In The Classroom
Preschool
St. Peter Catholic Preschool engages and challenges children to develop early learning, behavior, and social skills. We work to promote spiritual, social, cognitive, and emotional growth.
Children participate in a rich variety of learning experiences from art, music, literature, play, social, and discovery activities.
Children also learn basic skills to prepare for kindergarten. They work in small and large groups as well as independently. They have time to work and play in center areas and practice important skills such as name writing, cutting, sharing, etc.
St. Peter Catholic Preschool also focuses on educating student about the Catholic faith. We begin each day with a prayer and end each day with a blessing. We emphasize the importance of God in our life and never forget that we are all truly loved by God.
Kindergarten
In German the word “kindergarten” means “child’s garden” – a place where children learn and grow. Our goal at St. Peter Catholic School is to provide students with a memorable year, full of challenging and fun-filled learning experiences that will enhance the total development of the child spiritually, intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically.
To best meet the needs of all children and families, we provide both a full day kindergarten, and a half-day kindergarten program at our school. Both kindergarten options offer the best possible education for each child, in a faith-filled environment, where safety and respect is fostered. Our strong, individually based curriculum offers a rich, hands-on approach to learning.
A typical day engages students in Religion, Language Arts (reading, writing, and listening), Math, Science, Social Studies, and Art. Students are offered Music, Physical Education, Library, and Technology with specialists throughout the week.
During the second half of the year kindergarten students are exposed to Spanish class. Throughout the year the kindergarten students have opportunities to attend all-school liturgies and prayer services, have a cultural art experience, be involved in school-wide service projects, interact with buddies from older grades, and experience out-of-school field trips. As kindergarten teachers in a Catholic School, we hope to make a difference in the lives of all children.
Grades 1-4
In grades 1-4 we offer a comprehensive, experiential curriculum that reaches all learners. In religion, children learn Catholic doctrine and explore their Catholic identities through daily prayer and religious instruction, weekly liturgies, and the celebration of Sacraments.
The reading program used is literature-based. Students are given opportunities to read both fiction and nonfiction at their own reading levels. In both first and second grades, the skills learned are expanded on and reinforced in literacy centers. Students also write across the curriculum using 6 + 1 Traits of Writing as a model. The spelling program used is individualized, and it encourages students to use spelling skills every day.
Our math program builds students’ higher-level problem-solving skills, is hands-on, and teaches students to think like mathematicians. Foss, the science program used, provides hands-on learning experiences for the children. In social studies, students begin to understand their world and its cultures. Our program is theme-based including a focus on map skills. The art instruction introduces students to accomplished artists and various pieces of art. Students then explore art using different art media.
Students at all grade levels experience a variety of field trips. Some include trips to the Minneapolis Institute of Art, Feed My Starving Children, Gibbs’ Farm, and the Science Museum. The Parent Association provides a unique cultural arts experience for each grade level. Students dance, learn about styles of music, act with Stepping Stone Theater, and learn how to weave.
Here at St. Peter Catholic School we provide a well-rounded education that nurtures each child spiritually, academically, and socially.
Grades 5-8
St. Peter’s mission is to provide an education that is sacred and academic, enabling students to proclaim their faith and transform the world. As the students grow into young adults and reach the upper grades, we focus on cultivating community-building, cooperation, social responsibility, and leadership.
The upper school is divided into two smaller communities. The fifth and sixth grades form a “Neighborhood” of teachers and students, and the seventh and eighth grades combine to form the middle school “House” at St. Peter. Coupling the grades fosters feelings of ownership and belonging within the students, by allowing them to build relationships outside of their homerooms while still retaining a closely-knit community within the larger school. This cooperation translates directly into the academics at St. Peter.
The fifth and sixth grade Neighborhood operates on a two-year curriculum cycle, in which both grades study the same thematic subject matter at varying academic levels. The first cycle of social studies, religion, and language arts curriculum consists of text-based learning of Hebrew Scriptures and the Ancient Civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome.
The second cycle focuses on Early American History, Minnesota History, and the sacraments. When focusing on American History, topics cover the nation’s founding, Revolutionary War, westward expansion, and the democratic electoral process. Students approach Minnesota history with a special concentration on the Dakota and Ojibwe cultures and the fur trade. Hands-on, inquiry-based learning forms the foundation for the Math and Science curriculum, which emphasizes real world experiences.
In the seventh and eighth grade House students are given more independence and travel with their homerooms to teachers who specialize in their individual subject matter. Like the fifth and sixth grades, students study Language Arts through a novel-based curriculum that integrates vocabulary, writing, and grammatical skills into literature based units.
Whether reading a classic such as To Kill a Mockingbird or a modern screenplay like Walter Dean Myers’ Monster, students are challenged to develop critical thinking skills that apply to all subject matters.
The science, social studies, and math curriculums are specifically designed to prepare students for the high school level. Students leave St. Peter with a strong knowledge base in Algebra, as well as and Life, Earth, and Physical Science. Social studies encompasses world culture, global studies, world events, and modern American History.
The religion curriculum of the seventh and eighth grade house is designed to demonstrate the connection between Jesus’ life and the Church He founded. Seventh grade students study the life of Jesus and His teachings, and eighth grade students study the history of the Catholic Church from its foundations to the spirit of our faith today.
St. Peter supplements excellent academics with several enrichment and extracurricular activities. The fifth and sixth students have the opportunity to join one of several Friday afternoon clubs, or classes ranging from cooking, to yoga, to needle-point.
Clubs allow students to participate in activities they enjoy or learn something new. Students enjoy working in smaller groups and spending time with teachers, parents, and staff who volunteer their time to participate in these wonderful activities.
Seventh and eighth graders spend a portion of class time each week providing service to teachers and staff in the building. Service activities range from stuffing envelopes to tutoring and grading papers. Service time gives the older students an opportunity to give back to the school that serves them well and provides the younger students with positive role models.
Outside of the classroom, students may participate in choir and the cultural arts, act as servers at mass, compete in Quiz Bowl, or serve as Student Council representatives.
All of these wonderful opportunities are made possible by the hardworking staff that works collaboratively to ensure that students receive the highest-quality, integrated academics. Teachers meet on weekly basis to coordinate activities, discuss student needs, and plan events. The cooperation among the teachers serves as model for the students and helps create the community of St. Peter that is the cornerstone of the faithful, collaborative, learning environment.
Specialists
Specialists add an important dimension to the adventure of learning. Our specialist classes include Spanish, music, library, physical education, and technology.
By incorporating Spanish in the curriculum the students gain confidence in speaking a new language while learning to appreciate and understand new cultures. First and foremost, the students are taught common phrases and vocabulary through hands-on classroom activities including singing, games, acting and conversation. Secondly, as the students mature they continue working with Spanish through listening, speaking, interacting and begin work with written Spanish.
Hooray, for music! With our voices we sing praise to God. Using an integrated approach to the performing arts, we explore the art of singing, note reading, music listening, theory, movement and creative dramatics. Music should be joyful. One way we achieve this goal is with hands-on, experiential learning.
During weekly 45-minute library periods, students are exposed to concepts that reinforce classroom curriculum. Topical subjects are taught through the use of music, poetry, costumes, props, visuals, displays, focus books and follow-up activities. Examples of past weekly units have included the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, the Orphan Train, Chinese New Year, and America’s White Table for Veteran’s Day. Following each lesson, students are encouraged to check out selected books on the current topic, or they may choose books from over 17,000 fiction and nonfiction titles available in the school library.
In order to educate the whole student, Physical Education is offered to each class twice a week. The goal of Physical Education is to have students aspire to a lifetime of fitness.
Through individual, small and large group learning opportunities, students are introduced to a variety of skills, activities, and knowledge to encourage them to become and remain fit. During field trips and extracurricular programs, students gain experience in downhill skiing, bowling, golf, running, swimming, and team sports.
Technology is integrated into all curriculums from kindergarten through eighth grade. Students enjoy programs that help with their alphabet and number skills to math, spreadsheets and presentations. All computers are networked so students have access for Internet research.
