Academics

NEASC Approved

During the 2001- 2002 school year, the staff and faculty of Saint Bridget School underwent an intensive self-study in preparation for asking for accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).  Our application was accepted, and the next step was a visit by a team of school professionals.  This visit took place in October 2002.  The visiting team wrote up their observations and submitted their report.  We received word in December 2003 that we had, indeed, won accreditation.  This accreditation is good for ten years.

The accreditation process continues today.  Since gaining accreditation, we have had to periodically submit, in writing, our response to the continuing recommendations of the NEASC.  This helps our school plan for the future with assurance that we are on the right track.

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Christian Values

Faithfulness, compassion, honesty and respect are some of the values we try to instill in our students.  This is done in a variety of ways, as a part of their daily life at school, not just in religion class.  Our Values Tree Program is one such method of getting students to understand the importance of values such as generosity, caring and self-control.  Prayerfulness is demonstrated by our school’s active prayer life.  Our Respect Life Program includes discussion about respect for each other.  Outreach programs help our students to become compassionate people.  Cooperation and courtesy are stressed in each classroom, on the playground and in our sports programs.  Actions DO speak louder than words! 

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Basic Skills

St. Bridget School (NEASC accredited) offers a strong, updated, sequential curriculum that is in complete conformance with the Archdiocese of Boston Catholic Schools Office.  Every child from preschool through grade eight -- each grade is appropriately designed—is required to study the following disciplines: religion; language arts: reading, phonics, spelling, composition, vocabulary; science; social studies; mathematics; music and physical education.

The lower grades (K-3 & 4-6) emphasize strong knowledge of the Catholic Faith, which emphasizes correct doctrinal and historical knowledge, with the intention of each student being a very faith-oriented, moral citizen of good character for the nation and the world.  In language arts/reading—phonetic decoding, word attack skills, word blends, oral and silent reading, sequencing, cause and effect, patterns of organization, spelling patterns, effective writing, and vocabulary are required for use in the upper levels (7-8).  The science program requires every child to have a basic knowledge of the biological and physical sciences.  Social studies emphasizes community, citizenship, geographical concepts, ancient history, and American history.  In mathematics, the foundations of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division are taught, strongly emphasizing mental math and problem solving.

The upper grades (7-8) stress Catholic-Christian living.  Students study literary genres and essay writing in depth.  The mathematics program has pre-algebra in grade seven and algebra in grade eight.  American history is the focus for both grades seven and eight. Biological and physical sciences are stressed at this level as well as in the lower grades.

Music appreciation and singing skills are emphasized in the music program.  Every child is encouraged to learn cooperation, team skills and game rules in physical education.

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HELPING With homework

THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTIONS HAVE BEEN COMPILED FROM VARIOUS TEACHER/PARENT MAGAZINES AND ARE NOT GIVEN IN ANY PARTICULAR ORDER.
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1. ENCOURAGE THE USE OF A DAILY HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT BOOK. HELP YOUR CHILD TO WORK ON LONG-TERM PROJECTS BY WRITING IN COMPONENT PARTS AS THE DUE DATE GETS CLOSER.

2. SCHEDULING TIME FOR HOMEWORK IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS SCHEDULING SOCCER OR FOOTBALL PRACTICES/GAMES. HELPING YOUR CHILD TO SCHEDULE TIME FOR THIS SHOWS IT IS A PRIORITY FOR YOU AND THAT YOU VALUE ITS WORTH.

3. HELP YOUR CHILD TO FIND A QUIET SPACE TO DO HIS/HER HOMEWORK. IT CAN BE IN ANY PART OF THE HOUSE.

4. PUT TOGETHER A “HOMEWORK SURVIVAL KIT” TO BE USED ONLY FOR HOMEWORK TIME AND INCLUDES THE TYPES OF MATERIALS USUALLY NEEDED EACH NIGHT. THIS WAY VALUABLE TIME IS NOT WASTED LOOKING FOR PENS AND OTHER MATERIALS. STOCK UP ON POSTER BOARD WHEN YOU SEE IT ON SALE AND SAVE YOURSELF THAT LAST MINUTE TRIP TO THE STORE THE NIGHT BEFORE THE PROJECT IS DUE!

5. HELP YOUR CHILD TO DEVELOP THE HABIT OF PUTTING HIS/HER HOMEWORK AWAY IN THE SAME PLACE. THIS WILL MAKE IT EASIER TO FIND WHEN IT IS TIME TO DO THE WORK AS WELL AS WHEN IT IS TIME TO BRING IT BACK TO SCHOOL.

6. BE A COACH! LET YOUR CHILD WORK ON HIS/HER OWN. MAKE HIM/HER AWARE THAT YOU ARE AVAILABLE AS A RESOURCE.

7. REMEMBER THIS IS THEIR HOMEWORK, NOT YOURS. DON’T BE AFRAID TO LET THEM FAIL FROM TIME TO TIME; THAT’S WHAT LEARNING IS ALL ABOUT.

8. BE AVAILABLE TO CHECK WORK. LOOK FOR COMPLETENESS AS WELL AS NEATNESS.

9. IF YOUR CHILD SEEMS TO BE HAVING DIFFICULTY, REMIND HIM/HER TO ASK THE TEACHER FOR HELP THE NEXT DAY.

10. BE ENCOURAGING AND SUPPORTIVE. HOMEWORK IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER. OUR ATTITUDES ABOUT HOMEWORK ARE CONTAGIOUS!

11. HELP YOUR CHILD DECIDE IN WHICH ORDER HE/SHE WILL “ATTACK” THE HOMEWORK. SOME STUDENTS WILL WANT TO START WITH THE MOST DIFFICULT ASSIGNMENTS, SOME WILL START WITH THE EASIEST, AND SOME MAY NEED TO ALTERNATE THE ASSIGNMENTS.

12. PLAN A STUDY BREAK AS A PART OF THE HOMEWORK ROUTINE. FOR SOME THIS WILL BE AFTER A SPECIFIC PERIOD OF TIME, FOR OTHERS, AFTER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF ASSIGNMENTS.

13. FLASH CARDS ARE USEFUL IN REVIEWING CONCEPTS AND VOCABULARY, ORDERING EVENTS FOR A TIME LINE, AND ASSOCIATING PEOPLE AND EVENTS. THEY ARE NOT JUST FOR THE “YOUNGER” STUDENTS!

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IN MOST GRADES, REVIEWING AND PREVIEWING NOTES AND/OR TEXTBOOKS ARE IMPLIED DAILY ASSIGNMENTS! HOMEWORK IS NOT JUST THE “WRITTEN” ASSIGNMENT. YOUR CHILD SHOULD BE DOING SOME HOMEWORK EVERY NIGHT, EITHER WRITTEN WORK OR REVIEW/PREVIEW WORK.

THE BEST WAY FOR YOUR CHILD TO PREPARE FOR TESTS AND QUIZZES IS TO KEEP UP WITH HOMEWORK. ONCE A STUDENT FALLS BEHIND, IT IS HARDER TO GET CAUGHT UP.

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Art

Art is a good way to marry academics, self-expression and fun.  Informal art projects are completed in all grades, sometimes in school and sometimes as a home lesson.  Our students have completed a wide variety of art projects in many mediums.  In the lower grades art is incorporated into their regular curriculum; middle grades have one art class per week; upper grades complete projects associated with the subject area they are studying.

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Computer

Computers, Primary Grades

Computer classes for grades kindergarten through grade two are taught by Miss Cotter, our eighth grade homeroom teacher. Students meet, one-half the class at a time, once each week. At this point, each student has his/her own computer to use during this class.        

The computer curriculum for grades kindergarten through grade two consists of reinforcing academic and thinking skills, using computers rather than computer skills, often presented in a game format. Academic skills include letter knowledge, counting, phonemic awareness, reading comprehension, word recognition, vocabulary development, grammar/punctuation skills, spelling, letter/pattern recognition, writing stories, and consonant/vowel recognition, decoding skills, pattern construction, identifying correct sentences/sentence parts, addition/subtraction, and data collection. Thinking skills include problem solving, observing/recalling, comparing/contrasting, visual memory, gathering/organizing/analyzing information, drawing logical inferences, sequencing information, deductive reasoning skills, decision making, word relationships, patterns/sorting, identifying relationships/patterns, and inferring/predicting.

Hopefully, this gives an idea of what your child is really doing when he/she says, “We only play games in computer.”

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Music

All students, from kindergarten to grade eight, take music class once each week with Mrs. Harris.  Music class is not just about singing, although that is the biggest part of what the students do.  They practice songs for communal celebrations such as our Saints Day Program as well as preview the songs to be sung at the next school Mass.  Students learn songs for the two concerts held each year - one at Christmas and one in the spring.  If you have not been to one of our concerts, you do not know what you are missing!

Music appreciation is an important part of music class.  Students sample music from different eras.  Musical theatre is included in the topics discussed with students.  They learn about the different groups of musical instruments.  Students are exposed to music theory and begin to read music.

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Foreign Languages

Miss Patrice Rose is our Spanish teacher for grades three to eight. Classes meet once each week.

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Pre-K

For most children, preschool is their first school experience.  The preschool program at St. Bridget strives to:

·    Develop a positive self image

·    Enhance social and emotional development

·    Encourage creativity

Great features include:

·    Small class sizes

·    Teacher and Full Time Aid

·    Classroom computers

·    Private, outdoor playground

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Summer Fun for Academic Success

Help your child/children get off to a great start next fall by encouraging academics over the summer.  It does not have to be tedious or expensive.  It can even happen in the car as you drive from place to place.  It is more than reading, writing and arithmetic.  Keep in mind fine motor and gross motor skills, too.  Even students in the upper grades can benefit from many of these activities.  Many of these ideas are free; for those that require purchases, most can be found at Ocean State Job Lot, Dollar Stores or Christmas Tree Shops.  Save some of these ideas for those rainy days when the kids are bored! 

READING

            - books, magazines, newspapers, comic books, recipes…

            - consider a children’s magazine subscription

            - find a magazine on your child’s favorite sport, or on sports in general

            - go to the library and browse around

            **ask your child for a summary of what has been read

WRITING

            - start a diary (use the word “journal” for boys); give some suggestions for

              what to write about beyond what he/she did that day such as, “If you could                    

              go anywhere in the world, where & why?”

            - write letters (even emails) to grandparents, Godparents, aunts, etc.

            - write a postcard, even from your “hometown” of Boston (available at

              many bookstores/ card stores) to this year’s teacher or next year’s teacher

            - write to a government official about something which interests your child

            - write a song or a play & perform it

            - write biography or autobiography

MATH

            - estimate at the grocery store

            - practice making change

            - practice math facts with flashcards

            - play counting games w/ shells, rocks, cars, etc.

            - use newspaper fliers to make a meal for the family or plan a party within a

              certain budget

            - play games that has your child sorting or categorizing

            - woodworking/ baking (fractions, measurements)

RELIGION           

            - go to Mass, even on a weekday

            - go to Mass at different churches to show how we are one in Christ

            - pray together

            - practice saying common prayers

            - give to the poor or the hungry; the need is always there

            - look for service opportunities for your child or for your family

            - look for newspaper/magazine articles about faith/people doing good deeds

FUN THINGS

            - word searches; dot-to dot books

            - scavenger hunts/ treasure hunts, indoors and outdoors

            - play house/ dress-up (role playing of any sort)

            - berry picking

            - bubbles

            - collections - rocks, shells, postcards, stamps, stickers…

            - Where’s Waldo books

            - bingo (have the kids make their own cards and use pennies for markers)

            - start a garden for your kids; let them work in yours

            - board games

            - card games (some of these are great for math skills)

            - sing

            - begin a scrapbook

            - play charades

            - daydream

GROSS MOTOR SKILLS

            - jumping rope; hula hooping; biking; hiking; hopscotch; limbo

            - horseshoes; badminton; croquet; paddleball; Frisbee

            - ball skills such as bouncing, kicking

            - games such as “Mother may, I” “Red Light, Green Light,” “Red Rover,” &

              Freeze tag

            - dance; have a neighborhood parade

            - bowling; swimming; home-made obstacle course

            - wash the car together

 FINE MOTOR SKILLS

            - cutting & pasting; sewing & lacing

            - drawing, painting (water colors, finger-paints), coloring

            - stringing beads; making braids from yarn

            - pick-up-sticks (use spaghetti)

            - Barrel of Monkeys game; Operation game

            - crafts of any kind

            - learn a musical instrument

 IN THE CAR

            - play the “I Spy” game; play the “A,B,C” game

            - look for license plates of other states

            - do math facts

            - ask “what if” questions to spark his/her imagination

            - have a conversation

            - pray together

            - do math word problems

 Miscellaneous

            - practice naming the state & capitals

            - use a map to locate places

            - look for free programs offered by local libraries

            - check your newspaper weekly for free/inexpensive things to do

            - go to a museum; many libraries have passes, which you can use to defray

              the cost

            - go to a state/local park and go for a nature walk

            - watch the news together; discuss the issues involved in even one story

            - many bookstores (even some local stores) offer workbooks by grade, get

              this year’s book as review or next year’s book as a preview

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Make Reading A Priority!

We all know how important reading is to a child’s success in school.  Developing a life-long love of learning is easier when your child loves to read.  It does not simply occur, you must nurture it and it must be modeled – by you!

Some thoughts on reading:

Children whose families read with them do better in school.

Children of all ages love to have someone read to them and someone to whom they can read.

Fifteen minutes a day is all it takes.  Longer is better, but surely you can find fifteen minutes to help your child succeed as a reader, can’t you?

Always carry a book with you, and one for your child, for those times when you are waiting for something else to happen. 

Do you have a reluctant reader?  If so, find a book, magazine or even a comic book about a topic of interest to your child.  Reading anything is better than not reading at all.

Ask questions about the story…not just summarize…why…what do you think is next…how would you solve that problem?  Use questions that make your child think.

Be a patient listener, avoid the temptation to jump in and finish a thought.  Encourage their efforts and let them know you are proud they’re reading, not irritated that it takes too long to explain.

Get everyone involved!  Don’t leave out grandma and grampy when you visit on vacation. 

Check out the local library.  Most offer more than an opportunity to check out books. 

Buy a book or two or three.  There’s something about actually owning a book that is important for children.

Make it a priority.  We schedule time for the doctor, for sports, even our favorite television shows, schedule time for reading, too! 

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Tips for Building Vocabulary

Read!  Reading is the key to building a better vocabulary in part because writers use words in creative ways. 

Write!  Writing encourages you to stretch the ways you use words.

Use a book!  Regularly use a dictionary and a thesaurus to find the exact word you need to communicate your idea.

Learn a language!  Many languages share the same Latin and Greek roots, so learning another language can help expand your vocabulary. 

Use a trick!  Try putting an image with a new word.  Use mnemonics.  Try anything!

Use new words often!  The more you use a word, the more a part of your normal vocabulary it becomes.

Have fun!  Play word games, do crossword puzzles, play anagrams with the letters on the license plate in font of you, play Scrabble or Boggle, use flashcards or simply play rhyming games.  Do anything you can to make word play fun. 

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Oh the places you can go!

Are the kids bored? Are you looking for something for them to do on the web besides games? Check out the educational or fun activities at the link below.

http://sbssites.wikispaces.com/