course descriptions

Overview of courses for grades kindergarten through eighth

Reading

At St. John’s School we believe that success in reading is fundamental to success across the curriculum and in life. Therefore, we take pride in the scope and sequence of our reading program. Beginning in Kindergarten and continuing throughout your child’s education at St. John’s School, our teachers focus on phonemic awareness, decoding and word recognition, vocabulary development, fluency, print concepts, reading comprehension, and literary analysis of grade-level appropriate texts – both fiction and non-fiction. As our students’ progress and the level of difficulty of the texts they comprehend increases, the complexity of our reading curriculum becomes more challenging. From Dr. Seuss to Shakespeare, St. John’s School students are constantly turning pages, chapters, and paradigms of thought.

Language Arts

Effective writers are effective communicators, and communication lies at the heart of a healthy society. Recognizing the need for solid writing, research, grammar, and spelling skills, St. John’s School’s language arts curriculum guides and empowers emerging writers to become skilled expository, persuasive, and creative writers. From kindergarten through eighth grade, St. John’s School students are introduced to authentic and dynamic writing situations. As each piece of writing progresses from draft-to-revision-to-final product, students are encouraged to share their work, critique the work of their peers, develop their voice, and add ownership to their work.

Mathematics

Success in mathematics relies upon a sturdy framework of math skills. From making sense of numbers and their relationship to shapes, quantities, objects, and values, to explaining complex logarithms, St. John’s School’s mathematics curriculum provides a sequential education that is grounded in steps of understanding, evaluating, and problem-solving. Construction of logical thinking skills and frequent practice of those skills, however, are just part of a mathematics education at St. John’s School. Using an investigation-based model to teach mathematics, our teachers frequently give St. John’s students at real-world problems to explore and to solve using mathematical reasoning. This hands-on, active approach to math education ensures that the process of discovery and the study of mathematics are inseparable and equally enjoyable.

Science

Investigation and experimentation are at the heart of St. John’s School’s science program. Beginning in kindergarten, students are introduced to the scientific method and are asked to apply that method in their inquiries as they study the physical sciences, life sciences, and Earth sciences. As children progress through the grades, the science curriculum becomes more complex, and more emphasis is placed on understanding the processes and the intricacies of the world that we live in. Spending as much time in the lab and in the field as they do in the classroom, St. John’s School students are always actively engaged in the scientific process of inquiry.

Social Studies

Combining studies in the areas of economics, history, civics, cartography, and multicultural studies, St. John’s School social studies curriculum acts as a vehicle for students to benefit from, learn from, meaningfully participate in, navigate through, and appreciate the diversity of human society. Using core concepts such as chronological and spatial thinking, point of view, and historical interpretation, the St. John’s School social studies curriculum well-prepares students to become partners in an ever-changing, truly global community.

Art

Art is both commentary and expressive in nature. By building an appreciation for and an understanding of the arts, we prepare students at St. John’s School to develop a better understanding of themselves and the world around them. Our students participate in artistic endeavors and learn to critique the work of others (both professional and peer-created works). Students learn to develop creativity and to see the world differently because of the creativity of others.

Religion

Recognizing that faith builds moral and spiritual character, St. John’s School offers both daily chapel services and biweekly religion courses. The religion curriculum is designed to encourage students to seek clarity about their own beliefs and to honor those traditions more fully and faithfully in their own lives. Both the chapel service and the religion courses are designed to be inclusive of Episcopalians and non-Episcopalians, Christians and non-Christians, people of distinct faith traditions, and people of no faith tradition.

Foreign Language

Using the total physical response model to teach Spanish, the St. John’s School foreign language curriculum actively engages kindergarteners, fifth-graders, and eighth-graders alike in the process of learning a second language. Courses are offered twice a week.

Computer Science

Computers have become the central operating device for everyday life, and the ability to use computers effectively often translates into the ability to benefit from modern society. St. John’s School computer curriculum teaches everything from the basics (typing and research skills) to the creative and dynamic (multimedia presentations). Our program recognizes that today’s online conveniences can also introduce nuisances, and the computer curriculum effectively teaches students to surf safely on the Internet and to care for and maintain the computers they use. Courses are offered twice a week.

Physical Education

Offering courses twice weekly, St. John’s School’s balanced physical education program teaches dance, exercise, fitness, and coordination through participation in both traditional and nontraditional sports. Students are encouraged to develop both individual and team skills.