Specialty Classes

Educational Technology

Educational Technology is integrated into the daily classwork and works to develop the potential of SJS students with skills to prepare them for a world where technology is integrated into virtually every job and to enhance their learning experiences in all content areas.

It is our goal for our students to become inquisitive, creative, resourceful thinkers; informed citizens; effective problem-solvers; groundbreaking pioneers; and visionary leaders in our society. We will help them develop these skills by providing instruction in coding,

Google applications including Docs, Slides and Sheets, and all of our grade levels incorporate digital citizenship as a way to help them navigate their classroom work clearly and safely while challenging them to incorporate what they learn into their personal interaction on the internet.

Library Media Center

Library Schedule by Grade

Preschoolers – 20 minutes of storytime each week
Kindergarten thru 3rd Grade – 30 minutes of library time each week
4th and 5th Grade – 30 minutes of library time each week
6th thru 8th Grade – 20 minutes of library time each week

Reading Resources

Archdiocesan Library Media Guidelines

If you have any additional questions, please feel free to email Librarian Jeff L anz

Music

SJS offers music instruction for 3-year-old preschool through 8th grade. 3rd through 5th grade students learn to play the recorder and various percussion instruments during music class. Middle School (6th through 8th grade) students learn to play the ukulele.

Performances:

Veterans Day
Christmas Musical
Spring Musical
Spring Concert

After-school ensembles and opportunities:

Percussion Ensemble: 6th – 8th grade
Mass Choir: 3rd – 8th grade
All-District Choir: 4th – 8th grade
Band: 6th-8th grade

Physical Education

PE Philosophy

To maintain a healthy lifestyle and mindset, Physical Education must be an essential part of the overall curriculum in an instructional program. Physical Education teaches students to participate in different activities and sports that contain some type of physical activity. These skills and knowledge of specific activities build on each other to engage each student to participate in physical activity for the rest of their lives. Based on instruction and developing goals with achievable outcomes, Physical Education benefits a student’s cognitive and affective learning in all subject areas

PE Uniform

Students grades 4-8 will be required to wear their SJS PE uniform during the school day on the particular day of the week they have PE class. The PE uniform consists of an SJS t-shirt and pair of shorts for the spring and summer months and an SJS sweatshirt and sweatpants for the fall and winter months. Students not dressed in the appropriate PE uniform will lose 1 point from the daily participation points.

If you have any questions, please feel free to email Instructor Jeff Whitton.

Spanish

Spanish is an essential part of the curriculum Kindergarten through 8th grade students.

This class offers a way to learn the language and enhance Latin American Culture. Speaking Spanish will open the door to a rich, gorgeous, historically important culture.

While learning Spanish takes a lot of practice, hard work and dedication, the learning process helps expand attention span and creates a stronger working memory. These skills are transferable to other aspects of life, and it has been said that once you become bilingual, it’s like a mental workout, and you become stronger.

Visual Arts

Visual Arts Philosophy

Saint James Catholic School believes that the arts are part of daily life and essential to the development of the whole child: physical, emotional, mental and spiritual. Arts education fosters creative thinking, logical reasoning, problem-solving, emotional intelligence, and resilience across all subject areas. Furthermore, art education teaches the skills of self-expression, self-reflection, respectful communication, and open-mindedness, all of which generate an appreciation for one’s own place in school and society, as well as an appreciation for the diverse talents and cultures of others. Regardless of age or talent, human beings are inherently artistic, and immersing students in arts education provides them with emotional and academic benefits that can only be attained through fine arts education while serving students across curricular areas and throughout their whole life.