Our Kindergarten program at St. Mary's offers two full-day Kindergarten classrooms. Enrollment will not exceed 20 students in each classroom.  

The Kindergarten teachers each have over 20 years of teaching experience with five and six year olds.

The students are highly challenged in all areas of instruction.

Our classrooms offer a balance of structured group activities and independent exploration.

Areas of study include:  

• Catholic Religion
• Language Arts
• Reading
• Mathematics
• Social Studies
• Science 

Special instruction in Art, Computers, Music, Physical Education, and Spanish are also apart of our curriculum.

The Pre-Kindergarten Program at St. Mary's is for children who are 4 years old by October 15 of the current year.  We have one pre-kindergarten class which is held in the mornings 5 days a week from 8am to 11:15am.  We have a before and after school care program (Extended Day) on campus which is available when school is in session.  Extended Day cost extra above the tuition rate for pre-kindergarten.  Extended Care hours are 6:30am to 6:00pm.

The goals for the pre-kindergarten class are:

• Identify letters ( at least 13) particularly in their name
• Write name and 13 other letters
• Identify and write numbers 1-10
• Count by rote
• Count I-I correspondence (one # to I object)
• Cut both straight and curved lines -holding scissors correctly follow 2-4 directions
• Hold pencil correctly
• Stay on task for increasing length of time (maxing out at 15 to 20 minutes )
• Understand and complete the concept of tracing
• Tell first and last name, age, address and phone number
• Identify 6 basic shapes: circle, oval, square, rectangle, diamond, triangle
• Identify 9 basic colors:
• Primary colors: red, blue, and yellow
• Secondary colors: orange, green, and violet
• Shades: black, white, and brown

First grade is a big adjustment for students. They have increased responsibilities, academic requirements, and religious development. They receive regular homework, their own text books, new roles in the classroom, and preparation in our faith. The instructor(s) make this transition fun, yet challenging for each child.

The important aspects of our first grade program include Reading , Writing, Math, and Religion fundamentals. In Reading , we focus on learning the phonetic rules, and becoming better readers. First graders learn basic sentence structure and how to write simple stories of four-six sentences long. Our exploration of math concepts focuses on adding and subtracting 2-3 digit numbers, learning how to count money, estimating and solving word problems. In Religion we concentrate on developing a closer relationship with God by learning how each child is unique, the Golden Rule, and the different aspects of the mass.

Teaching methods are varied to ensure a fun and positive learning environment is provided as well as providing students with the opportunity to succeed. Many hands-on activities are incorporated into daily lessons; such as estimating and graphing with gummy bears, which the children enjoy eating afterwards. The goal is for first grade students is to be prepared for second grade by emphasizing the core academics in a nurturing environment in which God is present in the classroom everyday.

In Second grade we take the building blocks that were established in Kindergarten and First grade and expand upon them. The students are taught to be more resourceful. Their reading ability is expanding to chapter books. We continue to build on their Phonics skills along with other skills to help them become successful and confident readers. Their writing becomes more colorful by the use of dictionaries and thesauruses. Each week in Spelling, students are given the opportunity to master a challenge list. Cursive handwriting is introduced this year. In Social Studies we focus on their neighborhoods and their roles as good citizens. In Science we touch on the many different branches Life, Earth, and Physical. In Math we expand our adding and subtracting skills and work on problem solving. We also work on memorizing our facts. By the end of the year we are starting on multiplication and basic division. This is a really important year for faith development. The students are learning to understand the different parts of the Mass and to participate more fully. The students prepare for and receive the sacraments of Reconciliation and First Eucharist. Second grade is a year of great growth academically, emotionally and spiritually.

The third grade is the transition year between the primary and intermediate grade levels. We help students become more independent learners by developing organizational skills and good study habits. The emphasis in the 3rd grade classroom is on the Three Rs: Respect, Responsibility, and Resourcefulness. A variety of methods are used to facilitate learning, such as cooperative group work and independent study.  

The following will give you an insight into the basic focus of core subjects.

• Reading : Phonetic based program
• Vocabulary development and comprehension skills
• Reading Counts: to encourage independent reading and comprehension
• Math:   Memorization of addition and multiplication facts
• Problem solving strategies
• Language Arts:
• Sentence structure and paragraph form
• Beginning research skills
• Social Studies
  • US history
• Map skills Science: An integration of the various branches of science Religion: Catholic values 

The teachings of Jesus are woven throughout the curriculum.

In 4th grade Religion students study the Ten Commandments, the Beatitudes, the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy as well as the Sacraments. We go to Mass every Tuesday and buddy up with the 2nd graders. Students research a saint in October for All Saints Day. Weekly Spelling units cover both the twenty unit words plus the corresponding Reading vocabulary. Knowledge of math facts is very important in fourth grade as we study multiplication, division, graphs, fractions, etc. Correct grammar, punctuation, writing skills as well as nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs, etc are emphasized in Grammar. Social Studies keeps the 4th graders busy because it includes the study of Nebraska. Students are made more aware of hemispheres, oceans and landforms as well as the regions of our country. Students research their ancestors as immigration is introduced. Students also research a national park and a president in preparation for a presentation to both students and parents. The students are expected to learn all 50 states and capitals. We are fortunate to be able to take several field trips including a trip to the state capital in the spring. Science topics include the study of cells, animal kingdoms, the food pyramid, electricity, etc. Fourth graders are required to read an assigned book every month that corresponds to a topic that we are studying in class. Obviously reading of other books of their own choosing is also strongly encouraged. All work in 4th grade is done in cursive unless otherwise instructed. Students also attend PE, Music, Art and Spanish twice a week. Visits to the library and computer lab are also done every week. We are also lucky to be matched up with an agricultural family every year through the Nebraska Ag Pen Pal Program. Fourth grade is a busy year where the students can explore and journey together with Christ at the center of their work.

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Social Studies:

Seventh Grade social studies is a very in depth examination of American History .A variety of different study methods are introduced to aid the students in obtaining this very challenging material.

Science:

All of the Science in the sixth, seventh and eight grades at St Mary's is very hands on. The sixth grade starts with a lot of the foundation work in many different sciences. Principles of Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Science are introduced. The following years pick up with that knowledge and build on it. Our students perform variety of labs including six different dissections. Our graduates are experts at producing formal labs before leaving for high school. Our students continually excel on standardized tests.

Math:

Students are placed according to their ITBS scores, classroom performance, grades and teacher recommendation. 

Passports: To help students learn to recognize and appreciate the role of math in the real world. They will understand patterns and give all students a solid foundation for exploring and understanding algebra as well as geometry concepts.

Pre-Algebra: This program builds a mathematical background and prepares the student for success in Algebra. 

It is our goal that all students understand and appreciate the math they are studying. They learn to read it, write it, explore it, and communicate it with confidence and able to use math as they need in their lives.

We begin the year with a study of Church History. During the second semester, we prepare for Confirmation in Religion class. Religion is taught Monday through Thursday and on Friday we participate in mass. Our Growing in Love program is also taught during this time.

We work on the elements of grammar, punctuation sentence structure, paragraphing, and research skills. This is closely tied to the Literature program in regards to writing skills that are introduced and practiced.

Students will be instructed in the Zaner-Bloser method of penmanship and expected to use it in all areas. Most grades are taken from the penmanship worksheets, but some will be taken from randomly chosen daily assignments.

This class is taught with an emphasis on Vocabulary Development in addition to spelling. One unit is completed every two weeks and includes vocabulary work and a spelling test.

In Literature class, students will explore the following genres - short story, play, poetry, fiction non-fiction and the novel. The units are developed around a central theme and enhance vocabulary, comprehension, short-answer, essay writing, and discussion skills. The stories in this class are challenging and require more than one reading for maximum comprehension. Independent Reading is also a component of this class and we have in place a computer program that will enhance the students skills and abilities for the 7th and 8th grades this year.

We begin the year with a course in Geography that introduces and reinforces the five major concepts of geography skills with a strong emphasis on cultural awareness and map skills. During the second semester we will study the Constitution of the United States.

All of the Science in the sixth, seventh and eight grades at St Mary's is very hands on. The sixth grade starts with a lot of the foundation work in many different sciences. Principles of Biology, Physics, Chemistry and Earth Science are introduced. The following years pick up with that knowledge and build on it. Our students perform variety of labs including six different dissections. Our graduates are experts at producing formal labs before leaving for high school. Our students continually excel on standardized tests. 

Pre-Algebra: This program builds a mathematical background and prepares the student for success in Algebra. 

Algebra: We study 4 key elements of Algebra: Equations, Inequalities, Graphing and Translating words into symbols and symbols to words. 

It is our goal that all students understand and appreciate the math they are studying. They learn to read it, write it, explore it, and communicate it with confidence and able to use math as they need in their lives.