Nursery Curriculum
St. Patrick's Nursery School curriculum meets each child where s/he is, fitting the curriculum to the child, rather than the child to the curriculum.
Read the full Nursery Program curriculum (PDF).
Nursery School students develop thinking skills by exploring, experimenting, and questioning.
Language and Literacy
Students develop verbal communication and move toward written communication skills through drawing and emergent writing. At every turn, St. Patrick's fosters a love of reading.Mathematics
In natural and intentional ways, Nursery and PK students construct a mathematical understanding of the world. From counting and patterning activities to carefully structured classrooms and daily routines, students measure, compare, combine, and separate. Along the way, they practice reasoning and problem-solving, build interest and confidence, and explore the many uses of math.
Science
Music
In twice-weekly music classes, Nursery and PK students develop their understanding of, and love for, music. They learn about pitch and beat and begin listening with discrimination. Throughout the year, Nursery and PK students explore musical concepts through songs, chants, poetry, rhythm instruments, movement, and dance. Music is a highlight of many annual celebrations like the Halloween Parade, the Christmas Pageant, and the Spring Music Programs.
Art
Spanish
Beginning in PK, students study Spanish twice each week. (This study becomes more frequent in the upper grades.) They explore Spanish language and culture through stories, songs, poetry, music, and dance, and music. Music is a key element of the instruction, and students acquire new words and expressions through authentic songs and rhymes. Students become accustomed to classes taught in Spanish, learning to follow instructions given in Spanish at the same time they learn to talk and answer questions about their names, emotions, days of the week, colors, and shapes.
As children explore the outdoor and indoor learning environments at St. Patrick's, they try new physical skills. Nursery and PK students spend an hour playing outdoors each day. The skipping, running, jumping, hopping, pedaling, climbing, lifting, and balancing provide natural opportunities to refine gross-motor skills. Meanwhile, in small-group physical education classes and twice-weekly music classes children develop locomotor skills, body-control, rhythm, and ball-handling skills. Finally, classroom activities help students practice fine-motor skills through sand and water play, painting, drawing, usings scissors, clay and other manipulative and modeling materials.
