RELIGION

• To know, love, and trust God.
• Learn about prayers through daily prayer, morning prayer, prayer before lunch, prayer at the end of the day, and school Mass.

READING

• Grow in comprehension and reading fluency.
• Challenged to formulate questions before, during and after reading, while identifying the main ideas in a text.
• Focus on text features of fiction and non-fiction books.
• Strong focus on phonic skills and reading strategies.
• Children read “good fit” books which challenge students without going beyond their ability.
• The goal: To foster a love of reading.

HANDWRITING

• Handwriting without Tears handwriting series used to practice forming letters accurately.
• Focus on many forms of writing including narrative writing, how-to writing, non-fiction writing, and opinion writing.
• Journal and creative writing are used to help students communicate their thoughts and ideas.
• Nouns, verbs, and adjectives are introduced to prepare for formal grammar in second grade.

SOCIAL STUDIES

• Students explore the concept of neighborhood.
• Examples are: People and buildings in neighborhoods and how they help communities
• Map skills are learned through drawing and reading maps of bedrooms, houses, classrooms, and neighborhoods.
• The concepts of Past, present, and future are introduced as well as how communities evolve over time.

SCIENCE

• Students discover the differences between living and non-living things.
• Three main units: Weather (seasons, types of weather, severe weather safety), Properties of Matter (solids, liquids, gases, properties of water, and magnets), and Animal life (life cycles, food chains, animal habitats).
• Lessons are supplemented with many hands-on activities (STEM), journals, and experiments.

MATH

• Main Focus: Addition and Subtraction up to 20.
• Measurement, geometry, and problem solving.
• Counting money and telling time to the hour and half hour.
• Other Concepts: Sorting, patterns, whole numbers, fractions, addition, subtraction, fact families, vertical and horizontal problems, collecting data, sharing, counting by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s, problem solving strategies, graphs, charts, number lines, money, and measurement.

TEXTBOOKS

The textbooks we use are evaluated on a five-year cycle. We choose books based on curriculum alignment, grade level appropriateness, and overall quality.

RELIGION

• Preparation and reception of the sacraments of Penance and First Holy Eucharist
• Sacraments are God’s gift to us and that they too are part of God’s loving plan.
• Parts of the Mass.

READING

• Continue to grow in comprehension and reading fluency.
• Strengthen knowledge of text features of fiction and non-fiction books.
• Formulate questions before, during and after reading, while identifying the main ideas and plot.
• Strong focus on phonics skills and reading strategies using “Words Their Way” program.
• Children read “good fit” books which challenge students without going beyond their ability.
• Foster a love for reading in teaching through learning to read.

WRITING

• Writing across the curriculum in mathematics, science, reading, and social studies.
• Personal narratives, friendly letters, how-to articles, descriptive stories, and book reports are introduced.
• The Writing process and parts of speech are continued.
• Cursive writing is introduced.

SOCIAL STUDIES

•  Community helpers, being a good citizen, and the types of communities are discussed.
• Students learn to interpret and create maps of city centers, and rural farms. 
• Students master the important skills needed to read and interpret graphs, charts, and diagrams they encounter in their community.

SCIENCE

• The scientific process and method is introduced through experimentation.
• Topics include: Plant and Animal Life Cycles, States of Matter, and Forces of Motion.
• STEAM activities are prominent.

MATH

• Algebraic thinking is enhanced using more complex addition and subtraction sentences, base ten, problem solving strategies, multiplication and division, geometry, and measurement.
• Concepts of sorting, patterns, whole numbers, fractions, addition, subtraction, counting by 3’s, 4’s, 25’s, 50’s and 100’s, basic multiplication and division, problem solving strategies, graphs, charts, number lines, money, estimation, and measurement.
• The main focus is on fluency in addition and subtraction.
• Students master money and time

TEXTBOOKS

The textbooks we use are evaluated on a five year cycle. We choose books based on curriculum alignment, grade level appropriateness, and overall quality.

RELIGION

• In third grade, through studying the development of salvation history, students become immersed in the life of Jesus and develop a deeper understanding of God’s love.
• Third graders will study the Liturgical Calendar and how the Church developed and grew. 
• Our students plan and participate in Mass throughout the liturgical year, participate in Adoration, and celebrate the sacrament of Reconciliation.

READING

• Through various types of literature, the third graders learn comprehension skills and strategies that will help them develop into lifelong readers. 
• Students read novels, short stories, and non-fiction selections. 
• Students participate in book clubs, author studies, and research and present a biography selection. 

WRITING

• Students study English grammar including the parts of speech, sentence structure, and word study. 
• Students write short stories, personal narratives, expository writing, persuasive letters, journal writing, book reports, informational writing, creative writing, and biographies.
• The development of cursive writing is continued.
• Students also write and present American Hero speeches.

SOCIAL STUDIES

• Third graders study the founding and development of our great state of Michigan. 
• Students learn about Michigan from the first settlers to present day topics. 
• Students also develop and deepen their map skills in third grade.

SCIENCE

• Our third graders focus on physical, life, and earth science. 
• Hands-on projects and experiments bring abstract science concepts alive for our little scientists.
• STEM opportunities are provided throughout the year.   

MATH

• In third grade, students work on concepts of multiplying and dividing as well as multiplication facts 0-12. 
• Students also learn about fractions and decimals.  
• Students continue to improve their critical thinking skills through problem solving, word problems, and graphs.
• The students develop and master the concepts of place value, expanded and standard form, mathematical patterns, rounding and estimation, measurement and geometry. 

TEXTBOOKS

The textbooks we use are evaluated on a five year cycle. We choose books based on curriculum alignment, grade level appropriateness, and overall quality.

RELIGION

• Fourth grade students understand their purpose and goal in life, to see God’s plan in history to lead us all to Heaven, our true, eternal home. 
• The Faith and Life student textbook incorporates the four principal components of catechesis: the Creed, the Commandments, the Sacraments and Liturgy, and Prayer and Scripture. 
• Many of our fourth graders choose to serve at the Lord’s Table as altar servers in fourth grade. 

SCIENCE

• In fourth grade, we begin the year with studying Physical Science (energy-light, sound, heat and motion – acceleration, speed; electricity). 
• Life Science (plants/animals classification, reproduction, adaptations, ecosystems) is covered as well.
• Lastly, Earth Science concepts of minerals, rocks, weathering, erosion, and the water cycle.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

• Comprehension skills such as making inferences and determining theme are mastered through thematic units. 
• Graphic organizers, story maps and skill packets are used to scaffold mastery of comprehension skills. 
• The reading curriculum is enriched with quarterly books, projects, and book reports, focusing on a variety of genres.
• Fourth graders learn about the types of sentences, parts of the sentence, and correcting improper sentences.
• There is a strong focus on English grammar in all writing.
• Students write several pieces of work including personal narratives, book reports, descriptive writing, how-to demonstrative speeches, expository writing, and creative writing.
• All formal writing is done in cursive.

MATH

• By fourth grade, students have a good foundation for algebraic thinking and problem solving.
• We cover topics of place value, adding and subtracting large numbers.
• Multiplying by three-digit numbers, dividing by two-digit numbers, measurement, probability, fractions, geometry, decimals, and some concepts of algebra are introduced.

SOCIAL STUDIES

• Students explore a brief overview of how the Nation came to existence (Native Americans, explorers, colonists).
• They also learn about the National government (branches, laws, constitution).
• Additionally, students learn about the regions of the United States (Economy, geography, industry, people) by focusing on the five themes of geography).

TEXTBOOKS

The textbooks we use are evaluated on a five year basis. We choose books based on curriculum alignment, grade level appropriateness, and overall quality.

RELIGION

• Our fifth-grade religion curriculum is centered on the Seven Sacraments.
• Students learn the origin and purpose of each Sacrament and how each Sacrament is celebrated within the Church.
• Students come to understand and appreciate how each Sacrament fills us with the Holy Spirit, strengthens our faith in God, gives us the gift of Grace, and helps us develop a deep and lasting relationship with Jesus.
• By studying each Sacrament in depth, students come to appreciate this essential aspect of our Catholic tradition.

SCIENCE

• In fifth grade, students learn ecology, matter and motion, and the excretory and respiratory systems.
• There is a focus on the physical sciences at this level. The children especially love the food chain and food web project they research and write about.

READING

• Students are exposed to even more text elements through multi-media and visual elements used in graphic novels and multimedia presentations.
• This helps them prepare to explore more challenging novels and non-fiction texts in literature circles as the year progresses.
• Students will read between 7-10 novels during the year using Elements of Fiction to aid in comprehension.
• The year culminates with a Battle of the Books using all the novels that were read.

WRITING

• Through rigorous practice and written application students are able to become articulate communicators of the English language.
• Using many different writing genres, students practice and become confident in the writing process.
• Students use diagramming and interactive notebooks to reinforce skills learned in class.
• Formal pieces of writing are completed in cursive.

MATH

• Our fifth graders master the skills of adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals in preparation for geometry and algebra.
• Students also solve more complex word problems and use data to solve problems.
• The students are given work based on fluid groupings.
• The students develop and master the concepts of place value through billions, expanded and standard form, counting patterns, ordering seven digit numbers, rounding to the nearest hundredth and million, rounding money, greatest common factor, least common multiple, divisibility up to 9, and decimal concepts.
• Fraction concepts, adding and subtracting integers, multiplying and dividing integers, money, adding and subtracting with regrouping, five digit division, multiplication, problem solving strategies, adding, subtracting, division, and multiplication of fractions and decimals, and tables, charts, and graphs.
• The focus is on two-digit multiplication and division, and on fractions and decimals in preparation for more complex mathematics.
• Students learn about Meta-math numbers and how to analyze their mathematical comprehension.

SOCIAL STUDIES

• The path to learning the history of our nation begins with the United States: Making a New Nation.
• Students begin by studying the land and its early people and continue the study the geography of the country and the theories of early settlement.
• The story continues with early explorers and the fight to control the New World; early Colonial development and the fight for independence.
• The students study the evolution of the United States Constitution and the expansion of our nation.
• Students examine the events that led up to the Civil War and the effects it had on the United States.
• Classroom learning is enhanced by the use of PowerPoint, interactive notebooks and unit independent reading books

TEXTBOOKS

The textbooks we use are evaluated on a five year basis. We choose books based on curriculum alignment, grade level appropriateness, and overall quality.