Curriculum & Instruction
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Learn More
Nursery
Pre-K
Kindergarten
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
For Grades 6,7,8
English Language Arts
Mathematics
Social Studies
Science
Religious Education
For All Grades
Academic Intervention Services (Grades 4-8)
Art (Grades K-8)
Library (Grades K-5)
Music (Grades K-8)
Physical Education (Grades K-8) -
Nursery
The St. Martin of Tours Nursery program strives to provide a nurturing environment to foster a lifelong love of learning in our youngest students. Our program educates the whole child, through, spiritual, physical, academic, creative, emotional, and social experiences. Learning through play is the basis of most of our activities. Children are encouraged to explore and use problem solving skills throughout the day. We accept students of all learning levels in an integrated setting, and students have access to our sensory gym for their therapy needs in grades N-8!
Pre-K
Throughout the year the children will be learning:
Pre-K Social and Emotional Development- Engage in social relationships and develop connections and attachments to peers, teachers, and to the larger community
- Show progress in developing friendships
- Is aware of daily routines and tasks and follows classroom rules
Pre-K Physical Development- Demonstrate competence in coordinated movement using large muscles(Gross Motor) such as jumping, hopping, running, dancing, and moving to music
- Demonstrate competence in coordinated movement using small muscles and hand/eye coordination (Fine Motor) such as beginning to dress and undress without assistance and manipulate play objects that have fine parts
Pre-K Creative Expression/The Arts- Participate with increasing interest and enjoyment in a variety of music activities, including listening, singing, finger play, and games
- Engage in a variety of personal creative movement and physical movement activities individually and in a group
- Participate in a variety of dramatic play activities that become more extended and complex
- Show growing creativity and imagination in using materials in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation.
- Gain ability in using different art material in a variety of ways for creative expression and representation.
- Progress in ability to create drawings, paintings, models, and other art creations that are more detailed, personal, and realistic.
Pre-K Social Studies- Apply the skills to work with others, take turns speaking, share ideas and participate cooperatively in joint activities.
- Understand that all people have basic needs
- Develop a growing understanding of geographical location and direction
- Begin to understand time, change and relate past events to their present and future activities
Pre-K Language and Literacy- Talk for a variety of purposes
- Communicate experiences, ideas, needs, choices and feelings by speaking
- Listen with understanding for conversations, directions, rhymes, songs and stories
- Look for meaning in visual symbols
- Exhibit a variety of behaviors when interacting with books
- Describe and share their own experiences
- Begin to recognize print-sound connections and letter recognition
- Demonstrate the behaviors of a beginning writer
Pre-K Mathematics- Develop an understanding of numbers, ways to represent numbers and relationships among numbers
- Begin to understand patterns
- Recognize properties and characteristics of geometric shapes
- Understand location, position, and spatial relationships
- Understand that predictions can be made
- Recognize and understand the process of measuring objects
Pre-K Science- Observe, investigate and ask questions about the world around them
- Collect, describe and record data
Kindergarten
Our full-day Kindergarten program is aligned with the New York State Next Generation Learning Standards as well as the Diocese of Rockville Centre guidelines. We provide your child with a safe caring environment where all children are given an opportunity to learn and practice the essential social, emotional,and study skills that they will use throughout their schooling.
ELA:- Develops an awareness of letters and letter sounds
- Provides a wide variety of learning in a literacy enriched classroom environment
- Emphasizes language development through appropriate literacy skills that fosters a love of reading and writing
- Builds the foundational skills for reading
- Implements a combination of writing and drawing for a variety of purposes
Math:- Utilizes problem-based learning and opportunities to incorporate real life math skills while exploring numbers and other math concepts
- Enables children to use various learning techniques, manipulative, and problem-solving skills
- Encourages children to explore different ways to solve and record problems
Religion:- Explores God in relation to themselves and others
- Demonstrates grade level spiritual and social development
- Attends First Friday Mass
- Works together to complete service projects
Science:- Provides opportunities to explore science concepts using hands on learning, observations, and experimentation
Social Studies:- Encourages learning about family, neighborhood, social relationships, and civic responsibilities
Our Kindergarten Program also:- Incorporates individual, small group, and whole group instructional experiences that encourages collaborative and inquiry learning
- Provides a variety of opportunities for children to interact socially with peers as well as older students
- Integrates technology to support learning in the classroom
- Engages students in hands-on stem activities in academic areas
- Accommodates different learning styles
- Provides intervention or enrichment according to individual needs
- Offers opportunities to express themselves through art, music, and movement
- Assesses student progress through teacher observation, student performance, and work samples
Kindergarten is a time to foster your child’s curiosity and natural love of learning. emotional, and study skills that they will use throughout their schooling.
Grade 1
This year first graders will become more independent and develop their critical thinking skills. The students will expand and improve their writing. Most writing assignments will include some type of project component. This helps the children get excited about their writing! Reading will be done as a whole class, in small group and one on one. Students will learn various clues and ways to decipher unfamiliar words. They will be asked questions that require them to think “outside the box.” First grade also focuses on story elements such as setting, characters, and theme. In Math, the children will learn multiple strategies to add and subtract numbers. New vocabulary will be presented for each topic. During Science , the students will perform and participate in versions experiments. They will see first hand what it’s like to be a scientist! After each experiment they will record and write about what they saw. In Social Studies , the first graders will learn all about our community. They will be introduced to the people who work in the community and make it a wonderful place to live. All content area will be centered around religion. The children will discuss ways that our religion is involved in everything we do. Each student will develop a deeper understanding of lent as well.
Grade 2
Second grade is a year of exploration, discovery, and independence. Technology
is integrated into the second-grade classroom with the use of iPads and
Chromebooks. The students will have the opportunity to explore and share
through STEAM activities in a variety of areas of study. Second graders will
become independent readers – exploring plot, characters, setting and theme.
The students are introduced to different genres of fiction and nonfiction texts.
Second graders will practice addition and subtraction, as well as time, money,
measurements, and shapes. The second grade students will receive the
Sacraments of Reconciliation and First Holy Communion.
Grade 3
This is an exciting year of discovery and learning. There are many new things going on for this grade. Third graders are becoming more and more independent. In Third Grade we learn how to write our homework down in a planner, and use chrome books for assignments. Third graders are eager to learn and use multiplication tables. Practice, practice, practice! Third graders will be working to master the discipline of cursive writing. We will be writing to penpals in another state. Pen pal writing is a fine way to address learning for the whole child. Through it we can develop and enrich every area across the curriculum, including the social emotional. Students are making new friends, learning about them and where they live. Broader essential questions are explored through our Social Studies, ELA texts, various projects, writing, games and exposure to experiences with rich literature. Our Religion classes facilitate development and practice of our faith tradition as we share lessons, time and Mass together. In Science we learn about the moon, life cycles, and so much more. Third Grade is a fun place to be. Every day is an adventure!
Grade 4
In Math, Students will focus on different math skills throughout the school year. These are understanding place value, fluently add and subtract Multi-Digit whole numbers, use different strategies and properties to multiply and divide, use operations with whole numbers to solve problems, learn how to add, subtract fractions, and compare decimals.
In ELA, students will be reading different fiction and non-fictions stories this year with our reading series Journeys. Different skills they will focus on will be comparing and contrasting texts, understanding author’s purpose, learning how to write narratives, and learning different grammar skills. They will also be preparing for the New York State test.
In Social Studies, students will read and learn all about New York. They will develop skills in reading time lines and graphs, understanding Latitude and Longitude, reading different types of maps, comparing Primary and Secondary Sources, and be able to identify main ideas and details. Students will be reading about the history of New York State starting with New York’s early people up to New York today and tomorrow. Students will also work on projects throughout the year.
In Science, students will be covering many topics in science this year. They will also bepreparing for the New York State test. Students will work closely to understandand learn about plants and animals, energy and the ecosystem, weather, Earth and space, properties and changes in matter, energy and electricity, and motion.They will also learn the different skills necessary to become a good scientist!
Grade 5
ELA - Students in 5th grade will be learning through a blend of reading novels, and the Journeys series which include texts including but not limited to poetry, folktales, literature as well as both fiction and non-fiction texts. Fluency will become more proficient for 5th graders. Students will cite text evidence during conversations and in writing, infer information to extend and predict beyond the text. Students will be writing continuously throughout the year with the purpose of persuading, presenting information to convey ideas as well as research to build and extend knowledge in a topic area. Students will extend their understanding using various technology platforms to extend their experience and learning for both reading and writing. Students will use technology to create and present to class using various digital platforms.
Religion- Our Grade 5, Religion curriculum is centered around our students deepening their understanding about the role of the church and the many ways God influences their lives. Using the Christ in Us series from the Sadlier publishing group, the students will be led in various activities, prayers, meditations, discussions, and more as they grow in their faith. This year students will encounter key questions such as, “How do we know God?”, “Who is God?”, “How does God share His life with us?”, “What is the Church?”, and “How do we respond to God’s love?”. Through weekly mass attendance and reflecting on different Bible passages students will understand scripture, catechist prayers, and other facets of the Roman Catholic religion. It is the goal of this program to ensure our students become active with the parish faith community.
Social Studies- In 5th Grade Social Studies students will be studying the cultures and civilizations of the western hemisphere. Students will be learning about the unique cultural achievements of different civilizations of the Americas, as well as comparing and contrasting each. Students will explore the relationship between geography and human settlement, including how American civilizations such as Incas adapted to their environments to survive. As the school year continues, students will examine key cultural characteristics, such as the languages, religions, and contributions of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and one Caribbean country. In the Spring, 5th Grade students will examine the basic structure of the United States federal government, including the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial branches. Students will also analyze some of the foundational documents of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution in order to understand the values, beliefs, and principles of a constitutional republican democracy. Finally, 5th Grade students will be learning about the concept of economics, specifically three economic questions: what is being produced, how will it be produced, and who will get what is produced? Students will be able to understand the differences that market, traditional, and command economies have in producing and selling goods. Students will understand how and why countries are interdependent in trade and in meeting their economic needs.
Mathematics- In 5th grade mathematics, students will be learning about place value, fractions, and geometry. Students will extend their understanding of place value from the millions to the thousandths place and compute sums, differences, and products of decimals. Students will perform operations of fractions and use word problems to connect what they learn to real-world applications. In geometry, students will categorize two-dimensional shapes as well as find the volume of three-dimensional prisms. Students will also learn the first quadrant of the coordinate plane to plot and identify positive coordinate points.
Science- In 5th grade science, students will be learning and building on their science skills using technology and hands-on labs. Throughout the school year the students will be learning about different types of technology used in science around the world, and they will use this knowledge when conducting their science labs. Other units that the 5th grade students will be studying and learning this school year are genetics, cells and the human body. They will be grasping a deeper understanding on how our bodies work, what our genetic make-ups are and how our bodies function on a daily basis. They will use these new units and skills learned in 5th grade, to help them in their future science classrooms.
Grades 6th, 7th, 8th:English Language Arts
Our 6th Grade ELA curriculum is aligned with Next Generation Standards. This course will be centered on the development and improvement of reading, writing, listening, speaking, and language skills. Students will read selections from fiction, realistic, science, and historical fiction, fantasy, biography, autobiography, drama, and poetry.They will use media and technology to enhance their learning experience. Students will take the NYS Grade 6 ELA assessment.
Our 7th Grade ELA curriculum is aligned with Next Generation Standards. This course will be centered on the development and improvement of reading, writing, listening, speaking, and language skills. Students will read selections from fiction, realistic, science, and historical fiction, fantasy, biography, autobiography, drama, and poetry. Students will use media and technology to enhance their learning experience.
Our 8th Grade ELA curriculum is aligned with Next Generation Standards. This course will be centered on the development and improvement of reading, writing, listening, speaking, and language skills. students will read selections from fiction, realistic, science, and historical fiction, fantasy, biography, autobiography, drama, and poetry. Students will use media and technology to enhance their learning experience.
Mathematics
The 6th grade Mathematics program is designed for students to develop proficiency in the areas of computing with fractions, decimals, percents, and whole numbers. Next Generation Standards require students to study algebraic thinking, rational numbers, proportional reasoning, data analysis, algebraic thinking, probability, statistics, and plane and solid shapes. In each area we will develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking, as well as incorporating these skills into everyday life experiences as well as academics. Sixth grade students will prepare for the New York State Mathematics Test in May throughout the school year as topics are learned.
The 7th grade Mathematics program is designed for students to develop proficiency in the areas of computing with fractions and decimals. Next Generation Standards require students to study algebraic applications, ratios and percents, metric geometry, graphing solutions of linear equations, number theory, numeration, probability and statistics, and introductory logic. In each area we will develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking, as well as incorporating these skills into everyday life experiences as well as academics. Students will be introduced to a scientific calculator.
The 8th grade Mathematics program is designed for students to develop proficiency in the areas of elementary algebra, functions and their graphs, and statistics. Next Generation Standards require students to study operations with polynomials, coordinate geometry, and data analysis. In each area we will develop problem-solving skills and critical thinking, as well as incorporate these skills into everyday life experiences. Eighth grade students will prepare for the New York State Algebra Regents in June throughout the school year as topics are learned.
Social Studies
The Sixth grade curriculum focuses on the geography and history of different parts of the world, namely: Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, and Rome. Students will first examine why we really study history, including their own, and how the geography of a region affects the settlement of those people living there. Students will learn all about different cultures around the world and what characteristics make each culture unique. In addition, Sixth grade students will examine how a region's geography affects the formation of a particular culture. Sixth graders will be assessed formatively in class and will take quizzes, tests, and have projects (one per trimester) to assess their level of mastery of the social studies content being learned. In my classroom, I incorporate research-based teaching strategies designed to help every student achieve their personal best.
The Seventh grade Social Studies Curriculum is based on the NY State Social Studies Standards and focuses on concepts of geography, European exploration, European colonization of American, and nation-building. Some content areas of focus are the geography and settlement of North America, European exploration and colonization of America, the American Revolution and Revolutionary War, and the establishment of American government. Instruction in my classroom uses research-based strategies with a myriad of approaches designed to help every student achieve their best.
The social studies curriculum in the Eighth grade Social Studies is very engaging, and I will strive to make my class interesting as possible. The Eighth grade Social Studies curriculum is based on the NY State Social Studies Standards and is a continuation of 7 th grade Social Studies. Some content areas of focus are the Civil War, Reconstruction, American Industrialization, The Progressive Era, The Roaring 20's and the Great Depression, and the World Wars. Instruction in my classroom uses research-based strategies with a myriad of approaches designed to help every student achieve their best.
Science
Grade 6
In fulfillment of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the classroom learning experiences have been designed to activate students' interests in Science. This in-depth course focuses on the topics of cells and heredity, the dynamic earth and the human body. It is presented through print and digital media, hands-0n and virtual labs, activities and STEM-based projects.
Grade 7
In fulfillment of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the classroom learning experiences have been designed to activate students' interests in Science.
This in-depth course focuses on the topics of Earth's water and atmosphere, space science and the diversity of all living things. It is presented through print and digital media, hands-0n and virtual labs, activities and STEM-based projects.
Grade 8
In fulfillment of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the classroom learning experiences have been designed to activate students' interests in Science.
This in-depth course focuses on the topics of ecology and the environment and motion, forces and energy. It is presented through print and digital media, hands-0n and virtual labs, activities and STEM-based projects.
Religious Education
The 6th grade Religion program focuses on the Bible, Old Testament and introduction to the New Testament along with lives of the Saints and real-life examples of Christian witness. In addition, students will be learning about Church teaching, important Scripture knowledge and skills lessons for liturgical seasons and feasts, faith in action, and, learn more about the liturgical life of the Church.
To learn more about our religion program with Sadlier Connect, please click here.
This year in Religion class, seventh graders will be challenged with searching for God in their daily lives. Students will learn all about the many whihch in which God makes himself known to us, and how to be reflect His love in our daily lives. Students will encounter concepts such as Divine Revelation, salvation, the Blessed Trinity, the nature of faith, and how God's truth is revealed to us in Holy Scripture. Students will be constantly asked to search for God in their daily lives and recognize signs of His divine love, forgiveness, and mercy. Students will go to mass once a week and will be expected to learn the various responses at mass, such as the Penitential Rite, the Invitation to Prayer, the Gloria, the Sanctus, and the Invitation to Communion. Students will be challenged to deepen their faith in Christ through community service activities as well. Each 8th Grade student is responsible for a minimum of five hours of community service. Community service opportunities will be presented to our students, however, I will also encourage them to seek out other community service opportunities through the local libraries, beach clean ups, etc. Each 7th grade student will receive community service sheets on which they have to accurately describe their acts of service and how they were able to help others.
The 8th grade Religion curriculum centers around the History of the Catholic Church. We begin the year as a class focusing on how we as followers of Jesus Christ are asked to reflect God's love in our daily lives. This year, 8th Grade students will learn about the Beatitudes, the Liturgical year, the Ten Commandments and what they mean in our lives, as well the nature of God's will and sin. Students will be constantly asked to search for God in their daily lives and recognize signs of His divine love, forgiveness, and mercy. Students will go to mass once a week and will be expected to learn the various responses at mass, such as the Penitential Act, the Invitation to Prayer, the Gloria, the Sanctus, and the Invitation to Communion. Students will be challenged to deepen their faith in Christ through community service activities as well. Each 8th grade student is responsible for a minimum of five hours of community service. Community service opportunities will be presented to our students, however, I will also encourage them to seek out other community service opportunities through the local libraries, beach clean ups, etc. Each 8th grade student will receive community service sheets on which they have to accurately describe their acts of service and how they were able to help others. 8th grade is also a very exciting time for 8th grade Catholics in that this is the year that they will be receiving the Holy Spirit in the sacrament of Confirmation.
Academic Intervention Services (Grades 4-8)
Reading and Writing Math labs are part of our Response to Intervention program. In these course, students will benefit from direct and small group instruction as well as computer-based instruction to monitor their growth.
Art (Grades K-8)
- diverse range of activities in creating visual, auditory or artworks, expressing the students’ imaginative, conceptual ideas, or technical skill
- differentiated instruction for all learners
- ways to explore individual needs and growth
- opportunities to work cooperatively and collaboratively with others
- methods to express emotion and understand that emotion through art
- strategies to practice social situations and how to act and react to others through art
- natural connections to empathy through art
- a safe and supportive learning environment where students are allowed to explore themselves and the world around them
Library (Grades K-5)
For the grades K-2nd grade, students will recognize the elements of a story, know the difference between an author and am illustrator, and to know basic library terms. They will read books as well as complete student-centered activities that coincide not only with the books, but what they are learning in their classes. For grades 3-5, student will use the online catalog, work together collaboratively and cooperatively to create stories, and learn how to locate books both online as well as in the library. Students will utilize dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a thesaurus.
Music (Grades K-8)
K-2 – Students will participate in a variety of musical activities involving singing and movement to encourage them to become “tuneful, beatful and artful.”
Grades 3-5 – Students will participate in a variety of musical activities which will include singing, music theory and playing the recorder.
Grades 6-8 – Students will participate in a variety of musical activities which will include singing, collaborative group projects and a survey of the history of western music and important composers.
Physical Education (Grades K-8)
The St. Martin of Tours physical education program is an opportunity for students to become physically literate individuals. It is our mission for the students of this school to value their health and obtain the knowledge and resources to become advocates for themselves. We aim to give the students of St. Martin of Tours school a wide variety of physical activities and challenges that will benefit their psychomotor, cognitive, and affective wellbeing. We practice a sequential program using the “game stages” approach. This allows the teacher to to ensure each student is progressing under each area of assessment.
