Kindergarten - 5th Grade
Kindergarten
God’s creation and the appreciation of each child as a unique and special part of His Creation form the basis for every aspect of a Kindergartener’s day. Children learn to pray and participate in prayer in many forms: as a class, with their 8th Grade buddies, and as individuals. Kindergarteners begin to learn to look beyond themselves (and toward others in God’s creation) by serving children both in daily interactions within their classroom as well as community projects focusing on homeless children.
As the kindergarteners leap into an all-day learning environment, the foundation for future academic success begins with a focus on the routine and expectations of a typical school day and by instilling a sense of personal responsibility to carry students through their academic career. The fundamentals of literacy and mathematical skills are developed through varied methods including whole group, small group, and one-on-one; allowing individual students to learn and grow at their own pace. All the while, Cathedral’s kindergarten is a fun-filled learning space where smiles and giggles abound as children develop new friendships through play and cooperative learning.
As service is an attribute often best cultivated by example, Kindergarteners work side-by-side with their 8th Grade Buddies to create special Christmas presents for the children supported by the Mother & Child Center. The kindergarten class then, on its own, decorates and fills sacks with toys, candy, hats, and gloves and creates special notes for the children.
1st Grade
In First Grade, children learn that they are all part of one family, God’s family. The Golden Rule is paramount in behavioral management and peer relations. The basics of Catholicism are taught and throughout the year, a commitment to service: to parish, school and community, is cultivated.
First Grade builds a firm and broad foundation of literacy proficiency in Cathedral Students. Students’ reading and writing skills are individually developed and fostered within a backdrop of different thematic curricula that engage the children throughout the year. First Grade recognizes and appreciates the uniqueness of each six and seven-year-old in the class as they make the transition to a more structured academic environment and seeks to instill a sense of personal responsibility while nurturing each child’s love of learning.
In First Grade, service takes form in an age-appropriate manner to instill a sense of commitment in everyday actions by helping others. First Graders serve the parish through monthly church clean up activities. While tidying the pews and picking up trash, the children are also instructed on the architecture, history, and religious art within the sanctuary. Children in First Grade serve the community along with their Fifth Grade Buddies by gathering and assembling Easter Baskets of stuffed animals and candy for Cares NW, a local agency that strives to prevent child abuse and neglect.
2nd Grade
Preparation for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist are the centerpiece of Second Grade at Cathedral School. Together with St. Mary’s Cathedral’s pastor and Cathedral’s principal, the second grade teacher guides the students and their families on a year–long journey of faith as the children become more fully initiated Catholics.
Second Grade challenges its students to think on a deeper level as readers transition from learning to read, to reading to learn. Writing skills are strengthened as these young authors begin to understand the process of crafting a piece of writing and the different forms it may take. This enhanced level of reflection spills over into mathematics where increasingly complex strategies are coupled with tasks that require students to write to explain the steps employed in problem solving. Throughout the year, new friendships are formed and existing ones strengthened in an atmosphere of respect, compassion, and fun both in the classroom and on the playground.
Together with their Sixth Grade buddies, the Second Grade organizes and runs the “Mac Attack,” a macaroni and cheese drive for the Sunshine Division of the Portland Police Bureau. Collecting boxes of macaroni and cheese, Mac Attack helps children in need of food throughout Portland. The Second and Sixth Graders decorate boxes, make signs, and publicize the event to the school. The drive is in May, right after First Communion, and provides a fun and spirited way for Second Graders to put faith into service in a tangible and productive way.
Just like in First Grade, the Second Graders continue to serve the parish through monthly church clean up sessions. As they prepare for the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist, time in the sanctuary is an opportunity to begin to understand the purpose and symbolism of the many holy objects within the church that relate to the sacraments.
3rd Grade
Learning to pray in many ways–in the classroom, at mass, and on one’s own–and understanding the purpose, meaning, and symbolism of the many forms of Catholic prayer is the focus of Third Grade. The Third Grade lives out its faith through its commitment to serving the remarkable children at Providence’s Center for Medically Fragile Children.
Third grade is a transitional year in student learning. As reading skills are mastered, children move from basic competence to a greater level of reading comprehension, fostering the creation of independent readers and thinkers. In mathematics, students become proficient in multiplication and division skills setting a strong foundation in basic math facts to allow for future growth. The joy of learning is evident in the Third Grade classroom where enthusiasm for academic success and a healthy amount of fun come together for a full and active school day.
For many years, Cathedral’s third graders have served Providence’s Center for Medically Fragile Children, a pediatric skilled nursing facility. For many children and volunteer parents, this experience is transformative. Cathedral students visit and play with children at the center with a backdrop of faith—beginning and ending each volunteer session in prayer. Students take away from their sessions an understanding of all children as creations of God, an appreciation of the value of every person, thanksgiving for one’s personal health, and a greater self-awareness of their ability to be comfortable with children different from themselves. These lessons extend beyond the Providence volunteer times and make Third Grade time a time of great personal growth and maturity.
Back in the parish, Third Graders continue to serve St. Mary’s Cathedral through church clean up which couples service with religious education through a behind the scenes understanding of the sanctuary as a place of worship.
4th Grade
Fourth Graders take a step up literally and academically at Cathedral. As these students move to the upper floor of our school building, the Fourth Grade curriculum becomes more complex and organization and personal responsibility for completion of schoolwork is instilled in the students. As citizens of Oregon, Fourth Graders focus on Oregon’s geography, history, and political structure. Carefully planned field trips throughout the state to significant sites are capped off with an overnight camp-out at the Oregon Trail where students learn first–hand how the state’s pioneers first lived.
The Fourth Grade core curriculum builds on knowledge gained in earlier grades and moves students into an increasingly comprehensive and rigorous academic study, all the while assessing each child’s abilities and crafting individual goals for mathematics, reading, and writing personally designed for every child to thrive.
In Fourth Grade, students volunteer at the Oregon Food Bank. Students and volunteer parents work together in groups to gather, assemble, and package food for needy families throughout the state. At the end of each volunteer session, the impact of the task is made clear through calculations that tell children how many meals will be prepared and families that will be fed by their efforts.
Within the school building, Fourth Graders have-for the first time as Cathedral students-a buddy who is younger: every Fourth Grader is matched with a Pre-Kindergarten student. Together these pairs attend Mass, complete special seasonal projects, and participate together in all-school events where the youngest Cathedral students need a helping hand. Through this interaction, compassion, understanding, and empathy are fostered while the fourth graders relish the companionship of an eager, admiring four-year-old student.
5th Grade
Building on their firm understanding of the basic tenets of Catholicism, Fifth Graders begin to appreciate their faith on a personal level. Through a study of the Old and New Testaments, along with the lives of the saints, Fifth Graders start to know what it means to be an active member of the Catholic Church and how, as Catholics, they are called to a vocation of service. An understanding of living as a person of Christ is made manifest through their in–depth study of the lives of saints where the Fifth Graders educate the whole school on a personally selected saint.
Fifth Grade marks the final year in Cathedral’s elementary grades before the transition to its middle school. Fifth Grade students are tasked with an enhanced personal responsibility for their schoolwork and homework, and classroom expectations reflect an appreciation of the increasing potential of maturing students. As confident and thoughtful readers, Fifth Graders read and analyze texts from varied genres to promote both critical thinking skills and independent thought. In mathematics, students solidify their calculation and computation skills and broaden problem–solving skills to include the study of beginning geometry and algebra. A broad range of topics in science and social science engage the inquisitive minds and tap into a student’s natural curiosity of the world around them.
To carry out their call to service, Fifth Graders organize and administer the annual Thanksgiving Food Drive that benefits Lift Urban Portland, an interfaith network of volunteers that work to meet the needs of residents of Northwest and downtown Portland. With Cathedral School’s location in Northwest Portland, students are keenly aware of those in need, as they are our school’s neighbors. The Fifth Grade’s efforts rally support for donations throughout the school that go to supply Lift Urban’s food pantry and fill backpacks of nutritious food for children who attend the neighborhood public school.