Here at St. Mary's School, we serve students in grades 4K-8! Learn about each grade level below:
To improve our social skills and work habits we participate in a large group and learn to resolve our own conflicts with friends, we are courteous to others and show self-control. We work on playing well with others and cleaning up when we are done. We also listen to directions, work independently, and take pride in our tasks. In 4K we also improve our math skills such as counting, sorting, matching, and naming shapes and numbers. We work on literacy and language skills by recognizing letters, sounds, pictures, and eventually names/words. We explore through science with predictions, observations, and outcomes. Our fine and gross motor skills also get tested through Gym class, songs, and dance.
Mrs. Drexler's Philosophy
As a teacher I feel it is my responsibility to foster a relationship with children and their lifetime of education. Ways in which to achieve this relationship include: creating a nurturing, accepting, and enriched learning environment where children can succeed, integrating curriculum to meet the needs of all children, and molding children into respectful and responsible individuals.
Environment:
One of my goals as a teacher is to facilitate a learning environment that meets the needs of all children – academically, socially, and emotionally. A classroom should offer choices and different opportunities for children to learn, explore, and feel safe, accepted, and supported. Above all children must learn in an environment where they can succeed. Active play areas, quiet play areas, and personal spaces are all used throughout the day in a typical classroom.
Integrated Curriculum
Curriculum is something that is also based on children's individual needs. Each child learns and communicates in different ways. It is my goal as a teacher to find ways to reach out and teach these children. Curriculum can be altered to fit the needs of all children and to attain active participation.
Respect
As a teacher I feel it is my responsibility to create a small community in my classroom. Through guidance and support children will gain respect towards all individuals, taking into consideration their belongings, feelings, and opinions. Respect will be an essential and encouraged attribute in my classroom.
Classroom Management
It is crucial to me as a teacher to make my students feel safe in our classroom as to bring out the most in their learning experiences. They will learn to use their own judgment to choose right from wrong. I will help them to learn personal responsibility for wrong choices that they make and help them to understand why the choice they made was the wrong one. Making their own decisions will help them to increase their problem solving strategies needed later in life.
Kindergarten is an exciting year of learning and growth! Here is a brief overview of our kindergarten year in the classroom:
Religion: Children celebrate their Catholicism and nurture their relationship with Jesus thru daily prayer activities, meditation focuses, liturgical lessons, and also by attending and participating in weekly Mass.
Literacy and Language Development: We focus on building foundational reading and writing skills through storytelling, phonics, and interactive activities. Children learn to recognize letters, sounds, and simple words while fostering a love of reading.
Math: Children are introduced to concepts such as counting, number recognition, basic addition and subtraction, and pattern recognition. We use hands-on activities and games to make learning math fun and engaging.
Science and Exploration: Our science curriculum encourages curiosity and observation through experiments and exploration of the natural world. Topics include animals, plants, weather, and simple physical phenomena.
Social Studies: Children are introduced to basic concepts of community, family, and the environment. Activities include exploring different cultures, traditions, and understanding roles within the community.
Creative Arts: Children have opportunities to express themselves through drawing, painting, sculpting, music, and dance. These activities help develop fine motor skills and support creativity.
Physical Education: Regular physical activities promote coordination, motor skills, and teamwork. Children engage in exercises, games, and activities that encourage a healthy and active lifestyle.
Social and Emotional Growth: Children work at developing social skills, such as sharing, cooperating, and communicating effectively. We also emphasize emotional awareness and resilience, helping children understand and express their feelings.
Mrs. Hahn believes in creating a supportive and stimulating learning environment where each child can thrive and feel confident. She looks forward to partnering with you to make kindergarten a memorable and successful year for your child.
1st grade is a huge year for your child. Having an inclusive classroom is what makes our room special. We are very grateful to have Gym, Music, Computer and Library, but it is great to have the rest of our classes together. We work very hard on learning to read in 1st grade. We have a ton of new skills that we are introduced to that help us to become better readers. We love to incorporate any art we can with our literacy. Ready Freddy seems to be the most loved reading series for story time. Late in our 1st grade year, we are able to start Accelerated Reading. This is where you read a book and can take a test for points to see how well we understood the book. This is a very exciting time for us. Math is a time for us to be dipped into a variety of math skills. Money and time seem to be the most difficult but with lots of practice, we are able to demonstrate the tasks of telling time and counting money! We continue to work on basic math skills. The biggest being how to add and subtract! We do a lot of unit work for our science and social studies. We make lots of books on the topics we cover. This seems to be the most interesting because we have lots of books on science topics that the children can read during their free time! My collection grows each year to meet the needs and interests of my students.
At the start of our 2nd semester, we start something called "Writer's Journal." This is a journal that the kids write in almost every day. We start with a topic and then the children finish it and then draw an illustration to go with it. We are working on the concept of being an author! In order to be a good writer there are skills you need. The first being good penmanship. We work very hard on the Zaner Bloser method…lots of circles and sticks! The second skill we need is creating good sentences. Starting our sentences with capital letters and ending with the correct punctuation. This is a concept we work on all year!!! We are blessed to be able to take part a few times a year by planning the Mass so that we can do the readings, sing, take up the offertory gifts, etc. The most exciting Mass we partake in is our All Saints' Day Mass where we learn about our favorite saint and dress up like them. Learning about God every day allows us to put him first in our daily thoughts, words and actions. We are blessed to be able to have the chance to be with Him in every subject we learn about.
Even with all of the many exciting things that happen during our daily schedule, we have many fun events plugged in like a visit to an apple orchard or pumpkin patch. Each year we've participated in the Bunny Hop that provides donated items from our school families to fill baskets for children in the hospital or in need of some Easter joy. We are able to have 2 weeks of swimming lessons at no cost to your child. We celebrate the 100th day of school. We also plan a fun-filled track and field afternoon closer to the end of the year.
As you can see, 1st grade is a busy year will all of the academics and "extras" not listed above. Mrs. Bankes' truly believe that 1st grade is a magical year and is one of your child's most fulfilling years with all that they will learn.
In second grade, our year is filled with many engaging activities that help the students achieve at their greatest potential. Second grade students continue to develop a growth mindset, expand their knowledge, and become independent thinkers. The students move from "learning to read" to "reading to learn.” We explore a variety of genres including both fiction and nonfiction text. Through shared reading, guided reading, and mini lessons, second grade students learn about the main idea, author’s purpose, cause and effect, and drawing conclusions. We also continue to use the Accelerated Reading (AR) program to encourage students to read independently, at their own level and pace, to meet their individual reading goal.
In Writing, students learn how to write personal narratives, create opinion pieces, write about informational text, and creatively write through Writer’s Workshop.
In Math, students continue to strengthen their math knowledge and mastery of basic facts. Some of the units include: addition and subtraction (three-digits), metric measurement, 3-D shapes, patterns, time, tables and graphs, and fractions. The Rocket Math program helps the students to master addition and subtraction math facts.
Through many hands-on experiments and fun lessons in Science class, students learn about weather, plants and natural resources, animal and plant life cycles, and habitats. In Social Studies, students will learn about many topics including citizenship, geography, historical figures, and innovations over time.
Second grade students enjoy sparking their creativity through art and music classes. They strengthen their athletic skills through physical education and explore technology through computer education. The students look forward to field trips and a spring track and field day.
Finally, but most importantly, the 2nd grade students in addition to growing in knowledge grow in faith. Each day the student's relationship with Jesus grows. The students prepare to receive the forgiveness and mercy of God through the Sacrament of First Reconciliation.
The 3rd grade textbooks take the students out of the primary level and get them acquainted with the more challenging middle school expectations. While the reading material, assignments, and tests are more demanding, it allows many opportunities for creative thinking and for offering personal experiences during discussions.
The Accelerated Reader program (AR) is an integral part of each day. The students read at their comfort level and keep looking forward to improved reading skills and comprehension improvements so they're able to read more difficult books. This reaps so many benefits in all subject areas.
Multiplication and division are introduced and the students practice those basic concepts. Rocket Math keeps track of their progress from addition to subtraction, and hopefully into multiplication and division. Mastering the basic facts is an integral part of the Math program, along with the ADD series (Arithmetic Developed Daily) which reenforces the concepts listed in the Math text.
The 3rd graders review their printing skills in Penmanship, but also learn cursive. For many, the beginning attempts are challenging, but soon the writing of cursive becomes second nature.
What is important in 4th grade?
When it comes to a well-rounded fourth grader, good manners rank up there with mastering cursive writing. Mature communication skills and thoughtful actions are stressed throughout the day, using Jesus as our model. Students take more independent responsibility for organizing and prioritizing their work.
Fourth grade is a wonderful year of adventures in learning! A highlight of the year is studying the history of our great state, Wisconsin. Our field trips revolve around this theme when we travel back to the early 1900s to spend a day at The Little Red Schoolhouse; later in the fall we visit an area farm to learn about farming in our community; and finally near the end of the year we travel to our state capital and see where our government leaders work.
In Math, we build on previous concepts—such as place value, addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, fractions and so on. We become masters of the basic facts by taking Rocket Math tests. Art projects are integrated throughout the curriculum. Expect your child to be writing often in cursive (but don't be surprised if it loops and jiggles). More importantly, expect more complex ideas as we engage in weekly writing assignments that strengthen our literary skills. Fourth graders still work on mechanics like vocabulary, but look, as well, for strategies that boost understanding as they read. Active participation in Mass helps them to develop leadership skills and master the art of oral speaking.
Fifth Grade is a busy place for a lot of reasons, most importantly, God! Fifth Graders study the seven sacraments, the liturgical year, and help prepare, read and lead at school Masses. Science class includes environmental education which takes us to CWES (Central Wisconsin Environmental Station) on an overnight trip. This is the year students can join band and grow more in their love for reading as we have an Accelerated Reader program (AR) and a great library full of good books to read. Plus we love visiting with Mrs. Wilichowski, our librarian.
Words. Words? Words! That is what sixth grade is about. We work with words as we learn how to spell them, read them more proficiently, write them creatively and speak them to inform others. We explore the inspired words of Sacred Scripture as we study the Old Testament and God's plan for His people.
Sixth grade is an adventure with our creativity. We will explore literature as we build the foundation of reading and writing. Not only do we read and discuss various literary genres, we also share our own writing talents through stories and poems. We polish our speaking abilities as we prepare for various roles in liturgy and as we participate in forensics for the first time. We experiment with different art techniques to create our own "masterpieces." We also strive to share our faith and our creativity with senior citizens in the surrounding area as we visit and correspond with them.
6th Math - Students learn to work with factions and decimals as well integers. They continue to develop their knowledge of displaying data with different types of graphs. In sixth grade students are introduced to algebra concepts such as inverse operations and variables.
6th Social Studies - Students study prehistoric to ancient times, including ancient Egypt, China, Greece and Rome, through the Middle Ages. Highlights include students creating an Egyptian museum, learning about Greek Mythology and world religions. Classes include hands-on learning activities and projects as well as traditional assessments.
7th and 8th Grade Literature: The seventh and eighth grade literature classes take root with the McDougal Littell textbook entitled “The Language of Literature.” The students are introduced to a variety of classic and contemporary literature including short story, non-fiction, drama, poetry, myths, legends, folktales, and fables. Emphasis is on vocabulary, comprehension, and reflective writing. Independent reading of books at each student’s individual reading level and interest is enhanced through the Accelerated Reader program (AR). The ultimate goal is for each student to discover the love of reading and the power of the written word.
8th Grade English focuses on providing students with tools necessary to become articulate communicators of the English language. Instruction is guided by the English language arts curriculum found in the “Voyages in English Grammar and Writing” textbook from Loyola Press. This includes daily grammar lessons on the parts of speech, sentences and sentence fluency, capitalization, and punctuation as well as major writing projects such as “How to Articles, Business Letters, Descriptions, Expository Writing, Persuasive Writing, Creative Writing, and an end of the year Research Report. Weekly journal writings are created throughout the year resulting in a completed book of each student’s own works of writing. In addition, a portfolio with samples of the students’ written work from 4K – 8th grade is presented to each student at their 8th grade graduation. Forensics is mandatory in eighth grade English. The continuous goal is to create confident, successful communicators in school and eventually in society.
7th Grade Science: Two major areas studied are geology and the human body systems. In geology the areas of study are soil, weathering and erosion. Covered are the skeletal, muscular, circulatory, respiratory, digestive, and nervous systems. “Science World” magazine provides current information about science in today’s world.
8th Grade Science: Topics of study are chemistry, geology, and astronomy. Chemistry covers the elements and the periodic table along with atoms and ions. Geology deals with earthquakes, volcanoes and plate tectonics. Astronomy covers the solar system and galaxies. The eighth graders study “Science World,” a magazine that provides articles on current science in the world today.
7th Grade Math: Diocese of La Crosse 7th Grade Mathematics Course Outcomes
Students will be able to:
8th Grade Math: Diocese of La Crosse 8th Grade Course Outcomes
Students will be able to:
Math Educational Links
7th Grade Social Studies: A look at the modern world beginning with the Renaissance and Reformation to modern times, including World Wars I and II.
8th Grade Social Studies: Early US history begins with the Age of Exploration and Colonial times. Emphasis on American Government and the Civil War and reconstruction. All classes include hands-on learning activities and projects as well as traditional assessments.
7th Grade Religion: The topics covered are the Blessed Trinity, Sacraments, Works of Mercy and Catholic social teachings.
8th Grade Religion: The focus of the religion curriculum for the eighth grade student begins with an understanding of the following terms: faith and Church. Once this foundation is covered, five major areas are then examined: 1) the Deposit of Faith (i.e., Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition) and with an emphasis on the creation stories found in the Book of Genesis; 2) the Magisterium (i.e., the teaching authority of the Church) with emphasis on several encyclicals of recent Popes; 3) the notion of sin and free will with emphasis on conscience formation and moral decision making; 4) the early Church where students learn about the oral and written tradition of the Scriptures as well as reading sections from the Acts of the Apostles; and 5) a brief examination of heresies in the early Church with an emphasis on the Nicene Creed.
Computer: In computer class students learn to use a variety of programs, such as Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Publisher, Windows Movie Maker and Inspiration. Using these programs students create documents and presentations. They use the documents to organize information and practice speaking in front of groups with their presentations. Students work on keyboarding, how to find quality sources on the internet, and begin to explore coding.