Curriculum
A Catholic school education is a challenging education. High standards, strong motivation, effective discipline and an atmosphere of caring all combine to foster excellence as seen in the high levels of student performance evidenced by our scores. All schools in the Diocese of Metuchen adopt and adapt the core curriculum of the Sate of New Jersey. This curriculum follows the guidelines set forth by the Catholic Schools Office of the Diocese of Metuchen and is constantly evaluated and updated by the administrators and teachers of the diocese. The New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards form the basis of our enriched program of study. Here at St. James School, our curriculum places a strong emphasis on basic skills as we believe that an excellent foundation is essential to students’ future success. Our academic offerings include Math, Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, Religion, French, Italian and Spanish. Our students also receive instruction in Art, Technology, Music, Physical Education and Health. The integration of all the arts of language- reading, writing, listening and speaking- permeates all the content areas. We employ the tools of technology to enhance and enrich our entire curriculum. We strive to honor diversity of students’ learning styles by employing a variety of instructional methods and materials. We provide high levels of individualized attention. Our Enrichment Program allows us to be responsive to the needs of our gifted and our more academically challenged students. The establishment of an in- house Professional Learning Committee provides our faculty with an avenue to review professional development and curriculum, enabling our teachers to be responsive to current trends in instructional methods and materials. The combination of a strong academic background with a strong faith formation enables us to prepare our students for the challenges of the 21st century.
Highlights of our curriculum include the offering the choice of three world languages- French, Italian and Spanish in our middle school. Grades K-4 receive instruction in Spanish. In Social Studies, students learn about their role as citizens of the world- as members of families, communities, their state, and region. Ancient civilizations and the History of the US are studied in middle school.
Math instruction in grades kindergarten through eight makes problem-solvers of our students. Primary grades focus on the basic number skills and operations using manipulatives and technology. The addition last year of a second teacher to our Math program in Middle School resulted in smaller classes where students are grouped based on Terra Novas scores and grades. Algebra and honors algebra is offered in eighth grade.
Science instruction in all grades is enhanced by experiments and lab experiences. Students in grades six through eight have an additional lab class each week where dissection is part of the lab experience. Lower grades employ both group demonstrations and desk-top experiments. Our students receive instruction about all forms of life from the pre-historic era to the space age. Life cycles, the human body, Physical Science, Chemistry, Environmental Science and Biology are all explored. An additional instructor was also added to our middle school Science department last year allowing for smaller classes in Science as well.
Language Arts instruction in all grades focuses on the instruction of writing, reading, listening and speaking skills. From kindergarten through grade eight, students are encouraged to develop all their communication skills. This year we are introducing the “Writing Roadmap” program in grades 3-8. This full writing program employs fifty different prompts to include tasks in persuasive, informative and narrative writing. We have focused on language arts as a school this year introducing our “Writing Across the Curriculum” program to the middle school. A component of this program is the addition of a research class each week taught by a team of instructors including the librarian and computer teacher.
Instruction in the Visual and Performing Arts included all aspects of art and music. Drama club, chorus and instrumental music are offered. Our art program offers instruction in all media and art history is studied using "Picturing America" series.
(Elementary Schools) Reading:
At St. James School, we view reading success as one of the fundamental cornerstones of all learning. Our faculty uses the Scott-Foresman series for reading instruction in Grades K-5 because they feel it builds on the necessary skills for reading in the proper developmental sequence from one year to the next. The use of the same series from kindergarten through fifth grade also leads to continuity of instruction. The Scott-Foresman series incorporates a basal reader and reading text along with phonics, grammar and spelling instruction workbooks. Our teachers supplement this program with a variety of fiction and non-fiction selections. The solid foundation our students receive in these grades prepares them for the more rigorous demands of middle school Language Arts where reading is such a vital component. In grades six, seven and eight we use the McDougal-Littell series which includes the Language of Literature anthology and a Spelling workbook. We use the Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop for vocabulary instruction. We chose this series because it incorporates a grammar component with each lesson. Reading instruction is further supplemented by “group reads” - books that are assigned at each grade level to be read and discussed as a class. Each grade completes three to four of these “group-reads” each year. Examples of books chosen are Crispin for grade six, Johnny Tremain in seventh grade and To Kill a Mockingbird in grade eight. The selections in grades six through eight are chosen to correspond with the Social Studies curriculum. We include a daily or D.E.A.R. reading component with the completion of an outside reading selection to be completed each quarter. Students complete two journal entries as part of this assignment.
Our school library, automated through Follett, houses a collection of almost 9,000 books. Our Accelerated Reader software program, available through the Renaissance Learning bank, offers all students the opportunity to complete a book and then take a quiz online. These assessments help students to improve critical thinking skills and allow teachers to monitor students. The STAR reading system is a reading assessment administered quarterly to students in grades one through eight. This system measures the students’ reading levels and is helpful to teachers and parents when guiding students with their reading selections.
Additional Curriculum Area:
Here at St. James School, we employ the tools of technology to enhance and enrich our entire curriculum. We employ a full-time computer teacher providing weekly computer classes for all students in grades kindergarten through eight. Additionally, this instructor serves as part of a team of faculty members who work with our middle school students in a Research/Writing class we added to the curriculum this school year. All middle school Language Arts classes are scheduled for a computer lab as one of their ten weekly class periods. This allows teachers the opportunity to monitor students’ work with writing assignments. Our computer teacher also serves as a resource for our faculty. This was invaluable to our teachers and staff when we made the changeover to the PowerSchool Internet based student data information system two years ago.
Our school and faculty are knowledgeable in their use of the PowerSchool system. Every teacher posts grades, course requirements and assignments making this information accessible to students and their families. Our school website www.sjsbr.org provides complete information regarding all aspects of student life including academics, admissions process, school calendars, Home School Association news and links to our parish.
In our classrooms you will find nine Smartboards in use by our teachers. Our teachers have found this technology increases lesson effectiveness and improves student learning outcomes by providing yet another avenue of instruction. Our grade seven students participate in electronic field trips to Colonial Williamsburg. These “trips” allow our children to become actively engaged with historians at the Virginia site. Our students have access to almost 110 computers in the building. These include more than 40 laptops which can be used in the classrooms through the use of rolling carts. Our Home School Association through their “Direct Investments for Children Program” provides support in terms of technology equipment to the school.
Instructional Methods:
We diversify our instructional methods to accomodate a wide spectrum of student learning styles and abilities. Students who have been identified and classified by the Child Study Team receive supplemental instruction from a certified teacher of the handicapped who is scheduled in our school two days each week. Students who have been identified in need of speech/language therapy receive those services from a speech-language specialist who also provides two days of services weekly to our students. These services are provided to our school by the county educational services. Additionally, they may provide occupational or physical therapy as needed for non-public school students.
In addition to the services provided by the county, we have our own in-house support/enrichment teacher. She works with those students who have been referred by their teacher and/or identified by Terra Nova scores. This teacher also serves students at the other end of the spectrum in our enrichment program. These students are selected based on Terra Nova scores, teacher recommendation and honor roll status.
Every Wednesday at lunch and recess our middle school math teachers offer help. Students attend math lab, bring their lunch and are offered tutoring. Additionally, our teachers are available most days before school, at lunch and after school to answer questions and offer assistance to students in need.
The PowerSchool computer system allows our teachers to post grades and assignments. This allows parents access to daily homework and long-term assignments. This year, the diocese elected to administer the Terra Nova standardized tests to first-grade students in the fall instead of the spring. This change was made in an effort to identify sooner those students who may be in academic difficulty and offer early intervention and assistance.
Professional Development:
All members of our faculty are required to complete 20 hours of professional development and 12 hours of religious development each year. There are a variety of opportunities available to our administration and teachers. The Diocese of Metuchen offers approximately 40 workshops each year in all subject areas for all grade levels. A Diocesan Technology Fair is held each year. Four scheduled professional development days are offered each year. This year’s workshops included a regional professional day addressing crisis management. Other topics include Language arts and writing and CPR training.
We used our Title 2A monies this year to provide each faculty member with Robert DeBruyn’s Master-Teacher series: The First 60 Days, Keeping the Momentum Going and Finishing Strong. This professional self-mentoring and planning guide allows each teacher an opportunity for personal reflection and growth.
Our school’s Professional Learning Committee (PLC) is leading an ongoing dialogue about Instructional and Planning Strategies for Special Needs Students. At each monthly faculty meeting, time is allotted to allow for sharing of ideas, concerns and strategies among teachers. We have identified practical resources within our school and faculty members are researching sources for learning strategies for our learning community. The PLC has provided our staff the opportunity to address the area of special needs students, which has become an area of growing concern for private schools.
We are conducting an ongoing book club this year for our faculty. Our group meets monthly using a diocesan manual – P.I.N. Writing: Persuasive, Informative, Narrative as the springboard for our discussions about writing, particularly the refinement of rubrics.
Our faculty also has the opportunity for spiritual enrichment. Each teacher spends a day in prayer and contemplation at a local retreat house. Every spring we gather as a faculty for a spirituality day. This day includes both personal and communal prayer and sharing activities. The Diocese of Metuchen hosts an annual Catechetical Congress for administrators and faculty.
For more information from the Diocese of Metuchen please click on this link.
