Pre K3

Pre K3 students will have the opportunity to share and develop themselves in a creative environment, to build strong self esteem and to provide beneficial experiences to develop the student emotionally, intellectually and physically. All of this is being done in a loving and nurturing atmosphere which sets the foundation for the critical building blocks to start their introduction to socializing and interacting with their peers. Five full or five half day sessions are available and no more than fifteen students per class are allowed.

This year, students are having fun and learning by bringing everyday experiences into the classroom. Projects include a science fair exhibit (this year the constellations will be explored) and studying the life cycle of live animals including the praying mantis, butterflies, frogs and bunny rabbits. Language Arts includes 'letter a week' exercises. In Math we are discovering numbers 1-10, shapes and colors, and in Religion we are learning about God and the senses He gave us. Penmanship, computer, gym, music and Spanish (numbers and colors) are also studied and enjoyed.

Pre K4

The children in Pre K4 are provided with not only an academic education, but also one with an education of building confidence and self-esteem. We are committed to giving personal, loving attention to each child by helping to cultivate imagination and to teach basic skills and good habits. Areas of study contribute to a cheerful and enlightening atmosphere for these young children. The children learn through a variety of channels including small group activities and hands-on experiments. Creative and interactive instruction in science, math, handwriting, language development, computer, music, religion, and the arts are maintained. The children also have playtime and gross motor skill development. This enhances the children’s social, academic and developmental preparation for Kindergarten. Homework is given in preparation for Kindergarten and the beginning of their formal schooling.

Preschool children are really becoming independent thinkers. At this early age, children are keenly sensitive to God’s love for them and easily learn to bring that love to their interaction with others. At Christ the Teacher, a child’s independence is encouraged and supported through our well-developed and age-appropriate curriculum.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten provides a rich learning environment for all learners. The literacy based Reading and Phonics program gives every student the foundation for reading and a love of literature. Recently, our Kindergarten began a new reading series from Scholastic. The results have show an increase in standardized testing. Math, Science, Social Studies and Religion are exciting programs balanced with hands on art, cooking and creative play. All of this along with Music, Gym, Computer class and Library helps the student grow academically, emotionally and spiritually.

First Grade

The first grade curriculum focuses on all the major subjects including Phonics and Handwriting. In Reading we read stories and incorporate vocabulary, comprehension, phonological skills and grammar.

In Math the first graders learn to add and subtract, tell time, count money and gain a basic understanding of measurement, geometry and fractions. In Science we cover the study of plants and the concept of growing and changing of people and animals. In Social Studies we learn about our neighborhood, families and people at work. Overall, the first graders are motivated to learn through the teachings and guidance of God and the Church community.

Second Grade

Second grade is an exciting and challenging year as we cover many areas. In Math the students will learn regrouping in addition and borrowing in subtraction principles. We will cover dinosaurs in Science, and Social Studies will include history and geography. We will also cover learning the parts of speech and practicing cursive writing skills. We read short stories which incorporate learning vocabulary and new comprehension skills. Spelling and Phonics are also a big part of our curriculum. In Religion, the children will prepare to receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion.

Third Grade

Our third grade curriculum includes the learning of multiplication and division, writing in script, and creating “juicy sentences” using colorful adjectives, adverbs and clearer verbs. We aggressively attack paragraph writing with the added bonus of writing to our Clifton pen-pals. In addition, we enter a Poetry Contest in which some of our poems become published. Reading takes a front seat with us, for not only do we work on our reading program, but we also dive into many books which deal with our American heroes (real and tall tale).

Third grade likes challenges, therefore our unique features include working on math 'timed tests', phonics 'discover -a- word', social studies 'who are we?', religion 'acting out stories', science experiments, creative arts and crafts, and spelling Jeopardy. These keep the students’ minds alert and eager to discover the newer facts of life.

Fourth Grade

In Math the curriculum includes addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, time and money, measurement, geometry, decimals, statistics and probability, and word problems including all of the above.

In Language Arts we will cover comprehension, vocabulary, listening, speaking and viewing. Skills extend into real world skills, study skills, content area, vocabulary and all aspects of grammar on fourth grade level, giving special help to ESL students.

In Science we will cover rain forests, climate, earthquakes and volcanoes. We will also cover certain aspects of aerodynamics.

In Social Studies the curriculum includes the United States, its land, people and environment. We also will study the history of New Jersey.

In Religion, we will cover God in Creation, Jesus as Lord and Savior, the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes.

Grade 4 has a "mind-opening" curriculum from learning about the uniqueness of our state our invigorating song-filled Religion lessons. We always are moving to discover the wonders of each day.

Fifth Grade

Now that fifth graders know how to use whole numbers in our daily lives, we will learn how to use the same processes with fractions and decimals. The explanations are easier to grasp when we use money and food as part of the problem and solution.

We will discover the United States from the time of the Native Americans - the children have made various projects in class depicting the lifestyles of these groups of people. Our class will also enjoy solving the everyday problems of learning how to work together. We will continue to study America from the time of the colonies through the explorations, the inventions, the Wars, and the Presidents, up to the present century.

In Reading, we realize how each of us is inspired by the lives of others; from sports' figures and artists to the Jewish population during World War II. We will experience the excitement of solving mysteries with Sherlock Holmes and the archaeologists at Vesuvius. Through the magic of literature, we'll fly around the world with Amelia Earhart, experience adventures at sea, in space and other exotic lands and participate in the Olympics!

We will learn all the parts of speech while writing news stories, 'how-to' paragraphs and opinions. We'll use all of our senses to write descriptive paragraphs on fantasies and poems about the seasons and holidays.

The fifth grade is learning more and more about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Mary and all the saints through the sacraments. We are studying the parts of the Mass and Father Paul Lee visited with samples and explanations of the vestments and vessels used at Mass.

Sixth, Seventh and Eighth Grade

In Math our students learn the importance of mathematical applications and its use in making decisions in daily life. We travel through operations with whole numbers, decimals, fractions, geometry, equalities, inequalities, use of variables, problem solving and increase levels of difficulty from one grade to the next. For students who demonstrate the appropriate skills, we introduce Algebra I to promote enthusiastic advancement and an early introduction to high school math.

In Social Studies the 6th grade curriculum covers early world cultures, while the 7th and 8th graders cover the American journey. They begin with the exploration and development of the American colonies and continue through history up until early space exploration. To keep us up to date on world issues, students are assigned a topic from which they have to find a current news article and write a written summary as well as give an oral presentation. Other hands-on approaches are used in the hope of sparking an interest in the students. Art and Social Studies are combined by creating dioramas or models relative to their Social Studies subject matter. Whenever possible, online resources are used to help learn and review textbook information. We also play a Jeopardy like trivia game at the end of each chapter as a fun review for the next test. By combining typical classroom and homework assignments with fun and interesting activities we hope to find a way to reach each student.

In Language Arts, the curriculum for the 6th, 7th and 8th grade focuses on written and oral communication as well as grammar. Students complete daily entries in their journals and on a weekly basis cover a new topic in grammar. Combining English and Social Studies, students are required to give weekly oral presentations on a current world event or topic.

The Reading curriculum for grades 6, 7 and 8 uses the literature based series published by Prentice Hall. Each level has sections of short stories, drama, nonfiction, poetry, myths and a novel. In addition to the Literature book, these grades also read independent novels with the teacher. This is a very diversified program. To enrich our literature series, this year the 6th, 7th and 8th grade we will read novels and plays including "The Old Man and the Sea", "Call of the Wild", "Animal Farm", "And Then There Were None", "The Lord of the Flies", "To Kill A Mockingbird", "The Phantom Tollbooth", "A Christmas Carol" and "Anne Frank".

Sixth grade students use the “Discover the Wonder” science program which explores the Earth and the forces that affect changes within our stable system. The 7th and 8th graders use “Science Interactions” which covers the physical sciences. The students question, research and observe various concepts and draw conclusions based on observations, technological advancements and society issues.

Grade 6 focuses on the Old Testament beginning with Creation and ends with the Prophets. Grade 7 focuses on the Life of Christ and the New Testament. The various roles of Christ are also an important part of the curriculum. Grade 8 focuses on the History of the Church and stresses morality. A family life book also accompanies the main texts. Children learn easier in a relaxed atmosphere. By 8th grade, the students are a part of my family. Social values and morality play a large part in the Religion lessons. The close rapport that is shared with my students leads to many frank and open discussions on a wide variety of topics. We work as a unit; we laugh together, cry together and pray together. Special Advent and Lenten projects are included as well as praying for special intentions on a daily basis.