Curriculum Night Overview

Thursday, September 5, 2013 7 8:30pm

Guiding Principles
v All learning is experiential and participatory requiring the act of doing and engaging in the process of moving from understanding and application of basic information/skills to the creation and integration of concepts and ideas all of which form ones intellectual character. v Basic skill development and the acquisition of core knowledge serves as the foundation for all learning. Students must develop the skill of automaticity in order to access and develop higher order thinking. v The teaching of the Catholic religion and traditions is central to our mission and offers rich opportunities for learning what it means to Believe. Achieve. Belong! v Becoming proficient readers and writers and developing a solid grasp of mathematical concepts are foundational building blocks to academic achievement and intellectual character. v A focus on learning skills and strategies serve as the tools for students to learn throughout their lifetimes. Content is the vehicle through which the process of learning how to learn takes place. v Students must learn how to successfully navigate a wide-range of assessment formats including traditional testing and quizzes, project and performance-based, written essay, standardized testing, and new evolving technology-based platforms. There are many ways for students to show us what they have learned. v Learning and academic achievement MUST be authentic and personal in order for it to stick! v STEAM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics: we embrace a broad-based liberal arts curriculum offering students multiple opportunities to learn within developmentally appropriate environments.

Curriculum Framework
v The Learner Profile: building a learning matrix that offers a road map for students the better understand what they need to learn while at NDA and what specific Expected Student Learning Results (ESLRS) should be acquired at the end of Prek, Grade 2, Grade 5, and Grade 8. The matrix looks like this: Learner Characteristics Spiritual Character Intellectual Character Social-Emotional Development Physical Development Believe Achieve Belong

v The Tools: Instructional and assessment methodology, technology, concepts and skills, attitudes, and affinities are what we leverage throughout the classes to encourage and stimulate learning. v MN Standards Our Compass: The Minnesota State Standards serve as the target learning goals for curriculum development, instruction and assessment throughout the curriculum. v The Content: Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, Language, Social Studies, serve as the medium through which the Learner Profile in each child is nurtured and developed. v The Big Essential Questions: These serve as points of reference and connectors to personalizing the learning experience. ! Who are we? ! Where are we in place and time in the world? ! How do we express ourselves? ! How does the world work? ! How do we organize ourselves? ! How do we share the resources that God has given us?

Middle School Math- Curriculum Highlights

6th Grade: Students will continue to learn and apply problem-solving strategies, skills, and applications using visual thinking, logical reasoning, number sense, and algebra. They will develop an understanding and fluency of fractions and decimals; write, interpret, and use mathematical expressions and equations. Topics include numbers and operations, algebra, measurement, and geometry. 7th Grade: Students will create a strong foundation in Pre-Algebra for a complete Algebra course in 8th grade. Curriculum follows K-6; uniform throughout K-8 education at NDA. (Glencoe Series) Main concepts in Pre-Algebra: 1. Algebra & Integers 2. Rational Numbers 3. Linear Equations, Inequalities, and Functions 4. Application of Algebra to Geometry 5. Statistics & Polynomials (Including Nonlinear Functions) 8th Grade: Algebra is a complete course of linear and quadratic equations, facilitating student transition to high school mathematics. Curriculum follows K-7; uniform throughout K-8 education at NDA. (Glencoe Series) Main concepts in Algebra: 1. Foundations of Functions 2. Linear Functions 3. Polynomials & Nonlinear Functions 4. Advanced Expressions & Data Analysis Notes/Questions:

Middle School Language Arts- Curriculum Highlights

Language Arts: The Language Arts program focuses heavily on all four key elements of language reading, writing, speaking and listening. Reading: Through the development of grade-level classroom and school libraries and a commitment to independent reading and choice, we will use a reading continuum to guide students growth as readers. Expectations will be established around reading a designated quantity of books across different genres of literature, both fiction and non-fiction, throughout all subject areas. Writing: Writing is taught as a process. The steps include brainstorming, prewriting, and final draft. Emphasis is placed on the 6+1 Traits of Writing. Students will write a research paper as a result of learning the relevant topics of source evaluation, note-taking and paraphrasing, and outlining. Grammar: Students learn the eight parts of speech and sentence structure. The rules for punctuation and dialogue are learned and evaluated in writing as well as in isolation. Oral Communication: Will be learned through a variety of instructional activities such as debate, role playing, group discussion, questioning skills/interviewing, and formal speeches. Vocabulary: The program focuses on words themselves, their meanings (both literal and figurative), ranges of application or usage, and their relationships with other words (synonyms and antonyms). Words are introduced and exemplified in both varied and controlled contexts. Notes/Questions: