Inspiring Learners in Christ

Third Grade

    In third grade, we encourage students to build up invaluable skills such as responsibility, industry, and patience to help them navigate their way through school as well as stay motivated and excited about their learning. We help students harness their energy and give it direction to focus on academic engagement through collaborative learning and individual effort. Across all curriculum, faith formation is a vital part of our program. Third grade is a time that students begin to explore their potential and we provide students with a safe, nurturing environment that helps students boost their confidence amidst an expanding awareness of the broader world. 

    In third grade, we use a writer’s workshop model to encourage our students to become confident and capable writers. In Reading, we strengthen oral fluency and expand students’ comprehension skills. In Social Studies students focus on California’s history and regions. This also includes learning about the history and traditions of Native Americans, past and present. Third grade at St. Philip is a time to explore, engage, and continue to be excited about learning.

Fourth Grade

Fourth grade is a special year for students at St. Philip as they work with teachers to develop autonomy in school for their learning and behavior. Students are given time and space to gain a better understanding of their own individual learning styles. They are guided in how to take effective notes, create their own study guides, and ultimately build study skills that complement their personal strengths. Teachers help students learn to solve their conflicts with growing independence as students regulate their emotions and work to effectively communicate in times of challenge and growth. 

Growing peer solidarity is channeled into book clubs, group projects, and collaborative assignments that often incorporate technology. Students’ intellectual curiosity is met with enthusiasm as they transition from learning to read to reading to learn. Fourth graders engage in long term research projects that allow them to build both reading and writing skills as they use textual evidence to support their conclusions and explanations about a text. 

In Math, fourth grade students use a variety of strategies such as music, manipulatives, and small group work to understand multi-digit multiplication, division with remainders, and extend their understanding of converting fractions and comparing fractions. In Social Studies, 4th graders build a better understanding of today’s world by exploring California’s diverse history.

First Grade

In 5th grade, students consolidate gains from their early educational journey and continue to push forward with collaborative investigations, development of study skills, research, and explorations into greater depths of knowledge across the curriculum. Fifth graders work industriously to showcase what they have learned as they compose essays, cite textual evidence, explore creative writing, and collaborate on presentations that feature technology. 

In math, students extend their knowledge of multiplication and division to larger and more complex numbers, like decimals, extend their use of basic operations to include fractions, and incorporate problem solving that requires algebraic thinking.

In reading, students utilize their maturing ability to select texts from genres they enjoy. This enthusiasm is then shared with peers through class discussions, book recommendations, and emerges in student-driven book clubs.

Fifth grade provides an environment that encourages students to listen to each other, heighten awareness of their impact on the school environment, and practice kindness through intentional acts. Our goal is to give students the skills they need to transition easily into junior high and enjoy the golden end of elementary school.