Curriculum:

The curriculum at St. Francis Xavier Catholic School includes Religion and all subjects required by the Diocese of Savannah and Florida Catholic Conference. The PreK-8 grade curruculum covers a set of core subjects in Religion, math, science, social studies, and language arts. Additional instruction is given for students to develop a wide range of knowledge in Spanish, physical education, art, music, computer technology, and research and study skills. Honors classes are taught in coordination with the core curriculum for eligible students.

Religion is a core subject taught daily, which permeates the environment twenty-four hours a day. From sacramental preparation to daily moral teachings, students grow in their knowledge of the liturgical year, appreciation of the Catholic beliefs and other denominational traditions, self-consciousness with a focus on community service, and spiritual enlightenment through the value of prayer. As a community, parishioners, families and students participate in liturgies and celebrations. The older students are prayer buddies to the younger students, parents sit with their children at School Mass and together we worship.

Mathematics begins with patterns in pre-kindergarten and commences with Algebra in eighth grade. The repetition of patterns to the skills of Algebra is traceable in all levels of the math curriculum. The structure of the math program is in line with the student's needs for challenging work. Each year's skills focus on many perspectives of mathematics, and how mathematical problem solving is interwoven into daily life. The classrooms are equipped with age-appropriate materials and manipulatives, so that no child has to sacrifice learning to wait for a handheld clock or calculator.

The world of science is ever changing and the modern advances in technology make the process of teaching science inviting. With the growth of technology and the visual imagery available, science plays a role in the student's daily lives. Science gives way to the understanding of yearlong problem solving and methodology. Students learn at an early age that science takes time, and from August to May projects are developed on the solar system, cycle of life, earth's erosion, energy needs, and science fair projects. Students have a chance to see science and nature first hand on field trips to NASA, Georgia's barrier islands, 4-H department, Department of Natural Resources, Humane Society, and the Southeast Georgia Health System pathology department.

Social Studies begins in the younger grades with the belief that students belong to a community, and students can make the community better through actions and service. In the intermediate grades, the primary focus is research and discover of different regions of the country. Colonial and pioneer lives are examined through the study of traditions and customs, which include food and dance. Students engage in a variety of activities beginning with an archaeological dig at Fort Frederica National Monument located on St. Simons Island, Georgia. Middle school, the students look beyond the borders of the United States to the world community by participating in a six-month Model United Nations program. This award-winning program requires students to use a variety of skills and techniques ranging from debate to using a systems thinking approach for problem solving. Students cultivate their learning in a world bazaar and history fair.

The English and language arts (ELA) curriculum evolves over the course of a year. As the faculty suggests new ideas, the ELA objectives expand to meet the plan of educating every student. The ELA curriculum begins in pre-kindergarten with the development of sights and sounds. Through participation in music and art, as well as classroom instruction, a child begins to create sounds, letters, and then words. Listening and visualizing are common to the early childhood approach to reading. The students listen to stories as well as create their own stories, which are expressed verbally. In preparation for kindergarten, these stories are then transformed into pictures and words on paper. The kindergarten year begins with the recognition of words and ends with the understanding of how chains of words become a sentence. Students in kindergarten begin to read words and find ways to connect words for meaning. The connecting of words begins the process of daily writing activities. In the primary grades, the skills of reading and writing are addressed individually. Students pace themselves through several levels of reading textbooks, and each grade is equipped with classroom libraries. Classroom sets of books are available for small group work. The integration of technology and Spanish instruction enhance the language and grammar base. The students examine commonly used resources such as dictionaries, encyclopedias, almanacs, thesauruses, and the Internet. The intermediate and middle grades expand the primary curriculum by reading timeless novels, newspaper articles and journals. Cross-curricular topics such as Georgia history, romantic poetry, the Holocaust and the Depression help strengthen students' perspectives. These grades set the tone for exploration with creative expression, appropriate grammar usage and appreciation of literature. Cooperation, rather than competition, is encouraged in the ELA plan, and many students' essays have been published in local and national periodicals.

Testing:

St. Francis Xavier Catholic School conducts standardized testing each year for grades one to eight. Our diocese currently uses the "Terra Nova" second edition, published by CTB McGraw-Hill, which includes the "InView" for grades three, five, and seven. St. Francis Xavier Catholic School uses this standardized tool to address our students' needs, grade level needs, and curriculum enhancements.