The 3rd & 4th grades follow the core curriculum set by the Diocese of Saginaw, which is also closely associated with the benchmarks put down by the State of Michigan.

Our day begins with prayer and religion, to set the tone and importance of the day. The remainder of the morning is devoted to Reading and Language Arts, including spelling, phonics, creative writing, and grammar. Each grade spends group-time with the teacher to work at their own grade levels, while the other grade completes daily, independent activities and assignments.

The afternoon begins with Accelerated Reading, where students check out new library books, then read and test on the books, to accumulate points toward achieving their individual goals for the year.

Social Studies follows A.R., where both grades are instructed together. Because the 3rd & 4th grades have differing curriculums, each grade level is taught on alternating years to insure that all students receive both. Science is taught in the same way.

Students in 4th grade receive a review of cursive handwriting, while 3rd graders review printing during the 1st quarter. Cursive is then introduced to 3rd grade and 4th graders begin using it on a daily basis.

Math is covered by use of a basic text, and also by the computer program “Accelerated Math”, which allows individuals progress at their own speed and ability. By the end of 3rd grade, students are expected to have the 0-5’s times tables memorized. The 4th graders must have memorized the 0’s through 12’s, in order to be ready for 5th grade.