Curriculum is referred to and defined as a prescribed course of studies, which students must fulfill in order to pass a certain level of education. A curriculum, or its entire sum of lessons and teachings, is designed to improve national testing scores or help students learn the basics.  At Rayne Catholic Elementary curriculum can be perceived as a connective link between teachers and students, organized in such a way to achieve goals previously set by the teacher, the learning organization or by the curriculum coordinator.

Christian Doctrine is a vital part of our curriculum and is an integrated component of the daily activity of our classrooms and school.  The teaching of compassion, courage, honesty, perseverance, respect, responsibility, self-discipline and teamwork are an essential part of classroom management and ongoing curriculum units.

Courses of study

Pre-School:

Pre-Kindergarten:                                                          Kindergarten:

Religion (Who Is God?)                                                           Religion (Image of God)

Language Arts                                                                          Language Arts

Math                                                                                          Math

Social Livings Skills                                                                 Social Living Skills

Physical Education / Computer / Library                           Physical Education / Art / Computer / Library

Lower Grades:

1^st Grade:                                     2^nd Grade:                                      3^rd Grade:                                       4^th Grade:

Art / Computer (semester)          Art / Computer (semester)            Art / Computer (semester)               Art / Computer (semester)

English                                             English                                                English                                               English

Math                                                 Math                                                   Math                                                    Math

Library (45 mins. weekly)            Library (45 mins. weekly)               Library (45 mins. weekly)                   Library (45 mins. weekly)

Physical Education                          Physical Education                           Physical Education                           Physical Education

Reading                                             Reading                                              Reading                                             Reading

with Accelerated Reader                 with Accelerated Reader                with Accelerated Reader

 Religion (Eucharist/Reconciliation) Religion (Who is the Church?) Religion (Commandments) Religion (God Loves Us)             

                                                             Science (1 semester)                       Science (1 semester)     Science

Social Living                                       Social Studies (1 semester)           Social Studies (1 semester)              Social Studies (States/Region)

Math/Reading/Writing Labs  Math/Reading/Writing Labs  Math/Reading/Writing Labs  Math/Reading/Writing Labs

Upper Grades:

5^th Grade:                           6^th Grade:                            7^th Grade:                               8^th Grade:

English                                 English                                  English                                                 English

Math                                    Math                                      Math                                                    Math (Pre-Algebra)

Physical Education            Physical Education               Physical Education                            Physical Education

Reading (Library & AR)   Reading (Library & AR)      Reading (Library & AR)                    Reading (Library & AR)

Religion (Sacraments)       Religion (Old Testament)   Religion (New Testament)                Religion (Ministry/History)

Social Studies (Early U.S.)  Social Studies (World History)  Social Studies (American History)  Social Studies (LA. History)

Science (General Intro.)   Science (General Science)    Science (Ecology & Physical)            Science (Physical & Biology)

Math /Writing Labs           Math /Writing Labs             Math /Writing Labs                          Math /Writing Labs

Electives:                                 Elective:                                     Elective:                                     Elective:

    Study Skills (1^st semester)          Technology (Office Package)      Art                                           French

Keyboarding (2^nd semester)                                               

                                              7^th and 8^th Grade Technology will be applied in CORE subjects:

  1^st Quarter: MicroSoft EXCEL in Math

2^nd Quarter: MicroSoft WORD in English/Reading (Research)

3^rd Quarter:  MicroSoft PUBLISHER in 7^th grade Social Studies

                       MicroSoft POWERPOINT in 8^th grade Religion

4^th Quarter:  MicroSoft ACCESS in Science

Independent Sustained Reading:  Everyone (students, faculty, staff) will have 10 minutes of independent reading during regular scheduled days.  Those not reading during this time will face consequences.

GENDER CLASS:

The gender-separate format can boost grades and test scores for BOTH girls and boys. However, that improvement doesn’t happen automatically. Just putting girls in one room and boys in another is no guarantee of success. As with anything else in education, adequate preparation in proven, evidence-based strategies is key.

We now have good evidence that single-sex classrooms CAN break down gender stereotypes, particularly when teachers have appropriate professional development. Girls in single-sex educational settings are more likely to take classes in math, science, and information technology. Boys in single-gender classrooms — led by teachers with training in how to lead such classrooms — are much more likely to pursue interests in reading, English, art, and foreign languages. Both girls and boys have more freedom to explore their own interests and abilities than in the coed classroom.

Studies indicate that:

Boys in coed classes: 37% scored proficient, while boys in single-sex classes: 86% scored proficient.

Girls in coed classes: 59% scored proficient, while girls in single-sex classes: 75% scored proficient.

It is a fact that school climates and structures are conducive to female students. Most girls don’t feel comfortable in math, science and technology classes, while most boys don’t feel comfortable in reading and language classes.  Both girls and boys feel a certain amount of pressure from the opposite sex when answering questions, asking questions, being labeled the ‘smart one’, etc.  We all know, and research has proven, that men and women think, hear, speak, and act differently.  These differences start even before birth.  It is common knowledge that boys and girls can look at the same problem or situation and see two totally different things; neither of which is the right or wrong way.  The fact is that gender differences impact boys’ and girls’ learning and emotions.

A few of our goals are to:

1. improve and promote an environment conducive to bringing out the best in each student.
2. provide the best possible education to each student.
3. create an environment in which each child can freely express themselves.
4. help promote student’s interest and individual differences.
5. take away the stereotypes and pressures which hold us from trying and accepting new areas/ideas.
6. help students focus on educational material rather than social pressures.
7. create lessons specific to gender interest and knowledge.

The single-gender classroom. . .

Allows for nontraditional teaching techniques and structures that are well suited  aspects of male-female learning differences

• Allows for classes in which the learners e more similar to one another in their stag of physical, mental, and emotional development
• Eliminates certain distractions from the classroom (such as boy-girl flirtation, sexual tensions, gender-based competition), thus increasing concentration and focus
• Allows girls not to worry about king comments in the classroom that boy will ridicule (and vice versa), so that self-esteem can be driven more by performance and less by what members of the opposite sex think and say
• Encourages girls to openly discuss personal issues with which they may be struggling, thus facilitating an earlier, more successful handling of those issues
• Creates a comfortable environment for learning, in which girls don’t feel the need to worry about how they look or what they wear, and boys feel greater freedom to “be themselves” without posturing and playing to girls’ attentions
• Helps boys learn self-management through working together, helping each other, and finding safety in being in classes with others who instinctively understanding them
• Allows for candid conversations in the classroom (where girls and boys can as questions and discuss topics they might avoid in a coed setting), thereby creating unique teachable moments for character, leadership, goal setting, girl talk, and boy talk
• Increase boys’ willingness to try new things—especially in the arts (performing skits, sharing poetry, and so on)—that they might not be as willing to try in front of girls
• Allows girls to receive more attention, explore broader interest, increase self-confidence and participation, and renew interest in more spatially oriented subjects such as math, science, and technology
• Provides a greater opportunity to help boys with literacy by including more boy-friendly materials
• Enables teachers to create experiences that specifically support boys and girls through creative, gender-specific instructional practices

Rayne Catholic offers the following “Single Gender” Classes:

Pre Kindergarten:        45 minutes per day – Physical Education, Library, Computer

Kindergarten:        45 minutes per day – Physical Education, Library, Computer/Art

1^st Grade:              90 minutes per day – Reading & Electives: Physical Education, Library, Computer/Art

2^nd Grade:             90 minutes per day – Reading & Electives: Physical Education, Library, Computer/Art

3^rd Grade:              90 minutes per day – Reading & Electives: Physical Education, Library, Computer/Art

4^th Grade:    135 minutes per day – Reading, Science & Electives: Physical Education, Library, Computer/Art

5^th Grade:    Half day – 4 of 8 classes – Math, Reading, Religion, Physical Education

6^th Grade:    Full day – 8 of 8 classes – All Subjects

7^th Grade:    Full day – 8 of 8 classes – All Subjects

8^th Grade:    Half day – 5 of 8 classes – Science, Math, Reading, English, Physical Education

STUDENT TEXTBOOKS: 

Below is a listing of student textbooks used at Rayne Catholic Elementary School.  Rayne Catholic has a seven year rotation of textbook adoption with each curriculum adopting new books every seven years. Should parents wish to purchase a set to keep at home, a list of textbooks with company information may be obtained through the school office. 

Subject	Publisher	Grades
English	Units of StudyShurley English	K-12-8
Handwriting	Handwriting Without Tears	Pre-K and K
	Zaner Bloser	1, 2, 3
Math	Harcourt	K-5
	Holt	6
	Holt, Rinehart& Winston	7, 8
Reading	Harcourt/Houghton, Mifflin	K-5
	McDougell, Littell	6-8
Religion	Ignatius Press	Pre-K and K
	Sadlier	1-8
Science	Units of Study	PreK, K, 1, 2, 3
	Pearson, Prentice Hall	4-8
Social Studies	Social Living Units	PreK, K, 1, 2
	Houghton Mifflin	3-5
	Glencoe	6-7
	Claimont Press	8

All texts are non-consumable and are not to be written in because they are property of either Rayne Catholic Elementary or Louisiana State. Students are to carry their books and supplies in some type of book sack or bag. Lost or damaged textbooks must be paid for by the student/parent. MOST TEXTBOOKS ARE AVAILABLE ON-LINE or CD

• In-House Registration Form
• February 5, 2012
• January 29, 2012
• January 22, 2012