St. Margaret of Scotland’s curriculum focuses on the whole child. It builds on the spiritual, academic, social, emotional and physical dimensions of the maturing child.
Spiritual
Children develop a living faith in God through:
- Daily religious instruction in the Catholic faith;
- Prayer with their classmates, prayer as a whole school, and prayer through Mass at our parish church;
- Ongoing opportunities for generous service and sharing, with an emphasis on social justice and the Principles of Catholic Social Teaching;
- The constant care and compassion modeled by all adults who serve within the school community.
Academic and Physical
Core areas of study at St. Margaret of Scotland School stress excellence at all grade levels.
- Catholic Religion is offered daily as a formal class at all grade levels with sacramental preparation in 2nd and 7th grades. All students attend prayer services together and K – 8 attend Mass together. Regardless of faith backgrounds, all students are encouraged to participate in prayer and Mass through leading prayer, song and Scripture. Archdiocesan guidelines are used as the curriculum standard for religion.
- Language Arts encompasses reading and literature, writing and oral opportunities, grammar, spelling, and phonetic skills. There is an emphasis on the Science of Reading, which is a multidisciplinary body of research that results in evidenced based best practices in the area of ELA. The Archdiocese Unified Standards are used as the curriculum standard for rigorous studies in the area of language arts.
- Math emphasizes basic facts and skills, problem-solving techniques and conceptual understanding of numbers and their meaning in real life situations. In 8th grade a full year of 9th grade algebra is offered to those students ready to take on the challenge. The Archdiocese Unified Standards provide the curriculum standards for rigorous mathematical teaching and learning.
- Science emphasizes hands-on activities, real-life studies, and scientific investigation through STEM-related learning activities. Science curriculum is guided by the Archdiocese Unified Standards; we utilize Amplify Science, which blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers.
- Social Studies emphasizes understanding our local community, our national community, and the global community; governments, geography, and economic systems; and our relationship to each. The updated Archdiocese Unified Standards provide the curriculum standards for social studies.
- World Languages encompasses learning other languages than English. We currently offer Spanish to grades 4 and up; younger grades are serviced by and afterschool club for Spanish.
- Fine Arts encompasses performing and visual arts. Performing arts includes: formal classes in art, music and music appreciation at all grade levels with the opportunity for choir in 6th, 7th and 8th grade. Dancing Classrooms and multiple opportunities for dramatic performances round out our performing arts.
- Physical Education classes happen twice weekly for each grade level in our full-sized gym. Students from preschool through 8th grade are encouraged to participate in a variety of sports activities and healthy practices.
- Technology is integrated into the curriculum at all grade levels as teachers utilize technology as a teaching tool, and students utilize technology as a means of researching and displaying information and concepts learned.
Electives
To enhance the learning experience for our students, we offer a large number of elective classes, which include but are not limited to the following list. Here are the electives currently being offered:
- Beginner, Intermediate, & Advanced Spanish
- Innovation Challenge, Makers Market
- Student Ambassadors
- 3D Art, Art Portfolio, Art Appreciation
- Middle School Choir, Musical Theatre, Music Technology I & II
- Piano, Ukelele, Guitar, & World Drumming
- ABAR, Diversity Council
- DragonNews
- Mindfulness, Yoga
- Fun & Games, Team Sports, Strength & Conditioning
- The Mass
Social and Emotional
Our learning environment fosters students’ social and emotional welfare. Ongoing programs guide students to make healthy life choices.
- Weekly Class Meetings offer students lessons in collaboration and opportunities to constructively resolve problems as they arise.
- Mindfulness practice teaches students how to be present to themselves and one another reflectively, how to calm themselves in anxious moments, and to understand how their brains work. Especially essential in mindfulness practices is the growth of focused concentration skills.
- Emphasis on building and maintaining relationships diminishes the incidence of bullying, while increasing the sense of community and care for one another’s welfare.
- The Teen Outreach Program and other interpersonal programs guide students to take responsibility for their actions and their part in a community of learners.
