Curriculum

St. Bernadette School, established in 1997 by the Diocese of Worcester, offers a rigorous academic program to a diverse student body that includes many international students. Limited class size, a fully certified faculty, the majority of whom have Masters degrees, and the presence of many specialist teachers enable the school to maintain consistently high expectations of all students while ensuring individual attention. Foreign language instruction, whole language with a strong phonics component, Algebra I and project-based learning experiences enhance the curriculum.

Leadership, respect, responsibility and commitment to faith are fostered through a variety of enrichment activities. The Student Council sponsors dances, food drives and other service projects. Basketball, cross country and softball teams are coached by volunteer parents. Altar servers participate in school liturgies and celebrations. St. Bernadette School’s Extended Day program is designed to provide a safe environment with supervised homework time and activities to expand children’s horizons.

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Religion

Religious education initiates students into the heart and beauty of Catholic Christian teaching centered on the life of Jesus and the values of His Gospel. The program promotes a continuing commitment to religious literacy through a systematic presentation that is developmentally appropriate. Students receive formal instruction daily combined with prayer experiences, multicultural global awareness, Scripture study and liturgical celebrations. Catholic Christian values permeate all areas of the school’s curriculum, culture and climate as students, teachers and staff embrace a way of thinking and interacting with one another consistent with Gospel values. All members of the St. Bernadette School community are encouraged to grow closer to God and to live lives that reflect that relationship.

Prayer, penance and service programs, recitation of the Rosary, as well as weekly Mass attendance are among the supplementary activities of the Religion curriculum.

Literacy/Language Arts

Literacy/Language Arts is the process through which a learner independently applies the appropriate strategies to read, write, listen, speak, and think in order to gain or communicate meaning. Most importantly, Literacy/Language Arts promote reading, writing, listening, speaking and thinking as critical tools in lifelong learning. The development of this process stems from balanced, explicit, and diagnostic instruction that is student-centered and takes place within a meaningful context. Students develop competency through the guided use of a variety of genres including basal texts, children’s literature, adolescent literature, informational texts and content-area materials. The integration of literacy skills across curriculum disciplines fosters the growth of student competencies. Regularly scheduled classes in the school library extend student exposure to children’s and adolescent’s literature.

Mathematics

Incremental development, continual review and frequent cumulative testing are the pillars of the Mathematics program that is at the core of St. Bernadette School’s mathematics curriculum. Incremental development describes the method in which concepts are taught in small, easily understood sections presented in individual lessons taught over the course of the academic year. The process of continual review helps to foster assimilation, mastery, and complete understanding of concepts and skills. Frequent cumulative testing allows students to demonstrate their mastery of skills before new concepts are introduced. Assessments encompass all concepts and skills that students have practiced.

Social Studies

St. Bernadette School’s Social Studies curriculum encourages students to see themselves as part of a larger community. The studies of communities evolve through the grades and include families, classrooms, cities, countries and the world. Multicultural awareness and a celebration of differences are central themes. Students gain knowledge of geography and map skills to gain a better understanding of the world around them. Intermediate and junior high classes focus on American and world history, geography and government. Class projects and a variety of field trips encourage students to demonstrate understanding of their place in society while expanding their interaction with the global community.

Science

The science curriculum is designed to introduce three major content areas: specifically, physical science including physics and chemistry, earth and space science, and life science or biology. Students in grades K-8 are instructed in these areas through a spirally developed sequence utilizing the inquiry method with a hands-on approach to learning. At the earliest levels, topics are introduced while at other levels these same topics are reviewed and/or explored in more depth. Emphasis is placed on scientific investigation based on student questions, data gathering, research, observation and experimentation.

Science instruction is further enhanced using videos, computer software, textbook articles, outreach programs, and field trips to achieve an in-depth understanding of the subject matter and its relationship to the natural processes in our environment.

The program is taught in the primary grades by classroom teachers and in grades 4-8 by science specialists.  Grades 4 and 5 are currently participating in a dynamic hands-on program entitled the “STEP” Program, an acronym for “Science Through Experiments Program.”  Grade 6-8 classes are conducted in the school’s lab, which is equipped with a variety of materials designed to extend students’ active learning.

Technology Education

The computer education program encompasses a comprehensive approach to developmentally appropriate technology skills. Concepts and specific skills are introduced, mastered and extended at appropriate grade levels and include: technology awareness, keyboarding, paint, draw and graphics, word processing, information systems, network awareness, Internet/Telecommunications, multimedia, video, electronic presentations, databases, spreadsheets, desktop publishing and programming. St. Bernadette School offers a program correlated to the National Educational Technology Standards taught in the school’s Technology Center and supported through a school-wide Internet-accessible computer network.

World Language

The study of Spanish language and culture is introduced in the kindergarten classes and continued through the grade levels to grade 8.  Beginning in the kindergarten, classes are conducted weekly and increase in frequency in the middle and upper grades.  Students learn using interactive videos and text materials to apply vocabulary to oral and written projects that foster the development of comprehension and conversational skills.

Eighth graders complete one semester of Spanish language study and in their final semester are introduced to the study of French.  This approach provides students with an introduction to another language prior to entering high school.

Physical Education

The main objective of Physical Education at St. Bernadette School is for the children to understand the human body’s potential for movement in order to enjoy a lifetime of physical activity. A second objective is to instill in the children the need to strive for a life of good physical health, which comes from a knowledge of proper nutrition, a knowledge of health issues and a knowledge of physical skills and incorporating this knowledge into their lifestyle. A third objective is for the children to have fun playing age-appropriate games and activities.

Creative Arts