Most Sacred Heart of Jesus School
6 Bond Street, Wallington, NJ 07057
Phone:
973-777-4817 Fax: 973-777-4982
email:
mostsacredheartschool@comcast.net
School Office Hours: 8:00a.m. – 3:00p.m. on
days school is in session
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The Diocesan Curriculum Guidelines, published by the Archdiocese of Newark Catholic Schools, are the basis for our instructional programs. The curriculum includes Religion, Reading, Language Arts (Phonics, Grammar, Spelling and Handwriting), Mathematics, Social Studies and New Jersey History, Science, Health and Safety, Physical Education, Music, Art, Italian Language, Library skills and Computer Education. Our Early Childhood program (grades Pre-K and Kindergarten) consists of self-contained classes that utilize both a teacher and an aide. Our Primary grades (1 – 3) are also self-contained classes. A modified departmental program begins in Grades 4 and 5 (the Intermediate grades). Our Junior High (grades 6 - 8) is fully departmentalized. Within each classroom, students may be divided into smaller groups and given individual assistance to meet their individual needs and learning styles. Homework is ordinarily assigned daily. Long-term assignments and projects may extend over the weekend. Homework is an outgrowth of class work and is intended to: supplement learning; review independently what was taught in class; provide an opportunity to use research skills; and develop good study habits. Report cards are distributed on a trimester basis. Interim reports are issued midway through each trimester. Religion Religious instruction begins in our Pre-K classes where our students learn that everything around us comes from God. Beginning prayers are learned and prayed throughout each day. The students learn about the Holy Family and the important occasions in Jesus’ life. The Pre-K performs a live version of The Stations of the Cross during Lent. Kindergarten students continue to learn about Jesus, the Church year and seasons, and how to live as Catholics. Our Kindergarteners begin our school Thanksgiving Para-Liturgy and also perform the Nativity at Christmas. Continuing into the Primary grades, the Sacraments are taught, along with how to share in God’s love. Our first graders celebrate their guardian angels. Our second grade receives the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist. They maintain the Advent Giving Tree in Church, act out the Gospels during the Christmas Eve mass and participate in the parish-wide Crowning of Mary. Our third grade attends mass as a class every Friday morning. The “Family Life” series begins in the primary grades, teaching family values, morals and justice. In the Intermediate grades, studies include: the Ten Commandments and their individual meanings, the Sacraments, and the Sunday Gospels. Family Life includes various topics on family values and growing up, with puberty and reproduction being taught in grade 5. In Junior High, grade 6 concentrates on the Old Testament and the formation of the covenant. Grade 7 concentrates on the New Testament, the Sacraments, and the lives of the Saints. Grade 8 studies the issue of morality, Church history, and discusses the Church of today. Our eighth grade students participate in the parish-wide Crowning of Mary, with one eighth grade girl having the honor of placing the crown on Mary’s head. Family Life is taught in each of these grades. Reading and Language Arts Activities in our Early Childhood program are geared toward language development, beginning in Pre-K with letter recognition and sounds. Weekly “Alphabet Show & Tell” reinforces the beginning sounds of letters. Story time is held daily. Listening and speaking skills, phonemic awareness, comprehension, and pre-writing and reading readiness skills are continued and expanded in Kindergarten. Reading in first grade begins with sight words and continues to mastering the skill of sounding out letters to read unfamiliar words. Second grade expands on this knowledge with learning reading comprehension strategies and skills. Vocabulary is developed and independent reading is encouraged. Third grade incorporates read-alouds, sequencing, cause and effect, and all genres of stories. Language Arts in the primary grades is broken down into: Grammar, Phonics, Spelling and Penmanship. Grade 1 introduces parts of speech, parts of sentences and ending punctuation. Grade 2 continues with contractions and word study. Journal writing is introduced. Grade 3 writes daily in their journals, with additional creative writing, editing, poetry and composition writing throughout the year. Spelling and vocabulary words become more complex as the student progresses through the grades. Cursive handwriting is taught in second grade and is used exclusively in grade 3. As part of Language Arts, grade 3 performs and films the “MSH Action News”, which includes weather, top stories and interviews. In the Intermediate grades, reading comprehension through oral, silent, and buddy reading, as well as listening skills, is emphasized. Phonic skills (mainly digraphs and compound/base words), comparing and contrasting, finding the main idea and drawing conclusions, inference, summarization, and paraphrasing are stressed. The Reading Buddies program teams 5th grade and Kindergarten students for story time. English grammar (all parts of speech) is reinforced. Grade 4 includes: writing skills (descriptive, persuasive and informative), letter writing and research papers. Grade 5 includes composition of a nonsense paragraph and business and friendly letters. Literature in the Junior High grades encompasses all types of stories (fiction and non-fiction, classic and modern), poetry and plays. Language Arts includes complex sentences, phrase and clause work, and verbals. Our students participate in both local and statewide essay contests. Mathematics Number recognition and numerical value begin the Mathematics curriculum in Pre-K. Mathematical concepts, such as sorting, patterns, sequencing, classifying, and more/less, are taught. Basic shape and color recognition is mastered. These are expanded to tables and graphs, fractions, addition and subtraction readiness, money, measurement, and time in Kindergarten. Hands-on activities and manipulatives are used extensively throughout our Early Childhood program. Kindergarten celebrates the 100th day of school with creative projects and displays. The Primary grades master addition and subtraction, starting with single digits and progressing to more difficult problems. Place value, graphing, skip counting, time and money are taught in grade 1. Second grade students expand on this knowledge and complete word problems. Math Bingo, creating symmetrical pictures, and using math games on the computer reinforce basic facts. Multiplication and division are studied in grade 3. Geometry, fractions, and decimals are also studied in grade 3. As in the younger grades, hands-on activities and manipulatives are used. Basic skills (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) and problem solving are reinforced in both of the Intermediate grades. Grade 4 also includes: rounding and estimation, graphing and plotting, probability, order of operations, finding the mean, and fractions. Grade 5 includes: fractions, decimals (through thousandths), place value (through billion), and geometry. The Junior High curriculum prepares the students for high school. Grade 6 incorporates fractions, decimals and whole numbers, including equations and problem solving algebraically. Pre-Algebra is taught in grade 7 as a complete program. Instruction in solving equations using rational numbers, linear equations, and polynomials is given. Real world math concepts, such as mark-up, percent increases, etc. are also taught. Algebra I is taught as a full-year course in grade 8. This includes problem solving, solving equations (single and multi-step) with rational and irrational numbers, simultaneous equations (adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing polynomials) and quadratic equations. Social Studies In the Early Childhood grades, Social Studies revolve around happenings in our world. Families, National holidays, citizenship, rule-making, globe and beginning map skills are some topics that are discussed. The Weekly Reader series enhances the curriculum. Our Kindergarten celebrates Chinese New Year with the making and parading of a class-long dragon. The Primary grades learn about communities and neighborhoods, rules and laws, citizenship, geography and map skills. Grade 2 creates flow charts showing process from the farm to the market. They also create world and community maps. Grade 3 pays special attention to learning about the Lenni Lenape Indians and Black History month. The Weekly Reader series is also utilized for enhancement. Map skills are reinforced in the Intermediate grades. Grade 4 includes: landforms, New Jersey State History, and National Holidays. Grade 5 includes: Early civilizations, Native American tribes, Colonial times and slavery, background of our country, the current government and politics, and debates. Both grades utilize the Scholastic Magazine and the Record Newspaper for timely news topics and activities. In Junior High, grade 6 studies World History, including the Ancient Civilizations of Egypt, Rome and Greece. Grade 7 studies American History from the founding of America to the Civil War. Studies also include the Constitution. Grade 8 continues the study of American History from the Civil war up to modern times. All grades include discussions of current events and geography. All grades subscribe to Jr. Scholastic Magazine. Science Observing, classifying, measuring and predicting in the Life, Earth and Physical sciences are introduced in the Early Childhood grades. The world around us (weather, seasons, animal life, etc.) and teacher-led experiments (sink vs. float, the effects of sun and water on plants, etc.) expose the students to the world of Science. Living vs. non-living, animals and their environments, and plants begin the Science curriculum in the Primary grades. Grade 2 creates dioramas of plants and animals in specific habitats. They also research how inventors and their inventions have helped solve problems. These topics are expanded and then progress to the Earth, Space, Forces and Motion by grade 3. National Geographic Explorer Magazine is used to enhance lessons. Biological science is explored in the Intermediate grades. Grade 4 includes: cell parts, plants, endangered animals, food chains, ecosystems, animal characteristics/symmetry, organ systems, and development/reproduction. Grade 5 includes: plant classification, biomes, cycles of life, animal diversity/traits/adaptations, ecosystems, and the Earth (physical science). Both grades subscribe to K.I.N.D. News, which covers various animal news stories and information. Junior High grades continue learning the Life, Earth and Physical sciences. Grade 6 learns basic genetics, environmental science, and dissects an amphibian. Grade 6 also observes the hatching of chicks. Chemical reactions and balancing chemical equations are performed by students in grade 7. Global warming is studied and a Global Warming Awareness school bulletin board is created. Grade 7 students dissect a reptile. Global warming and fetal pig dissections are highlights of grade 8. All grades of Junior High participate in our annual Science Fair. Physical Education, Health and Safety Students at all grade levels begin the Gym period with warm-up stretches. Children in the Early Childhood program develop their large motor skills (running, skipping, jumping, etc.) and learn simple games. Health at this level concentrates on basic hygiene, healthy foods, and dealing with strangers. In the Primary grades, the large motor skills continue to be developed with a concentration on throwing and catching different objects. More challenging games are played. Health continues with good hygiene, nutritional foods, and going to the doctor and dentist. The Intermediate students perform skill-building drills for team sports such as soccer, hockey, etc. The rules for these games are learned. The dangers of smoking, drug abuse, and alcohol abuse are taught added to the Health curriculum. The Junior High Students continue to develop the skills for and participate in team sports. Good sportsmanship is stressed. The students are involved with the President’s Fitness Program. Music Our music program introduces our youngest students to basic music and singing. Dance and hand movements are used to help develop musical skills. In the Primary grades, the instructional book, “Music Express”, is utilized to further musical skills. Singing, listening activities, and light music theory is included in the curriculum. Students in the Intermediate grades continue to use “Music Express”. Musical beats, rhythms, and basic music notes are taught. At the Junior High level, students sing and improvise to build musical concepts and skills. Students learn the art of songwriting and performance. Children in all grade levels perform in the Christmas and Spring Musical concerts. Songs for the monthly school masses are also practiced for fuller student participation. Art Students in the Early Childhood grades are initially shown how to properly use crayons, paint, paper, scissors and glue. A variety of subjects (i.e. nature) and artists (Picasso and Matisse) are introduced. Creativity is nurtured. Students in the Primary grades continue learning how to use various materials. Oil pastels, chalk and papier-mâché are introduced. Students learn set-up and clean-up procedures. Drawing instruction and exercises are included. The Intermediate grades continue to advance their knowledge of materials and methods. Mosaics, illuminated letters and stained glass are discussed. Students also discover collage and assemblage. A variety of projects are completed. The Junior High students learn about historical art periods and artists. Grade 6 students work on found object sculptures. Grade 7 students learn more about color mixing, collages, mosaics and sculpture. Grade 8 students complete a project based on the famous painting, ”American Gothic”. Throughout the years, the students continue to stretch their imaginations and challenge their creativity. Italian Language In all grade levels, the Italian culture (geography, history, art, music, dance, food and lifestyle) is a consistent theme throughout the year. This is taught through music, video and interactive lessons. The Early Childhood grades learn to say and sound the Italian alphabet, as well as colors, numbers 1 – 10, some animal names and to sing along with Italian songs. The Primary grades continue to expand their knowledge: learning the weather, family members, food and parts of the body. The Intermediate grades are taught the structure of Italian grammar and are given projects to complete. The Junior High students expand on everything detailed above with more detailed vocabulary and are expected to create sentences in Italian. Technology Using educational software, the Early Childhood student learns to correctly hold and control the mouse. Beginning keyboard skills and commands are introduced. Keyboarding skills are increased through the Primary grades, with typing in home position (without looking at the keyboard) being taught in grade 3. Using clip art, creating storybooks, and using Word software to create documents is also mastered in these grades. Researching information on the Internet and learning responsible use of technology is taught in the Intermediate grades. Word software is used to create letters and other documents and PowerPoint is used to create a simple presentation. Junior High students become proficient in Word and PowerPoint. Excel is used to create spreadsheets and graphs. Students also learn to evaluate the accuracy, relevancy, comprehensiveness and bias of electronic information. The 8th grade works with Adobe Photoshop to edit pictures. |