Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 2:

The Core Curriculum

Overview
In prekindergarten through grade 2, students engage in developmentally appropriate challenges aimed at forming a solid foundation in reading, writing, mathematics, and thinking skills. Understanding the needs of young children, teachers provide time for snack break, recess, and other activities outside. Prekindergarten and kindergarten schedules include rest times for children. Within a traditional teaching and learning context, teachers vary activities to engage students actively in learning. Students begin to take on responsibility for completing work and managing their materials and belongings.

Prekindergarten
The Prekindergarten program involves the whole child in the educational process. Developmentally appropriate opportunities for children to grow spiritually, academically, emotionally, socially, and physically are provided in a personal manner to assure that the strengths and needs of each student are addressed. Students begin the study of letters and numbers through a program called Letter People. A teacher and a teacher assistant staff each classroom.

Kindergarten through Grade 2
Beginning with kindergarten and continuing through Grade 8, the curriculum is based on the standard course of study set forth by the Diocese of Raleigh. Field trips enrich the curriculum.

Religion
In the primary grades, emphasis is placed on helping students develop a personal relationship with God through prayer, reflection, and service. Religious instruction includes Atrium, a Montessori approach, more traditional classroom based activities, and participation in liturgies and Friday morning prayer.

Language Arts
Emphasis in language arts is on developing strong reading, writing, and speaking skills and nurturing a love for reading and writing. Students engage in phonics study, journal writing, choral reading, independent reading, structured writing, and handwriting exercises. Students move from invented spelling to conventional spelling.

Mathematics
Mathematics focuses on real-life problem solving. Basic math skills are practiced through a variety of methods: balanced instruction, whole group, small group, teacher-directed, and open-ended activities, and partnership between school and home. Opportunities for students to discuss strategies and solutions to clarify thinking are considered essential. Some topics covered are Patterning, Numbers and Operations, Comparing Sets, Data and Graphing, and Geometry.

Social Studies
Primary students begin with a focus on self and families including families around the world, followed by an exploration of neighborhoods, communities, regional studies and government. Students develop basic research skills and ideas about living in community.

Science
Students engage in hands-on science activities as they learn to develop the process skills for science inquiry. Primary students learn about Life, Earth, and Physical Science, and Space and Technology.  Some topics explored are weather, how we use land and water, plants and animals, night and day, and machines.