Academics : St. John School

St. John Preschool is an early childhood based curriculum pooled from a variety of different sources in order to stimulate children from varying backgrounds and levels of achievement. Our curriculum consists of basic religion lessons, a beginning language program, math readiness, and motor skills development including art and music. Our children learn while playing in an atmosphere of exploration and discovery. St. John Preschool is a five day program. Hours for K3 are 8:00 – 11:15 and hours for K4 are 8:00 – 11:30. Children may be dropped off as early as 7:45.

Students in kindergarten through eighth grade are to be at school from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Children may be dropped off as early as 7:45 a.m.

All children are expected to participate in all classes and activities during school hours. Exceptions may be approved by the principal for reasons of health or special cases.

Grades kindergarten through fifth grade are self-contained with the freedom to place a child for instruction in the grade which best suits his/her needs.

Sixth, seventh and eighth grades are departmentalized according to subject areas.

Social and academic objectives for K3 are met through linking literacy to play.

Our children develop socially while learning:
To get along with others, to be polite and fair
To share with others with toys, games and experiences
To explore new things and ideas
To listen to stories and directions
To look at books and learn how to use them
To use new words learned from experiences, books, and picture
To care for self and belongings: including bathroom and cleanup
To play outdoors developing large motor skills, sharing, and taking turns
To eat with others practicing good manners
To think of others
To protect self and to know who to turn to for protection
To develop independence

Our children develop academically while learning:
To recognize and name numerals 1-10
To relate numerals to sets of objects 1-10
To count 1-20
To recognize and name the eight basic colors
To recognize and name the four basic shapes
To begin to recognize the names of the letters and their sounds
To spot differences in colors, shapes, letters, numerals, and sounds
To develop fine motor skills, including eye-hand coordination
To express themselves creativity through art, music and role play
To develop listening skills including learning to follow directions

Pre-Kindergarten (K-4) Curriculum

The following content areas are in alignment with the Georgia
Pre-Kindergarten Program. In addition, the area of religion is also included.

Language and Literacy Development—Children will develop phonological awareness, skills in listening, new vocabulary, and expand on expressive language.

Mathematics—Children will begin to develop an understanding of numbers, will create and duplicate simple patterns, sort and classify objects, and develop a sense of space and an understanding of basic shapes.

Science—Children will experience the world of science through explorations of the environment, and life, physical, earth, and health sciences.

Religion/Social Studies—Children will develop a sense of their importance within their family, their community, and their church. They will also develop a respect for the differences in people. Basic prayers will also be introduced.

Creative Expression—Children will be given opportunities to express themselves creatively through art, music, drama, and dance.

Social and Emotional—Children will begin to develop social and emotional skills that allow them to successfully participate in society.

Physical Development—Children will participate in a wide variety of activities designed to promote both gross and fine motor skills.

READING: Work on letter sound recognition, sequencing, sight words and beginning and ending sounds.

MATH: Number recognition 0-32. Begin Addition and subtraction. Introduce measurement. Learn time / hour, 1/2 hour. look at geometric shapes.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Talk about neighborhoods, community helpers, holidays, countries. Good Touch/Bad Touch.

SCIENCE: Study weather, seasons, and space.

RELIGION: Talk of God's love for us, our families, and the world.

COMPUTER: Introduce students to basic computer vocabulary
Discuss basic care of computers
Use educational software to reinforce concepts taught in the classroom

READING: Vocabulary building of over 400 words, strategic reading, and building comprehension. Enjoy stories.

PHONICS: Work with ABC order, vowels, consonants, blends, digraphs, compound words, and decoding skills.

MATH: Master basic skills to 10, fact families, patterns, and number relationships. Work with counting, place value, time, money, geometry, fractions, measurement, facts to 18.

LANGUAGE: Learn basic grammar skills, parts of sentences, beginning writing.

SPELLING: Learn to spell short vowel and long vowel words as well as special
words for writing.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Includes Native Americans, Pilgrims, Columbus, Washington, Betsy Ross, Lincoln, Martin Luther King. Learn about families, where they live and things they need.

SCIENCE: Cover units on living things, weather, seasons, magnets, Earth, water, health.

RELIGION: Learn basic prayers, learn that actions have consequences, begin to understand and participate in mass, study Jesus and His love for us. Recognize that it is good to help others.

HANDWRITING: Learn basic manuscript skills.

COMPUTER: Recognize physical components of the computer
Student participation in teacher facilitated communication
Use educational software to reinforce concepts taught in the classroom

READING: Phonics based skills, building comprehension, recognizing main idea, using critical thinking, inference and context clues.

PHONICS: Review alphabetical order, study vowels, digraphs, diphthongs, consonant blends & diagraphs. Learn compound words, synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, prefixes, suffixes, and contractions.

MATH: Master addition and subtraction facts to 20. Work with 3 digit addition and subtraction, place value to 999, money, time, measuring, multiplication to 5X, simple division, geometry, fractions and problem solving.

LANGUAGE: Grammar, composition, usage, poetry, book reports, study skills, listening and speaking skills.

SPELLING: Dictionary & Thesaurus skills, proofreading, creative writing enrichment.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Focus on neighborhoods and communities, stressing history, geography, economics, citizenship including lessons on other countries.

SCIENCE: Use of maps and globes, charts, diagrams and time lines. Study interaction o living things, energy & motion, weather, dinosaurs, solids, liquids & gases, health.

RELIGION: Study reconciliation, holy Eucharist, Prepare for First Communion Mass, Christian life, learn basic prayers. Recognize God’s gifts of family, self, life, love, and community.

HANDWRITING: Review manuscript and begin cursive writing.

COMPUTER: Continuation of basic computer vocabulary
Introduce simple desktop publishing software to create stories
Participation in teacher facilitated information gathering
Introduction to brainstorming/webbing software to facilitate organizational proficiency
Use educational software to reinforce concepts taught in the classroom

READING: Increase vocabulary, comprehension, decoding skills, do word study, oral language development and structural analysis. Continuation of phonics skills.

MATH: Work on place value, regrouping with 4 digits, learn multiplication facts to 12, division facts to 9, begin statistics, probability, measurement, time, geometry, fractions and decimals.

LANGUAGE: Develop written and oral communications, build on dictionary and library skills. Continue grammar, correct usage, mechanics of English

SPELLING: Work with vowels, clusters, endings prefixes, suffixes, compound words, contractions, dictionary skills, sentence building and use of Thesaurus.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Study communities, geography, map skills, research skills, thinking skills, graphs and charts, time lines, and citizenship.

SCIENCE: Study life cycles, roles of living things, matter, energy, solar system, Earth’s resources.

RELIGION: Study Sacraments, Stations of the Cross, Learn to Pray the Rosary.

COMPUTER: Demonstrates understanding of basic technology and follows established rules for the care and use of technology tools
Continuation of brainstorming/webbing software to facilitate organizational proficiency
Participate in class multimedia project
Use educational software to reinforce concepts taught in the classroom

READING: Increase comprehension, including main idea, sequence, word referents, story mapping, summarizing, cause & effect.

MATH: Review basic math facts, place value, multiply by one and two digits, divide by one and two digits, measurement, statistics and probability, fraction concepts, addition and subtraction of fractions, geometry, perimeter, area, and volume, dividing by two digits, addition & subtraction with decimals.

LANGUAGE: Continue written and oral communications, speaking and listening skills, build on dictionary and library skills. Continue grammar, correct usage, mechanics of English.

VOCABULARY: Study synonyms, antonyms, parts of speech, spelling and word associations.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Study regions of the U.S. with a special look at Georgia, examine history, geography, economics, humanities, and citizenship. Use of maps & globes, latitude & longitude, time lines, flow charts, graphs, etc. Georgia history and geography are integrated.

SCIENCE: Study weather & climate, magnetism & electricity, properties of matter, classifying living things, Earth’s land including shape, natural resources and recycling.

RELIGION: Parts of the Bible, commandments, beatitudes, eternity, communion of Saints, reconciliation, prayer.

COMPUTERS: Formal keyboarding instruction begins with emphasis on proper fingering technique. Grade is determined by passing a typing proficiency test.
Introduction to Word Processing software using standard and formatting toolbars to create and edit documents

READING: Improve comprehension, thinking strategies for reading and writing, build competence in recalling, analyzing, inferring, synthesizing and evaluating.

MATH: Review math skills using whole numbers, fractions and decimals. Learn skills in place value, probability and graphing, geometric concepts, customary units of length, capacity, weight, metric measurement, area, volume, ratio, proportions and percent.

LANGUAGE: Writing skills include prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading & publishing. Grammar usages stresses rules of grammar, capitalization, and punctuation in sentence structure. Critical and creative thinking skills are also stressed.

VOCABULARY: Study of words, definitions, parts of speech, synonyms and antonyms.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Study of chronological events of United States History from the early settlements through the twentieth century. Georgia history and geography are integrated.

Science: Study includes systems in living things, the solar systems, populations & ecosystems, the Earth, matter & energy and light and sound.

RELIGION: Learn more about each sacrament, Church creed, commandments, beatitudes, parts of the Bible and kinds of prayer.

COMPUTER: Continuation of keyboarding skills using timed writings
Proficiency in using word processing software
Introduction to Desktop Publishing software to create flyers, cards, etc.
Use Internet to conduct basic research with teacher guidance.
Introduction to spreadsheet software creating simple graphs with teacher guidance

LITERATURE: Literacy skills emphasized include characterization, suspense and climax, plot, foreshadowing and cause and effect. Genres such as legends, myths, folktales, and poetry are studied.

MATH: Mastery of math facts using whole numbers, fractions and decimals. Other areas of study include statistics and probability, geometry, measurement, ratio, proportion, percent, consumer math, integers and coordinate graphing, and an introduction to pre-algebra.

LANGUAGE: Study skills and writing skills are practiced. Emphasis is placed on understanding and applying rules of language.

VOCABULARY: Students study word families based on Greek and Latin roots. Study of spelling and of subject-specific vocabulary are also included.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Sixth graders study world history and geography. Map skills are emphasized. The course of study is organized chronologically. Critical thinking skills such as cause-effect, classification, and analysis are taught.

SCIENCE: Earth Science including formation of the Earth, rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, weather, oceanography, and astronomy. Catholic teachings on different scientific studies and theories are also studied.

RELIGION: Old Testament with reference to parallel stories in the New Testament. Family Life components include family and community relationships, personal growth, development of the unborn baby and its birth, and personal responsibility.

COMPUTER: Use proper keyboarding techniques with increasing speed and accuracy
Internet Safety and Computer Ethics Unit
Use webbing software to plan, create, and present simple multimedia project
Introduction to spreadsheet software
Identify basic technology tools. Recognizes and manipulates the physical components of the computer

LITERATURE: Study is continued in recognizing and appreciating genres such as legends, myths, folktales, poetic devices and foreshadowing.

MATH: Mastery of math facts using whole numbers, fractions and decimals. Other areas of study include expressions, equations, inequalities, integers, number theories, metric measurement, ratio, consumer math, area, volume, statistics and graphing, algebra, rational number topics.

LANGUAGE: Review study methods, punctuation, capitalization, grammar and correct usage. Reference skills, listening skills and expository writing are also studied.

VOCABULARY: Students study word families based on Greek and Latin roots. Study of spelling and of subject-specific vocabulary are also included.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Seventh graders study U.S. and Georgia history through the Reconstruction era (1877). Critical thinking skills and map skills continue to be emphasized.

SCIENCE: Life Science, cells, genetics, kingdoms, and organ systems. Catholic teachings on different scientific studies and theories are also studied.

RELIGION: Seventh graders study the New Testament, especially the life, times, and teachings of Jesus. Emphasis is given to living the Beatitudes and to living the Fifth through Tenth Commandments. The D.A.R.E. program is also included in seventh grade religion class. The family life component focuses on respect-for-life issues.

COMPUTER: Use proper keyboarding techniques with increasing speed and accuracy
Use webbing software to plan, create, and present multimedia project
Creates, manages and utilizes information using spreadsheet software
Introduction to database software.

LITERATURE: Studies include the novel, short story, poetry, nonfiction, drama, myths and folktales. Students build literacy, composition, and vocabulary skills.

MATH: Mastery of math facts using whole numbers, fractions and decimals. Areas of study include equations, inequalities, integers, rational numbers, number theory, ratio, percent, consumer math, probability, geometry, measurement, and algebra.

LANGUAGE: Knowledge and application of guidelines for written work. Review of basic skills and study of advanced sentence structures including participles, gerunds and infinitives. Practice of essay writing.

VOCABULARY: Students study word families based on Greek and Latin roots. Study of spelling and of subject-specific vocabulary are also included.

SOCIAL STUDIES: Eighth graders study post-Reconstruction U.S. and Georgia history. Essay-writing, analysis, and synthesis are emphasized.

SCIENCE: Physical Science, which includes the fundamentals of chemistry and physics. Many theories and natural laws are discussed, and Catholic teachings on these theories and laws are also studied.

RELIGION: Eighth graders spend first semester preparing for Confirmation. Basic Catholic teachings are reviewed, especially the creed, the gifts of the Spirit, Catholic prayers, the sacraments, and the marks of the Church. Second semester includes a study of Church history and the family life component, which focuses on peer and family relationships.

COMPUTER: Use proper keyboarding techniques with increasing speed and accuracy.
Operation of digital camera, scanner, and desktop publishing skills used to produce yearbook . Use webbing software to plan, create, and present multimedia project
Creates, manages, and utilizes information using spreadsheet software.
Introduction to database software
Create web page using FrontPage

Summer reading is vital for students to maintain their reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. Research has shown a direct correlation between the number of minutes per week that a child reads and his/her score on standardized tests.

Each grade's summer reading list includes one assigned book which all students in that grade will read. Teachers will do activities based on this book during the first several weeks of school.

    Here are some tips for summer reading.
    * Encourage your child to read 20 minutes each day.
    * Set a good example: you read too!
    * Match your child's interests or real-life connections with the choice of books.
    * Encourage a variety of books (just as you would encourage a variety of foods in your child's diet)
    * Consider extending bedtime 20 or 30 minutes to set aside "reading time".
    * Talk about the books you read and encourage your child to do the same.

Each student must choose one book from the summer reading list below and complete a project that will count as a test grade. The project choices are:

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary and Tracy Dockray
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner and Marsha Sewall
The Courage of Sarah Noble by Alice Dalgleish and Leonard Weisgard
Summer Reading is Killing Me by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman and Peter Sis
Be a Perfect Person in Just Three Days by Stephen Manes and Thomas Huffman
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo and Bagram Ibatoulline
Bunnicula: A Rabbit Tale of Mystery by Deborah Howe, James Howe, and Alan Daniel
Skinnybones by Barbara Park
Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Sharon Creech and Christopher Raschka

Upcoming 5th grade students will read Island of the Blue Dolphins. A summer assignment packet is available in the school office, and must be turned in at the beginning of the school year for grades in reading and English.

The packet also includes a list of books from which the students must choose three to read.

Use a dictionary to look up the definitions for all the words on the vocabulary list (below). If there is more than one definition for a word, select the one that seems most likely to fit the story. It is very important that you understand the definition. Do NOT use the root word as part of the definition! After you read section I of the book, you'll be familiar with the themes and characters of the book, so this will be easier to do. Write these definitions in a spiral-bound notebook. Bring this notebook with you the first day of school. You will use this same notebook for literature (sixth-grade reading) throughout the school year.

PLEASE skip a line between each definition. Please also LABEL each new section of definitions. This will make it much easier for you to do your first few homework assignments in literature. Make sure that you write your definitions in cursive. Do not print. Use blue or black pen. If you do the definitions in pencil you will have to rewrite them at the beginning of the year.

Do one section of vocabulary at a time. I highly recommend that you look up the words for each section before you begin reading that section of the book. This will better help you understand the reading.

I do NOT recommend that you read the book at the beginning of the summer, because you are likely to forget many details by the time school resumes and we begin discussing (and taking quizzes and tests on) the book. NEITHER do I recommend that you wait until the weekend before school starts to read the book because it will be extremely difficult to look up all the words and comprehend what you read in such a short period of time. Use good judgment.

We will be looking at several major themes in this book. Look for them as you read.

Be able to identify the basic personality traits of each major character in the book, including the animals. "Nice" is not an exact character trait. Characteristics might include friendly, responsible, bullying, smart, determined, loyal. Be able to support your conclusions with evidence from the book. If you say that a character is smart, be able to point out some exact events from the book that show the character's smartness.

Several of the characters in this book come into conflict with each other during the story. There are also conflicts with nature (survival), and characters having conflicts within themselves about what to do in a difficult situation.

Be able to describe the relationships between characters. Are they in conflict with each other? Do they support each other? Are they loyal to each other? Be able to prove your conclusion with specific events or dialogue.

Science Summer Reading 6th-8th grades

Please choose a topic in science that you are interested in and read a nonfiction book about it. (Usually a nonfiction book has an index, glossary or table of contents) You will give a 2 minute oral presentation to your class and teacher discussing your book. We will ask you questions pertaining to your book, too! This will be your first science grade this year.

War Comes to Willy Freeman
by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier

Summer reading is vital for students to maintain their reading comprehension and vocabulary skills. Research has shown a direct correlation between the number of minutes per week that child reads and his/her score on standardized tests.

Willy, disguised as a boy, is trapped at Fort Griswold as the British advance. Allowed to escape after the Americans are massacred, her father being among the dead, Willy returns home to find that her mother has been taken to New York City as a British prisoner. Willy starts on a long search for her mother. Finding refuge at the famous Faunces Tavern, she is continually reminded that being black, female, and free leave her vulnerable and open to constant danger.

Read and enjoy this book as you get to know the characters. The first few weeks of seventh grade literature will be centered around this book.

Use a dictionary to look up the definitions of all the words on the vocabulary list (below). If there is more than one definition for a word, select the one that seems most likely to fit the story. After you read section I of the book, you'll be familiar with the themes and characters of the book, so this will be easier to do. Write these definitions in a spiral-bound notebook. Bring this notebook with you the first day of school. You will use this same notebook for literature throughout the school year. REMEMBER to write your definitions so that you understand them! Do NOT use the root word as part of your definition.

PLEASE skip a couple of lines between each definition. LABEL each new section of definitions. This will make it much easier for you to do your first few homework assignments in literature.

Historical fiction: a story set in the past that has its action, setting, and characters drawn from records of actual events.

Theme: the central message, concern, or purpose of a literary work. Although the theme may be state directly in a literary work, it is usually presented indirectly.

Simile: a figure of speech which compares two unlike things using “like” or “as.” For example: The gunsmoke was drifting through the trees like thin ghosts.

Point of View: Point of view in literature refers to the voice telling the story; 1st, 2nd, or 3rd person.

Science Summer Reading 6th-8th grades

Their plane crashed high In the Andes. Their only shelter was the plane's shattered fuselage; their only supplies a little wine and some bits of candy. In the beginning, there were thirty-two survivors. Then, only twenty-seven; then, nineteen ... and, in the end, sixteen.

This is their story -- the greatest modem epic of catastrophe and human endurance.
VOCABULARY
Use a dictionary to look up the definitions of all the words on the vocabulary list (below). If there is more than one definition for a word, select the one that seems most likely to fit the story. After you read section I of the book, you'll be familiar with the themes and characters of the book, so this will be easier to do. Write these definitions in a spiral-bound notebook. Bring this notebook with you the first day of school. You will use this same notebook for literature throughout the school year.
PLEASE skip a line between each definition. Please also LABEL each new section of definitions. This will make it much easier for you to do your first few homework assignments in literature.
Do one section of vocabulary at a time. I highly recommend that you look up the words for each section before you begin reading the book. This will better help you understand the reading.

Science Summer Reading 6th-8th grades