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Religion As a Catholic Christian people witnessing at St. Mary School, we believe in encouraging a community of faith in which the Christian message, through the experience of community, worship, social responsibility and human dignity, is integrated into the total experience of the students, their families and members of the staff. As Christian educators, teaching in our Catholic parish environment, we must live the Gospel message proclaimed by Jesus and the Church’s Tradition. As members of the Body of Christ and educators of St. Mary School, our goal is the continuous creation and nurturing of the Good News of Jesus within the community we serve. Our vision is a community of people living their faith by proclaiming the Word, participating in worship and service and building the City of God. Language Arts At St. Mary School, we promote the study of language to communicate, to read God’s word, and establish a lifelong appreciation of reading for all students. Students are given the opportunity to discover their talents in the areas of written and oral communication. As demonstrated by the work of the Apostles in Acts 2:11, (“…Yet each of us hears them speaking in his own tongue about the marvels God has accomplished”), language is a gift from God given to all people for understanding and communicating and to spread the Good News. Students who have acquired the skills of reading and effective speaking and writing, are benefited in all areas of the curriculum. These students are also enabled to become independent learners, who carry a love of reading and learning throughout their lives. Mathematics Mathematics is a discipline, which relies on careful analysis and clear reasoning. It is the study of numbers, symbols, measurement and forms and their relationship to one another. Mathematics leads us to see God’s order and symmetry in our universe. It is a bridge to many other disciplines. It is used in everyday life – science, industry, business, technology and the arts. Mathematical problem solving skills can aid us in solving some of today’s most complex social and ethical issues, as we are each called to do in the Gospel message.
Music The myths and religions of many cultures depict music as a gift of divine origins. Music, as a gift from God, is evident in the fact that children are born with an innate sense of rhythm and melody. In every culture and generation music embodies the distinctly human need to organize sounds to express the dimensions of human feeling. It is God’s way of enabling us to communicate to others that which cannot be expressed through mere words. Music is a powerful manifestation of cultural heritage. Studying music helps students learn about traditions and modes of thought of their native cultures as well as those of other cultures, promoting a sense of heritage and self-awareness, cultural understanding and global acceptance. Music is truly the universal language. Music provides a means for creativity and self-expression through God-given talent. Through the study and performance of music students discover these talents within themselves and others. The study of music develops informed citizens with a lifelong commitment to the arts and appreciation of the aesthetic beauty of all God’s creations. Physical Education Understanding that our physical bodies are gifts from God, and that we should be mindful in caring and maintaining them through healthy living and physical activity, the focus of Physical Education is as follows: This Physical Education framework is based on the premise that the quality and productivity of each individual’s life can be enhanced through participation in a comprehensive, sequential physical education system that promotes spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being. A physically educated person is one who mastered the necessary movement skills to participate confidently in many different forms of physical activity, values physical fitness, and understands that they are stewards of the life God has given us related to health and well-being. Movement skills are central to physical education at all grade levels. Physical education addresses the child’s fundamental need for regular physical activity remembering that their bodies are a gift from God. Healthy physical activity should promote attitudes and behavior that reduce health risks including development of an understanding of the need for appropriate nutrition and e physical activity remembering that their bodies are a gift from God. Healthy physical activity should promote attitudes and behavior that reduce health risks including development of an understanding of the need for appropriate nutrition and exercise. The physical education program will motivate students to maintain healthy eating habits and regular physical activity. A well-planned physical education program guides students to becoming motivated to attain optimum health through regular use of new knowledge and skills.
Social Studies
The study of Social Studies engages students to develop an awareness of themselves, their families, and their communities. Students learn where they are in relation to the rest if the world both past and present. Advances and achievements in the sciences, arts, and literature are explored as well as man’s engineering feats. Man’s inhumanity towards others is examined when students study war and its effects. The study of social studies in a Catholic school must also include how God fits into the history of humankind. Students learn that law and rules of order derive their meaning from the Ten Commandments. Science The study of science is a stimulating discipline that must actively engage students in the observation, analysis, exploration, and understanding of themselves and their environment – how they act, react, and interact with the world around them. Science teaches how and why of how things operate within their niche in the environment. The study of science in a Catholic school must also include attention to how this often very fact-driven discipline relates to the development of and daily commitment to Catholic values.
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