St. Agnes School offers a strong
academic program based on the New Jersey State Core Curriculum Standards
and the recommended curricula of the Archdiocese of Newark. It is our
goal to meet the needs of every student through a variety of
instructional techniques, including developmentally appropriate
practices and differentiated instruction.
Grades K – 5 are
in self-contained classrooms for all major subject areas. These areas
include:
- Religion
- Reading and Language Arts
- Writing
- Mathematics
- Social Studies
- Science
Art, Computer and
Technology, Music, Physical Education and Spanish are taught by special
subject teachers. Students move to a newly renovated, well-equipped art
and music room. Computer technology is taught in the computer lab which
is complete with state-of-the-art computers and a SMART Board.
The Union County
Educational Services Commission provides a Child Study Team, a basic
skills teacher and a speech therapist who support the classroom teachers
in meeting the needs of individual students.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
St. Agnes Middle
School is housed in a new wing of St. Agnes School, opened in 2006. Lockers and departmentalized classes give
this wing a "high school feel" and help the students with the transition
they experience when they graduate from our school. The students are
actively involved in their own education through hands-on activities
such as debates, science labs, guest speakers, and plays. SMART Boards
and computer equipment are found in every room.
It is comprised of
Grades 6 through 8. Middle School students have grade-level homerooms
and then switch classes for their main subjects and special subjects.
Main subjects--such as math, language arts, social studies, science, and
religion--are taught by departmental teachers. Special subjects
include: art, music, gym, computers, and Spanish.
Language Arts
While providing
numerous opportunities for developing reading, writing, and vocabulary
skills, the St. Agnes Middle School Language Arts Program endeavors to
create well-rounded students, prepared for the rigors of high school
English instruction.
In the literature program, students are exposed to a variety of authors
and genres. Students are required to demonstrate comprehension skills
through traditional assessments (tests, essays) and alternative
assessments (visual projects, drama interpretation, public debate,
etc.).
The writing
program prepares students with practical skills and purposes for
writing. Students practice writing in varied forms—letters, essays,
reports, novels, scripts, and writing for standard assessments such as
the Terra Nova Writing Assessment, which is comparable with the public
school NJASK.
In accordance with
the New Jersey Core Content Curriculum Standards and the curriculum of
the Archdiocese of Newark, the St. Agnes Middle School Language Arts
Program also prepares students with invaluable skills and practice in listening, speaking, viewing media,
and media literacy. These skills, combined with the
infusion of technology into St. Agnes School (student computers, regular
computer instruction, SMART Boards, etc.), keep student learning current
and relevant in today’s world.
Math
The sixth grade
uses the newest edition of Math Connects from Glencoe McGraw-Hill. The
seventh grade takes Pre-Algebra with an excellent Prentice Hall text and
the eighth grade continues the Algebra I from Prentice Hall.
In addition to
being academically sound, the middle school mathematics program is
geared towards preparing students for the high school experience.
Students are required to graph classroom examples in their notebooks and
to use these models for difficult homework problems. This method
creates students that take responsibility for their own success rather
than relying solely on teacher explanation. A mathematics resource room
is open every morning before school, and students are encouraged to stop
in with questions whenever necessary. St. Agnes Middle School’s
mathematics department strives to instill a thirst for mathematics in
every student
Science
All middle school
students are taught according to the Archdiocesan Science Curriculum,
outlined in 2006, and New Jersey Core Curriculum Standards. Each grade
learns content in Life, Physical, and Earth Sciences every year, as well
as exploring cultural, historical, and personal perspectives of science.
Hands-on lab activities and technology, such as the SMART Board and
computer lab, are used regularly to reinforce learning.
Sixth grade covers
topics such as the structure of cells, animal life cycles, genetics and
heredity, marine environments, chemical and physical changes, Newton’s
Laws of Motion, sound, and electricity. They will also discover how
their everyday actions have an impact on our environment.
Seventh grade
studies molecules, the Periodic Table of elements, chemical reactions,
motion, friction and gravity, light, differences in classes of
organisms, and geomorphology. They will also construct their own weather
station and track variables such as wind speed and direction,
precipitation, temperature, and humidity. The students then input this
data into Excel to graph it and find patterns.
Eighth grade
examines subject matter such as cell processes, evolution and
extinction, forces, simple machines, work and efficiency, weather
systems, and heat and energy. Students will even get to think up their
own inventions, and write “consumer reports”, laying out benefits,
risks, flaws, and design constraints of their inventions.
This curriculum
has shown to prepare our students for the science courses they will take
when they reach high school.
Social Studies
The goals of the
St. Agnes Middle School Social Studies Program are twofold: (1)
assisting the students in the discipline of learning, and (2) teaching
the students to learn from the past, appreciate the past, and build on
the past. The Social Studies Program encourages students to open their
eyes to a broader world and people they can come to love and respect.
The study of World and U.S. History helps students understand who they
are, from where they came, and where they are heading in the future.
History and current events are addressed daily in this program.
Religion
The St. Agnes
Middle School Religion Program seeks to establish values and a desire to
help and serve others while serving God. The two “Golden Rules” are
emphasized regularly in class: (1) love God above all, and (2) love
your neighbor as yourself. The students are reminded to embrace these
“Golden Rules” throughout the school day and beyond. In addition, St.
Agnes Middle School Students follow the religion curriculum as outlined
in the Archdiocese of Newark—including relating Bible study to the
current world, instruction in the practices of Catholicism and
preparation for the Sacraments.
8th Grade Religion
The 8th grade Religion course is also a Confirmation preparation course. There
are 2 textbooks: Morality and Confirmed in the Spirit. We
also use a weekly magazine, Visions, which prepares the students
for the Sunday liturgy by breaking down the meaning of the Gospel and
the First and Second Readings.
The course is very
much discussion based. This is important for the students to really come
to terms with their faith as they prepare to become adults in the
Catholic Church. When using the Morality text, chapters, as well
as discussions, are focused on the Ten Commandments and their everyday
applications in today’s world. In Confirmed in the Spirit, topics
such as the Confirmation Rite and the Gifts of the Holy Spirit are
addressed.
SPECIALS
Art
The Art program
consists of teaching the Elements and Principals of Design, Art History,
and Aesthetics through the use of a variety of media and materials.
Visual aids and technology are utilized as a resource for student
projects. Our new art and music room is equipped with a large work space
that is easily configured for any type of instruction—formal or
informal. Lessons run in 45 minutes periods, three days a week.
Music
The Music program
at St. Agnes School consists of studies in rhythm, harmony, music
theory, and vocals. Students learn hands-on techniques with several
instruments, while playing in groups so they get “the feeling” of
playing music together. The students put on a Christmas and spring
musical play.
Computers and Technology Class
Younger grades
learn proper mouse control and keyboard skills as well as the basic
skills of opening, closing and saving programs. Typing skills are then
emphasized along with the introduction of MS Word and PowerPoint. The
child is taught how to use these programs for reports and graphing in MS
Excel and even learn the basics of web design and image editing.
Spanish
Grades K-4
students are exposed the Spanish language through a combination of
storybooks, songs, games, puppets, visual and movement. The children
are introduced to many concepts, including numbers, colors, greetings,
expressions, and some verbs through entertaining activities.
Grades 5-8
students receive a basic instruction on Spanish phonetics, simple
grammatical concepts, a general knowledge of where Spanish is spoken, an
understanding of some elements of Spanish culture and comparing cultural
and linguistic knowledge to other disciplines.
Physical Education
Our Physical
Education program includes a variety of activities for K-8 levels of
development. Sports such as basketball, baseball, volleyball, football
and soccer are introduced and then built upon as the student
progresses. We do special competitions for the World Series, Super Bowl
and Final Tour that brings the whole student body together in a fun and
friendly way. We also do aerobics, square dancing and party dancing as
well as fitness. Our Eighth graders participate in the President’s
Physical Fitness program and receive their awards at graduation.
Also included are
tagging, chasing and reasoning games that require cognitive skills as
well as athletic ability. Underlying all of this is an atmosphere of
good sportsmanship and respect for each other.
Health
The health program
is for grades K-8. For grades K, 1, and 2 it introduces basic health
topics such as 911 emergencies, drug awareness and safety. For grades
3, 4, and 5 it includes self-esteem, bullying and hygiene, often
presented in game form, such as Jeopardy Health. Grades 6, 7 & 8
advances to more serious subjects, such as anorexia, the choking game,
peer pressure, and drug and alcohol awareness. |
