Our major goal in Kindergarten is to help the students establish a close and loving relationship with the Lord. We learn about God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The students practice daily prayers such as The Sign of the Cross, The Our Father, the Angel of God Prayer, The Hail Mary, and grace before meals. Students embrace God’s love through everything they do and say. Learning how to interact with one another in kind ways is an essential part of our Religion curriculum. The students listen and participate in Bible stories and attend weekly Mass halfway through the school year. The Virtue Program is utilized at all grade levels.

In our curriculum, students use manipulatives to build a stronger understanding of mathematical concepts. At the Kindergarten level, students develop a deeper knowledge of numbers through 30, add and subtract through 10, compare objects by weight and length, sort and classify objects by color, shape, and size, and continue geometric patterns. Students learn how to tell time to the hour and half hour, the denominations of coins and bills, and graphing skills. A school-wide online math program reinforces and evaluates student achievement.

In our Social Studies curriculum, students are encouraged to work together both at home and in school. Friendship and conflict resolution is a major part of Kindergarten’s social studies curriculum. Students also learn about the national and Catholic Church holidays, recognize that maps and globes represent places, and identify the United States and the state of Michigan on a map. American democracy is introduced through United States symbols, rules and fairness, safety signs, and community leadership. Economy and public issues are also discussed throughout the school year. Some topics include goods and services, needs and wants, community jobs, and classroom meetings to solve current problems.

In our kindergarten language arts curriculum the focus is primarily based on phonics, verbal comprehension, reading fluency, vocabulary building and following instructions. A foundation of beginning skills are taught, as kindergarteners learn through guided lessons, direct teaching and the exploration of fundamentals with specific focus on the alphabet and letter sounds, phonemic awareness, and rhyming words. Focus areas include exploring all possible sounds and blends, creating phonological and phonemic awareness.

Through a series of pre-reading, reading, comprehension, and pre-writing activities, students develop strategies such as recalling details, drawing conclusions, and summarizing stories. Kindergarten culminates with a thorough review of phonics, highlighting letter, sound recognition and writing for a variety of audiences.

In Kindergarten, life, earth, and physical sciences are explored through a variety of direct teaching of content knowledge and student-centered experimental opportunities. The students collaborate with one another, hypothesize, test their hypothesis, problem solve, and conclude their findings as they explore new scientific concepts and ideas.

In gym the students are introduced to the basic fundamentals of physical fitness and physical activity. They learn and develop their locomotor skills, non -locomotor skills, motor skills and knowledge of how they use these skills in various activities. Students are assessed on their basic skills after each unit and also take a modified fitness test (Fitnessgram) twice a year. Students are taught the importance of best effort, sportsmanship and communication. The curriculum is taught through various activities and games. All concepts align with the national (SHAPE America) and state (SHAPE Michigan) physical education standards.

Kindergarten students are inspired to express their creative spirit during their once a week art class. They are introduced to art vocabulary and the artistic process. They have a differentiated program with concentration in drawing, painting, printmaking, ceramics, sculpture and basic art history. Students develop a personal portfolio of completed work throughout the year. Their work is displayed at the end of each school year in a school-wide art show.

Our students are encouraged to make music and worship a joyful part of their daily lives. Students attend a weekly music class in which they experience all aspects of music: vocal, instrumental and movement. The curriculum is aligned with the national standards for music education.

Spanish for students are introduced to the basic skills and culture of the Spanish language. Students learn vocabulary and basic grammar through songs and activities. The language is presented at an age-appropriate basic level. Students are also exposed to the different traditions and customs of the Spanish speaking world. Students are excited to practice their new vocabulary through speaking and listening activities which reinforces proper pronunciation.

Students are introduced to technology as a tool for life-long learning. During their weekly computer time, they learn to develop hand/eye coordination through typing and mouse tracking. Students are also introduced to proper keyboarding skills and develop a basic understanding of word processing. Computer projects focus on creativity, sequencing, and following verbal and written directions. Students learn about the wide variety of technology uses and are introduced to safe and appropriate Internet use. Internet safety is introduced starting at kindergarten.