Elementary and Middle School Classes

Kindergarten

Five year olds, naturally eager to learn, possess an innate curiosity and capacity for play. With this spirit in mind, our kindergarten classroom is exciting! Along with academic workbooks to supplement the "print-rich" environment of the word and letter displays in the classroom, our "curriculum" includes snack-time, story-time and Show & Tell. Each day includes time to build, create and pretend. We facilitate learning in the context of everyday experiences, including calendar, cooking projects, and exploring the worlds of plants and animals. In the spring, we hatch baby chicks, a happily anticipated annual event. Field trips are an important component that helps to increase knowledge. Our children expand their love of learning, their ability to get along with others, and their interest in reaching out to the world.

First Grade

First Graders start the year by busily working on their "Number Journals to 100 Days." Activities in the classroom are designed to help students improve their Reading and Spelling skills, and to learn about the goodness and love of Jesus in their daily lives. Combining computer skills with Literature and Art, the students will read the book, "Where the Wild Things Are," look up various monsters on the Internet, and make their own masks. The class often reads and acts out the story at their annual Family Potluck Dinner in November. To round out the First Grade experience, class field trips often include the American Theater Arts for Youth and the GGNRA, where students explore the "Sensible Habitats" of living and non-living things.

Second Grade

Second grade at St. Monica School is challenging and stimulating. We read classic children's literature and write stories that make us laugh. Practicing our Math computation skills by solving addition and subtraction problems is an ongoing activity that lasts throughout the year. In Science, we study life cycles and grow our own butterflies. We learn about God's love and His great gifts to us during Religion instruction. For Catholic students, the Sacraments of Reconciliation and the Holy Eucharist are received for the first time during the Spring Semester. We also have lively classes in art, physical education, music, and folk dancing. Good times!

Third Grade

Third graders look forward to compiling our "Regions of America" books, which we fill with maps and pictures highlighting the unique features and products from each state. By integrating computers with Math and Language Arts skills, children enjoy creating word problems for their classmates to solve. Each student then organizes the completed pages of word problems into a spiral book. Students in Grade 3 participate for the first time in CYO team sport leagues and the San Francisco Symphony's AIM (Adventures in Music) Program. One more hallmark item for the Third Grade experience - the study of our times tables!

Fourth Grade

In the Fourth Grade, we coordinate Music, Art, and Computer classes with our classroom curriculum and introduce more "cross-curriculum" projects. For example, in Social Studies, we create and paint topographical maps of California using baker's clay. We also make murals depicting native Indian village life. A much anticipated student activity is to create models depicting the 21 original Spanish missions of California. Each student will compose his or her own California history book as we progress through the year. In Science, we study life sciences and build our very own classroom Rainforest exhibit to represent one of the Earth's ecosystems. Our field trips this year will include a visit to the Conservatory of Flowers and the Audibon Canyon Ranch in Marin County.

Fifth Grade

The Fifth Grade always proves to be an exciting, learning year. Classroom activities are designed to help each student build upon their skills of acquiring and retaining knowledge. Curriculum examples include the use of "Reading Journals," which focus on reading comprehension and critical thinking skills, and "Memory Tests," which help students in the practice of storing and retrieving information. Fifth Grade is also a year of science-based field trips. The class takes advantage of many great museums and learning centers that San Francisco has to offer. Lastly, the Fifth grade class joins in the upper grade Art program – a long anticipated rite of passage!

Sixth Grade

Sixth Grade is the first year that students are considered part of the middle school (grades 6, 7 & 8). This is the year when students first experience the "departmentalized approach" to learning, where each teacher comes to engage the students in a particular area of expertise. The primary focus of Middle school is to prepare students for high school by constantly practicing personal organization and responsibility. Students will study pre-algebra in mathematics, ancient world history in Social Studies, and earth science. They will read and analyze the Old Testament in religion, and develop clear self-expression through the practice of writing and grammar. Note taking, open verbal communication, and classic literature are emphasized throughout the year.

Seventh Grade

Seventh Grade is the second year that students are considered part of the middle school (grades 6, 7, 8.) Middle school is all about preparing students for high school when they will need to have a strong sense of personal organization and responsibility. Students will study pre-algebra in mathematics, world history, and life science. They will focus on the New Testament in religion, and develop clear self-expression through the use of literature, writing, and grammar. Note taking, open verbal communication, and organization are emphasized throughout the year.

Eighth Grade

The Eighth grade at St. Monica promises to be both challenging and rewarding in many ways. Paramount will be the need to do well academically as students apply to various high schools. We expect our students to be accepted by the most competitive schools. Our curriculum prepares them well. Eighth graders take Algebra, American History, Physical Science, Art, Computer, and Music. Language Arts, in particular, places a strong emphasis on language usage and mechanics mastery, writing as a discovery process, public speaking (formal debates), and classic literature as a window to both the inner-self and the larger world. In addition, Catholic students will continue their spiritual journey as they receive the sacrament of Confirmation. All students will join in the preparatory retreat. Service projects often include spending a morning helping at St. Anthony's kitchen to witness firsthand the presence of Christ in acts of goodwill. The development of the well-rounded individual is high priority. Eighth graders will continue to be highly involved in the school's community as they exercise their roles as student leaders. Activities include tutoring, acting in drama, completing the yearbook, singing in choir, serving at Mass, and participating in Bulldog sports throughout the year. We believe our Eighth graders demonstrate the outcome of all that we have been striving to achieve through our school's Student Learning Expectations. Eighth graders at St. Monica School do more than just survive – they thrive.