In my last article, I detailed how parents can help us by valuing academic excellence in their own families and in the way that they manage their children’s time and activities. In this article, I will try to lay out several of the programs for academic excellence that we try to put in place here during the school day and how we are working to ensure that all of our students are given the opportunity to benefit from them. I especially want to explain to you how you can get clear feedback regarding exactly how your child is doing.
As with teaching in the domestic Church (i.e. the family), educational endeavors within the Parochial school have to start with religious and spiritual formation. Consequently, the development of virtue within each student and within each class is the most essential ingredient to success. Our school’s efforts with the Three R’s (respect, reverence, responsibility) program include guidelines and covenants for students, teachers and parents to strive to uphold and establish as habits. This is what Catholic education has been about since its inception. Consequently, the first and most important grades each parent should look at are those pertaining to behavior.
The second priority for academic excellence has to be a strong foundation in the basics. Our early childhood program is led by experts in this field who have established systems for success within their classrooms which rely on two basic ingredients (in addition to spiritual formation):
- phonological awareness & number sense (programs in the school: Saxon phonics (pre-K, K), Open Court Reading and Phonics (1-5), Reading Intervention Program (k-2: parents are contacted if their child is enrolled in this), Saxon Math, hands-on math manipulative's)
- memorization/modeling skills: for most of the time a child is in Primary school
He/she is memorizing or modeling things (Math facts, phonics rules, spelling, catechism, English grammar and composition rules, songs, rhymes, games, penmanship, gross/fine motor skills). An intensive system of drill (both school-based and at home flash cards), teacher remediation, and individual assessment is used to give students every opportunity to learn and apply these basic skills.
If your student gains mastery in the foundational skills taught in numbers 1 & 2 above, you should ask your child’s teacher how your child is doing in the higher challenge areas. Teachers decide for themselves how to handle enrichment, but universally, Accelerated Reader and classical enrichment curriculum are two avenues that everyone can use. It should be our priority to work with parents to individually challenge each child to achieve age and ability appropriate growth and improvement each year. Parents have to help guide their child along in order for this process to work.
At the Intermediate level, students move from learning to read to reading to learn. In our Intermediate school, foundational skills are further developed and instruction relies much more on the students progressing into independent practice after they have learned a skill (as opposed to mainly group work managed by the teacher). Consequently, beginning in 3rd grade (and incrementally more each year), students begin to test on subjects (Social Studies, Reading, Science), formulate short compositions, and memorize detail and subject-based rules of inquiry. Now that we have Power School available to see all grades anytime, parents should look specifically at test scores. Creative writing projects will also periodically be brought home. Highlights at this level are:
- Open Court Reading Comprehension and Grammar (phonemic awareness weaknesses at this level are out of the class room: Alphabet Phonics or other interventions)
- Saxon Math, common Math hour/opportunity for advanced placement
- hands-on Science with an emphasis on reasoning
- Classical Curriculum, Accelerated Reading (total points correlate strongly to success in school—minimum points required by teachers are just that—and most students who read regularly would surpass those)
Our final opportunity to pursue excellence is in our Middle School program. Blessed Sacrament Catholic School has a tradition of academic excellence emanating from the work of the Sisters of St. Joseph and concentrating on a no-nonsense academic standard which accurately provides feedback on how each student is doing versus that high standard. I bring this up as a part of my talk on our Middle School program because it is during this period that we have our final opportunity to round out each student’s education. Whereas in all of our programs, we try to emphasize to the students that they do their best (hence, no academic honor roll, no emphasis on grades (rarely) in early childhood), it is in Middle School where students can come to find their niche with regard to their academic goals and the way they are going to apply their talents. Some of the programs we use to do this are:
- traditional curriculum rich in content and challenge; constantly working to prepare the students for making the most of their abilities now, in High School, and beyond (and proven with a good track record of doing so)
- an elective system and extra curricular program which allows students to delve into Music, drama, art, business, athletics, religious programs, etc.
- special needs and tutoring availabilities which reflect on the expertise, generosity
and professionalism of our staff
- system of academic competition which allows for further developing one’s subject matter and academic interests
In conclusion, our ultimate goal is to give a well-rounded, Christ-centered (family friendly) education to each of our students. There is ample opportunity for challenge and many ways to discover the miraculous beauties of our world, both physical and spiritual. As with anything in life, however, those who put the most into it get the most out of it.
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