Elementary School Curriculum Overview
Kindergarten Preparation
Kindergarten Preparation is a program for children who are 4-5 years of age. Applicants must be 4 years old by September 1 of the school year for which they are applying.
Our emphasis is developmental, age-appropriate, and focuses on cooperative learning. We believe that attention to social-emotional development, self-help skills, motor development and spiritual development creates a well-rounded individual. Integrating a balance of structured learning, play, making good choices, and rest provides a full school day of learning.
We nurture the fundamental skills of following directions, learning to make good decisions, building independence, and taking responsibility. These routines and expectations help build a strong foundation that prepares the students for success in kindergarten.
Our core Kindergarten Preparation curriculum integrates the disciplines of Religion, Math, English Language Arts, Science, and Social Studies. In addition, speciality teachers provide classes in Art, Music, Physical Education and Spanish.
Kindergarten
Our Kindergarten curriculum includes the core academic areas of Religion, Language and Literacy, Math, Social Studies, and Science, taught through hands-on, engaging activities that promote curiosity and critical thinking. Early reading, writing, and numeracy skills are developed in ways that are meaningful and age-appropriate, laying a strong foundation for future learning.
At the same time, we place a strong emphasis on social-emotional development, helping children learn to express their feelings, work cooperatively, and build lasting friendships. Daily routines and classroom experiences foster empathy, respect, and responsibility, while also encouraging a strong sense of community.
Faith and spirituality are woven throughout the kindergarten experience. Through age-appropriate religious education, prayer, Bible stories, and participation in simple liturgical celebrations, students begin to explore and understand their relationship with God. Christian values such as kindness, compassion, gratitude, and service are integrated into daily life, helping children develop a moral compass rooted in faith.
Creative arts, movement, and outdoor play are also essential components of the program, encouraging physical development and imaginative exploration while supporting overall well-being.
Our Kindergarten experience nurtures a love of learning, fosters independence, and cultivates a lifelong relationship with God. We are committed to preparing children not only for academic success, but also for a life of purpose, compassion, and faith.
First Grade
Our First Grade class continues the student’s journey of building strong foundational skills across all core subjects, while also continuing to develop their social and emotional skills. Students learn to recognize and manage their emotions, build friendships, and develop empathy and problem-solving skills. Students also practice how to express feelings respectfully and how to work well with others. Students develop collaboration skills, creativity, and independence as they grow academically, socially, and emotionally in the First Grade learning environment.
Academically, our students enjoy both core curriculum and specialty classes. In Religion, students learn about God's love, creation, and basic teachings of Jesus through stories, prayers, and activities. In English Language Arts, students focus on phonics, reading fluency, and comprehension, along with learning to write narrative, opinion, and informational paragraphs. Mathematics centers on understanding addition and subtraction within 20, counting and writing numbers to 120, solving word problems, and exploring shapes, time, and measurement. Through exploration and inquiry, science standards include investigating light, sound, plant and animal needs, and space through exploration and inquiry. Social Studies includes learning about families, communities, maps, and national symbols, emphasizing responsible citizenship and cultural awareness. Our specialty subjects provide regular experiences in art, music, physical education, and Spanish.
Second Grade
As a Catholic school, Second Grade is an important year of sacramental preparation. Our students learn and reflect, to properly prepare for receiving the Sacraments in our Parish’s First Reconciliation and First Eucharist events.
Academically, Second Grade continues our focus of building upon foundational skills as our students develop increasing fluency in reading, learning to read with greater comprehension. They strengthen their writing abilities with more complex, detailed paragraphs and projects. In Math, we explore more advanced math concepts, and solve multi-digit math problems involving regrouping.
In addition to the core curriculum, our Second Graders have regular experiences with speciality subject teachers. The schedule includes Art, Physical Education, Spanish, and two types of Music: choral and instrumental music (recorder).
Students also grow in independence by working collaboratively, managing their materials, and using their time effectively.
Third Grade
Our Third Grade class is a transition year, as students move past the primary grade level. The Third Grade experience emphasizes developing stronger organizational skills, more critical thinking, and increased independent learning through a mix of hands-on activities and more complex academic tasks. This all takes place while being respectful of our classroom community and ourselves, with social-emotional learning as an over-arching goal.
In conjunction with the study of saints in Religion class, our Third Grade continues the school tradition of planning and leading the yearly All Saints Prayer Service, which is enjoyed by students, families, and Parish alike.
Academically, students increase their appreciation of literature and historic context. Our writing skills increase, with projects requiring more complex narratives and informational reports. Math skills expand with increasing units on multiplication, division, place value, fractions, and measurement and data. Students also engage in Science units covering basic chemistry, physics, and weather, as well as Social Studies units covering local history and maps.
Fourth Grade
At St. Theresa, our Fourth Grade students are building their academic and social-emotional skills with the middle school years in sight. The classroom environment encourages more independence and acceptance of personal responsibility. We include activities that foster logical thinking and build organizational and study skills, as well as social-emotional awareness.
Fourth Grade Religion includes continued work with Bible stories, as well as Catholic church doctrine and history.
The rest of the core Fourth Grade courses cover Math, Reading/Writing/Grammar and Social Studies. Students are also introduced to our upper-level Science program. In all subjects, our students are learning more complex concepts. In Math, we cover more advanced multiplication, division, fractions, and problem solving. In Social Studies, we explore topics related to California state history and geography. In Language Arts, we develop more advanced writing and reading comprehension skills, including analyzing texts and writing multi-paragraph essays and informational reports.
Amongst our specialty classes, Fourth Grade students form our Beginning Band, with individually chosen instruments and performances!
Fifth Grade
Fifth Grade is an exciting year, where students continue their transition toward middle school readiness. Our environment cultivates independence and personal responsibility while nurturing logical thinking, strong study skills, and social-emotional growth.
As always, Religion is a key subject, covering such topics as the 7 Sacraments; parts of the Mass; the Liturgical Year; and Prayer.
In the other core subjects, we delve into more advanced and complex concepts. Math continues with algebraic thinking, decimals and fractions, more complex multiplication and division; fractions, measurement and geometric principals. For Language Arts we read a variety of genres to expand our comprehension, appreciation, and writing skills. In Social Studies, our year focuses on United States history. Our Fifth Grade scientists continue their hands-on learning with our Science specialist, building their skills and scientific thinking.