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Curriculum in Review
Elementary
Preschool - Janet McWhirter
Pauline memorial Preschool fosters concepts of faith, value, justice, equality and love of creative learning. Our aim is to give children a positive first school experience in a nurturing environment. The program is designed to enhance the child’s social development and self-concept and to prepare hem with age appropriate learning skills. We help children to realize God’s love for them personally as they grow physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally.
Our preschool program subscribes to the philosophy that, from birth, children develop at different rates and learn in different styles and modalities. Our program then includes a variety of age appropriate activities and experiences in the areas of reading, writing, math, science, social studies, music and technology.
Following the curriculum of the Diocese of Colorado Springs, we strive to prepare students for a successful kindergarten experience.
Kindergarten - Chris Zigment
There is much to learn in the wonderful world of kindergarten. The usual letter recognition, phonemic awareness, phonics, writing and counting is just the beginning of our curriculum. Religion is the core of the day, with Bible stories, blessing stories and prayers a daily component.
We work our way through the numbers to addition and subtraction concepts. We begin learning our star words (sight words) and color words through song. Our daily calendar routine leads us to our 100 Day Celebration, an event all look forward to and are sure to remember. We make many class books and alphabet books, as well as a special book about seasons, a Thanksgiving book and Christmas book as we study these various units.
A trip to Happy Apple Farm to get a pumpkin aids our math lessons in weighing, measuring and estimation. In December, we collect toys for the Billie Spielman Center and decorate a tree for the animals in Cheyenne Canon with edible decorations as we put our basic beliefs into action. An Emergent Reader program allows young readers to check-out books from our classroom library to practice their reading at home. Making an astronaut is always fun as we explore the reaches of outer space. A dinosaur dig and making a fossil helps us understand our planet’s past. The year draws to close with every child decorating their own tee shirt as we take a last look at color mixing and the movement of molecules.
First Grade - Monica Leckey
In language arts we use decoding skills, phonemic awareness, guided reading, grammar, sentence structure, comprehension and weekly spelling tests. Science finds students studying plants, animals, the earth and its environment, our natural resources and the weather. If time permits, we delve into experiments about heat, light and sound.
First Grade Social Studies allows students to explore family, school, work, neighborhoods, our country and holidays. Mathematics is all serious work. Students graph data, add and subtract through eighteen, and explore geometry and fractions. Measurement, time, place value and number patterns round out our curriculum. Weekly math minutes provide end of the week excitement.
Our religion classes touch on the beliefs we have as Christians, Mary and Jesus, the seasons of the Church, the celebration of Eucharist at Mass and the praying of the rosary.
Fun begins in First Grade with Dr. Seuss, the Rain Forest, Flat Stanley, Learning Centers, Weekly Readers, Thanksgiving Play and Walking Fields trips.
Second Grade - Lucca Dust
Our Second Grade begins preparation for receiving the sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Communion. Spelling words are seasonal like Halloween, Christmas and Valentine’s Day. Students enjoy spell down games such as Sparkle.
Second graders learn comprehension skills and fluent oral-reading skills. They are learning new vocabulary words with all the components of the English language such as how to spell the vocabulary words as challenge words; their parts of speech; their definitions; the synonyms and antonyms for each word; and using these words in different types of sentences and in composition. Highlights of the reading program also include units on whales and ocean life, camouflage and the history of our country.
Students learn the mechanics of writing: letter writing, creative writing and poetry writing. Especially exciting for second graders is learning to write in cursive for the first time.
In math, students learn basic facts and fact families. They learn place value for numbers to one thousand. Telling time to five minutes and understanding minutes and hours is special fun. Students practice counting and using money to $1.00. Most exciting is learning two digit addition and subtraction with regrouping.
Social Studies consists of learning about living and working in different types of communities. We learn map study skills and about the holidays people celebrate. The best unit that everyone enjoys the most is the unit on Native Americans.
In science, second graders learn observation skills using their senses. Students investigate by asking questions and making predictions. They learn to describe, classify and compare. Learning about life cycles of butterflies becomes a class project.
Third Grade - Jamie Fleischmann
Language Arts in Third Grade consists of spelling, English grammar and a phonics series. These areas are also reviewed in Daily Oral Language. In this way, children continually practice these skills. The students also practice comprehension and reading skills through a basal reader and chapter books.
In math, we emphasize place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division facts, geometry, algebra, problem solving skills and graphing.
It is in Social Studies that students learn about government on the local, state and national levels. They participate in an election and a mock trial to learn about these processes. Students also complete studies on mapping, physical features and local history. In the spring, we participate in Junior Achievement activities sponsored by local businesses.
Science is a fun time because we emphasize areas such as the Solar System, geology, the human body, the environment and animals.
In Religion, students participate in Mass by preparing liturgies and music. They also learn at this time, the Apostles’ Creed, the Sacraments, and the beginnings of our Church.
Fourth Grade - Rhonda Hauser
Curriculum information still to come!
Fifth Grade - Rachel Evans
All academic subjects are important. But in the fifth grade, more emphasis is placed on independent reading and research. Fifth grade is a time to prepare children for middle school. It is important for them to take responsibility for their studies and behavior. The religion program includes daily prayer and learning about the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The focus in mathematics is on addition/subtraction/multiplication/division of decimals along with fractions, graphing and measuring, basic geometry and the building blocks for algebra. In language arts, spelling is sharpened; reports are longer and writing diversifies. Reading materials become more complex. The main events studied in social studies are the explorations and discovery of the Americas through the Civil War.
Middle School - Grades 6, 7 & 8
Mathematics - Kavon Rueter Students continue in their development of: problem solving skills; numeration which includes divisibility rules, exponents, prime and composite numbers ; least common multiples; greatest common factors; operations and computations using fractions and rational numbers; measurement converting between other units in the same system; probability, statistics and data analysis; pre-algebra and algebra.
Technology - Cathy Hanson
Science - Michelle Thiele
Life Science covers: organism classification of viruses, bacteria, protista, fungi, plants, animals, cell structure and function; heredity and genetics; human anatomy and the interactions of the human body systems; ecosystems and ecology; and the nature of science.
Earth Science covers: physical and chemical properties of matter; atomic structure; the periodic table of elements; compounds and mixtures; chemical reactions; chemical equations; acids and bases; mineral, rocks, water, the atmosphere, landforms, wind, glaciers, mountain building, earth movements and geologic time; electricity and magnetism; renewable and non-renewable resources; energy, astronomy and the nature of science.
Religion, Language Arts & Geography - Kim German
The Language Arts program focuses on grammar skills and the ability to construct quality paragraphs and research papers. Some of the best examples of grammar skills are the student’s ability to identify parts of speech in a variety of contexts. Writing skills are exemplified in cross curriculum research papers and persuasive essays dealing with global issues.
Theology begins with the study of the Old Testament and creation stories in the 6th Grade. Focus is placed on the Ten Commandments, understanding Jesus’ lineage through the prophets and kings. Seventh Grade continues with Jesus’ life and teachings. Focus is on the New Testament, parables and connecting the teachings from our Jewish roots to the development of Christianity through Jesus Christ. Eighth Grade Theology focuses on the development of the Catholic Church. Students learn about their faith in a practical way in order to practice it on a daily basis.
Social Studies and Literature - Anna Sanzo
Our social studies program delivers a wide variety of instruction and engages all learners. Out activities (student created information puzzles, daily oral geography, power point presentations, dramatic performances, re-enactments, walking tours, spoke diagrams, cooperative learning, evaluations, debates, museum exhibits, scrapbooks, historical simulations, problem-solving situations) are designed to excite and enhance student learning, which ultimately leads to increased achievement.
Middle School Literature offers a myriad of reading experiences, both in and out of class. Students are involved in class discussions, extended activities and exercises that teach students to be critical leaders and thinkers. Students have participated in a mock trial of TJ Avery (Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry), dramatic performances (Adventures of Ulysses/The Odyssey), writings that offer personal insight as well as analytical thinking (The Pearl, To Kill a Mockingbird), art and media productions (monthly book reports), extended projects (The Outsiders), daily reading experiences (whole group, small reading groups, partner reads, audio and silent reading), and group discussions bringing the literature more alive and personal. Our novels, short stories include classic and contemporary literature that provides a blend of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and drama that support theme based literature.
Specials
Art - Shannon Boyd
The ART Program participates in the wonderful Art Shows in our community. The shows vary from year to year. Students have exhibited at the Library, Starbucks, the Young’s people’s Art Show and of course our own Art Show. In the Arts & Science Expo this year, each student will display one piece of art work from each of our grades one through eight. This is a judged show with prizes and certificates of participation. Our students work in many different mediums such as clay, plaster guaze, paper mache’, oil pastels, dry pastels, and metal & acrylic paints.
Music - Barbara Dorris
In choral music, a composite of Orff and Kodaly methods are used to teach children to analyze, read and perform music by singing, moving, listening and playing instruments at a level appropriate for their age and skill. Performances include a Veterans Day program of patriotic music, an Advent Program, and a Spring Musical. Additionally, we have three choirs that sing for Friday Mass on a rotating basis. Fourth, Fifth and Sixth grades learn to play the recorder. The Seventh and Eight grades learn to play “hand bells” during a classroom unit. In a zero hour before school, group guitar lessons are offered to interested middle school students. After school, Beginning Violins are provided as well. The opportunity to join the Corpus Christie Band is also available once a week after school for those that can travel.
Beginning Spanish - Claraines Aguado
Curriculum still to come.
Physical Education - Kerri Roberds
The primary grades work on basic loco-motor skills: walking, skipping, galloping, running, leaping, jumping (one and two footed). We also work on spatial awareness, body control and the concepts of general and self-space. As we move into the year, primary grades begin working on balance, dodging and fleeing skills, as well as throwing and catching. As with all classes we also address fitness and health. Special activities throughout the year include: Red Ribbon Week in October, Jump Rope for Heart in February and Field Day at the end of May.
The intermediate grades begin to work on more sport-related skills. We continue mastery of loco-motor skills and continue improving dodging and fleeing skills, as well as, catching and throwing. We play sport lead-up games, teaching basic skills, in football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, track and field, and kickball/softball. We also focus on overall health, fitness, sportsmanship and team building. Special activities throughout the year include: Presidential
Fitness Tests in October and April, Red Ribbon Week in October, Jump Rope for Heart in February, and Field Day at the end of May.
Athletics - Brian Roberds (Athletics Director)
Pauline Memorial Catholic School participates in the Christian School Athletic League and provided the following sport opportunities for this school year:
Cross Country – Boys and girls grades 5 through 8
Soccer – Boys and girls grades 5 through 8
Volleyball – Girls grades 5 through 8
Basketball – Boys and girls grades 5 through 8
Wrestling – Boys grades 1 through 8
Track – Competitive boys and girls grades 5 through 8
Track day boys and girls grades 1 through 4
2007 – 2008 Athletics review:
- 81 athletes
- 15 teams
- 2 boys soccer teams
- 2 girls soccer teams
- 4 volleyball teams
- 6 basketball teams
- 1 wrestling team
- 5 teams finished 1st or 2nd - 5 additional teams finished top 4
- 21 athletes lettered for the first time
Pauline hosted team sports for the first time in our new gymnasium
- 20 basketball games for 7th / 8th grade
- 14 basketball games for 5th / 6th grade
- 4 wrestling dual matches
With the addition of the PMCS soccer field we were able to host 12 home soccer matches for the first time.
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