Academics

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CURRICULUM

Philosophy
Within a Catholic school environment, the school aims to provide the guidance, instruction and opportunities that help all children acquire fundamental skills, basic understanding, wholesome attitudes and habits, Christian values and an appreciation for their own talents and potential.

Basic Curriculum
The school curriculum is designed by the Office of Catholic Schools of the Diocese of Dallas as is set forth in the Diocesan Curriculum Guide. Basic to the curriculum is the study of the following:

• Religion,
• Language arts (reading, English, spelling, writing and library),
• Mathematics,
• Science,
• Social studies,
• Computer science,
• Music (grades K-6),
• Art (grades K-6),
• Electives (grades 5-8)
• Physical education, and
• Language science (grades 2-5).

Instructional Support
If a teacher believes that a student is not mastering the basic curriculum in any area, the teacher may recommend that the student undergo educational testing to determine whether the student needs instructional support. Parents are notified if the school recommends educational testing. All school recommendations, reports, grades or teacher surveys will be mailed directly to the testing facility; parents must include the address of the tester or the facility on the request form. If the school had not recommended educational testing but parents desire for the school to provide instructional support for their child, the parents must first contact the child’s homeroom teacher or the school’s instructional support specialist and follow the school’s procedures for educational testing. If desired, the school will provide recommendations for testing facilities. In order for the school to consider giving instructional support to any student, the above guidelines must be followed ad a complete diagnostic report, including complete test scores, must be submitted to the school office. The school will then evaluate the test results to determine what, if any, instructional support is needed by the student.

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Examples of instructional support include, but are not limited to:

• Allowing the student to leave the classroom to go to the school’s instructional support room or to the math resource room for tests and quizzes, and
• Modifying the student’s curriculum.

If instructional support is recommended by the diagnostic report, the student’s parents must sign a permission form before the student is given the recommended support. If the parents do not want the student to receive the recommended support, they must sign a form stating so. However, the student is still expected to fulfill the same requirements as the other students in the grade.

Exams
Students in the fifth grade take non-comprehensive final tests at the end of the school year. Except as otherwise provided in the next paragraph, students in the sixth through eighth grades are required to take midterm and final exams. Exams are administered to help students recall curriculum and skills taught. Exams are also administered to prepare students for taking exams on a high school level.

Students in the seventh and eighth grades are exempt from taking the final edam in any of the six major subjects in which they achieve an “A” on the third quarter report card and have an “A” average immediately prior to the final exam. In addition, students in the eighth grade are exempt from taking the midterm exam in any of the six major subjects in which they achieve an “A” on the first quarter report card and have an “A” average immediately prior to the midterm exam. All exam exemptions are subject to the policies regarding absences.

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Honor Roll Requirements
Students in the fifth through eighth grades may be eligible for one of the school’s three honor rolls.

1. Principal’s Honor Roll—To qualify for the Principal’s Honor Roll the student must achieve an “A” in every subject and an “E” or an “S” in all conduct and effort grades.
2. First Honor Roll—To qualify for the First Honor Roll the student must achieve an “A” in the six major subjects, and an “A” or “B” in all other subjects. In addition, the student must earn an “E” or an “S” in all conduct and effort grades.
3. Second Honor Roll—To qualify for the Second Honor Roll the student must achieve “A’s” or “B’s” in all subjects, and an “E” or an “S” in all conduct and effort grades.

Progression Through Grades
Progress through the grades is a matter of achievement in basic skills, maturation, and social, civic and emotional development. Most students move through the curriculum at a pace of one grade per year. However, a child may experience difficulty mastering the academic phases of the school program, and will profit more from school if retained one grade. Special consultation with the parents is arranged to address any such difficulty and to propose solutions. The decision to retain a student is made following a comprehensive overview of the student’s performance. Parents must be made aware of the possibility of retention no later than March 31 of the current school year. The final decision regarding a student’s promotion or class placement rests with the school. In accordance with diocesan policy, retention of a student for more than one year is avoided, if at all possible, especially beyond third grade.

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