Curriculum

Beyond state standards

The faculty of Saint Bernard adheres to the subjects and levels set forth in the Indiana State Academic Standards. Many additional topics within the prescribed areas are also addressed. Extending exercises to include thinking skills on the higher end of Bloom’s Taxonomy scale is an important part of the lessons taught. Students learn higher level thinking skills through modeling by the classroom teacher to encourage more in-depth and thoughtful writing.

Multi-faceted approach within grade levels

To meet the needs of all learners at Saint Bernard Catholic School, teachers use a multi-faceted approach within each grade level, including, but not limited to, various differentiated strategies such as flexible grouping, tiered activities, home projects, audio books, writing across the curriculum, and best practices in all instructional areas.

Tailored physical education

Our physical education classes are provided by our classroom teachers. This allows them to tailor the classes to the needs of their students, as well as utilize cross-curricular teaching methods.

Concerted effort

The Indiana Department of Education requires staff interaction across grade levels to facilitate planning toward a common focus. This planning may include tracking of student progress, coordinated assessment practices, and scoring guide discussion.

Standard instructional materials

Textbooks and instructional materials are selected to reflect the requirements set forth in the Indiana State Academic Standards. Teachers serve on corporation-level and in-house committees to review and select textbooks that address these standards. Additional materials are acquired and used within each classroom to augment the texts.

Frequent assessments

Ongoing classroom assessment is essential in determining student achievement. Frequent teacher-created assessments and utilization of text-accompanying assessments assist teachers in determining progress.

Teacher development

The instructional strategies that teachers use are as varied as the breadth of the knowledge the teachers have of best practices and current methodology. Matching student needs to appropriate teaching strategies is imperative in increasing student achievement. To pursue additional knowledge of methodology, the administration and staff of Saint Bernard Catholic School have aggressively addressed professional development. To this end, teachers have sought training in identified best practices in the areas of English/language arts, mathematics, and science.