Curriculum
The Primary Classroom For Students Ages Three to Six
In the Primary Classroom students acquire a beginning literacy of letters, numbers and writing through the manipulation of materials. The very young child’s work helps him develop fine motor coordination and concentration skills as he embarks on many years of academic progress. At age five the child is usually ready for introduction into the full day program, joining the older students for lunch, recess and more advanced studies in the language arts. At age six, Seton Academy students begin their gradual transition into the elementary classroom.
The Elementary Classroom for Children Ages Six to Twelve
Around the age of six, a child develops a great sense of wonder, looking beyond his own needs and pondering such deep questions as, “Why am I here?” “How hot is the sun?” and “How do I know what is right and what is wrong?” In the elementary class basic skills are polished in the search for answers to such big questions. Studies include more work in the disciplines of the sciences, the arts, history and language. In pursuing these subjects, the child moves naturally from the concrete work of the primary to abstract understanding.
The Middle School Classroom for Adolescents Ages Twelve to Fourteen
Adolescents are part of the Third Plane of Development. In this plane, students need to see the fruit of their labor. To engage students, we help them to answer the questions of “Why does it matter?”, “How will this help me in the future?”, and “Why should I care?”. Career research, shadowing, and service opportunities are utilized in our program to draw them out of themselves, into communication with others, and towards the bigger picture of their future vocation.
The Atrium for the Spiritual Growth of All Seton Academy Students
Religious education at Seton Academy follows the teachings of the Catholic Church through the method of “The Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.” The purpose of catechesis at Seton Academy is to promote within the child an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. Work in the Atrium includes study of the Old and New Testaments, the geography of the Holy Land, Church History and the lives of the saints. Also studied are the Liturgical Calendar, the Liturgy of the Mass, the sacraments, moral tenets, the practice of virtues and more.
Meditation on the wonders of Christ’s life and teachings through the use of the materials in the hushed atmosphere of the Atrium helps each child not just to know about Our Lord, but to know Him personally.
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