1st Grade
Mrs. Carew and Mrs. Roth have an important task in first grade and that is to help their students develop reading and writing skills. The primary focus in first grade is the development of reading skills. Students learn phonics in order to apply phonetic rules in their oral and silent reading. They also develop their comprehension skills and a basic understanding of story structure. Additionally, students develop writing skills with a focus on spelling, handwriting, punctuation, and capitalization. Writer’s Workshop, a daily writing program, fosters writing skills, and penmanship skills.
Math skills are broadening in first grade as students move to more complex math problem solving and computation. When children learn their basic facts early and solidly, they have the ability to handle more complex problem-solving experiences.
Our first grade classroom is always “happily” reading, writing, working on math, or collaborating on projects. The positive atmosphere fosters student collaboration, which is an important skill for all learners.
2nd Grade
Mrs. Jensen loves witnessing students begin to grow into themselves as independent thinkers and learners. One of the most rewarding aspects of teaching second grade is watching the students grow into fluent and eager readers with a true love of reading! Another big milestone in second grade happens as the students prepare to receive the Sacraments of First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion. Fostering student faith formation and guiding true understanding of these Sacraments is another reason why second grade is such a magical year.
It is Mrs. Jensen’s belief that each and every child deserves to have a classroom community where they are welcome, safe, and loved. If children are given the opportunity and the right environment they can achieve anything! She hopes to show her students that learning is fun, mistakes are okay, and everyone is capable of success.
3rd Grade
Third grade marks an important time in students’ learning as they become more independent and mature learners. In third grade, students progress from practicing basic skills to mastering them and moving on to further developing more complex skills. Third graders become more advanced readers, writers, mathematicians, and thinkers, digging deeper into topics and beginning to analyze what they learn.
Mrs. Goralski provides a safe, joyful, and engaging classroom in which students are encouraged to do their personal best. Displayed in the front of the classroom is a Dr. Seuss quote, “Think and wonder, wonder and think!” creating a momentum for young learners to become lifelong learners. A Responsive Classroom management approach provides her community of learners with a set of practices and strategies that build academic and social-emotional competencies. Lucy Calkin’s Reading and Writing “Units of Study” supports a cutting edge method of learning where children can write clearly and skillfully and read flexibly and joyfully. Math instruction incorporates hands-on center activities and opportunities to explore the “why” behind mathematical concepts.