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Forming Saints and Scholars

A Great Foundation

St. Augustine School offers a rigorous instructional program that supports the growth and development of the whole child. From Nursery through Grade 8, students are presented a traditional curriculum of core subjects – Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies – while integrating the special subject areas of Art, Music, Physical Education, Technology, and STREAM. Spanish and Latin are taught in Grades 6-8.

As a faith community, we joyfully teach the Catholic faith and encourage students to live the Gospel daily. Religion classes and school-wide prayer provide the foundation for our faith journey.

Additionally, our school Guidance Program helps students and their families meet everyday challenges by providing them with life skills and community-building experiences.

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Our elementary school is comprised of: lower elementary (K–2) and upper elementary (3–5). 

Students in Grades K–2 are introduced to the structure of a classroom environment and routine.
While the focus is still on the early stages of cognitive, emotional, and social development, students are supported and guided through the active learning process.

In Grades 3–5, students become acclimated to a more traditionally structured learning environment. Learning at this level involves formal instruction and assessment, as well as project-based assignments.  

Click each link below to learn more about programs and curricula used at each grade level. 

To enter kindergarten at St. Augustine School, all students must be 5 years old by September 1st of the academic year in which they start. 

*Curriculum at St. Augustine School meets Common Core Standards Massachusetts Frameworks as well as the Archdiocesan guidelines.  

Our Literacy program is designed to help students develop skills in the following areas: phonological awareness, decoding, predicting, making inferences, asking questions about literature, summarizing stories, and evaluating various literary genres. We use Journeys reading series by Houghton-Mifflin-Harcourt, Heggerty, Daily 5, and Fundations for both literacy and handwriting.

We use EnVision Math published by Savvas Learning for math instruction and various resources introduce our students to life, physical and earth science. Our social studies curriculum focuses on several topics in this area including citizenship, friends, community helpers, families, self-awareness, geography, American symbols, and national holidays. For religion, we use Christ Our Life, published by Loyola Press and Theology of the Body (TOB), which guides young children toward a better understanding of what it means to be human. Our kindergarten students also take art, music, physical education, and technology classes weekly. 

Curriculum Used: 

Language Arts:
Journeys - Vocabulary, Comprehension, Grammer
FUNdations - Phonics
Heggarty - Phonics
IXL

Math:
Envision
IXL

Social Studies:
Studies Weekly
Scholastic News

Science:
HSP Science
Scholastic News
Generation Genius

Religion:
Christ our Life
Theology of the body
Explaining God’s Word
God’s Time Songs with Sister Kathleen :)

Field Trips:
Apple Picking - Science
Play (Reader’s Theater) - Language Arts
Zoo/Aquarium - Language Arts/Science 
 

Curriculum Used: 

Literature Stories 
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys 2017
Christmas additions: Mr. Willoby’s Christmas Tree

Spelling: 
Fundations Wilson Language Basics 2020
Heggerty Primary Curriculum 2022 Edition, Phonemic Awareness

Vocabulary:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys 2017

Writing: 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys 2017

Grammar: 

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys 2017

Penmanship: 

Universal Publishing Introduction to cursive writing Writing Our Catholic Faith

Math:

EnVision Mathematics 2020 edition and IXL 

Science Topics - Life Science, Earth and Space Science, Physical Sciences, Technology/Engineering
Generation Genius (videos and activities)
Magic School Bus (books and videos)
Zoboomafoo (online series)
Scholastic Magazine
Mystery Science (online/printed handouts)
Geology Kitchen (video)
Steve Spangler Science

Science Projects: 
Germinate an Apple Seed
Grow a Bean Plant
Animal Habitat Diorama and Presentation
Rock Type and Uses and Presentation

Science Experiments:
Halloween Experiments 
Make Crystal Snowflakes
Classify Rocks
Rock Cycle with food
Solar Powered Magic
Volcanoes!
All about Matter Experiments (fun surprises for the students!)
Will it Sink or Float?
Build Simple Machines

Social Studies

Religion: 
Christ Our Life God Cares For Us from Loyola Press
Revealed Theology of the Body
Explaining God’s Word
Children’s Worship Bulletin

Supplements:

Beginners Bible Series (online video)
Saints for Kids (online video series)
Blessed - learning about First Reconciliation and First Communion
(online video series)
Heroes of the Bible, Amazing Words (online/printable resource)
 

Mrs. Guillet's Homework Website

Ms. Mahoney's Homework Website

Curriculum Used:

Reading:

Books: National Journeys by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 978-0-544-87252-3 (vol. 1)
ISBN: 078-0-544-87253-0 (vol. 2)
Reader’s Notebook
ISBN: 978-0-544-59263-6 (vol. 1)
ISBN: 978-0-544-59264-3 (vol. 2)


Writing:
John Collins Writing Folder 
ISBN: 978-0-9802312-5-0
use and apply the conventions of spelling, vocabulary, and grammar, across the curriculum
revise and edit written work
convey ideas and information from different genres of literature through written language activities, reports, and projects
organize information into three well developed paragraphs that contain topic sentence, related/supporting details and closing sentence
Grammar:
Book: English by Houghton Mifflin
ISBN: 0-618-61119-3


Penmanship:
Writing Our Catholic Faith by Universal Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-931181-82-2
apply appropriate letter formation in all printed writing
use cursive writing for final writing assignments


Mathematics:
Books: enVision Mathematics by Savvas
ISBN: 13: 978-0-13-495368-7 (vol. 1)
ISBN: 13: 978-0-13-495369-4 (vol. 2)


Social Studies:
Book: Massachusetts Our Home
ISBN -13: 978-1-58685-059-3

Chapter 2: The Land We Call Home
New England 
Resources
Reading a map of new england
Towns in Massachusetts
River transportation
Towns and Cities, Boston, Cape Cod, North Shore, South Shore, Berkshires

Chapter 3: The First People
Native Americans
Key Words: natives, tribes, cattail, cradleboard, gourd, harvest, longhouse, mishoon, patient, respect, sapling, sinew, tan, wetu
Making clothes, making tools, children learning, respect for living things
Wampanoags then and now
Chapter 4: The Pilgrims
Mayflower
Who were pilgrims
Samoset and Squanto
Giving Thanks 
Everyday life of men, women, children
Key words: colony, government, govern, meetinghouse, scarce, scurvy, self-government

Chapter 5: The Puritans
Who were they
Life of Puritans (compare to pilgrims)
War with Native Americans
Salem witch trials
Chapter 6: Massachusetts in the American Revolution
Keywords: bayonet, congress, independence, loyalist, massacre, minuteman, patriot, protest, representative, tax, wharf
Taxes
Boston Massacre
Boston Tea Party
People to know: John Adams, William Dawes, King George, John Handcock, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Prescott, Paul Revere
Places: Boston, Bunker Hill, Cambridge, Charlestown, Concord, Gloucester, Lexington, New Bedford
Keywords:


Science:
Book: HSP Science by Harcourt School Publishers 
ISBN: 13: 978-0-15-360939-8


Religion:
Books: Christ Our Life by Loyola Press
ISBN: 13:978-0-8294-3961-8
Theology of the Body: Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by HarperCollinsPublishers
ISBN: 978-0-688-0405-1
A Saint A Day
ISBN: 978-1-4002-2853-9

 

Mrs. Burns' Homework Website

Mrs. Casha's Homework Website 

Curriculum Used: 

LITERACY:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Journeys ISBN:978-0-544-87254-7

Grammar: 

Houghton Mifflin, English ISBN 978-0-618-611201; Reteaching Workbook ISBN 978-0-618-090-792;Workbook Plus ISBN 978-0-618-090-631                                                                                                                 

MATH:

Savvas Learning Co.  Vol 1 & 2  ISBN:978-0-13-495370-0 ISBN:978-0-13-495371-7

SCIENCE: 

Harcourt School Publishers  ISBN: 978-0-15-360940-4                                                                                                            

SOCIAL STUDIES: 

Savvas My World Interactive ISBN 978-0-328-97311-8

RELIGION:

Loyola Press - Christ Our Life. ISBN: 978-0-8294-3962-5

WRITING:

  • write topic and closing sentences write for specific                     
  • purpose (persuade, inform, entertain)           
  • create a research report and project sentences
  • revise and edit own work                                                                                                                                                                                           
  • organize and develop ideas using paragraphs

Mrs. Landers' Homework Website 

Mrs. Papineau's/Mr. Sundquist's Homework Website 

Curriculum Used:

Religion:

Christ Our Life,  Loyola Press 2016


Math:

enVision Math CC, Scott Foresman 2020


Science: 

HSP Science, Harcourt 2009


Social Studies:

myWorld Interactive Grade 5 Building Our Country, Pearson 2019


Literature: 

Journeys, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2017


Language Arts: 

English, Houghton Mifflin 2006


Supplemental materials?

  • Theology of the Body, Ruah Woods 2022
  • Catholic Saints Resources 
  • IXL - math and language arts enrichment
  • Generation Genius - Science 
  • Vocabulary Program- Sadlier Blue 2011
  • Trade books

 

Special Projects:

In the fall, fifth graders research Catholic saints, dress in costume for an organized “Guess Who” teaching and learning activity with our preschool program, and then lead the whole school in hosting the feast of All Saints Mass.  

In the spring, our young scholars are transported back to the 1800s to experience “Andover at Work'' as part of a historical field trip to the local Andover Center for Art and History.