language arts

Designed to meet the needs of all learners, our Language Arts program is an integrated, vital component of study at all grade levels. Students are taught reading, writing, listening, and speaking as tools for communication in the twenty-first century. The program goals for all students are to:

• Acquire and develop analytical reading skills
• Acquire and develop writing skills
• Study and apply standard English grammar in speaking
  and writing 
• Develop a strong and varied vocabulary
• Explore diverse literary works that allow students to recognize universal themes
• Develop oral communication skills
• Develop strong study habits and skills
• Acquire and use a variety of technology applications for research and writing

Students in grades K to 5 have the daily opportunity to use Raz-Kids and Accelerated Reader to enhance reading enjoyment and work on furthering their skills and strategies to be successful, lifelong readers. 

All students will be assessed through the Fountas and Pinnell Benchmark Assessment tool to identify individual reading levels. These assessments drive instruction and support teachers as they guide students through a differentiated reading curriculum.

science

The Science program at SPS is experiential, enabling students to connect real-life situations to the presentation and adaptation of the scientific method. Students use problem-based learning to solve problems based on everyday life.  Our K-5th grade students learn science through the Nancy Larson Science curriculum. Our middle school students are now learning the NGSS through STEMscopes. Our state of the art science lab is continually refurbished with science materials, houses our STEMscope kits which support hands on learning for our 6-8th grade students. STEMscopes incorporates problem-based learning, engineering challenges, scientific investigations, math and literacy connections, and culminating claim-evidence-reasoning assessments. The STEM program is infused with deeper level thinking activities so our students are ready for high school science and beyond.

spanish

The goal is to expose the middle school students to the Spanish language. Through dialogue and real-life experiences, the students will have the opportunity to develop skills, express ideas, and acquire sentence structure and vocabulary. With class participation and oral presentations, the students will be able to demonstrate proper Spanish pronunciation and communicate effectively. Juntos lo vamos a lograr.

technology

The goal of the Technology Department is to provide each student with the skills necessary to use technology to problem solve, to organize and present information, and to enhance lifelong learning. 

The program begins with basic keyboard and mouse skills in Kindergarten and progresses to multimedia presentation, information management, and problem-solving skills as the students progress to Eighth Grade.

The curriculum provides students with developmentally and age-appropriate skills and is designed to give students experience and expertise with broad-based concepts that are applicable in a wide range of applications and across multiple technology platforms. The program fosters the ethical use of technology both locally and on the Internet. The ultimate goal is that students understand both the possibilities and limitations of technology and be prepared for the inevitable changes that technology brings.  Each classroom has a pod of desktop computers and multiple Chromebooks. Our middle school students are all equipped with Chromebooks that they take to and from school. 

mathematics

The Mathematics program provides a framework in which students develop their mathematical ability while learning to value mathematics and its uses in daily life. Solving problems using a variety of approaches and communicating ideas clearly and logically are emphasized throughout the program. 

To accomplish these goals, students are provided with opportunities that allow them to discover the beauty of mathematical patterns and the power of logical thinking, use various strategies and tools to solve problems, and gather and organize evidence to support their mathematical solutions.

Students use technology applications such as IXL, XtraMath and Moby Max which differentiates the instruction and allows students to move at their own independent level.  

religion

The basis of teaching Religion at St. Peter School is for each student to develop a strong Catholic faith foundation and a deep spiritual life.  We look to inspire each student to live a life that serves the needs of others with care and compassion. Our religion curriculum is the Faith and Life series complimented with the integration of Catholic values into all areas of growth and learning.  

Our faith experience is enhanced and celebrated by our weekly school Masses, adoration, prayer services, service projects, retreats, days of spiritual reflection and Catholic Schools’ Week.  We strive to be the "hands and feet" of Jesus Christ realizing that true joy comes from giving rather than receiving!  SPS has a large focus on serving just as Jesus did, putting faith into action by through daily words and actions that inspire others as they journey to heaven. 

Our Religion program is also supplemented by our social emotional curriculum, Second Step. We understand that social-emotional learning promotes students’ school success, connectedness and contributes to a safe and respectful school climate. It also helps prevent problem behaviors, peer rejection, impulsivity, and low academic achievement.  

social studies

Our Social Studies program is the integration of the social sciences and humanities in order to provide our students with an understanding of themselves and society, prepare them for citizenship in a democracy, and provide the basis for understanding the complexity of the world community. 

The social studies curriculum draws from multiple disciplines, including: history, archaeology, religion, geography, sociology, and political science. The focus of instruction is on the development of strategies and techniques that are appropriate to all students. 
The social studies curriculum draws from multiple disciplines, including: history, archaeology, religion, geography, sociology, and political science. The focus of instruction is on the development of strategies and techniques that are appropriate to all students. 

reaDING INTERVENTION

St. Peter’s School is blessed with teachers trained in “best practice” reading interventions.  They utilize various assessment tools and reading recovery strategies focusing on teaching the needed skills to progress to the next reading level, while instilling a love for reading!  Students who meet with an interventionist meet either one-on-one or within a small group of students at the same level. The goal of this program is to support students, seeing the "graduate" from the program as they meet grade level expectations.

The principal, parents, teacher and interventionist meet throughout the year to assess growth per the data revealed through various assessment tools such as Fountas and Pinnell and Star Reading assessment.  We are supported by Geneva Public School who graciously work with our staff to support reading growth and learning.  Our team is qualified to create and monitor an educational plan that may require modifications/accommodations should a student show a need for specific on-going support.  

---

​DIOCESE OF ROCKFORD - CURRICULUM
https://www.ceorockford.org/curriculum/