Parents of children entering Kindergarten are expected to attend a “Meet and Greet Day” as a way to become acquainted with the learning environment of St. Catherine of Siena School. Children entering Kindergarten are also expected to take a kindergarten readiness assessment with current Kindergarten teachers to ensure that all children are ready and will be successful in St. Catherine of Siena’s Kindergarten program. 

Incoming students must be 5 years of age by September 30^th.

Religion
The Kindergarten religion program includes content that is faithful to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Kindergarten students are introduced to Christian virtues, the lives of the saints, observance of Holy days, and seasonal holidays. Students participate in prayer services throughout the year. The textbook series used in kindergarten is titled We Believe, published by Sadlier.

Language Arts
The Kindergarten reading curriculum (Fountas and Pinnell) prioritizes phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, oral vocabulary, and text comprehension in a literature based, theme driven approach.  The skills introduced in this program are aligned with the Louisiana Student Standards. Children read with the teacher in small, leveled guided reading groups.  Children interact during literacy-based centers which provide independent practice in phonics, phonemic awareness, literary elements, oral language development, and text comprehension. In addition to sight words, students are taught word attack skills.  The success of our kindergarten program rests within child driven, cross-curricular learning.  Therefore, children have opportunities for reading and writing throughout the kindergarten day, including Science, Social Studies, Religion, and Math. Children are taught good writing techniques through guided writing, writer’s workshop, and frequent journaling. 

Math 
The Kindergarten math curriculum follows the Louisiana Student Standards.  Children participate in child centered calendar activities which introduce, provide practice with, and review key skills and concepts daily.  This curriculum emphasizes a daily routine of whole group practice then small group, hands on exploration with manipulatives.  The independent activities are customized to peak the interests of our students, to be cross curricular, and to be open ended in effort to meet each child on their level. 

Science 
The Kindergarten science curriculum (elevateScience) is woven into our daily routine through meaningful, hands-on activities relevant to the current theme. Students are encouraged to make observations, record, organize, and analyze data, make predictions, ask questions, and draw conclusions.

Social Studies
The Kindergarten social studies curriculum (Studies Weekly) helps make children aware of the world around them and how families, communities, and society work together. To accomplish this, we use theme related stories, music, and art.

Enrichment:

• Art- Students attend Art once a week where they are exposed to many different artistic skills and are able to express their creativity.
• Physical Education – Students attend PE twice a week where they develop their large and small motor skills.  They also learn about fitness and the importance of fair play.
• Music – Students attend Music once a week where they are introduced to a variety of songs using motor skills and movement.
• Library – Students attend Library once a week where they check out books, listen to stories, and watch videos which emphasize all types of literature.
• Computer– Students attend Computer twice a month to learn mouse and keyboard skills on a Chrome book. They also participate in online learning games. 

Technology Integration:

Smart Boards -Skills and concepts introduced throughout the week in all content areas are reinforced through activities on the Smart Board in each classroom.  Other technology is utilized to create a learning environment rich in movement and music.  

I-Pads -Each classroom is equipped with five iPads which students use to create a digital portfolio using the Seesaw App. Through the App, parents are able to view activities their children complete in class and track their progress.