Calendar
Lunch MenuIntermediate
Grades 3-8
Criteria for Honor Roll
Distinguished Honors
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95% or higher general average and no grade lower than 90% in any major subject
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VG or higher in all minor subjects
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S or higher in conduct and effort
First Honors
- 90-94% general average and no grade lower than 85% in any major subject
- G or higher in all minor subjects
- S or higher in conduct and effort
Second Honors
- 85-89% general average and no grade lower than 80% in any major subject
- S or higher in all minor subjects
- S or higher in conduct and effort
Religion
Children learn how God teaches us to live a holy life by following the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. Instruction in and the reception of the Sacraments of Penance and First Eucharist occur in third grade. Special seasonal mini-retreats are celebrated during Advent and Lent. A Thanksgiving retreat and meal with prayer partners are additional cross-grade activities in this department. Students write to senior citizens in the parish, collect food for the needy, and collect and wrap presents for homeless children at Christmas.
Reading and Language Arts
The intermediate department has an integrated reading/language arts program using a literature-based series. The Accelerated Reader Program enhances this curriculum area. Instruction places an emphasis on vocabulary and comprehension.
The parts of speech, proofreading, phonics, and writing skills are integrated with the reading series. Diagramming is introduced in fourth grade and practiced regularly in fifth grade. Spelling is reinforced on a daily basis in all subjects including essay writing.
Each student has a writing portfolio which contains a variety of writing samples completed in each grade. This writing portfolio follows the students from grade level to grades level.
Math
The third grade level focuses on basic facts/skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and single digit division. The fourth grade curriculum concentrates on a wide variety of skills from drawing fractions and shapes to multi-step division, multiplication, and word-problem solving. Decimals, number theory, fractions, geometry, probability, statistics, measurements and problem solving are all included in the fifth grade math series.
Games, hands-on practice, small and whole group activities help enrich the students’ learning of the above concepts and skills.
Problem solving along with the written solution to mathematical problems is stressed on a regular basis. Dated samples of these written solutions are collected in a math portfolio and are passed from grade level to grade level.
Science
The students in the intermediate grades concentrate on life science; physical science; earth science, including landforms; the human body system, including health; and light and sound.
The curriculum is explored through reading and discussion of the text, experiments, laboratory reports, and projects. Cooperative learning groups and explorer activities are utilized to augment the textbook information.
Social Studies
In third grade, students concentrate on communities, past, present, and future. Geography skills are emphasized as well as the beginning of United States government and an understanding of current events.
State capitals, the regions of the United States, and Pennsylvania are the main topics covered in the fourth grade. Geography skills, such as identifying the hemispheres, continents, as well as introducing latitude and longitude are reinforced at the fourth and fifth grade levels. The examination of pre-Colombian Native American cultures, the colonization of North America by early European explorers, the establishing of colonies, the Constitution, and government levels constitute the core of the fifth grade curriculum. The geography of modern-day Canada and current events are integrated into the curriculum. A strong emphasis on the role of the Catholic Church is included in each section.
Internet activities, desk/wall maps, audio/video tapes are used weekly to enrich the curriculum. Individual and group projects are assigned throughout the year. Current events are explored as a part of the social studies program. Time for Kids, a weekly periodical focusing on current events, provokes lively classroom discussions.
