Curriculum Guide

Convent of the Sacred Heart

1177 King Street

Greenwich, Connecticut 06831

t: 203.531.6500

e: sacredheart@cshgreenwich.org

w: www.cshgreenwich.org

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Our Curriculum

Dear Parents:

What a delight it is to present to you our most recent Curriculum Guide. It is a comprehensive effort on the part of all the faculty preschool through 12th grade to provide you with a succinct scope and sequence of each academic discipline. It is reviewed annually by the Curriculum Committee which is comprised of alldepartment chairs, area coordinators, academic deans, college guidance director,technology chair, the three heads of school, assistant head and me.

Looking inside this booklet, will give you a taste of the many experiences yourdaughter has at Sacred Heart. It could never cover all the extra supplements to the curriculum such as field trips, visiting speakers, enrichment programs, service/learning and experiential education opportunities. It also can never fully capture the unique values which flow into each discipline as delineated in the Goals and Criteria of Sacred Heart schools.

You will see that our program emphasizes wide-ranging exploration as well asfocused attention on skill development. You can see the breadth and the depth of our curriculum as well as how the curriculum progresses from grade to grade. Greatcare is taken by the faculty as the girls move from grade to grade to assure not only continuity of content and instruction, but also serious attention to pace andprogress as well as differentiated learning which allows for integration of recent find-ings on brain research and the unique way in which girls and young women learn.

We always strive to keep our curriculum relevant, effective, and challenging and never tire of enriching it further as we develop our sense of educational excellence.Our curriculum is designed to excite and challenge all and to nurture the joy oflearning for a lifetime. We are proud to present this Curriculum Guide to you andhope that it enhances your understanding and appreciation of the Convent of theSacred Heart.

Sincerely,

Joan Magnetti, RSCJ

C O N V E N T O F T H E S A C R E D H E A R TC U R R I C U L U M G U I D E

Our mission is to educate the whole child to be a leader who loves God and serves others

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G O A L O N E

To educate to a personal and active faith in God

G O A L T W O

To educate to a deeper respect forintellectual values

G O A L T H R E E

To educate to a social awareness which impels to action

G O A L F O U R

To educate to the building of community as a Christian value

G O A L F I V E

To educate to personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom

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Pre-reading: visual discrimination, picture interpretation; Develop-ing love of literature: predicting outcomes,understanding plot, character; Letter identifi-cation by name andsound; Recognition of name as whole word and identification of the letters it contains

Language acquisition;Verbal expression andarticulation; Vocab-ulary development; Pre-emerging writing;Auditory discrimination;Development of finemotor skills; Writing program; Show and Tell, child-dictated stories; handwriting

Classifying, matching,and sorting; Attributesof size, shape, color, and number; Patterning,sequencing; Groupingand sets; Puzzle;Recognition of the numbers 1-5 andshapes: circle, square,triangle, rectangle

Child’s world; Personalhealth; Four seasons;Backyard birds; Blackand white animals; Fieldtrips: Birds of a Feather(in-house)

The child’s world athome and school: self, family and friends, relation to neighbors,friends, community, theenvironment, seasonalholidays, observationand discovery, pet and animal projects;Gathering information

Exploration of two and three dimensionalmedia:painting,drawing,collage and sculpture; A basic introduction tocertain elements of artand design like: rhythm, pattern, color, shape,texture and line; Thedevelopment of fine and gross motor skills through cutting, paintingand drawing in bothlarge and small formats,and other 2-D and 3-Dmedia;Some of the proj-ect themes covered areour bodies and birds

Music: Reciting rhymesand poetry; Singing shortand full range songs;Keeping steady beat withbody percussion andinstruments; Learningsimple contrasting musi-cal concepts; Use ofmovement with songs;Dance: creative move-ment, concepts of space,locomotor movement,group performance

Computer parts andcomponents; Mouseexercises; Identifyingkeyboard keys;Beginning keyboarding;Introduction to Kid Pix; Drawing tools andstamps; Multimedia on the web

God as the loving creatorof all people, plants, animals, oceans, sky,mountains, lands; GiftsGod gives us; PraisingGod, Thanking God,seeking his help throughprayer, spontaneousprayer, Meeting the Sonof God, Jesus, Mary,Madeleine Sophie,Philippine Duchesne,Mater

Introduction to a libraryand proper behavior in library; Books andhow to handle them;Storytime; Sounds andpictures with storiesusing computer

Locomotor skills, moving in general spaceand self space, exploringdirections and levels,manipulative skills, throwing and catching,dribbling with feet andhands, striking, jumpingand landing; Basic safetyrules for the gymnasium;How I take care of myself, basic body parts

Identification of conso-nant letters/sounds;“Reading” picture books;Developing phonemicawareness; Developing a love and appreciationfor literature

Multisensory/thematicapproach to all languagegoals; Vocabulary devel-opment; Listening to and following directions;Expressive and receptivelanguage development;Pre-writing; Letter of theWeek program; Tracing,cutting, drawing, and letter formation

Estimation; Patterning;Classifying and sorting;Counting to 20; Writingnumbers 1–10; One-to-one correspondence1–20; Ordinal numbers;Graphing; Identifyingshapes; Comparisons of time and weather

Apples; Five senses;Pumpkins; Seasons/holidays; Trip aroundworld; Communities:school and neighbor-hood; Space; Field trips: Birds of a Feather(in-house)

All about me—family,differences; Feelings,culture; Community—classroom, school,local; Communityhelpers; Holidays; All around the world—travel, culture, differ-ences and similarities;Appreciating differences

Computer parts andcomponents; Mouseexercises; Identifying key-board keys; Typing shortwords; Introduction toKid Pix; Drawing toolsand stamps; Interactingwith pictures or soundson the web

Jesus’ life exploredthrough the Liturgicalyear, Advent, Christmas,Lent, Easter, Bible stories – Jonah, Noah,Jesus, Commandments,Angels, Saints – Mater,Philippine Duchesne,Madeleine Sophie, Goals and Criteria,Formal and Informalprayer, Spontaneousprayer; Listening andrespecting others

Introduction to a libraryand proper behavior in library; Books andhow to handle them;Selecting and checkingout one book per week;Expressing personal ideas and interpretations;Being able to recognizedifferent holidays

Locomotor skills, moving in general spaceand self space, exploringdirections, levels andpathways, use movementvocabulary appropriately,throwing, catching, vol-leying, dribbling, strikingwith body parts, strikingwith short-handedimplements; Swimming;How I take care ofmyself, basic body parts,germs and how they arespread; Feelings

Recognition and matching of letters andsounds; Knowledge of a number of words bysight; Relying on pictureclues, rhymes, repeti-tion, familiar words andknowledge of beginningsounds to read;Learningto construct meaningfrom text; Predictingoutcomes

Using a sequential picture-story connec-tion; Using completesentences;Correct for-mation of letters andwords; Using phonics to approximate spelling;Understanding plot,character, and storystructure

Reading, writing, counting by ones, twos, fives, tens to 100+;Estimation; Problemsolving with numberstories; Measurement of length and weight;Finding time to thehour; Graphing, pat-terning and symmetry;Identifying geometricshapes; Using pennies,nickels, dimes, andquarters; Temperature

Five Senses; Life cycle of pumpkins andPumpkin Math; STCSCIENCE; Solids andLiquids; Comparing and Measuring; Lunarcycle; Insects/ladybugs; Field trips: MaritimeAquarium (in-house),Hudson River,Planetarium, CritterCaravan (in-house)

All about me and myfamily—valuing andappreciating similaritiesand differences; Takingpride in one’s self; Theclassroom community;Recognition of feelingsin self and others;Making choices;Problemsolving and conflict resolution; Comparingand contrasting culturesaround the world;Holidays

An introduction to thefive elements of art: line,shape, color, texture and value through twodimensional and threedimensional media;Students further theirdevelopment of fine and gross motor skills by cutting, drawing,painting collage andsculpting; Some of theproject themes coveredare textures found in the ocean, self-portraits,shapes and colors in the world around us

Music: Use of voiceinflections, accuratepitch in songs; Singingsongs with properbreathing, posture, diction; Learning sym-bols for quarter, eighthnotes, quarter rest;Playing percussive instruments; Use of hand patterns and stepmovement in xylophoneplaying; Understandingdynamic, tempo,melody; Dance: creativemovement, pre-ballet,modern dance, multicul-tural folk dances

Exploring computerparts; Using softwareappropriately;Practicing keyboarding;Typing simple words;Graphics; Tools andspecial effects

God’s people are a family—my family, myfriends, my community,my church; Properchapel behavior;Participation in liturgies,prayer services; Creation,Mater, PhilippineDuchesne, MadeleineSophie, Respect for other faiths; Listening and respecting other’s opinions, Holy Family,Liturgical year celebra-tions and feasts

Locating picture books,animal books, poetry,fairy tales; Learningparts of a book;Working knowledge of library vocabulary;Poetry appreciation;Listening to a story;Celebrating holidays instories; Selecting andchecking out one bookper week

Exposure to sounds,accent, intonation of a foreign language(French/Spanish); Focuson basic vocabulary

Locomotor skills withvariation in movement,demonstrate the awareness of relation-ships, space awareness and effort concepts, manipulative skills andtheir application togame/sport activities,start to show coopera-tion with others;Swimming; Germs andhow they are spread;Feelings and expressingthem; How I am special

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Music: Reciting rhymeswith expression; Singingshort and full rangesongs; Identifying steadybeat vs. rhythm ofwords; Playing rhythmicpatterns, unpitched percussion instruments;Use of contrasting musi-cal concepts; Dance:creative movement, pre-ballet, space andbody, modern dance,group performance

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Phonics; Sight wordrecognition; Vocabularydevelopment; Compre-hensive reading response;Oral reading; Guidedreading; Sustained silentreading

Dictation/listening skills;Manuscript handwriting;Phonemic to conven-tional spelling; Creativewriting; Capitalizationand punctuation;Sentence structure;Writing process; Parts of speech

Estimation/problem solving; Addition/sub-traction facts and factfamilies; 2-digit addition/subtraction problems;Place value to 100’s;Negative numbers;Counting and sequencing;Plane and space figures;Fractions; Reading andwriting time to 5 minutes;Exchanges of coins anddollars to $100; Sortingby attributes; Interpretinggraphs; Temperature andmetric measurement

Aquatic and TerrestrialOrganisms; Weather;Changes; Balancingand Weighing, Fieldtrips: Sprout CreekFarm, WeatherKids: CT Channel 12 News,WestmorelandSanctuary, SteppingStones Museum

Community/city/country: farm life; Mapskills; Needs/wants/differentiation; Foodchain; Timelines;Cultural education:Legends from aroundthe world; Historythrough holidays, seasons, incorporation of technology, socialawareness

An Introduction to thecolor wheel, specificallywarm and cool colorsand their relationship to each other; Certainelements of art anddesign are taught with afocus on balance, value,emphasis and texture inboth two dimensionaland three dimensionalmedia; Some of the project themes coveredare building a comm-unity, animals and their environments

Hand signs in songs;Good posture, breathing,intonation; Reading, taking dictation usingquarter rests, eighth,quarter and half notes;Use of xylophone patterns, choir chimes;Identifying meter, verse,refrain, repetition, con-trast; Dance: Intro toballet and modern tech-niques, multicultural folkdances, Native Americanand African dance,group performances

Handling CD-ROMS;Opening and closingsoftware; Printing;Special keys recogni-tion; Word processing;Kid Pix drawing tools;Word art; ControlledInternet access

God created us, lovesus, gives us Jesus;Church as family andcommunity; Baptism;Church holidays andseasons; Basic prayers —Our Father, Hail Mary,Glory Be; Praying forothers; Public speakingat prayer services; Belief in self; exploringother faith traditions/holidays, participationin Liturgy

Locating library areas;Studying, creating titlepages; Learning aboutauthor, illustrator,publisher, fiction andnon-fiction; Readingand writing poetry;Celebrating holidays in stories; Researchinganimal books, writereports; Listening tostories; CaldecottMedal; Checking outone book per week

Expansion of basic vocabulary (school,home, animals, numbers);Development of listeningand comprehension skills;Development of speaking

Apply movement con-cepts to basic motor skillsand activities in both individual and cooperativesettings, sharing equip-ment, taking turns, andsharing ideas with a partner or small group;Manipulative activities,striking with long handedimplements, basic fitnessphysiology; Swimming;Families, How I am spe-cial, Harmful and helpfuldrugs found in the home

Phonics;Comprehension;decoding; DevelopingInferential and literalthinking; Developingwritten readingresponses; vocabularydevelopment

Cursive handwriting;Spelling; Capitalizationand punctuation; Daily oral language;writing process: brain-storming, organization,drafts, editing, revising,publishing

Problem solving andestimation; Place valuethrough thousands;Roman numerals; multiplication problemsand arrays; Add andsubtract two digit num-bers with re-grouping;Making change; Fractionequivalencies; Polygonsand 3-dimensionalshapes; Measurement;Collect, organize, analyze, predict, recorddata; Time

Monarch butterfly:Monarch Watch; Rocks and Minerals;Chemical Tests; PlantGrowth and Develop-ment; (Collaboration with Upper School AP Biology and Environ-mental Science Classes);Field trips: Bronx Zoo(Butterfly Zone), Bruce Museum, Hall of Minerals

People and communi-ties, our place on earth,people at work, ournation’s story, families,traditions, holidays and heroes, our government; Researchskills, visual skills andmap skills emphasizedthrough use of text, diagrams and charts

Further exploration of the elements of artand design, specificallyshape, color, harmonyand texture in bothtwo dimensional andthree dimensionalmedia; Students practice seeing form as basic and detailedshapes; Some of theproject themes coveredare animals, insects,and the unusual art of Marc Chagall

Introduction to trebleclef; reading, writing,playing half and wholenotes and rests;Xylophones and choirchimes, orchestral instruments; Classical/Romantic music;Multicultural folk dance,modern dance concepts,concepts of space, time,force, body, movementand form. Dances, curricular connectionswith poetry

Network operations;Saving to network;Navigating network;Touch typing;Formatting; Spellcheck; Importinggraphics; Storytelling;Digital imaging; WebQuest

Church invites us toprayer and worship; The Eucharistic liturgy—parts, vessels, vestments,responses; Forgiveness;Loving others as Godloves us; Preparation ofCatholics for Sacramentof Reconciliation andFirst Communion;Singing as praying; The Rosary; Exploringother faithtraditions/holidays

Locating importantareas in library;Learning to access thelibrary catalog on thecomputer; Learningparts of a book anddifferent book genres,stress on non-fiction;Selecting and checkingout two books perweek; Use of booksand Internet sites forresearch projects

Increasing self-confi-dence in expressing one’sself in a foreign languagewith respect to food,home, weather, seasons,feelings; Learning questioning, answering,commands

Participate in activitieswhich involve problemsolving, discoveringfacts, limits and rela-tionships, identify andpractice safe behaviorfor self and others inthe play environment,applying manipulativeskills in modified andsmall-sided games,basic fitness physiology,Swimming; Nutrition/Foods I like, foods Idon’t like, planning ameal, food categories

Oral and independentvocabulary develop-ment; Literal and inferential understand-ing of story elements;Written and oralresponse to fiction and non-fiction;Summarization; Bookprojects; Reflectivejournal responses;Literature circles

Spelling and wordattack skills; Writingprocess: brainstorming,organization and out-lining, sentence andparagraph structure,editing, publishing;Mechanics of writing;Parts of speech;Journals; Study of various genres; Dailyoral language

Estimation, problemsolving and Place valueto millions; Read, write,order mixed numeralsin decimal and fractionnotation; Negativenumbers; Add, sub-tract, multiply fourdigit numbers; Dividewith single digit divisors; Range, mode,median and mean;Track sunrise, sunset,elapsed time; Points,lines; Measurement

Electric Circuits; Land and Water;Animal studies; Field trips: Electricianvisit, (in-house)Greenwich Audubon.Earthworks, Water,Shaper of Landscapes

How communitiesadapt and change theirenvironment to meettheir basic needs;Government rule in the community; UnitedStates Geography;Reading, research, discussion of concepts,interviews with localcommunity leaders

In-depth exploration of the elements of art,design, space, variety,unity, texture andrhythm, in multi-dimen-sional media and basicperspective; projectswith a focus on CentralAmerica, Australia andEgypt; Emphasis isplaced on storytellingthrough art and art as a visual language

Solfege; Choral training;2-part singing; reading,writing, playing dottednotes; Learning trebleclef notes; Playingmelodic line on xylo-phone; Use of simpleand compound meters;Identifying rondo;Classical, Romantic,Modern music; moderndance, choreography,curricular connectionswith poetry/literature

MicroWorlds; Startmenu; Keyboarding;Formatting; Taskbarmenu; Word art;Manipulating graphics;Scanning; Multimediabasics; Keywordsearches; Bookmarks

The Holy Spirit gives lifeto the Church; The Bible—Apostle’s Creed; TheImmaculate Conception,the Ascension, Pentecost,Sacred Heart traditions;Liturgical dance; Deepenunderstanding of sacra-ments; Service to others;Exploring and finding connections to otherfaith’s traditions/holidaysto foster respect

Locating genres in thelibrary; Introduction to Dewey DecimalSystem; Catalog accesson computer; NewberyMedal; Reading age-appropriate novelstogether; CelebratingChristmas holidaysaround the world usingthe Internet; Learningparts of a book

Increased focus on sentence structure(noun, verb, adjectiveagreement); Introduction to written work, but continued oralemphasis; Appreciationof different cultures

Applying manipulativeskills in modified andsmall-sided games, activities which involvevariation in movement,identifying and practicingsafe behavior, practiceon-task behavior in smallgroups without directsupervision, show sup-port and encouragementof others of different skill abilities; Swimming;Expressing feelings andfriendships, relationships,problem solving

Developing literal andinferential comprehen-sion; Developing oralfluency, expression;Defining vocabularyfrom contextual clues;Predictions; Main idea and supportingdetails; Analyzing andinterpreting text; Basic literary concepts;Awareness of genres;Character analysis;Literature circles

Use of cursive handwrit-ing; Spelling and vocab-ulary; Writing process;Grammar, usage andmechanics; Awarenessof genres; Use of figurative and descrip-tive language; Daily orallanguage; SRA spelling

Estimation, problemsolving, logic grids and probability; Placevalue to hundred million; Powers of tenwith scientific notation;Fractions, decimals,and percents; Dividewith two digit divisors;Measurement; Use ofparentheses; Integers;Grid coordinates andscale on maps andglobes; Use a compassand protractor

Delta Earth Movements;Microworlds: micro-scopes, ecosystems; Field trips: Nature’sClassroom

Regions of the U.S.;Relationship betweennatural resources, his-tory and economicdevelopment; Naturalresources and geogra-phy of each region;physical and politicalmaps; Research andnote-taking; Developstudy guides

In-depth study of twodimensional media,emphasizing the rulesof one point perspec-tive through line andproportion; Studentsrecognize proportion,line quality, contourand value in both 2-Dand 3-D media; Someof the project themescovered are still lifedrawing, clothing, sub-jects from nature, andthe world of Escher

Music: Solfege; Choraltraining; 2-part singingwith descants andcounter melodies; 3-part rounds andcanons; Reading, writing, playing tripletsand 1/16 patterns;Reading treble clef;Playing recorder;Baroque music; Dance:modern dance, partner-ing skills, curricular connections with poetryand science, group performances

Lego robotics; File management;Keyboarding;Multimedia

Exploration of theBible-Moses, David,Isaiah, God’s kingdom;Ten Commandments;Meditation; parables;Exploring and findingconnections to otherfaith traditions to fosterrespect; Participation at prayer services andliturgies; Conflict reso-lution; Spontaneousprayer; Public speakingat prayer services andLiturgies

Dewey Decimal System;Computer catalogaccess; Different genresof books, stress on non-fiction; Readingage-appropriate noveltogether; Holiday stories; Book genres; Bibliography;Researching informa-tion on the Internet and creating books inword processing

Improvement of oral, listening, andcomprehension skills;Development of basicreading skills; Use of new and old vocab-ulary in new contexts

Advanced manipulativeskills in sport/game situa-tions, soccer, basketball,field hockey, floor hockey,tennis, swimming, jumproping, volleyball, softball, lacrosse; Show support and encourage-ment of others of different abilities;Resolve conflicts in the playarena; More advanced fitness physiology; Female and Male anato-my, menstruation, bodyimage, personal safety

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Realistic fiction; Historicalfiction; Fairytales, folkloregreek myths, short stories;Expository, narrative, creative writing: descriptiveand figurative language;Sentence structure, parts of speech, word usage,mechanics

Music: vocal technique,ear training, introduc-tion to musical style,reading 2 and 3-partscores, singing variouslanguages, liturgies andperformances; Dance:ballet, jazz, moderndance techniques andconcepts, choreography,curricular connection–American themes, group performances

Dewey Decimal System;Use of the catalog to locate books; Book genres; Using atlas, dictionary, encyclopedia on the Internet, searchengines for research;Accessing referencesthrough library web site;Book talks; Science fairpreparation using theInternet

French and Spanish;Transitions from spoken to written word; Basic grammatical structures: verb conjugation, noun-adjective agreement;Thematic approach to vocabulary: seasons, family, community, action verbs

Applying advanced manipulative skills insmall-sided and regulationsport activities, soccer,field hockey, volleyball,softball, tennis, swimming,football, lacrosse and basketball; A variety ofopportunities to developself-confidence, individualinitiative,and responsibilityto self and group; Pubertyand physical changes in girls, communicable diseases, including AIDS

Convent of the Sacred HeartCurriculum Guide

Operations with whole numbers, decimals and fractions, estimation, rounding, graphing, intro-duction to probability andstatistics, ratios, propor-tions, percent, geometry

Food chemistry;Experiments with plants;Floating and sinking;Measuring time/astronomyunit; Underwater explo-ration; Scientific Method;Field trips: Science Center,Discovery Museum

Prehistory and earliest civilizations: Mesopotamia,Egypt, Greece, Rome, India,China, Ancient Maya;Development of a sense of chronology; Meaning ofculture and civilization;Logical reasoning and basicmap skills; Relationship ofconcepts to current events

Art: Drawing from observa-tion, introduction to visualrhythm and movement,Pablo Picasso and cubism, art of world cultures;Drama: Introduction toPublic Speaking; develop-ment and application of creative skills, developability to use sense recalland observation, dramatizepoetry using voice, diction, and movement

Hardware concepts;Software concepts;Processing cycle;Operating systems;Inside a system unit;Telecommunications;Graphics and anima-tion; Web; Word pro-cessing; Keyboarding;Multi-media; Computer peripherals, WebQuest,basic HTML design, network navigation

Creation, Trinity, Jesus,mission, the Church,Mary, prayer, LiturgicalYear, Sacraments,virtues, gospel values,compassion, friendship,honesty, faith; Living thegospel message in allaspects of students’ lives;Participation in Liturgies

Retreat Experience

Active, critical reading of fiction and poetry;Developing appreciation of literary genres, terms, elements, and vocabulary;Creative and expository writing; Review and development of sentenceand paragraph structure,parts of speech, usage,mechanics

Music: Continued devel-opment of skills, musichistory, composers andtimeline, more complexmusic, with movement,increase vocabulary;Dance: modern dance,ballet and jazz tech-niques, introduction toIsadora Duncan tech-nique and choreography,curricular connection–Greek and Roman Art,group performances

DDS; Using atlas, dictionary, encyclopedia on the Internet; Use of the catalog to locatebooks; Using searchengines for research;Accessing referencesources through the library web site;Enhanced informationskills; Science fair preparation using theInternet

French and Spanish;Speaking and writingsimply in present tense,using adjectives correctly;Thematic approach tovocabulary: shopping,family, school; Videos,audiocassettes, workbook

Advanced manipulativeskills in regulation sportactivities, soccer, fieldhockey, volleyball, softball,tennis, swimming, foot-ball, lacrosse and basket-ball; Resolve conflicts in ajust/mature manner; Showability to work independ-ently; assume responsibilityfor actions;Puberty, friend-ships, communicationskills, recognizing sexualabuse and accessing help;Communicating withhealth care professionals

Graphs, formulas, expressions, equations, decimals, fractions, ratios, rates, proportions, percents, geometry, probability, integers

Human body systems;Astronomy unit: stars and solar system; Skills: lab safety, use of micro-scope, analytical skills, metric measurement, and graphing; Field trip:Discovery Museum, energy and machines

Social, cultural and technological changes from 500–1688 includingthe fall of the RomanEmpire, the Renaissance,Reformation and ScientificRevolution: Age ofExploration, rise of monar-chies; Critical reading, writing and research skills

Art: Style and characteris-tics in Byzantine art, proportion and value in drawing, concepts in modern art, building techniques in sculpture;Drama: Development ofpublic speaking, creativeskills and ability to usesense recall and observa-tion, dramatize poetryusing voice, diction, andmovement

Hardware and software;Processing cycle; Operating systems; System unit;Telecommunications;Graphics and animation;Word processing; Spreadsheets; Key-boarding; Multimedia;Computer peripherals;Current computer topics;Basic HTML design,Network Navigation

Formal literature study, all genres; Reading, aural,and oral vocabulary development; Expository,creative, and persuasiveessays; Grammar, spelling,and mechanics

Music: more challeng-ing vocal skills, 2-partwarm-up, acapellasinging, 3-part harmony,ear training, music history; Dance: moderndance, ballet, jazz technique and con-cepts, choreography,curricular connection–Renaissance theme,group performance

Developing researchskills, especially web-based sourcesDeveloping search skillsfor the library catalogExploring biographicalweb-based resources for literature and history Analyzing argu-ments using OpposingViewpoints for facts and opinions

French and Spanish;Emphasis on oral/writ-ten grammatical usage;Irregular verbs/pasttense; Role-playing inclass; More culturalexposure including food, vacation, sports;Poetry introduced;National exams/state poetry contest

Advanced skills in regulation sport activities;Swimming, basic rescueand water safety, showsportsmanship by exhibit-ing enthusiasm, coopera-tion, and patience forpeers of varying abilities;Understand strategies and rules inherent to thevarious sports taught;Substance abuse, cigaretteuse, alcohol use and mis-use, decision making andproblem solving, friend-ships and relationships

Pre-Algebra: integers, equation solving (multi-step), geometry, number theory and fractions, rational numbers, ratio and proportions, percent,probability; Introduction to the Ti-83 graphing calculator

Energy, machines andmotion; Human body systems; Astronomy unit:earth and moon; Skills: lab safety, measurement,microscope, and telescopeuse; Catastrophic events;Investigation of organisms

U.S. History from1400–1850, including thecolonization of NorthAmerica, the French andIndian War, the AmericanRevolution, ConstitutionalConvention, the Age ofJefferson, the Age of Jacksonand sectional differencesbetween North and South

Art: Block printing tech-niques, concepts of positiveand negative space, illustra-tion; Computer art: videoediting, digital imaging and web design; Drama:Emphasis on public speak-ing techniques, develop-ment of theatre terminology,rehearse and performanceof Shakespearian scenes, writing of original monologues and scenes

Laptop program;Operating systems;Troubleshooting; Word processing;Multimedia;Telecommunications;Web; E-mail; Peri-pherals, Microworlds, Spreadsheets, Network Navigation

Hebrew Scriptures inrelation to Jesus; theworld as Jesus knew it; Infancy Narratives;Synoptic Gospels;Matthew’s Gospel indepth; life, passion,death and resurrectionof Jesus and Pentecost;Connecting Jesus’ message in student’sown lives

Retreat Experience

Literary response and analysis; Development of an organized and fluent thesis-driven essay; Writing process: narrative,expository, persuasive,descriptive, and poetry; Word analysis, fluency, systematic vocabulary development; Grammar topics

Music: demonstration of learned singing skills in challenging music, critique vocal sound andquality, understandingof musical style, groupproject in compositionor history;Dance (Elective):modern dance techniqueand concepts, choreog-raphy, jazz concepts,group performances

Developing researchskills, especially web-based sources Developing standardMLA bibliographies and annotated bibli-ographies using onlinetools (ex. Easybib,Noodles) Introducinguse of reference e-books; Correlate useof reference books in print and online withclass projects

Introduction to Algebra:Algebra using data and patterns, explorations using Ti-83 Plus graphingcalculators; Algebra I: traditional topics in Algebra I with extensive use of the Ti-83 plus graphing calculator

IPS: Introduction to Physical Science Inquiry:hands-on study of matter,atomic structure, character-istic properties, solubility,separation of mixtures andcompounds; Astronomy,Scientific reasoning, prob-lem solving, laboratoryexperimentation skills

U.S. History from 1850 to the present, including theCivil War, Reconstruction,industrialization and immigration, imperialism,WWI, the Great Depression, WW2, the Cold War years; understanding of time and chronology, cause and effect

Art: Unit on Pop Art: historical context, popartists and popular culture,research life and work of a pop artist of choice,choice of a theme andmedia for a pop art piece;Computer art video editing,digital imaging and webdesign; Drama: improvisa-tion and role play, developpersuasive speeches

Laptop program;Operating systems;Troubleshooting; Wordprocessing; Multimedia;Telecommunications;Peripherals; HTMLeditors; Applied tech-nologies, Microworlds,Databases, NetworkNavigation

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Hebrew Testament; How and why it was written; Bible knowledgedevelopment; Analysis of biblical passages;Creation of studentPsalms, Proverbs andprophetic messages;Applying message andconcept to life today;Salvation history; Carefor the vulnerable in our world

Retreat Experience

Church history throughVatican II; Women’s role in the Churchthroughout history; Theindividual’s role in theChurch; Social justice;Critical thinking on creating change; study of saints with emphasison women, writtenreflection papers, projecton creating change

Retreat Experience

French and Spanish;Development of tenses—use of direct/indirectobjects; Communicate complex sentences; Use target language exclu-sively when discussingstudent interests; Writeand perform skits, read-ings, poetry, videos;National exams/statepoetry contest

Advanced skills in sportactivities; Advanced swim-ming, rescue/water safety,health related fitness concepts; technical under-standing of sports-relatedskills,be a leader/followerwhen necessary, groupdecision making; Female/male reproductive systems,self-image,health, diseases,relationships and safety,characteristics of addiction,eating disorders, self-defense, and childbirth

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The Heroic Journey: classicand contemporary literature;Descriptive, narrative, reflec-tive, and expository writing

Convent of the Sacred HeartCurriculum Guide

Algebra 1; Geometry(Honors)

Conceptual physics (College Prep and Honors)—a study of the physical universe; including the laws of motion, work, energy,waves, atom, matter,electricity and magnetism

World cultures: (College Prep and Honors) China,Japan, the Middle East, Africaand Latin America; Ancientcivilization through the 20th century; Use of primarysources, critical analysis ofhistorical topics

Art Fundamentals: Awarenessof elements such as composi-tion, color theory, value, variety, line, form, movement,proportion, perspective and space through painting,drawing, design, and sculp-ture; understanding of visualvocabulary in technical, historical, and cultural con-texts; Prerequisite for all visual arts courses

Music: Chorus non-auditionedgroup; learns beginning fundamentals of singing andsight-singing in a choral setting;several performances a year;Madrigals: elite, auditionedsinging group; a full scheduleof performances at schoolfunctions and off-campusevents; learn vocal, choral andsight-singing technique at anintermediate to advanced level;explore a variety of musicalstyles; Drama: Introduction toDrama: Explore basic elementsof acting through vocal andphysical exercises, improvisa-tion, scene study and mono-logues; Playwriting, productionelements of theatre; AdvancedDrama: Further develop the craft of acting through specific acting techniques;script analysis and scene study;Shakespeare; playwriting, survey of history and world theater; Dance: Modern dance technique and concepts, choreography, Ballet and Jazz Technique and Group performances

Technology is an integral partof the teaching and learningprocess in the Upper School.Students continue to use theirlaptops for note taking, essaywriting, multimedia presenta-tions, laboratory experimenta-tion, test taking, and researchpurposes. The laptop programis a key component of theschool’s educational vision,supporting a variety of teach-ing and learning strategies,higher-order thinking skills,student centered instruction,peer collaboration, and distance learning.

Online course content man-agement tools offer studentspossibilities for test prepara-tion, file sharing, and con-structivist learning activitiesacross disciplines and beyondthe confines of the school.

Electives offer girls opportuni-ties to explore web design,programming, desktop pub-lishing, digital video editing,and imaging. Media literacyeducation is integrated acrossthe curriculum, offering stu-dents the opportunities forplanning and producing videoprojects, decoding images and messages within media to evaluate and understandthe nature and uses of mass media.

Students also continue tolearn to take responsibility forthe ethical use of technology.

World Religions: What is a human person? What is religion? Role of Faith andMystery; Viewing religious traditions other than one’sown; Appreciation for reli-gious similarities and differ-ences; Empathy; PrimalReligions; Hinduism;Buddhism; Confucianism;Taoism; Zen; Judaism;Christianity; Islam

Retreat Experience

French I, Spanish I and Latin I: target language,audio-visual materials; FrenchII, French II Honors, SpanishII and Spanish II Honors: target language, audio-visualmaterials; Participation in National French andSpanish exams; State poetry recitation contest

Honor, integrity, and self-discovery: the romantic, tragic, and comic visions(College Prep and Honors);Focus on the essay; Creativeand reflective writing

Geometry (Honors); Algebra II with Trigonometry(Honors); Problem solvingseminar

Chemistry (College Prep,Honors, and Advanced placement)—the nature, characterization, and transformation of matter,including energy relationshipsinvolved in chemical processes; Science Research I

Modern European Historyfrom the Renaissance and the Reformation of theEuropean Union; draw infer-ences, analyze and interpretevidence, evaluate sources;Honors European History: in depth examination ofEuropean History includingAP exam preparation for qualifying students

Design: Color and composi-tion theory, analyzing tonefor composition and expres-sive qualities, study of fabrics,fashions, and accessories,page layout for posters, CDcovers, Power Point, use ofPhotoShop for advertise-ments and fashion images,interior design; Mixed Media:Advanced techniques inclay/sculpture, 3-D composi-tion, understanding formthrough drawing and obser-vation; Drawing and PaintingI, II, III: Building a visualvocabulary, drawing andpainting from imagination,still life, landscapes, portraits,abstraction; Explore ideasthrough a variety of drawingand painting materials;Photography I: 35mm SLRcamera, develop black andwhite film, use enlarger,develop prints, use digitalcamera, scan imagery;Photoshop: Make digitalprints, bookmaking, visualnarrative, history ofPhotography; Photo II, III:Further development ofphoto skills, emphasis on personal goal setting and infinding and expressing theirpersonal style

Latin II (Honors); French II,Spanish II; French III, French III Honors, Spanish III and Spanish III Honors: target language, audio-visualmaterials; Short stories,poems, plays; All grammaticalstructures; National examsand poetry contest

American Literature Survey(College Prep and Honors)analysis of rhetoric and argument in nonfiction; APLanguage and CompositionExam preparation; Reflective,analytical, argumentative,and research essays; Creativewriting

Algebra II with Trigonometry(Honors); Pre-Calculus(Honors); AdvancedPlacement Statistics

Biology (College Prep,Honors,Advanced Placement)—thestudy of the living world fromthe molecular level to that of the organism and its function in the community,ecosystem, and biosphere;Science Research II;Astronomy; Physics (CollegePrep and Honors)

U.S. History, (College Prepand Honors) colonial periodto Cold War; Social history of 19th and 20th century:critical analysis of primaryand secondary sources, ana-lytical writing skills; AP U.S.History: in depth examinationof U.S. History, preparationfor AP exam

Music: Madrigals: elite, auditioned singing group; performances; learn vocal,choral and sight-singing technique at an intermediateto advanced level; explore a variety of musical styles;Drama: Introduction: Basicelements through vocal andphysical exercises, improvisa-tion, scene study and monologues; Playwriting, production elements of theatre; Advanced Drama:Further develop the craft ofacting through specific tech-niques; script analysis andscene study; Shakespeare; playwriting, survey of historyand world theater

Electives:

1. Faith and Reason: Tensionand Complementarity; What is truth? Science and Religion;God and Suffering; Plato,Aristotle

2. Christology: Who is Jesus?Meaning of Jesus’ life, deathand Resurrection; Developmentof doctrine; Comparison ofvarious theological and philo-sophical positions

3. Christian Morality and Ethics:Moral principles; HumanFreedom and Responsibility;Informed conscience;Beatitudes; Authority; Racism;Sexism; Death Penalty; War

4. Social Justice and Spirituality:Analysis of the seven themes of Catholic Social Teachingusing the circle of Faith-in-Action and critically examinesociety according to justice

Retreat Experience

French III and Spanish III;French IV, French IV Honorsand Spanish IV, Spanish IVHonors; Latin III (Honors),Pre-AP in Honors: intensivevocabulary and grammar,authors (eg. French/Saint-Exupery, Maupassant; eg. Spanish/Matute,Marquez); National examsand poetry contest

AP Literature; Honors;Trimester Courses on differ-ent points of focus selectedfrom the following: AfricanAmerican Literature, Comedyand Satire, Fiction and Film,Shakespeare, Short Fictionand Poetry, Women Writersand Madness in Literature

Pre-Calculus (Honors);Probability and Statistics; AP Statistics; Calculus; AP Calculus AB and APCalculus BC

Physics (College Prep,Honors); AP EnvironmentalScience; AP Biology; AP Chemistry; ScienceResearch III; Astronomy(Elective)

World Since 1945: case studies of Cold War and post Cold War issues; AP Comp. Government: political, social and economicissues of selected nations;Great Thinkers in History:Honors seminar—Classicalperiod through the 20th century; Psychology

French IV and Spanish IV;French V and Spanish V; AP French and AP SpanishLanguage; AP SpanishLiterature, AP FrenchLiterature (selected students);Videos and feature films;Novels, short stories, grammar; National examsand poetry contest

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Evaluate competition by the quality of play ratherthan the outcome, obtain the knowledge and experi-ence in activities, which willencourage and assist the student to maintain fitnessthroughout life; Fitness andconditioning, soccer, pilates,yoga, swimming, softball,tennis, basketball, volleyball,badminton, flag-football

Physiological and psychoso-cial components of sexuality,influence of the media on self-image, health, diseases,boundaries, communicationstyles, relationships and safety, characteristics ofaddiction, eating disorders,self-defense, pregnancy andchildbirth, mental health,sources of support

Evaluate competition by the quality of play rather than the outcome, obtain theknowledge and experience in activities, which will encour-age and assist the student tomaintain fitness throughoutlife; Fitness and conditioning,soccer, pilates, yoga, swim-ming, softball, tennis, basket-ball, volleyball, badminton,flag-football

Physiological and psychoso-cial components of sexuality,influence of the media on self-image, health, diseases,boundaries, communicationstyles, relationships and safety, characteristics ofaddiction, eating disorders,self-defense, pregnancy andchildbirth, mental health,sources of support

Sacred Scripture-Pentateuch;Historical, Wisdom andProphetic Books, Gospels Acts of the Apostles, Lettersof Paul; Inspiration,Religious truth vs. scientific/historical truths; sin and its consequences; God’sguidance of history; Jesus as Prophet, Teacher, Healer and Redeemer

Retreat Experience

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