Pauline Memorial Catholic School Early Childhood Development Program fosters concepts of faith, value, justice, equality and love of 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 them with age-appropriate learning skills.

We subscribe to the philosophy that from birth, children develop at different rates and learn in different styles and modalities. Following the Core Knowledge curriculum, our program includes a variety of age-appropriate activities and experiences in the areas of reading, writing, math, science, social skills, work habits, music, art and technology as well as foreign language for our four to five year olds. Through these activities and experiences, we strive to prepare our students for a successful kindergarten experience.

Through our religion curriculum, we help children realize God’s love for them personally, appreciate the many gifts He has given them, and develop their responsibility of stewardship toward all of His creation.

Pauline Memorial’s child development program is licensed by the Colorado Department of Human Services as a half day preschool and as such, abides by all regulations prescribed by that agency. Morning sessions are from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and afternoon sessions are from 12:15 p.m. to 3:15 p.m. Three to four years olds attend pre-school Tuesday and Thursday mornings. Four to five year olds attend pre-kindergarten either on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings plus Thursday afternoons or Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.

Academic success begins in kindergarten with our Core Knowledge curriculum that provides the foundation for educational achievement. This program challenges the student to explore the wonderful world of learning through a research-based plan. This plan provides a systematic approach across the curriculum which presents the knowledge that is necessary to succeed in today’s world. Our math program, enVision Math, enhances this goal with its planned and personalized curriculum providing for a deeper understanding of math concepts.

Religion is the core of the day with Bible study, prayers, Mass and basic tenets of Catholic doctrine at the heart of our program. Merely studying our faith, however, is not enough. Putting our faith into practice is an integral part of our goal. Through visiting the sick, collecting food for the poor or making lunches for the homeless, we put our faith into action.

A daily calendar routine leads us to our 100 Day Celebration with all activities centered on that special number. Letter recognition, phonemic awareness, phonics and writing are all integral parts of our reading program. An Emergent Reader Program allows young readers to check out books from our classroom library to practice their reading at home. We make many class books as well as a special book about the seasons, Thanksgiving and Christmas. Making an astronaut is always fun as we explore the reaches of outer space. A dinosaur dig and making a fossil helps us to understand our planet’s past. The year draws to a close with every child decorating their own tee shirt as we take a last look at color mixing and movement of molecules.

Every child has the chance to bloom in kindergarten!         
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Students graduating into first grade bring an exciting enthusiasm and desire to learn. In Language Arts first graders count syllables in a word, isolate initial and final sounds, and segment words into individual sounds including consonant blends. They blend individual sounds to make words, and create new words by deleting or changing initial, medial or final sounds in one syllable words. Students read and listen to a wide range of fiction and nonfiction books practicing reading comprehension, spelling and grammar. They reply to “how, why, and what” questions about the texts and answer “when, where and how” questions using complete sentences and produce a variety of writings, stories, and descriptions. Students’ journal entries teach them the use of punctuation and capital letters.

Religion classes in first grade review the beliefs we have as Catholic Christians, Mary and Jesus, the liturgical seasons of the Church, the celebration of the Eucharist at Mass, and the praying of the Rosary. Curriculum also includes geography lessons with the study of continents, countries, states and communities, the use of map keys, and north, east, south and west directions. First graders review our planet’s oceans, the seven continents and locate the equator and the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. History lessons investigate early civilization and exploration from colonies to independence and the American west. Science lessons explore living things and their environments, such as habitats, and animal life. Students study the human body systems and how to prevent illness along with the properties of matter, electricity, astronomy and the earth. Finally, the enVision math program in first grade explores patterns and classification, numbers and number sense, money, addition, subtraction, and measurements.

Second grade is the special year we prepare for First Reconciliation and First Eucharist. To instill a sense of the sacred, we honor the Lord with daily prayers and hymns. We rejoice in the glory of creation in science, poetry, artistic endeavors and in our wide-world studies. We recognize Christ in each other and respect each other by practicing virtue in the classroom and at home.

A dynamic, engaging learning environment helps emergent readers increase fluency and comprehension through daily group and partner reading. Language comes alive in everything from the richness of “tame” sea chanteys to rounds to grammar games to poetry to stink-pinks to ‘Metaphor Mania’ to the Great Idiom Race. Especially exciting for the second graders is learning to write in cursive. The new enVision math program gives concrete understanding underlying the skills and makes use of games and visual constructs in which to practice those skills. Map studies and exploration of cultures as well as early civilizations are supported by the Core Knowledge curriculum. In science, second grade investigates cycles such as living things’ life cycles, and the seasonal and water cycles of the physical world. Art is essential to the wholeness of the human spirit and a love of beauty and the joy of producing, and it is the spice mixed into religion, social studies, science, and journaling. 

Second grade is a busy year of learning and becoming.
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The third grade at PMCS follows Core Knowledge curriculum in which all academic subjects are integrated so students make connections in their learning process. Language Arts consists of spelling, English, phonics, writing, research skills, dictionary skills, reading comprehension and vocabulary. These skills are practiced through the stories students read, group activities, written activities, and Daily Oral Language. Students write books and complete projects across the curricular areas to practice research and writing skills. In social studies class students learn about the three branches of government, regional history, world geography, the thirteen original colonies, the Roman Empire, and early exploration of North America.

Third grade students take field trips around the community to help reinforce their classroom learning. Light and sound, the human body, health, our solar system, geology, animals and the environment are taught in science. They study about the Old Testament and become familiar with the stories and people in the Bible along with an in-depth analysis of the Apostles Creed by completing a writing project and memorizing the prayer. Students attend daily Mass and actively participate in the preparation of several Masses throughout the school year.

Fourth grade students are becoming more independent workers and thinkers. They utilize literature circles to study novels such as Gulliver’s Travels, Treasure Island, Pollyanna, and The Whipping Boy. Extensive cross-curricular writing is done through lab work-ups in science, research projects in social studies, and word problems in math. Students work extensively writing and publishing their own stories. Daily Oral Language activities help students reinforce grammar skills learned throughout the year.

Students journey to the Middle Ages in social studies and then travel across the pond to study the American Revolution. The history of Colorado is a major component to the fourth grade curriculum. Science finds students learning about the circulatory and respiratory systems, and they experiment with electricity, rocks and minerals, and chemistry. Math class teaches multiplication and division along with some geometry concepts and algebra. Religion focuses on the study the Ten Commandments and the parts of the Mass.

Fifth grade is dedicated to preparing students for middle school while learning to be more independent and responsible for their successful academic career.  Students have the opportunity to test important social skills through cooperation and communication with group projects and team building activities.  The language arts curriculum focuses on writing and improving skills by creating a variety of writing lessons such as research papers and writing poetry.  Fifth graders study different genre of novels including Secret Garden and Little Women.  In social studies focuses on the time prior to, during, and after the United States Civil War along with the Renaissance and the Reformation.  Major topics in science include classifying living things, cells, and matter.  The Math curriculum challenges students as they begin to multiply and divide fractions and decimals.

Our Catholic faith plays a significant role in everyday activities beginning with Mass each morning.  During religion class, fifth graders discuss Christ’s life as model for our lives, and students study and reflect upon the attitudes and responses of those called by Christ, particularly during Christ’s life on Earth. 

The fifth grade year comes to an end with a three-day trip to High Trails, an outdoor adventure center, where fifth graders put into practice the leadership, team building, and communication skills they have learned throughout the school year.

The mathematics program for 6^th grade covers all aspects of arithmetic and prepares students for the next level of math, which is pre-algebra. The enVision math curriculum divides the subjects into 20 topics. The year begins with learning all about fractions, decimals, mixed numbers, and integers, as well as operations involving these numbers (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division). The next phase of the curriculum involves identifying geometric figures in both two and three dimensions. There is a focus on angle types and angle measures, symmetry, transformations and congruency of figures. In semester two, students use ratios, rates, proportions, and percents that leads to solving equations, interpreting graphs, and using/converting different units of measure. The last phase of the curriculum brings all this together using geometric applications such as finding perimeter, area, surface area, and volume.  Students also apply data to graphs as well as applying probability through counting methods, permutations, combinations, theory, and actual events.

The 7^th grade math course is pre-algebra and begins with decimals and integers used in mathematical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) as well as metric units, order of operations and the distributive property. This is followed by the use of exponents, factors and fractions through comparison and data analysis. Equations and inequalities are solved and used to find ratios, rates, proportions and percents. During the second semester, students identify and classify geometric figures, measure their areas, perimeters, circumferences, use the Pythagorean Theorem, and determine surface area of prisms and cylinders. To ready students for graphing data, they learn to recognize number sequences, patterns, functions and rules, and they use the coordinate plane to graph linear equations, geometric slides, flips, turns, symmetry, reflections and rotations. The year comes to an end putting data on display and analyzing it. This knowledge is applied in probability through predictions, experiments, permutations, combinations and multiple events.

Algebra I in 8^th grade begins with the foundations of algebra and solving two-variable equations. Once mastered, students solve multi-step inequalities and compound inequalities and are introduced to linear and non-linear functions.  At the end of the first semester, students are solving systems of equations using both elimination and substitution. During the second semester, 8^th graders begin with exponential functions, exponential growth and decay as well as using zero and negative exponents. These concepts lead to polynomial operations and factoring, followed by quadratic graphs and functions. These concepts develop into completing the square, quadratic formula, the discriminant, and linear/quadratic/exponential models. The latter part of the semester involves radical expressions, radical equations, and operations with rational expressions. The last phase of Algebra I concentrates students’ skills and mastery to applications of data analysis and probability concerning organization, samples, and surveys.

Sixth grade science is an overview and touches on all aspects of science that include Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science. Students learn about cells, reproduction, heredity, classifying, plants, ecosystems, changes to Earth’s surface, rocks, fossils, water cycle, weather patterns, solar system and atoms/elements.

Seventh grade science follows the Core Knowledge sequence in which students study Physical Science, the history of Earth, cell division, and Life Science.  Areas of study include density, matter, solids, liquid, gas, periodic table, atom bonding, chemical reactions, paleontology, geological time line, mitosis, meiosis, bones, nutrition, digestion, circulation, respiration, and the nervous system.

Eighth grade students have an in-depth study of Earth Science and Physical Science during the school year.  Topics in Earth Science deal with plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, oceans, and astronomy.  The focus of Physical Science encompasses physics, electricity, magnetism, electromagnetic radiation, light and sound waves.

The language arts program in middle school focuses on grammar skills and the ability to construct quality paragraphs and research papers.  Some of the best examples of students’ grammar skills include the ability to identify parts of speech in a variety of contexts such as diagramming and quizzes. Writing skills are exemplified in cross curriculum research papers and persuasive essays dealing with global issues.

7th Grade Religion and History - Kim German
Seventh grade religion class focus is twofold. The textbook, The Creed, is used as in a first-year course preparation for Confirmation. The areas covered are God the Creator, the Blessed Trinity, Jesus as Lord and Savior, and The Church of Jesus Christ.  The other textbook used in class is The Catholic Connections Handbook for Middle Schoolers.  Using this textbook, the areas covered are Jesus and His teachings, the early Church, and the mission of the Church.

Seventh grade history is based on the Core Knowledge curriculum. Topics studied in 7th grade are World Wars I and II, The Great Depression, The Russian Revolution, Imperialism, and the Geography of the United States, Russia and Europe.  A variety of activities are used to engage the students. Activities range from group projects on the geography of an area to individual research projects that require a formally written paper, oral presentations or historical reenactments.
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Eighth grade students utilize three books in their faith studies. To thoroughly prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation, eighth graders begin the year with the Liturgy and Worship book, which provides an in-depth study of the Sacraments as well as the Liturgical Seasons and a study of the saints. Students also study the Catholic Connections Handbook.

During the second semester, students focus even more intensely on Confirmation using the Harcourt series, Call to Celebrate: Confirmation. Students discuss, reflect and write about various topics of discussion.  In addition, during the second semester, Theology of the Body is taught jointly by Mrs. Burke and Deacon Brian Roessler. Deacon Brian also teaches the history of the Church to the students at selected times during the week.

The art curriculum at Pauline Memorial Catholic School is based on the elements and principles of art. This curriculum follows the Colorado State standards for the Visual Arts. Each student in art class is encouraged to develop their creative talents. The projects in our curriculum are designed to engage each student in this creative process. Age-appropriate design projects give the students hands-on experience with materials and problem solving. Students work in many different mediums such as acrylic inks, clay, plaster gauze, paper mache, oil pastels, dry pastels and paint.  Student work is displayed regularly in the Art Gallery hallway outside the school office, during a Fine Arts Festival, and at area libraries.

Music - Jeanmarie Bonifield Prohaski
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 Mass on a rotating basis. These choirs are combined seventh and eighth grade classes, fifth and sixth, and third and fourth grades. Fourth through eighth graders learn to play recorders. Special choirs are offered through an after school Enrichment Program, which perform secular, popular and sacred music. Mrs. Bonifield has a small voice studio that performs one recital each year in the spring.

Physical Education - Alicia Holden
In PE classes, the primary grades work on basic loco-motor skills through skipping, galloping, and running, leaping, jumping and hopping as well as spatial awareness, body control and balance.  As the year progresses, students learn proper throwing and catching techniques as well as kicking and dribbling the ball.  They learn to throw a Frisbee and participate in an active tumbling unit.

PMCS intermediate grades work on more sport specific skills.  Students continue mastery of loco-motor skills and improve dodging and fleeing skills along with catching and throwing. Students play sport lead-up games and learn skills in flag football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, ultimate Frisbee, badminton, and softball. 

Throughout the year our focus is to increase the physical fitness of all students culminating with the Presidential Physical Fitness Test at the end of the year.