S.T.E.M.
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math.
This year, we’re incorporating STEM into as many projects as possible. About 60 percent of new jobs created this century will require skills in STEM-related fields. The jobs that today’s elementary school students will perform twenty years from now have yet to be invented. To that end, STEM strives to create a learning atmosphere that fosters creativity for all learners.
Amy Giroux
STEM St. Mary’s
Preschool + to grade 8
Spanish
Every student at St. Mary’s has the opportunity to learn to speak, listen, read, and write in the Spanish language! While this looks different at different grade levels, our primary goal is to increase exposure to the language to promote understanding, pronunciation, and fluency.
¡Que Dios le bendiga!
Bridget Bevins
Kindergarten – 2nd grade: Using a curriculum called Calico Spanish, students listen to stories, sing and dance along to songs, and complete activities to introduce them to the language. They learn common questions and phrases to introduce and talk about themselves and others and other basic vocabulary, such as basic colors, numbers, and letters.
3rd – 4th grade: Students at this age are introduced to our TPRS curriculum while still engaging in some of the activities and songs from the Calico program. In TPRS, the teacher and students create a present tense story in Spanish, focusing on one or two verbs at a time to get comfortable hearing and using them in many different ways.
5th – 8th grade: Once students start middle school, they continue with the TPRS curriculum and add explicit grammar instruction. They begin to learn explicitly how to conjugate verbs in the present tense, basic grammar concepts like articles and adjectives, and continue with vocabulary instruction. They also engage in cultural learning, including the countries and capitals of Central and South America and some major holidays and celebrations in Spanish-speaking countries.
Art
Music
Physical Education
Promoting Physical Activity
For students to receive the nationally-recommended amount of daily physical activity (i.e., at least 60 minutes per day) and for students to fully embrace regular physical activity as a personal behavior, students need opportunities for physical activity beyond physical education class. Opportunities for physical activity will be incorporated into other subject lessons; and classroom teachers will provide short physical activity breaks between lessons or classes, as appropriate.
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- Each student will have the opportunity to access much needed physical activity by daily mid-day recess of 20 minutes or more. Preschool, primary and intermediate students will be offered additional age appropriate recess time.
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- All students in preschool-eighth grade will receive physical education classes that adhere to Diocese of Grand Rapids Physical Education curriculum standards once per week.
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- All students eligible to participate in athletics at St. Mary’s or in partnership with Spring Lake Public Schools will be encouraged to do so and will be afforded necessary flexibility to fully engage.
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- School facilities will be made available for students athletic pursuits whenever possible.
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- All students eligible to participate in athletics at St. Mary’s or in partnership with Spring Lake Public Schools will be encouraged to do so and will be afforded necessary flexibility to fully engage.
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- The Extension Program will provide and encourage – verbally and through the provision of space, equipment, and activities – daily periods of moderate to vigorous physical activity for all participants.
Teachers and other school and community personnel will not use physical activity (e.g., running laps, pushups) or excessively withhold opportunities for physical activity (e.g., recess, physical education) as punishment.