Learning enviroment

    At St. Mary of Carmel, we strive to foster the development of our youngest scholars by creating a nurturing, safe environment. With a focus on social emotional health and social skill development, we teach students Catholic virtues in a positive, faith based environment. From centers and small group instruction to outdoor learning and play based materials, we strive to ensure students are engaged with high quality materials to further their learning. Our goal is to develop a love for learning and to equip our students with the social skills needed for success in school. 

     

    A day in the life of pre-k

    St. Mary of Carmel follows the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops Education Department’s requirements for daily instructional minutes. Our daily schedule includes time for: Math, English Language Arts (reading, writing and phonics), Religion, Science, Social Students, Physical Education, Music, and Uninterrupted Play. Students in PreK take naps daily and our PreK-Kindergarten students have an afternoon snack. Our students thrive in their daily routines and enjoy the routine that our schedule provides. 

     

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      Curriculum Learning goals

      St. Mary of Carmel follows the curriculum standards set forth by the Diocese of Dallas. We ensure that students are taught and work towards mastery of the standards through daily instruction, small groups and center activities. The major curricular goals for our early childhood programs are listed below. 

      PreK 3 Learning Goals: 
      • Development of key social skills such as sharing, playing independently, problem solving and identification of emotions
      • Development of key fine and gross motor skills such as hopping, skipping jumping, zipping, snapping and age appropriate grip 
      • Identification of colors 
      • Identification of shapes
      • Identification of numbers 1-20; ability to count to 1-20 and create groups of 1-10
      • Identification of letters and their sounds
      • Memorization of basic prayers such as ‘Hail Mary’ and ‘Our Father’
      PreK 4 Learning Goals
      • Development of key social skills such as sharing, playing independently, problem solving and identification of emotions
      • Development of key fine and gross motor skills such as hopping, skipping jumping, zipping, snapping and age appropriate grip 
      • Identification of colors 
      • Identification of shapes
      • Identification of numbers 1-20; ability to count to 1-30; ability to create groups of 1-20; writing of numbers 1-20
      • Identification of letters and their sounds
      • Writing letters
      • Writing their name
      • Memorization of basic prayers such as ‘Hail Mary’ and ‘Our Father’
      Kindergarten Learning Goals 
      • Continued development of key social emotional skills such as problem solving, handling emotions and teamwork 
      • Identification and 2D and 3D shapes
      • Basic understanding of measurement, geometry, money, addition and subtraction
      • Identification of numbers 1-30; ability to count 1-100; writing numbers 1-100; basic numeracy/ number sense 
      • Identification of all letters and their sounds
      • Beginning encoding and decoding, allowing students to read small texts

      Programs we use

      We are fortunate to be able to offer access to high quality programs to our students as a part of our school wide Blended Learning academic model. Students across St. Mary of Carmel have access to reading and math softwares that create individualized learning paths based on their ability level. Students can work on their ipads during centers while teachers work with small groups or individual students. While our early childhood programs only use ipads occasionally during centers, they also have access to high quality instructional materials through Handwriting Without Tears and Happily Ever After/ Superkids. 

      When feasible (with COVID protocols), enrichment activities such as field trips to the Arboretum, the Dallas Zoo, and the Perot Museum are added to our yearly calendar to provide the opportunity for students to apply what they have learned and make real world connections.

      Lexia Core5

      Lexia Core5 Reading is an adaptive blended learning program that accelerates the development of literacy skills for students of all abilities, helping them make that critical shift from learning to read to reading to learn.

      Learning Without Tears

      This complete, research-based Pre-K program provides a hands-on curriculum that engages young minds through purposeful play, active engagement, and custom manipulatives.

      Math Seeds

      Mathseeds teaches kids aged 3-9 the core math and problem solving skills needed to be successful at school with fun, highly interactive and rewarding lessons. Mathseeds combines highly structured lessons with fun motivational elements that keep children engaged and keen to learn.

      CSO

      Catholic schools form students to be saints and scholars. Students in our Catholic schools receive more than an exemplary education- they become part of a community that supports their social, emotional, and moral development. From the first day of preschool through high school graduation, each of our diocesan and independent schools provides an excellent education, a sense of belonging, and friendships to last a lifetime.

      Meet the Teachers

      Mrs. Moller

       

      Mrs. Manderscheid

       

      FAQ