Academics

Pre-School

Goals of the Early Childhood Program

To create an environment that allows the child the freedom to play, explore, and discover the wonder of God’s world, as well as His love.
To involve children in experiences that assist them in learning about Jesus, prayer, and treating others with respect.
To create a curriculum that builds upon what children already know.
To teach using units and themes of interest in Math, Science, Social Studies, Technology, Religion, Engineering and Language Arts.
To create an active climate that engages children in co-operative, hands-on learning.
To create well balanced, teacher directed, child initiated activities.

Preschool Program

AGE REQUIREMENTS
Students must be 4 by August 31 to attend Trinity Catholic Academy’s full day preschool program.
PROGRAM DAYS/TIMES
4-year-old all day program held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 8:15-2:30. 4-year old all day program held on Monday, Wednesday and Friday 8:15-2:30. DROP-OFF Students may be dropped off no earlier than 8:00 AM. A teacher will be on duty near the playground for outside morning prayer and at the main doors on Pine Street during inclement weather for indoor morning prayer. Please feel free to join us for morning prayer. Cars may park along Pine Street, however, not in front of the school.
DISMISSAL/PICK-UPS
Pick-up for students without siblings in the school is at 2:30 PM at the preschool door on Pine Street. Parents may park on Pine Street. Pick-up for students with siblings will be in the pick-up line for 2:40 dismissal. After school program students will be brought to the gym by the teacher or associate.
The After School Program is available until 5:30 for students. Pick up for The After School Program will be in the cafeteria.
CIRCLE TIME/MORNING MEETING
Every morning we will meet in a circle. We will start the year with a short circle time (about 10 minutes) and stretch it to longer periods as the children become comfortable with sitting. We will visit for a few minutes, talk about the calendar, weather, seasons, play group games and sing songs. At the end of this time, we will explain to the children our day’s schedule and guide them in the various learning centers of the day.
SNACK
The school will provide snack. Birthdays are celebrated during snack time. A special snack from home may be shared with classmates at this time. We will all sing Happy Birthday.
LUNCH All students will need to bring a lunch from home.
FIELD TRIPS
Field trip permission forms are required before any child can accompany the group. Students will be transported on a bus to field trips. Any parent who wishes to be a chaperone for any trip NEEDS to have a CORI form filled out with the school at the beginning of the school year.
BATHROOM PROCEDURE
Children will not have a specified bathroom time (unless requested). A teacher will be available should a child need assistance. Each child will wash his/her hands after using the bathroom. Students entering the preschool program MUST be fully toilet trained prior to the beginning of school and should be able to perform all bathroom duties independently.
DISCIPLINE
At this age your child will be moving from parallel play to cooperative play. Some children do not understand about sharing. They understand the word but not the meaning. When a child is asked to share something, he/she may feel threatened. Some children handle this aggressively and others passively. Both need intervention from the teacher by showing them positive results. At no time will a child be singled out or embarrassed. We will do lots of talking, reading, and role-playing to help children find appropriate ways of dealing with frustration. (After 2 verbal warnings we ask the child to sit in the listening chair for time-out.) If they need to have a second time in the listening chair we will send a note home. After having to use the listening chair 3 times in one day, we may ask you to keep your child home for a day in order to help with discipline.
COMMUNICATION
We can be reached at school (508-765-5991 ext. 104) or email. Please do not hesitate to call. If there are changes with regard to addresses or phone numbers, the changes must be reported to the school office so records can be kept up to date. We try to use email as a main source of information and to as eco-friendly as possible. If there is an issue with e-mail, then paper notices will be used. Please be sure to check email and the school website often.
SCHOOL OPENING
Orientation days will be announced on the school calendar mailed to your homes in August. The preschool program follows the regular school calendar for holidays, vacations, and observance of religious days. We will follow Southbridge Public Schools with regard to cancellations due to weather. If there is a 1-hour delay, school will begin at 9:15. If there is a 2-hour delay school will begin at 10:15. On the first day of school you are asked to send in socks and underwear in a plastic bag. Please label the bag with your child’s name and include a picture of your child and a picture of your child’s family with his/her name. We also ask that you provide a picture of the people that will be picking up your child so we may have them in our records.
Thank you, Mrs. Hilli and Mrs. Lomme 2019-2020

Preschool Philosophy

Our program’s goal is to provide a warm, loving, rich and safe environment that is designed to consider the total development of each child and to meet his/her individual needs and interests. Because the teacher recognizes that children learn best when they have a good self-image and are accepted as they are by both adults and other children, they will be given diverse choices that can lead to independence, self-confidence, self-control, and a sense of responsibility.

Through play and hands on experience, the children will be given the opportunity to acquaint themselves with all aspects of the environment. An effort will be made to open the children’s eyes to little, yet important things around them. Because we are Trinity Catholic Academy, emphasis will be placed on Christian values and learning in a Christ-like atmosphere through example and instruction.

Through a variety of structured and supervised free choice activities related to specific units, the curriculum will stress fine and gross motor development, health, safety, art, and music. Great emphasis will be placed on literature with the reading of stories playing an integral part in the curriculum.

The program will attempt to provide a balance of activities that are structured/unstructured, informative/creative, active/quiet, observing/participating, alone/together, and small/gross motor. Every effort will be made to bring out the best in each child with emphasis on the whole child, thus creating a very positive experience and healthy self-image.

Pre-School Tidbits

Address and Phone Numbers: Please fill out the three emergency cards and return to school immediately. If you do not want your number given out for parties or play dates, please inform the school or mark the card.

Appropriate dress: Please be sure your child is dressed in the school’s uniform. Remember that your child will be sitting on the classroom floor, painting and doing gluing projects. Please remember that paints and glue are washable and should be cared for as soon as possible. Girls may obtain skorts from stores other than the uniform store in order to get a skort with an elastic waistband. They may be found at Sears, JC Penney, Target, and on-line.

Backpacks: We ask that all children have a regular sized backpack (something that will hold an 8 ½ x 11 folder) so that notices, invitations and other special projects get home safely. (The cut small ones do not fit our projects in them.) Remember to label your child’s backpack and no wheels please.

Change of clothing: Please provide socks and underwear, to be kept in the closet at school. We are sensitive to children who have accidents and one of the teachers will assist the child to get them cleaned up and back into the class. We have extra pants, skirts and tops to wear.

Forms: Please fill out and return the personal history form immediately along with medical forms and emergency cards. Remember your child cannot inform us if we do not have the proper information on hand. Please keep your child’s information current.

Guests: If you know of anyone with an interesting profession who would like to visit our pre-school friends and talk about what they do, please inform the teachers.

Illness: If your child is ill, please do not send him/her to school. Contact the office and leave a message that includes your child’s name. Remember, children should be free of fever for 24 hours (without medication) before returning to school. Students also need medical permission to return to school after contracting contagious diseases. (EX: Pink-eye, strep, etc.)

Invitations: Invitations can only be handed out at school if you are planning to have the whole class attend the party. We understand there are times when not everyone can be invited and those invitations should be mailed to the child’s home. Names and addresses of students are found in the school’s directory.

Lunch: Students need to bring a lunch from home. Please include spoons/forks. We do not have a refrigerator available to keep items cool; however, we have a microwave so we can reheat items for lunch.

Notes: Any note about holidays or special events will be distributed to the children. You will find information in your child’s red folder. We also communicate via email. Please send any notes/money/permission forms to us in your child’s red folder which goes home daily. Please send us a note, if your child is going to afterschool, someone different is picking your child up or your child is being dismissed early.

Pick Up and Drop Off Times: Students may be dropped off no earlier than 8:00 AM. A teacher will be on duty near the playground for outside morning prayer and at the main doors on Pine Street during inclement weather for indoor morning prayer. Please feel free to join us for morning prayer. Cars may park along Pine Street, however, not in front of the school.

Pick-up for students without siblings in the school is at 2:30 PM at the pre-school door on Pine Street. Parents may park on Pine Street. Pick-up for students with siblings will be in the pick-up line for 2:40 dismissal. The teacher and the associate will help the children with their coats. After school program students will be brought to the gym by the teacher or associate. The After School Program is available until 5:30 for students. Parents will need to park their cars (You may use the school lot.) and come to the door to pick up your children.

If your child is having a difficult time, we ask that you give them a kiss and hug at the door, tell your child you are leaving and then please leave. Remaining after the initial good-bye, especially if your child is feeling anxious, only makes our job more difficult and their transition more difficult. Most times children stop crying within 2 minutes.

Pictures: Please bring 2 pictures of your child and one of your family. Please do not send photos that cannot be replaced as we will use them in projects.

Show & Tell: Each week a different child brings home the “sharing bag”. A schedule will go home. A child should return the “sharing bag” the following Friday along with 1 item from home to show and talk to their friends about. They should also bring 1 small item for each of their friends such as a rock, fruit snacks, a picture, an apple, etc.

Snacks: Snacks are provided by the school. Please do not send your child with an individual snack. If you would like to send a snack for the class, please feel free to do so. Children love to share and pass out snacks to their friends from home. We do celebrate birthdays and holidays.

Tuition: Tuition is collected through FACTS Management Company. Payments are due the 15th of the month.

Volunteers: There will be occasions when we will need “Room Moms and Dads” or chaperones for field trips. Please send a note in with your name and availability to the teachers. All volunteers MUST be CORI checked and have attended the Safe Environment class held in the fall.

Updated 2018-2019

Preschool Supplies

1 Roll Paper Towels
1 box of tissues
1 container disinfecting wipes
8-10 large Elmers glue sticks
2 containers of baby wipes (refill packages are fine)
1 box of ziplock type sandwich bags
2 pictures of your child and 1 of your family (we will use in a project)
1 baggie with 1 pair of underwear
1 pair of socks

Classroom News

Dental Week – Preschool has been busy learning about good dental hygiene this week. I think we have some future dentists in our class. We have also been learning about animals that live in the Arctic and how they stay warm in such cold weather.

Fire Safety

Enrollment Information

Contact us to learn more!

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Trinity Catholic Academy Preschool Graduation 2018

It is always bittersweet at the end of the school year. While we are so proud of all our boys and girls and all they have grown and achieved during the school year, we are sad to see them go. The end of the year brings along with it our field trip to the Ecotarium, a picnic while letting our butterflies go (we have watched them grow since they were baby caterpillars), field day and graduation.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten Program

Trinity Catholic Academy offers a 5-day, full time Kindergarten program for children who have turned 5 years of age by August 31st in the year in which they enroll.

Full Time Kindergarten students attend school from 8:15 a.m. until 2:40 p.m. with an optional After School Program being offered from 2:40-5:30 p.m. for an additional cost.

Math

Mathematics uses direct instruction with a guided practice approach enhanced with hands-on activities to explore new skills and concepts. Math vocabulary and concepts are reinforced throughout the daily classroom routine, included in group calendar and weather time, or individually by using Math Task boxes.

Topics of learning include: Numeration, Whole Numbers, Fractions, Algebra, Geometry, Time and Money, Sorting and Classifying, and Measurement. The student will count and write numbers 0-30, learn ordinal numbers to tenth, skip count by 2’, 5’s and 10’s, identify and create patterns of objects, color, shape and size, identify, sort and classifying objects, use position words, identify money and values, identify time of day and telling time to the hour, begin subtraction and addition readiness.

The Kindergarten students enjoy practicing estimating each week through a popular activity called The Math Jar. A large plastic jar is sent home each week with a student and brought back to school filled with small toys or objects. The students will estimate during the week how many items are in the jar, 1-100, and then count the items on Friday. After counting the items, the closest estimator has their picture taken and then the items are taken home by each student.

Reading

The Reading program builds the foundation for reading success with lessons and activities to reinforce the skills and strategies to become lifelong readers. The program focuses on listening and comprehension skills, alphabet and phonemic awareness, vocabulary and word identification, shared reading, leveled reading and some grammar usage.

Our Reading program offers take-home books that build confidence in reading by starting out with small rebus stories featuring the frequency words and increase in length with decodable words as the year progresses. Their excitement builds weekly as they become capable of reading stories themselves or to other people.

Language Arts

Language Arts is encouraged through the student’s written work in ‘My Journal Notebooks’, or expressed orally at daily sharing time in the Share Chair.

Religion

During Religion students begin to learn their prayers, experience God’s love by building relationships in the classroom with their peers, the school with their 8th grade buddies and through various whole school activities. The students also create their own bible story book using the alphabet as a guide.

Additional Subjects

Students use journaling in Social Studies and Science. After a topic is discussed, students implement and discover through hands on activities and lastly journal about what they have learned.

In addition, students enjoy 45 minute classes of Art, Computer, Library, Physical Education and two 30-minute classes of Music per week.

Classroom News

Grade 1

Grade 1 Reading

First Grade Reading focuses on the true meaning of “living a literate life” and growing a love for books. In first grade, children participate in literary experiences that involve children in thinking, talking, and writing about reading. They make inferences, predictions, notice details, empathize with characters, and reflect on emotions and feelings of characters. Through daily interactive read-alouds, the children are engaged in oral discussion before, during, and after reading time.

During whole group read–alouds, children participate in routines such as “turn and talk” – interactions with a partner so they have opportunity to participate in ”book talk”. Through this powerful conversation, children learn they are expected to talk about their thinking in response to reading. Comprehension conversations help in first graders clarify their thinking and understandings about text, and in turn they begin to participate in reading as a social activity.

Grade 1 Phonics

Phonics is an important part of the first-grade reading/writing classroom. The children take part in daily mini-lessons on some aspect of sounds, letters, and words, and apply that knowledge in a word study center or an individual assignment. Moreover, children have a chance to apply their knowledge of letters and sounds in writing and reading for real purposes. Each day during The Daily 5, children work independently at several literacy tasks including: listening to stories electronically and responding to those stories by drawing or writing, independently reading from personal “book boxes” (books they have read before or new books that are “just right” for their reading range), sorting words by specific features, and putting poems together in pocket charts and reading them to check for accuracy. In fact, children read a new poem almost daily! First, poems are encountered during shared reading, and after they become familiar with it, the children are given personal copies of the poem to illustrate and put into a poetry binder. At the end of the year the children have a wonderful book of illustrated poems that they can read!

As children work independently, small group direct instruction called Guided Reading also takes place with the classroom teacher. At the beginning of the year children are closely observed in class and systematically assessed for their reading strengths and needs. This information is used to form groups in order to do explicit teaching. In Guided Reading, children are introduced to a new book that is just a little more difficult than she can read independently. With teacher support, children stretch their reading powers. Working in small groups allows children to use everything they know about reading to solve words, follow and understand a text and apply different strategic actions. The process is supported by comprehension conversations with the teacher and other group members.

First graders also participate in an activity called interactive and shared writing. During these lessons, children compose a message or story together and the teacher will scribe it on chart paper. At times, children “share the pen” to help them develop greater ownership of writing and also focus on letters, words, and sounds. When composing pieces, they reflect on books they know about or have read to generate ideas. After completing each item in their writing, they re-read the piece together, and they make comparisons to other writings they have done or to different books they have read. These tasks support the work that children do during Writers Workshop.

A favorite part of the day in first grade, is Writers Workshop. It begins with a mini-lesson from the teacher on some aspect of the writing process, then students work independently to “make books” on self-selected topics. They use conventional spelling for high-frequency words, and invented (phonetic) spelling for the rest of their writing during this time. Children begin to learn how to use conventions to support meaning, by producing sentences with capitalization and punctuation and they develop their writers voice. In writers’ workshop, children express their unique meanings through writing every day.

Grade 1 Religion

In Grade 1, students learn more about how we belong to the Church, God and his Creation, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, and our call to be followers of Jesus.

First Grade students each are assigned a seventh-grade buddy, and the seventh graders and first graders go to Mass together each week. Additionally, the seventh graders help the first graders prepare, and take part in the Thanksgiving prayer service. They also serve as editors and writing partners for the first graders at the end of the year during Writers Workshop. Firsties participate in many community service projects throughout the school year. These community service projects help them take a hands-on approach to being a follower of Jesus. Projects first graders have participated in include food drives for our parish food pantry, crayon collections for The Crayon Initiative, a candy/stuffed animal drives as a part of Operation Gratitude, and book drives to benefit the Salvation Army and it’s various outreach projects.

Grade 1 Math

Math in First Grade employs the use of partner work, small groups, games, written practice, and lots of hands on materials and manipulatives to explore four areas of Mathematics. In Operations and Algebraic Thinking children represent and solve problems involving addition and subtraction, understand and apply properties of operations and the relationship between addition and subtraction, add and subtract within 20 and work with addition and subtraction equations. As children learn about Number and Operations in Base Ten they begin to extend the counting sequence by counting to 120, understanding place value as tens and ones and they use that place value understanding and the properties of operations to add and subtract.
In Measurement and Data children measure lengths indirectly and by estimating length units, tell and write time to the hour and half hour both in analog and digital forms, organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories, and they work with money by identifying the values of all U.S. coins and working with them through real life problems. Finally, in Geometry, children reason with shapes and their attributes, participating in several engineering activities throughout the year.

Grade 1 Social Studies

In Social Studies, first grade children listen to and read folk tales and true stories from America and from around the world. They learn about major historical events, figures, and symbols related to the United States of America and its national holidays and why they are important to Americans. As students’ study concepts in geography, civics, economics, and history, they also learn about each other’s families and about the achievements of different people in different times and places. The grade 1 curriculum continues to strengthen children’s identity as American citizens.

Grade 1 Science

In grade 1 Science, students learn to describe patterns of motion between the Sun, Moon, and stars in relation to the Earth. From this understanding, they can identify seasonal patterns from sunrise and sunset data that will allow them to predict future patterns. Building from their experiences in pre-K and kindergarten observing and describing daily weather, they can now examine seasonal data on temperature and rainfall to describe patterns over time. Grade 1 students investigate sound and light through various materials. They describe patterns in how light passes through and how sounds differ from different types of materials and use this to design and build a device to send a signal. Students compare the ways different animals and plants use their body parts and senses to grow and survive, including typical ways parents keep their young safe so they will survive to adulthood. They notice that though there are differences between plants or animals of the same type, the similarities of behavior and appearance are what allow us to identify them as belonging to a group. Grade 1 students begin to understand the power of patterns to predict future events in the natural and designed world.

Grade 1 Special Days

Throughout the year the First Grade has many other special days. The students have a pumpkin book report day in the fall, make Gingerbread houses during the Christmas season, participate in100th day of school activities, celebrate Dr. Seuss’s Birthday, and hold an Authors’ Tea at the end of the year.

During each day, first graders build their independence and lead a “literate life” by participating in activities and experiences that build a love of learning through hands on application, play with a purpose, exposure to language in the form of talking, reading, and writing that expands their understanding of the world.

Classroom News

Grade 2

Grade 2 Program

Second grade is where beginning skills are strengthened and expanded, where self-confidence is fostered and developed, where the child’s responsibilities in the learning process are stressed, and where the child begins to learn to set priorities.

You should see growth in your child’s reading, writing, and mathematical skills. This is also a year of expanding social awareness. Peer approval becomes increasingly important at this time. Second grade brings satisfaction to individual children as they become more independent learners.

Reading

Reading is an enormous part of a second grader’s life. Students are instructed and practice in fluency, vocabulary development, comprehension and analysis, reference/study skills, and literary elements. Classroom reading includes self-selected reading, individual reading, partner reading, group reading, and reading aloud to the class as a whole. Students respond to the text through discussion, dramatization, various projects, and activity sheets. Students participate in the Reading Count Program for independent reading.

The students continue to transfer their reading skills to writing conventions by using their knowledge of word structure and phonics to spell words. They learn the various types and structures of sentences. The grammar portion includes the study of nouns, verbs, adjectives, abbreviations, and contractions. Proper use of punctuation and capitalization is also addressed. They apply to their writing what they learn about sentence structure, grammar, and mechanics throughout the year. Various writing strategies are explored and applied, including narrative, descriptive, and expository writing. A highlight of the writing program in second grade is the introduction to cursive!

Math

Through the use of various manipulatives, several hands-on activities, and paper/pencil work, the students are introduced to, develop, and master several mathematical concepts. The second grade mathematics program focuses on mastering addition and subtraction facts, numbers and patterns to 100, data and graphing, money to $1.00, adding and subtracting two-digit numbers, Geometry, fractions, probability, measurement, time, and calendars. They are also introduced to multiplication, division, numbers and patterns to 1,000, and adding and subtracting three-digit numbers. Problem solving and various assessments are integrated throughout the curriculum.

Social Studies

Second Grade Social Studies helps the students appreciate the past events and people that contributed to our history and helps them to understand the social world around us. During the year they read several of the Magic Tree House books by Mary Pope Osborn to learn about different time periods of history. The main text that is used during the year is Social Studies Weekly.

Map and globe skills are strengthened. Past, present and worldwide communities are studied. Basics of our government, our country’s symbols, holidays and natural resource conservation are reviewed. In second grade the students study the human body, animals, insects, plant life, laws of motion, properties of weather and the Solar System.

They watch and study the life cycle of butterflies or ladybugs. During the year in science in health we discuss how students should take care of their bodies, the use of good manners and the importance of personal safety.

The class explores individual units through Social Science Weekly, demonstrations, hands-on activities, discussions, observations and field trips. Some of the field trips that second grade take during the year are visiting an apple orchard, the fire station, police station and movies like (Earth, Oceans).

Religion

Second grade students develop a meaningful prayer life, memorize scripture, locate various passages in the Bible, and apply Biblical principles to everyday life. We aim to live as Jesus did! In addition, they study a variety of important people in both the Old Testament and New Testament.

Every year in October the second grade leads the Prayer Service for Saint Francis “The Blessing of Animals” and have a special Mass to celebrate their First Communion. During the prayer service they put on a small skit about Saint Francis.

During the year the second grade does several service projects such as collecting toys for a children’s hospital, pennies for Haiti, and cleaning the church for Easter and Christmas.

Homework

Homework will become a regular, important aspect of your child’s education in the 2nd grade. Homework for 2nd graders will average 20 to 30 minutes per night.

To help your child most effectively, be available to answer questions, but don’t correct her work. If you see a mistake, point out what she might want to try again.

Ask questions like, “Can you show me what you did to get this answer?” If she can’t get it on a second try, leave the problem uncorrected so the teacher will know that your child needs help in that area.

Classroom News

“Oreo Moon Madness”

Snowflake STEAM

Grade 3

Grade 3 Program

It is in third grade that students use the skills they have gained in reading to learn more about the world around them. They also begin to realize their role within the class and school community. An increased focus on team work and group activities is built into everyday lessons.

Therefore, building stronger relationships with peers allowing them to grow and mature. Along with fostering these relationships students continue to develop their relationship with God. The children learn through scripture stories and lessons the values they will carry with them throughout their lives.

Reading & Writing

Students’ reading skills become stronger as they move from learning how to read to reading to learn. The children are taught by using classic literature as well as modern pieces. Story themes are used to bridge language and reading lessons allowing students to fully comprehend stories and skills. Students are taught to write complete sentences and two to three well written paragraphs.

Journal work is completed on a weekly basis along with more formal writing assignments such as persuasive, narrative, and descriptive. Throughout the year, third grade students are responsible for completing a variety of book report assignments such as poetry, fiction, non-fiction, and biographies. Third grade is also where students will master cursive writing.

Book Reports

Below is a copy of your next book report. You will receive a clear description of the assignment. If you are unable to obtain specific materials for the projects, feel free to improvise or contact me directly. I tried to be generous on the time given to complete each project. As a result, I have high expectations and hope that you will take this opportunity to teach your child time management. Have fun!

March 12th —–iMystery (mystery)

Math

The Mathematics curriculum allows students to continue to practice and develop addition and subtraction skills. It is in third grade that students are introduced to multiplication and division. Through hands-on activities and repetition students will master these skills along with graphs, measurement, geometry, and fractions.

Social Studies

Social Studies focuses on the beginning of our beautiful country. Through a variety of projects and activities students will explore the Native American tribes and Pilgrims that inhabited our country so many years ago. Students will also be taught the roots of our government and how our country is still run today based on decisions made by our forefathers. These units are completed with a trip to the Pequot Museum in Connecticut, Plymouth Plantation in Massachusetts, the Town Hall in Southbridge, or The Freedom Trail in Boston.

Classroom News

Learning About History

Grade 4

Grade 4 Program

The fourth grade is a transition year filled new discoveries and a greater sense of responsibility.

Students come with a wide variety of interests. They are more attentive to factual material, take pride in their abilities, and appreciate humor. Students seek independence, yet need to feel like part of a team. They need security, understanding, and encouragement in order to succeed.

The fourth grade curriculum offers a variety of disciplines. Students are engaged in many academic areas and have many opportunities to reinforce concepts and skills.

Service Projects

Food Share for St. Joseph’s Table
Adopt a family from St. Mary’s at Christmas
Make welcome cards for the Anointing Mass

Reading

Students reading comprehension is a major focal point in grade 4. Students read a variety of genres including fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, and fairy tales. They use prereading strategies such as preview and prediction. The use of skills such as inference, sequence, problem and solution, and cause and effect relationships aid in comprehension. During the year students are read aloud to for enjoyment. This introduces them to new authors and various forms of literature.

Writing & Grammar

Writing and vocabulary skills are developed through structured assignments such as journal entries, essays, letters, and a research paper. Students demonstrate their understanding of new words through assessment as well as usage within assignments.

Grammar skills are reinforced throughout the year, including parts of speech and punctuation. Students are taught how to write compound and complex sentences to form three to four well structured paragraphs. Students are also given a variety of book reports assignments to demonstrate these skills throughout the year.

Mathematics

The mathematics program includes a review of basic addition and subtraction as well as number sense. Students continue their mastery of multiplication and division, which includes the use of larger numbers. They strengthen their understanding of fractions which includes addition, subtraction, and mixed numbers. Probability and statistics are introduced as a way to use predictions and generalizations. Problem solving strategies are used in each of the concept areas.

Science

The science curriculum focuses on the areas of the human body, matter and sound, electricity and magnetism. Concentrated topics allow for a greater depth of understanding with the use of hands on activities, classroom demonstrations, and laboratory exercises.

Social Studies

In social studies, students focus on the geography of the United States with concentration on the five regions. The themes of geography, location, place, movement, human/environment interactions, and region, are defined. An annual state pageant gives each of the students a unique opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge of one of the 50 states. Students also read and discuss current events through the use of a weekly magazine.

Religion

The religion program focuses on the sacraments of initiation. Students also learn how to live as Jesus taught and to treat others with respect. Students understand the presence of God in their daily lives. Students begin to realize their own gifts and talents and have many opportunities to share these throughout the year.

Classroom News

Grade 5

Grade 5 Program

Fifth-graders begin their year in grade 5 at Trinity Catholic Academy by “climbing the stairs” to the third floor where our middle school resides. Just two months previous to beginning fifth grade, these students were in a cozy, completely self-contained fourth grade classroom.

Now they are being asked to be more independent and self-reliant by branching out to the classroom of our science teacher in addition to being in their own homeroom for the greater part of the day.

This is done to introduce being responsible to more than one teacher, which serves as preparation for grade 6 when students will be exposed to a departmentalized model.

Grade 5 Science

At Trinity Catholic Academy, Fifth Grade Science class is a brand-new experience. It is the first time that students are changing classes and have another teacher for a major subject area. This entails new expectations, traveling with their books, and answering to someone other than their homeroom teacher. It allows for a taste of the major adjustment next year as a part of the middle school.

Science is introduced as an area where we play and discover, an area where being wrong can lead to new discoveries, and an area where questions begin the scientific process. STEM/STEAM is integrated into the curriculum on a regular basis allowing students to problem solve in different ways.

Every other year we have a science fair where students may work by themselves or with a partner for several months on a project of their choosing. The project is based on the scientific method. The fair gives students an opportunity to work in an area of interest, work on a long term project and share their results with judges in order to gain public speaking skills and self-confidence.

Grade 5 Reading

Our Reading program is a program that stresses literary elements, vocabulary, and critical thinking. Students read a variety of novels during the year to accomplish these goals. Book report projects are assigned that cover a variety of literary genres. Coupled with that is our English program which is strong in teaching parts of speech, sentence structure, and writing skills. It is an irrefutable strength to be able to express oneself through the written word. To that end, much time is spent in developing a fifth-grader’s writing skills, and they are provided with many opportunities to do meaningful writing across the curriculum. In addition, we have a strong spelling and vocabulary program published that presents challenging words, not only for developing strong spelling skills, but also to provide opportunities to become familiar with synonyms and antonyms and how to use words in context.

Grade 5 Math

Our math program, published by Sadlier stresses basic mathematical and arithmetical concepts as well as presenting many problem solving strategies. Practical, everyday applications for the concepts that are being taught are presented to students so that Math has meaning for the students’ own lives, now and in the future.

Grade 5 Social Studies

In Social Studies we concentrate on the history of each region of the United States, studying the earliest people who occupied a region, the introduction of the first explorers to the area, the major historical events that took place, and ending with a study of the region’s contemporary characteristics. Students participate in field trips to Boston to visit the Freedom Trail and take a walking tour of Old Sturbridge Village. Each trip allows students the chance to see how and where history takes place.

Grade 5 Religion

An integral part of attending Trinity Catholic Academy is spiritual formation. Fifth-graders examine sacraments as part of their curriculum. Students have the opportunity to understand how the seven sacraments operate in their lives and in the world at a level that they can understand. We examine basic precepts of the Church, scripture stories, the lives of important people within the Church and in the world, and then apply the lessons to be learned to our own lives.

Grade 5 Homeroom
Mrs. Ehrhard

Grade 5 Math
Ms. Galvinhill

Grade 5 Science
Ms. Casey

Classroom News

Grade 6

Grade 6 Program

Sixth grade is an exciting year full of brand new experiences. The highlight of this school year is the week-long trip to Nature’s Classroom in Wakefield, Rhode Island. Students experience learning through living together, engaging in hands-on activities, and working together to accomplish common goals. Students return to Trinity having not only learned new subject matter from a new perspective, but also having learned about themselves and each other. They become bonded as a class, which carries them through the middle school experience in a special way.

In our middle school, students travel to different classes every forty-five minutes, instead of being in a self-contained classroom. Every care is taken to make sure that this difficult transition is made with each individual child in mind. The middle school team works together, meeting often, to ensure that our expectations regarding homework, study time, organization, and discipline are clearly communicated to all students. The team determines whether any student needs additional reinforcement in a subject area, and a plan is then implemented to meet the student’s needs.

As sixth graders, students are now eligible for membership in the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) and the Faith in Action Team (FIAT) if they meet the criteria for membership. These are in addition to the many other student organizations available such as Student Council, Paw Press, Choir, Sports Teams, Running Club, etc. Students are encouraged to bring their interests to the school by requesting permission to form new clubs and groups which may reflect the needs of the current student body.

Sixth Grade Team

English | Mrs. Weber (Homeroom)

Grade 6 English is composed of four major components: Grammar, Vocabulary, Writing, and Poetry. A very strong study of the parts of speech and proper sentence construction is an integral part of fine-tuning a student’s writing skills. To that end, we concentrate heavily on parts of speech and their role in sentence construction and in proper syntax. We apply these grammatical skills when we study proper paragraph and essay construction. A variety of types of writing are practiced in sixth grade which might include the personal narrative, expository writing, writing that compares and contrasts or which cites evidence in order to persuade. We further extend those skills in the writing of a research paper in connection with a school wide Science Fair or Social Studies Fair, each of which is held in alternating years. We have a very strong vocabulary program that serves to enhance both our reading and writing. In the spring of the year, we enjoy a unit on poetry. We take a look at the elements of poetry and focus in on some conventional and some not so conventional forms. The most enjoyable part of this unit for our sixth graders is that they try their hand at writing their own poetry—with remarkable results.

Literature | Mrs. Weber

Grade 6 is a big transition year for literature! There is a distinct shift from focusing on reading within a reading anthology to reading and analyzing whole novels. Students are challenged to move beyond reading for understanding to reading to critically think and analyze.

We kick off the year with summer reading selections. Students are required to read Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Giff for literature. This story is a touching coming of age novel with a challenging story line that contains flashbacks. This novel is perfect for introducing plot structure and characterization. The second book that is required reading is There’s an Owl in the Shower by Jean Craighead. This book is discussed at length within the 6th grade science curriculum while studying biomes.

Within the 6th grade literature curriculum, students learn about summary, plot, theme, characterization, and symbolism. They explore various types of poetry and the wonderful world of folk tales. Novels are read and dissected in class such as Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan, Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, and Firegirl by Tony Abbott.

In addition, students are encouraged to engage in their own independent reading through a 40 Book Challenge. This is intended to teach students the love of reading by giving students choice, and to encourage students to grow into lifelong readers long after they leave sixth grade.

Math | Ms. Galvinhill

Grade 6 students will prepare for Pre-Algebra by becoming proficient in number sense, operations with decimals and fractions, interpretation of data, customary and metric measurement, perimeter, and area.

Key concepts introduced during the year will be expressions, equations and integers. There are open ended math projects where students will learn the skill of using their own background knowledge to learn how to problem solve, establish the knowns and unknowns, and to learn the steps required to develop an equation to find the solution.

Assignments and assessments are given for 3 different skill levels; students may move from one level to another at any time during the academic year.

Periodic cumulative review assignments are given to ensure that students don’t lose the skills they have acquired while focusing on new skills.

Problem-solving and test-taking strategies are built into the curriculum, enhancing students’ critical thinking skills and their performance on standardized tests.

Social Studies | Mrs. Ehrhard

Coming soon!

Religion | Mrs. Ehrhard

In grade 6 religion, students study our ancestors in faith and draw historical and thematic connections between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Each theme is then examined from a modern perspective, exploring the ways in which a particular value might be lived out in our lives today. Students also gain a deeper understanding of the sacraments and what it means to be a Catholic.

Sixth graders are very curious about how their faith relates to their lives. Questions about Church history, the life of Jesus, the theology of the afterlife, and modern morality are often asked at this stage of spiritual development. These topics are woven into the curriculum where appropriate, and added in where necessary, to allow each individual class the flexibility to explore the concepts of interest to them.

Science | Ms. Casey

Welcome to Science in the Sixth Grade! There are so many wonderful and exciting things going on this year. We start off in the summer with reading There’s an Owl in the Shower by Jean Craighead George. This story leads us into our study of Earth Systems and owl pellet dissection. We discover how cool science really can be.

The highlight of this year is our weeklong excursion to Nature’s Classroom in Wakefield, RI. We quickly come to realize that learning does not just happen in the four walls of a classroom or during the normal hours of a school day but that it happens everywhere and at any time. Students come back with a new sense of self, of others and some really cool stories about their adventures. Nature’s Classroom helps students discover their potential, bond with their classmates and have the experience of a lifetime!

Science is an area where we play and discover, an area where being wrong can lead to new discoveries, and an area where questions begin the scientific process. STEM/STEAM is integrated into the curriculum on a regular basis allowing students to problem solve in different ways.

Every other year we have a science fair where students may work by themselves or with a partner for several months on a project of their choosing. The project is based on the scientific method. The fair gives students an opportunity to work in an area of interest, work on a long term project and share their results with judges in order to gain public speaking skills and self-confidence.

Spanish | Mrs. Tolomio

Grade six, beginning students will learn ABC’s, basic expressions, greetings, numbers, and some vocabulary.

Students in all grades will also be introduced to traditional Spanish celebrations like Dia de los Muertos at the beginning of November, Posadas at Christmas and Cinco de Mayo celebration on May 5th.

Student will have the basic knowledge to be able to succeed in Spanish I in high school.

Classroom News

Scary Stories

Grade 7

Grade 7 Program

In seventh grade students are beginning to take on a leadership role in the school. Seventh graders pair with first graders as part of our buddy program. The buddies do many things together, including attending weekly and school masses and assisting them when they lead a school- wide food collection for the Food Pantry for the Thanksgiving Prayer Service. Providing opportunities in leadership gives the older students lessons in responsibility, while giving the younger students a sense of belonging. The highlight of the buddy experience is when they collaborate to write and illustrate a book. The creative process culminates with an Authors’ Picnic in June where they share their stories with their families and each other.

In addition to leadership roles, 7th grade students also are involved in fund raising. Each fall and spring they host Breakfast Buddies, and also the bake sale during the school wide talent show. New in 2018 is the school store, Bobcat Bargains, which will be open once a week and entirely student run. Students are responsible for set up, breakdown, and inventory checks. This is also a fund raiser. The money raised from these events goes toward the 8th grade graduation party; an annual tradition and class gift to their graduating classmates, the 7th grade hosts a dinner reception and dance immediately following the graduation ceremony. The funds also help to offset the costs for the end of the year class trip in June.

Students in grade 7 are expected to take more ownership of their academic progress. They are held to a higher standard in preparedness for class and in the development of work habits. To this end they will direct their own parent/ teacher/ student conference. Seventh grade becomes a real pivotal point in their middle school development.
Seventh graders are eligible for membership in the National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) if they meet the criteria. This is in addition to the many other student organizations available such as Faith in Action Team (FIAT), Student Council, Math Team, Poetry Club, Choir, Basketball, Cheerleading, Golf, and Running Club. Students are encouraged to bring their interests to the school by requesting permission to form new clubs and groups which may reflect the needs of the current student body.

Mathematics | Ms. Galvinhill (Homeroom)

The course of study for Grade 7 is Pre-Algebra Part I. Students will use their knowledge of decimals, fractions, and integers to solve for the variable in one-step and two-step equations and inequalities. They will study ratio, direct and inverse proportion, and percents and their applications.

In the geometry unit, students will learn the basics in area, volume, surface area,and coordinate planes geometry. There are open ended math projects where students will learn the skill of using their own background knowledge to learn how to problem solve, establish the knowns and unknowns, and to develop an equation to find the solution to a real life application.

Periodic cumulative review assignments are given to ensure that students don’t lose the skills they have acquired while focusing on new skills. Assignments and assessments are given for 3 different skill levels; students may move from one level to another at any time during the academic year.

Problem-solving and test-taking strategies are built into the curriculum, enhancing students’ critical thinking skills and their performance on standardized tests.

Social Studies | Mrs. Citta

Coming soon!

Language Arts | Mrs. Weber

Grade 7 English focuses on grammar. Extensive work is done with the eight parts of speech, compound and complex sentences, subject and verb agreement, and punctuation. Students are expected to apply these lessons in their writing. Compositions are assigned every other week.

In addition to grammar lessons, students are assigned a two week long vocabulary unit. The test at the end of each unit is comprised of spelling, definitions, synonyms and antonyms, and words in context.

A research project is required in seventh grade. Students are taught how to research a subject, form a bibliography, and cite sources. Topics are alternated yearly between Science and Social Studies.

While studying autobiographies in Literature class, seventh grade students write their autobiographies. Parents are asked to help provide early memories and with the selection of photographs. While students first balk at this assignment, they soon discover that writing about themselves can be fun!

Religion | Ms. Casey

As with all the other grades at Trinity, students participate in weekly mass which is the basis of our faith and our mission statement.

The 7th and 8th graders work together on Morality. It is a two year course that focuses on all the facets of morality. Many tools are used including class discussion, lecture, movies and student led questions.

As a group, they participate in The Stations of the Cross during Lent. They work together on the Stations Project which has the students recreating the Stations for the whole student body on Holy Thursday.

Prayer and a relationship with God are the goals for the students at the end of the course.

Science | Ms. Casey

Science in the 7th grade is all about what is going on in our bodies. We start off with cells and move onto genetics and heredity. The majority of the year is spent on human biology and how the body works. We also talk about how wonderfully God made our bodies and the best way to take care of His precious gift.

Class time focuses on notes and discussion while the reading of the material is generally left to the students. This is the first time where students have pop quizzes and many announced quizzes to aid in the understanding of the material. Class participation is not only encouraged; it is vital to the students’ grasp of the subject matter.

Science is an area where we play and discover, an area where being wrong can lead to new discoveries, and an area where questions begin the scientific process. STEM/STEAM is integrated into the curriculum on a regular basis allowing students to problem solve in different ways.

Every other year we have a science fair where students may work by themselves or with a partner for several months on a project of their choosing. The project is based on the scientific method. The fair gives students an opportunity to work in an area of interest, work on a long term project and share their results with judges in order to gain public speaking skills and self-confidence.

Spanish | Mrs. Tolomio

Grade seven students will learn basic questions, adjectives, numbers from 1 -100, clothing, places, vocabulary and complete sentences using their newly learned lexicon.

Students in all grades will also be introduced to traditional Spanish celebrations like Dia de los Muertos at the beginning of November, Posadas at Christmas and Cinco de Mayo celebration on May 5th.

Student will have the basic knowledge to be able to succeed in Spanish I in high school.

Literature | Mrs. Weber

Students begin with summer reading selections. In seventh grade two books are required: Gossamer by Lois Lowry and Peak by Roland Smith. These two books are high interest novels that prepare students for the curriculum in seventh grade. Grade 7 literature exposes students to the various genres available to them. Short stories, non-fiction selections, poetry, drama, and novels are read and discussed during the year.

Throughout the school year, students read the entire Giver series by Lois Lowry. These novels allow students to delve deeply into the study of characterization, plot, theme, and critical analysis of texts. In addition, these stories lend themselves to rich classroom discussions based on Catholic identity and morality.

In addition, students are encouraged to engage in their own independent reading through a 40 Book Challenge and sustained silent reading time given in the classroom. This allows students to foster a love for reading that will hopefully translate into continuing a life as a reader long after they leave Trinity.

English | Mrs. Weber

In grade 7 English, grammar instruction focuses on the eight parts of speech, compound and complex sentences, subject and verb agreement, and punctuation. All of this instruction is learned through examining mentor sentences, in which students learn how to implement their grammar instruction into their own writing.

In addition, seventh grade English focuses heavily on writing through a writer’s workshop approach. Through the writer’s workshop, students learn essential writing skills to apply to the type of writing that is ultimately their choice. Throughout the year, students write within the following genres: narrative, expository, and poetry. Students are evaluated through a portfolio, which follows them to eighth grade.

A research project is required in seventh grade. Students are taught how to research a subject, form a works cited page, and cite sources. Topics are alternated yearly between science and social studies.

Classroom News

Scary Stories

Grade 8

Grade 8 Program

Eighth graders are continuing with their leadership role in the school. They are paired with the Kindergarteners as part of our buddy program. The buddies do many things together but mostly the Eighth graders welcome the Kindergarteners and their families into the Trinity Catholic Academy family.

Older students help the younger ones become oriented with the school by giving a tour on the first day, helping them with lunch for the first few weeks and sitting with them at our masses. They participate in community building activities like going apple picking together, helping with the jump rope-a-thon and many more.
Their leadership role extends beyond their buddies to school wide. They are also in charge of the recycling done in the school. They are looked upon as the student leaders and are held to that standard in all areas.

Students in grade 8 are expected to continue ownership of their academic progress. They are held to high standards in preparedness for class and the development of their work habits. They direct their own parent/teacher/student conferences being able to give voice to their strengths and weaknesses.

They are applying to high schools if they are choosing not to go to public in their own town. A high school night is offered at Trinity for students in 6th – 8th grades with their parents to meet with representatives of area high schools. Trinity is proud to have students who are prepared to go onto any high school of their choosing!

Students are encouraged to get involved in school activities that interest them. There are sports, social and academic offerings with a wide range of interests. Students are also encouraged to form new groups if there is interest.

The 8th grade has a theme that runs throughout the year. It is a unique theme chosen for the class and becomes a very special part of their year. The culmination of this year is activities such as an overnight retreat, a class trip and graduation.

Homeroom | Ms. Casey

Welcome to 8th Grade at Trinity! Know that this will be a year filled with many memories. You will have Kindergarten Buddies, dances, sports, fundraisers, retreat, the class trip, graduation and many more fun times. There will be a lot of expectations on you, and as a class, as the new leaders of the school. How you handle this responsibility is entirely up to you. You cannot change the past; you can only change the future.

Science | Ms. Casey

Eighth grade Science is a challenging curriculum that begins with discovering hurricanes and tracking their movements. The science of force and motion are introduced. The reality of hurricanes really makes science come alive for the students in a year where science is mostly microscopic. This year we will also study matter and elements, chemicals and what they do and how they work. All the components of energy are also discovered. Class time focuses on notes and discussion while the reading of the material is generally left to the students. Students have pop quizzes and many announced quizzes to aid in the understanding of the material. Class participation is not only encouraged; it is vital to the students’ grasp of the subject matter.

Science is an area where we play and discover, an area where being wrong can lead to new discoveries, and an area where questions begin the scientific process. STEM/STEAM is integrated into the curriculum on a regular basis allowing students to problem solve in different ways.

Every other year we have a science fair where students may work by themselves or with a partner for several months on a project of their choosing. The project is based on the scientific method. The fair gives students an opportunity to work in an area of interest, work on a long term project and share their results with judges in order to gain public speaking skills and self-confidence.

Religion | Ms. Casey

As with all the other grades at Trinity, students participate in weekly mass which is the basis of our faith and our mission statement.

The 7th and 8th graders work together on Morality. It is a two year course that focuses on all the facets of morality. Many tools are used including class discussion, lecture, movies and student led questions.

As a group, they participate in The Stations of the Cross during Lent. They work together on the Stations Project which has the students recreating the Stations for the whole student body on Holy Thursday.

Prayer and a relationship with God are the goals for the students at the end of the course.

English | Mrs. Weber

Grade 8 English focuses heavily on writing through a writer’s workshop approach. Through the writer’s workshop, students learn essential writing skills to apply to the type of writing that is ultimately their choice.

Throughout the year, students write with the following genres: narrative, expository, and poetry. Students are evaluated through a portfolio.

A research project is required in eighth grade. Students are taught how to research a subject, formulate a thesis, form a works cited page, and cite sources. Topics are alternated yearly between science and social studies.

In addition, students study grammar extensively and apply that to their own writing.

Literature | Mrs. Weber

Students begin with summer reading selections. In eighth grade, The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan is required reading. In addition, students have to choose one of the following novels, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaimen and Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos. We start off the year discussing these books at length and analyzing their structure.

Grade 8 literature exposes students to the various genres available to them. Short stories, non-fiction selections, fairy tales, poetry, drama, and novels are read and discussed during this year. Videos are shown to introduce authors to students and to compliment a short story or novel. Students are exposed to classical works such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

This encourages students to look at literally critically and engaged in discussions surrounding major themes. To Kill a Mockingbird opens up deep discussions on Catholic Social Teaching, as well as current event issues.

Spanish | Mrs. Tolomio

Grade eight students will continue with vocabulary, questions, jobs, numbers past 100, body parts, and reading and writing complete conversations using their lexicon.

Students in all grades will also be introduced to traditional Spanish celebrations like Dia de los Muertos at the beginning of November, Posadas at Christmas and Cinco de Mayo celebration on May 5th.

Student will have the basic knowledge to be able to succeed in Spanish I in high school.

Mathematics | Ms. Galvinhill

Grade 8 students will take Pre-Algebra Part II. Students will study data analysis, two and three-dimensional geometry, probability, relations and functions, and polynomials. Periodic cumulative review assignments are given to ensure that students don’t lose the skills they have acquired while focusing new skills.

Students will be given open ended math projects where students will learn the skill of using their own background knowledge to learn how to problem solve, establish the knowns and unknowns, estimate and confirm by doing, and finally, to develop an equation to find the solution to a real life application. Problem-solving and test-taking strategies are built into the curriculum, enhancing students’ critical thinking skills and their performance on standardized tests.

Grade 8 students may be placed into math groups, determined by their scores on previous assessments. All 8th graders will take Pre-Algebra Part II. Assignments and assessments are given for 3 different skill levels; students may move from one level to another at any time during the academic year.

Grade 8 Pre Algebra is not a complete Algebra I course. Graduates should expect to be placed in Algebra I or Algebra I Honors upon entering High School.

Social Studies | Mrs. Citta

The Grade 8 Social Studies curriculum continues where 7th grade leaves off, beginning with Ancient Rome and continuing through to the Renaissance and Reformation. Students study the growth of civilization and the themes and trends that affect its people.

Classroom News

Blowing Up Soda?!?!

Blessing of the Sweatshirts

Art

Art Program

The emphasis of art at Trinity Catholic Academy is to learn to enjoy, appreciate and create art. We look at different styles, cultures and eras of art, as well as create our own masterpieces inspired by the elements of art, principles of design, and famous artists.

Throughout the school year we also use classroom themes and units of study for project inspiration. Classes meet once a week for forty-five minutes. Our school year begins with practicing introductory skills which affords Trinity’s artists the building blocks to create more complex pieces.

The arts are an important aspect in developing a well-rounded student. Art is not only an essential part of learning but it also connects students to different cultures, develops aesthetic values, as well as uses critical thinking and problem solving skills which are uniquely developed through the arts.

Announcements

Music

Music Program

Music is taught to every child in every grade level at Trinity Catholic Academy. Following the national standards set forth by the Music Educator’s National Conference, each class meets for music instruction in 30-minute periods twice a week, every week.

The music curriculum is based on the methods formulated by international music composer and pedagogue, Zoltan Kodály. Other music methodologies include those of Carl Orff and other contemporary elementary music specialists.

Emphasis is placed on teaching traditional American folk songs, dances and games as well as the rich and varied repertoire of the Catholic Church. TCA owns a small Orff instrumentarium and a set of handchimes that are used regularly in music classes.

Music elements and concepts are introduced by grade level according to the following scheme:

Kindergarten: Emphasis on recognizing and performing the following skills: fast-slow, loud-soft, timbre, steady beat, and reading basic rhythmic patterns
First Grade: Continued emphasis on recognizing and performing the skills acquired in Kindergarten plus knowledge of basic melodic patterns
Second Grade: Emphasis on reading rhythmic patterns containing quarter notes, eighth notes, half notes, and their corresponding rests. Melodic reading focusing on the scale degrees so, mi, la, do, and re and differentiating between songs in simple and compound meters
Third Grade: Reviewing the concepts learned in earlier grades plus the addition of dotted notes and syncopated rhythms. Experimenting writing music in the tonal centers of F, G, and D major.
Fourth Grade: Introduction of sixteen note patterns and pentatonic scales based on notes other than do. Introduction of scale degrees fa and ti. Use of baroque recorders in the second semester.
Fifth Grade: Learning to harmonize simple melodies with I, IV, and V chords. Exploring major and minor scales and tonality. Continued use of baroque recorders, handchimes, and ukuleles
Junior High Chorus (Grades 6, 7 & 8): All students in these grades participate in a combined SAB choir for one hour each week. Choral music of all styles and periods is sung and performed in regular concerts each semester. Music skills are reviewed and put into practice from previous grades in each session. Students learn to sing in parts and the value of teamwork and cooperation to achieve musical and esthetic goals.

Music & Movement

Music and Movement class at Trinity Catholic Academy is largely based on the First Steps in Music curriculum created by John M. Feierabend, a leading authority in early childhood music education.

The curriculum is based on folk and traditional songs and rhymes. Children in Pre-Kindergarten through Second Grade will experience activities that prepare them for the development of accurate rhythmic skills, accurate singing skills, and sensitivity to the expressive qualities in music.

Activities include:

Echo Songs in which the teacher sings a phrase and the group sings the phrase back enable everyone to sing immediately.
Fingerplays and Action Songs in which each phrase has a motion that reflects the expressiveness of the melody or spoken rhyme provide a basis for understanding form and expression.
Movement Exploration encourages children’s creative movement ideas and supports the development of gross motor skills.
Choreographed Dances include movements that reflect both the form and expressive quality of classical music.
Circle Games encourage the development of social, cognitive, language, motor, and musical skill through traditional games that have been passed down from one generation to another. Children learn to cooperate as a group, and share the energy and spirit of the game as a community.

Physical Education

Physical Education Program

The Physical Education program will use age appropriate lessons and equipment to foster a learning environment in which children have fun and succeed while also being challenged. Working as a member of a team and encouraging others, as well as motor skill development, coordination, and game playing will be emphasized as well as life-long fitness.

The Physical Education Department will host Winter Games during Catholic Schools Week. Students and classes will engage in different physical activities and contests with a winter theme.

The Physical Education classes will also team up with the American Heart Association for the Jump Rope for Heart Campaign. Each class will jump rope for 40 minutes as an individual or team to raise money and their heart rate.

In June Field Day is held at Camp Foskett in Charlton. There will be a variety of challenging games and age appropriate activities and relay races, as well as Project Adventure for the older classes.

Physical Education News

The Media Center

The Media Center Program

The Media Center at Trinity Catholic Academy houses our library and computer lab. Each grade is scheduled to be in the Media Center twice a week.

The younger children use one day to visit the library when they have an opportunity to check out books and take part in activities that have been prepared for them by Mrs. Maureen Carragher, our library aide.

On the other day, they use the computer lab to learn basic skills that range from practicing how to power up the computers to creating Word documents. Often, they will engage in “games” that are actually teaching critical skills such as spelling, reading, thinking, organizing, and problem solving.

Our older students use the computer lab both days to fine tune their computer and word processing skills, to practice using Excel spreadsheets and Power Point, and other components of the Microsoft Office Suite.

By the time our students graduate the 8th grade, they are knowledgeable in the use of the computer and responsible in the use of the internet.

Responsible use of the internet is emphasized with all students regardless of age.