them learn. Students understand that technology is a gift from God to be used to spread God's loving message.
Physical Education: Students attend PE class each week. Students learn a variety of skills related to various sports. They learn to analyze, reflect, plan, and strive for a healthy level of physical activity and fitness for life. Students exhibit responsible personal, social, and cultural behavior that respects self and others as a gift from God.
Library: Students visit the library weekly. They are provided lessons that promote a desire for life-long reading and are given opportunities to check out books to bring home and share with their families.
Recess: Students have recess daily.
Special Events: Donuts for Dads, Muffins with Mom, and singing at our Christmas program. Students also participate in service projects.