We have a great group of educators who work with families to build the educational foundation for student success. Classroom aides assist the teachers in TK, kindergarten, first, and second grades. At St. Michael’s, we believe in educating the whole child: intellectually, spiritually, socially and physically. Our school combines a traditional Catholic curriculum with a 21st century Blended STEAM pedagogy. Students regularly work on solving STEAM challenges. As a Blended Learning school, we use the rotational model to instruct students. This means that student rotate in small groups through stations involving direct instruction, collaborative learning and independent learning incorporating technology. Students in TK-8th grades use supplemental educational software on computers or tablets to differentiate learning and to help them master content.
Grades 2-4 in our elementary school and grades 5-8 in junior high are departmentalized, which means that students rotate to different classrooms where teachers specialize in one or two subjects. Departmentalization allows for greater depth in subject matter and for teachers and students to build stronger relationships.
Students at St. Michael’s receive a Catholic education that includes daily religion classes along with a variety of faith-building activities. These include Mass, Gospel Monday, daily prayer, Family Mass, and days of obligation. While we are a Catholic school, families of all faiths are welcome at our school.
The academic curriculum is based on Archdiocesan Standards, California State Standards and Common Core Standards. Our curriculum includes:
With over 180 days of instruction, we are better prepared to explore the subject matter more deeply, differentiate our instruction and remediate when needed. We also have an after school Reading Intervention and Math Intervention program to help students struggling in those areas, plus many teachers have regular tutoring hours after school.