HEALTH & SAFETY PLAN CONTACT US LEARN Curriculum EXPLORE St. Joseph Marquette DISCOVER Our School Community ADMISSIONS and Tuition Assistance EXPLORE St. Joseph Marquette Catholic School The Catholic School is a unique, faith-centered community, which integrates thinking and believing in ways that encourage intellectual growth, nurture faith and inspire action. Mother Joseph Early Learning Center The Mother Joseph Early Learning Center was opened in 1997 to house the Pre-Kindergarten & Kindergarten. The center is located one block north of the main campus at 308 N. 4th St. Pre-Kindergarten Students are introduced to our Catholic faith with an emphasis on caring about one another. The child is encouraged to develop a relationship with God through prayer and biblical teachings. We begin to develop character and values that are consistent with our beliefs and, most importantly, to follow Jesus’ example. Academically, Pre-Kindergarten educates the student to become a confident learner. Your child is provided age-appropriate academics in language, social studies, math, science, penmanship, computer applications, physical education, art, music, and drama. They are encouraged to ask questions, problem solve, think independently and learn from hands-on experiences. Another focus of Pre-kindergarten is making the new student feel comfortable in their new school environment. The student learns to work, respect, and get along with others, make new friends, feel part of a group, and to treat others the way they would like to be treated. Pride, self-confidence, self-control, independence, and a positive attitude towards education and life are values we strive to develop in each student. Kindergarten The Kindergarten program at St. Joseph Marquette is committed to fostering an environment to promote the social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual growth of each student. Within the classroom, the students begin to develop a relationship with God, learning to praise God and experience God through prayer. The commitment to academic excellence, which fosters the intellectual development of all students, is an integral part of the mission of the school. Throughout the year, the student learns and begins to use language through literature. We work on learning sounds of the alphabet letters and emphasize early reading of both Spanish and English languages. Math is integrated across the curriculum as well as worked on as a separate subject area. Each student learns problem solving and basic math concepts such as counting and patterning by working with developmentally appropriate materials. Health, Social Studies and Science all help the student learn about themselves and our world. Physical Education and Music are also part of the curriculum. St. Joseph Elementary ~ Grades 1-5 To continue the ongoing education about the Catholic faith, teachers work on emphasizing the importance of respect, responsibility, love, faithfulness, and excellence, which are the values that lie at the core of St. Joseph Marquette’s mission. Students are enriched with knowledge about the importance of the Holy Trinity, stewardship, community, the saints, prayer and family life. In particular the second grade also prepares for the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation. The curriculum of the Religious education department is inspired by the phrase, “What would Jesus do?” Language arts exercises expand on basic concepts of reading, writing and spelling. Students are encouraged to expand their vocabulary, writing conventions, the writing process, exposure to different genres of literature as well as correct usage of the English language. Over four years, the math curriculum builds upon itself and teaches skills; from basic math concepts to more abstract ideas of graphing, measurement, geometry, fractions, decimals, probability, logic and problem solving skills. Dynamic teaching, interactive tools and worksheets are used to help students grasp math. Science classes are exploratory and investigative and use the scientific method as a means to learn. The science curriculum covers broad topics including plant biology, the human body, weather, oceans, rocks and minerals, animals, and ecosystems. One hour a week will be spent studying Art. The students survey a range of artistic mediums including pencil, oil pastels, watercolor, collage making, printmaking, chalk and clay. The student artist studies cultural and periodical art as well. Art shows and displays permit the students to take pride in their projects as well as allowing others to enjoy their artistic endeavors. Physical Education class focuses on improving gross and fine motor skills, learning new games, participation and respect for others. Health is also taught as a way to teach personal hygiene, nutrition, fitness and safety emergency response. The focus of the music curriculum for first through fifth grade is singing, movement and the background of music. Students are taught to read, play and use written music as a way of developing careful listening skills and following a conductor. Music is also taught in the context of cultural importance. Students will travel the world as they become aware of instruments, sounds and dances that correlate to specific cultures. For more information on the curriculum at St. Joseph Elementary, read the Curriculum Guides. Marquette Middle School ~ Grades 6-8 Marquette Middle School takes into consideration a wide range of student learning styles and achievement levels, while providing a positive, success -oriented learning environment. Built into the curriculum is an emphasis on developing the students self-image, motivation and self-improvement as they work through the early steps of making decisions on their own. The religion curriculum provides students with information about the Old and New Testament, the Sacraments, the Ten Commandments, Gospel Values, Christian Morality and the Liturgical year. The 7th and 8th grade students participate in community service and volunteer work as another way to deepen their understanding of Christian values and morals. Students are encouraged to read many genres and styles of literature, poetry and plays while in Middle School. Correct sentence structure, the writing process, writing conventions, comprehension, expansion on vocabulary and public speaking are skills that are reinforced in the curriculum. Marquette Middle School offers three different level of mathematics: General Math, Pre-Algebra and Algebra. Offering a variety of math levels allows students to develop at a pace customized to their learning abilities. Exploration and experimentation lead the lessons in the science curriculum. Understanding how Earth systems function and the way life works within those systems provides students a grasp of basic scientific ideas. The students pursue knowledge about cells, the rock cycle, ecosystems, the human body, measurement, heat, light and sound waves and elements of chemistry. All lessons are taught with a basic understanding of laboratory safety, microscope and scientific instrument use. All middle school classes have access to a Computer Lab. Computers are accessible in the classrooms as well as in the computer lab for research and word processing. Within the computer lab, students learn skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint to be efficient in computer usage; in addition, Internet safety is a priority. A social media unit is also taught. One quarter per academic year will be spent in the art program exploring different mediums and ways of displaying art. Areas of concentration are photography, clay, watercolor, printmaking, collage, drawing, painting, plaster, and oil pastel. There is one or two art shows throughout the year in which students work is put on display. Acting and theater design will play a role in the personal development of the student’s drama skills. A drama/music performance at the end of the quarter will wrap up the ideas the students have learned. Each student will have two quarters of physical education class a year with their homeroom class. Students are required to change into P.E. clothes (health and hygiene reasons) and are expected to participate at their skill level, show growth in their skills, and show appropriate sportsmanship. Activities vary including basketball, volleyball, badminton, kickball,and other cardiovascular sports. For more information on the curriculum at Marquette Middle School, read the Curriculum Guides. 202 North 4th Street Yakima, Washington 98901 St. Joseph Marquette Catholic School takes pride in teaching, encouraging standards of the Catholic faith. Being the first school founded in the Yakima Valley by Mother Joseph of the Sacred Heart in 1875, St. Joseph Marquette fosters the importance of tradition and community service. © 2021 St. Joseph Marquette Catholic School | 202 North 4th Street, Yakima, Washington 98901 | 509.575.5557