Religion +

Joyful introduction to God’s love in the Catholic faith; Bible stories; memorize 18 catechism questions; Mass, Blessed Mother and saints; English and Latin prayers; memorize Bible verses; virtues; corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Seton.

Memory Work +

Learning through age-appropriate engaging songs, games, and hands-on tracing and activities; children delight in these activities as they master important information and facts. Days of the week, months of the year, days in the months; continents and oceans; and much more.

Language Arts +

PHONICS / READING SPEAKING / LISTENING SPELLING / HANDWRITING

Explicit phonics with direct and Socratic instruction (Orton method); master all 70 phonograms; recognize and recite all letters of the alphabet; blend sounds into words; begin reading; comprehension skills and reading strategies; readers; classic literature; speaking and listening skills. Spell six new words a day. Weekly presentations. Text: Spell to Write and Read or Saxon

Introduction to manuscript method. Students form the 26 letters of the alphabet as they study the first 26 phoneme/grapheme relationships (phonograms) through dictated oral instructions using 8 checkpoints: 2, 10, 8 and 4 on a clock face.

GRAMMAR / WRITING / VOCABULARY

Introduce sentence structure; begin the study of grammar and syntax by analyzing original simple sentences using direct instruction; show and tell.

READ ALOUD

To foster a capacity to remember and sustain attention and cultivate a love for what is noble and high, each day teachers read great works of literature (e.g., children‘s versions of Homer) to students over the course of a number of days. These texts are read slowly, with the teacher pausing to explain or discuss difficult phrases and ideas, so that children improve their own vocabulary and begin to discover the wonders of language and the power of big ideas. They are encouraged to place themselves imaginatively within the historical period to understand how that culture thought about the True, the Good, and the Beautiful, and the nature of God and man.

SOCRATIC DISCUSSION

What Would Plato Do? Socratic discussions teach students to begin questioning and discussing stories, pictures, fables, or proverbs according to four rules: 1. Read the text carefully. 2. Listen to what others say and don‘t interrupt. 3. Speak clearly. 4. Give others your respect.

POETRY

Students memorize, recite, and narrate poems daily; public speaking practice each day, and once a month in front of the entire school assembly.

Math +

Count, read, and write numbers from 1-100; counting by ones, twos, fives and tens; addition, subtraction; two-step problem solving; concepts and terms of orientation; sequence; shapes, colors, calendar, money; measurement; temperature; telling time to the quarter hour, half hour and hour.

History/Geography +

Living books and fun activities introduce students to figures and events in ancient, medieval, modern, and American history. Relationships between people in a community, a country, and the world; geography; rules and laws; family and Bible history, and Catholic saints and other heroes, are integrated throughout the various time periods and cultures.

TIMELINE

Children are introduced to a timeline. This includes the important names and events of history which they will encounter in further depth in future years.

Science/Health +

Four seasons; five senses; health; plants; animals; seashore; magnetism; hygiene and proper nutrition; simple hands-on experiments; intro to scientific method.

Latin/Greek +

Introduction to Latin prayers and hymns.

Physical Education +

Fitness testing at the beginning and end of year; daily exercise and stretching; running; ball-handling skills; games; master motor skills such as skipping, running, and hopping; participate in individual and team sports. Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum.

Music +

Introduction to vocal skill development through the singing of sacred hymns, and patriotic and folk songs. Four-year cycle includes appreciation, history, theory, and practice. Emphasis is on classical and sacred music. A sacred hymn is sung daily, and nine hymns are mastered each year. Daily exposure to classical music. Classical Kids Series, Music Masters series.

Art +

Various crafts involving cutting, pasting, painting, coloring, and drawing; exposure to great works of art and artists.

Computers/Library +

Visits to the library; basic introduction to title, author, and illustrator.

Field Trips (3-year Cycle) +

Tour of Catholic Church, apple orchard.

Religion +

Study of the Faith through the articles of the Apostles' Creed; review memorization of Baltimore Catechism No. 2. Church history is explored in world history course. English and Latin prayers; virtues; corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Texts: Faith and Life Series; My Catholic Faith, Morrow; The Creed in Slow Motion, Knox.

Language Arts +

GRAMMAR / LITERATURE

Literature 7 Review mastery of grammar, usage and mechanics; continue diagramming and editing. Develop analytic thought and clear and effective writing. Analyze classic and Catholic literature selections from the world in a variety of genres, including full-length fiction and non-fiction, drama, short stories and poetry. Literary terms. Continue comprehension skills and reading strategies. Grammar and Composition III, A Beka; Fix-It Grammar, (Institute for Excellence in Writing).

WRITING / SPEAKING

Our comprehensive writing program provides a solid foundation for exceptional performance in high school and university. Daily practice, structural guidelines and specific requirements and techniques develop competency, independence and creativity. Note- taking, outlines, editing of rough drafts and completing final papers; practice identifying the purpose and audience of each writing, and documenting sources in a bibliography; précis, research reports; creative, narrative, expository, persuasive and descriptive essays. Daily public speaking practice. Texts: Teaching Writing: Structure and Style and _Medieval History-Based Writing Lesson_s, (Institute for Excellence in Writing).

SPELLING / VOCABULARY

Structured Orton spelling program for review. Proven direct-instruction vocabulary program introduces more key words each year, improves reading comprehension, supports writing and speaking skills, and increases standardized-test scores. Texts: Spell to Write and Read (BHI Books); Vocabulary Workshop (Sadlier-Oxford).

TOUCHSTONES (Socratic Inquiry)

Every week students and teachers engage in a Touchstones discussion. The readings will occasionally integrate nicely with the time period being studied, though the primary purpose of Touchstones is to develop the habits of Socratic inquiry. Teachers and students will engage in close study of philosophical and literary texts and will learn, over time, to speak clearly and listen attentively. The skills acquired in Touchstones will be carried over into all aspects of school and home life.

LOGIC

An in-depth study of the classical syllogism. Along with a basic understanding of the Christian theory of knowledge, students learn the four kinds of logical statements, the ways propositions can be opposed, the ways which they can be equivalent, and more. Traditional Logic I, Memoria Press

POETRY

Daily memorization of poems or speeches; public recitation of poetry or speeches in front of the class and school. Texts: The Harp and Laurel Wreath, Berquist; Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization, Pudewa.

HANDWRITING

Maintain required cursive standard in all assignments.

Math +

Saxon Math 87 with Pre-algebra Skills in rate; powers and roots; geometric proofs; scientific notation; algebraic terms; irrational numbers; factoring algebraic expressions, etc.

Saxon Algebra 1/2 Pre-algebra. Mastery of a variety of math skills, from fractions and their arithmetic operations to the Pythagorean theorem and the simplification of algebraic expressions.

History/Geography +

World History Survey from pre-history to modern times with the Incarnation as the focal point. Proper attention to and appreciation for the role of the Catholic Church. Geography mastered facts reviewed and in context. Review mastered facts related to history dates and figures and events. Timeline review. Texts: Christ the King, Lord of History (TAN); The Ultimate Geography & Timeline Guide, Wiggers.

Science/Health +

Life Science The study of life processes, principles and concepts. Cells, protists, fungi, plants, animals, nutrition, disease, systems of the body, ecology, and more. Pro-life text. Scientific method; experiments.

Latin/Greek +

Latin Ia High-school level course introducing students to the perennial tongue of Western civilization and of Holy Mother Church. Focus on the basic structure of the language: five kinds of Latin nouns, two kinds of adjectives, four regular conjugations of verbs; and the skills needed for translation; ecclesiastical pronunciation. Texts: Latin Grammar and First Year Latin, Henle.

Physical Education +

Development of skills, rules, and strategies for individual and group sports. Tools to assess, achieve and maintain personal physical fitness. National Fitness Test of the U.S. Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum.

Choir +

Fundamentals of choral singing. Emphasis on the sacred music of the Church: plainchant, homophony and polyphony. Vocal production, sight-singing, and the enjoyment of singing. Music theory, history and appreciation.

Art +

Art history, appreciation, theory, and practice are covered in these year-long courses that lead children to God by Benedict XVI’s “way of beauty.” Students continue to develop a Catholic appreciation for art, recognize famous works and identify their artists, and gain an understanding of the historical periods of Western art and art theory. They create projects and drawings as they journey through the development of art beginning with Ancient times and continuing through the Modern period. Special attention is paid to the spiritual significance of art as an expression of “the human need to surpass the visible” (Benedict XVI). The purpose is not merely to teach fine arts skills or develop a familiarity with famous artists, but still more to cultivate a sensitivity to beauty and to the way God speaks through art.

Drama +

Students participate in a drama class and one theatrical performance each year.

Computers/Library +

Reinforce research skills and keyboarding skills.

Field Trips (3-year Cycle) +

Varies. Shakespearean play; local manufacturing business or nature preserve.

Religion +

Study of the commandments of God and Church laws and customs; and the seven sacraments. Review Baltimore Catechism #2. Apologetics paper required for graduation. English and Latin prayers; virtues; corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Texts: Faith and Life Series; My Catholic Faith, Morrow; The Creed in Slow Motion, Knox.

Language Arts +

GRAMMAR / LITERATURE

Literature 8 Review mastery of grammar, usage and mechanics; continue diagramming and editing. Develop analytic thought and clear and effective writing. Analyze classic and Catholic literary selections from America in a variety of genres, including full-length fiction and non-fiction, drama, short stories and poetry. Literary terms. Continue comprehension skills and reading strategies. Grammar and Composition IV, A Beka; Fix-It Grammar, (Institute for Excellence in Writing).

WRITING / SPEAKING

Our comprehensive writing program provides a solid foundation for exceptional performance in high school and university. Daily practice, structural guidelines and specific requirements and techniques develop competency, independence and creativity. Note- taking, outlines, editing of rough drafts and completing final papers; practice identifying the purpose and audience of each writing, and documenting sources in a bibliography; précis, research reports; creative, narrative, expository, persuasive and descriptive essays. Daily public speaking practice. Texts: Teaching Writing: Structure and Style and American History-Based Writing Lessons Vol. 2, (Institute for Excellence in Writing).

SPELLING / VOCABULARY

Structured Orton spelling program for review. Proven direct-instruction vocabulary program introduces more key words each year, improves reading comprehension, supports writing and speaking skills, and increases standardized-test scores. Texts: Spell to Write and Read (BHI Books); Vocabulary Workshop (Sadlier-Oxford).

TOUCHSTONES (Socratic Inquiry)

Every week students and teachers engage in a Touchstones discussion. The readings will occasionally integrate nicely with the time period being studied, though the primary purpose of Touchstones is to develop the habits of Socratic inquiry. Teachers and students will engage in close study of philosophical and literary texts and will learn, over time, to speak clearly and listen attentively. The skills acquired in Touchstones will be carried over into all aspects of school and home life.

LOGIC

An in-depth study of the classical syllogism. Along with a basic understanding of the Christian theory of knowledge, students learn the four kinds of logical statements, the ways propositions can be opposed, the ways which they can be equivalent, and more. Traditional Logic I, Memoria Press

POETRY

Daily memorization of poems or speeches; public recitation of poetry or speeches in front of the class and school. Texts: The Harp and Laurel Wreath, Berquist; Linguistic Development through Poetry Memorization, Pudewa.

HANDWRITING

Maintain required cursive standard in all assignments.

Math +

Saxon Algebra 1/2 Pre-algebra. Mastery of a variety of math skills, from fractions and their arithmetic operations to the Pythagorean theorem and the simplification of algebraic expressions.

Saxon Algebra I Evaluation of expressions involving signed numbers, exponents and roots; solution and uses of equations; quadratic formula; graphs of functions, statistics, etc.

History/Geography +

American History Survey from pre-Columbian times to the end of the 20th century. Includes Illinois history. Proper attention to and appreciation for the role of the Catholic Church is provided. Government, economics, and civics. United States and Illinois constitution tests. Geography mastered facts reviewed and in context. Review mastered facts related to history dates and figures and events. Timeline review. Texts: Christ and the Americas (TAN); The Making of Illinois, Mather; Civics in America, (Nextext).

Science/Health +

Physical Science Fundamental study of physics and chemistry. Includes atmosphere, weather, astrophysics, and environment (myths of environmentalism, too), etc. Hands-on experiments and labs using the scientific method; Pre-or co-req: Math 87

Latin/Greek +

Latin Ib High-school level course continuing the focus on mastering grammar with an emphasis on subjunctive clauses and verbs, and the skills needed for translation. Students will earn one high-school credit for Latin upon completion of this course. Texts: Latin Grammar and First Year Latin, Henle.

Physical Education +

Development of skills, rules, and strategies for individual and group sports. Tools to assess, achieve and maintain personal physical fitness. National Fitness Test of the U.S. Exemplary Physical Education Curriculum.

Choir +

Fundamentals of choral singing. Emphasis on the sacred music of the Church: plainchant, homophony and polyphony. Vocal production, sight-singing, and the enjoyment of singing. Music theory, history and appreciation.

Art +

Art history, appreciation, theory, and practice are covered in these year-long courses that lead children to God by Benedict XVI’s “way of beauty.” Students continue to develop a Catholic appreciation for art, recognize famous works and identify their artists, and gain an understanding of the historical periods of Western art and art theory. They create projects and drawings as they journey through the development of art beginning with Ancient times and continuing through the Modern period. Special attention is paid to the spiritual significance of art as an expression of “the human need to surpass the visible” (Benedict XVI). The purpose is not merely to teach fine arts skills or develop a familiarity with famous artists, but still more to cultivate a sensitivity to beauty and to the way God speaks through art.

Drama +

Students participate in a drama class and one theatrical performance each year.

Computers/Library +

Reinforce research skills and keyboarding skills.

Field Trips (3-year Cycle) +

Varies. Fermilab; visit to the mayor of Rockford, state capitol in Springfield or another site.