Primary Grades (K-2)

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Primary Grades (K-2)

St. Cyril understands that the Primary Grades are about building a strong foundation & love of learning in our students. Each year builds upon the previous to develop confidence, independence and the thrive mentality in our student body.

Kindergarten

In Kindergarten, we aim to educate the whole child into one who is ready and confident for elementary school. While learning classroom rules and how to show respect for one another, we also learn academic content vigorously.

In math, foundational skills are integral. We learn things like sorting, patterns and position words first. After these basics have been mastered, we move onto writing and identifying numbers. After the students are comfortable with these, we are able to work on number comparisons, addition and subtraction. We also use counting from one to one hundred in ones and tens and learning 2d and 3d shapes as introduction to geometry.

In Reading, the integration of multiple reading skills becomes the foundation for more complex tasks. We start with learning our letters with both sounds and handwriting. In order to build a repertoire in reading comprehension, we read stories, ask questions, and summarize together orally. We work on high frequency words and sentence structure. Literature genres are varied in kindergarten including, fiction vs nonfiction, fables, poetry and fantasy. Careful attention is given to story elements and analysis of text. Once each section is mastered orally, we practice it in writing.

Formal instruction in writing begins in Kindergarten. We write in different forms such as opinion, explanatory and narrative. During the process, we practice the different techniques between each piece of writing. We are able to describe concrete details and support it with relevant commentaries. Writing crystalizes our thoughts in an organized way. By learning academic writing in Kindergarten, it prepares us for the expectations in the years to come.

In social studies we learn a wide range of topics, from respect and being a good citizen to historical events, and important people. Some examples of this content are the golden rule, American monuments, Martin Luther King Jr, Pilgrims on the Mayflower and community helpers.

Finally, in religion we build the foundation of the Catholic Faith. Starting with a great emphasis in God’s beautiful creation. Throughout the year we learn about saints, the Holy Family, the liturgical calendar, and different Catholic holidays. We thank God for his gifts throughout each unit. From creation, to our 5 senses and our brothers and sisters in Christ, we show our thanks for His blessings.

Kindergarten is a place where children transform from a child who is dependent on adults, to a thriving student who has confidence in their independence in the classroom. We love to make mistakes in this classroom because that is how we learn. Using crafts and play along with book work and practice, we achieve great learning success.

First Grade

First grade is such an exciting year! We take all the fundamental skills that we have learned in kindergarten, such as letter recognition and sounds and we transform ourselves into readers and writers! Then we take the number recognition skills we learned in kindergarten, and we become mathematicians who can add, subtract, and compare numbers! First grade is a year where we truly grow our minds to become lifelong learners.

First grade is such an exciting year! We take all the fundamental skills that we have learned in Kindergarten, such as letter recognition and sounds and we transform ourselves into readers and writers! Then we take the number recognition skills we learned in Kindergarten and we become mathematicians who can add, subtract, and compare numbers! First grade is a year where we truly grow our minds to become lifelong learners.

In Religion, we learn about our relationship with God the Father and his love for us. We learn about Jesus by learning stories of his life, parables he told, and his important role in our salvation. We also learn about the gift of the Holy Spirit that Jesus gave to us as a helper when he returned to Heaven. Along with learning how to pray from our hearts using our own words, we practice prayers such as the Lord’s Prayer, Hail Mary, and Grace Before Meals. We learn about the lives of the saints in fun ways by creating books each month detailing the lives of saints with feast days in that month. First grade also has a very special project on All Saints Day in which we dress up as our chosen saints and give presentations to the school and our families about our saints.

In Language Arts, we learn and use spelling, reading, grammar, and writing skills every day! We become close readers who can identify main ideas and details in texts, ask and answer questions about what we have read, and describe characters, settings, and events in a story. We also develop a love for expressing ourselves through writing by developing opinion pieces, informative texts, and narrative texts.

In Math, we learn to take the number sense we developed in kindergarten and apply it to real-world situations such as through addition and subtraction. We can identify and count to the number 120, add and subtract double-digit numbers, compare and order numbers, measure using inches and centimeters, and identify two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes and their attributes. We also learn the very important skill of identifying, counting, adding, and subtracting American coins and dollars.

In Social Studies, we recognize “a child’s place in space and time”. We learn what it means to be a good citizen in our communities, in our homes, and in our school. We learn about our location within the context of our city, state, country, and the world. We learn to create maps that can describe places that are important to us, such as our homes, bedrooms, or classroom using a map key and compass rose. We can also identify American symbols, landmarks, and essential documents such as the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence. We compare and contrast our lives and experiences now to those of the past, such as in the time of one room schoolhouses. We also begin to learn about basic economic principles within American society, such as identifying goods and services and exchanging money for those goods and services.

In Science, we have the wonderful opportunity to learn both in our own classroom and in the science lab! We use a program called “Mystery Science”, which is an engaging program that answers questions using videos, books, and tons of hands-on activities. We learn about animal traits and survival, plant traits and survival, patterns of day and night, and finally, light, sounds, and communications. Some examples of questions that we explore in first grade science are: Why do birds have beaks? Why do family members look alike? Why don’t trees blow down in the wind? Could a statue’s shadow move? Why do stars come out at night? Where do sounds come from? What if there were no windows?

Second Grade

In second grade, students understand the relationship between numbers, quantities, and place value in whole numbers up to 1,000. They learn to estimate, calculate, and solve problems involving addition and subtraction of two- and three-digit numbers. Complex math reasoning and accurate computation is routinely practiced in this grade.

In second grade, students understand the relationship between numbers, quantities, and place value in whole numbers up to 1,000. They learn to estimate, calculate, and solve problems involving addition and subtraction of two and three digit numbers. Complex math reasoning and accurate computation is routinely practiced in this grade.

Second grade students utilize the McGraw-Hill reading series to recount stories, and determine the central message of the text. Students implement reading comprehension skills to answer questions related to the genre presented in class each week. During the school year students have the opportunity to read Pleasing the Ghost, and Charlotte’s Web. Once students are done reading the novels, they create a book report. Book reports allow students to think critically about a piece of literature. Students not only describe the story, they form an opinion about the story and the author’s style.

In writing, second grade students learn how to write paragraphs utilizing the Jane Schaffer method. Students become highly proficient academic writers, who are able to write with clarity in an organized, systematic way. Students write concrete details and formulate commentaries that support a topic.

Topics and experiments in science include animal adventure, plant adventure, work of water, and material magic. Forming scientific questions and testing multiple possible answers is common practice in second grade.

In religion, 2nd grade students continue to learn about the Sacraments within our Church. They dive deeper into Reconciliation and Eucharist with focus on preparing to receive these Sacraments during the Lenten season. Students continue to learn other prayers such as Confiteor, Act of Contrition, Prayer of the Faithful, and Stations of the Cross.

St. Cyril of Jerusalem School is committed to providing a nurturing environment to families of ALL faiths. We are a community of learners who are effective, contributing members who appreciate differences and welcome all.