Academics
1/2 Day Hours 8:10-11:15 | 3 or 5 days a week
Full Day Hours 8:10-3:15 | 3 or 5 days a week
Saint Monica School’s 3K program provides a strong Catholic foundation in a play-based, loving environment. We hope to nurture a love of learning, so we honor individual differences as students experience life in a classroom community. Mathematical thinking, foundations in literacy, and Catholic traditions and values inform instruction each day. Per the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, we base our curriculum on the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards.
1/2 Day Hours 8:10-11:15 | 5 days a week
Full Day Hours 8:10-3:15 | 5 days a week
Our 4K program continues to foster a love of learning by encouraging problem solving, teamwork, and critical thinking. Our faith-filled days are centered around prayer and community.
Students are immersed in Early Literacy and Mathematics in an age-appropriate, play-based environment. Catholic traditions and values aren’t an extra lesson: they are THE lesson! Our faith guides the conversation and results in a beautifully rich daily experience.
Our four-year-olds experience a sense of community by being a part of the vibrant Saint Monica family and all it has to offer.
Uniforms are required
Full Day Hours 8:10-3:15 | 5 days a week
The focus in 5K is on building social skills needed to be successful in a classroom setting. We foster 21st century learners by encouraging students to solve problems and work together.
Our experienced teachers create lessons that foster reading skills, number sense and curiosity. Phonological awareness is deepened as students develop a strong foundation that prepares them for first grade and beyond.
By attending mass with their classmates each week and through daily religious lessons, our students are immersed in Catholic tradition and values.
""Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." ~ Matthew 25:35-40
Students participate in religion classes from 3K through eighth grade. Prayer is an everyday activity. All grades participate in a Disciple Development program focusing on character traits, service, and leadership in living out our Catholic faith.
Our students attend Mass every Wednesday, either virtually or in person due to COVID restrictions. During Mass, students serve various liturgical tasks, including readings and petitions.
We have a Virtue of the Month Program, allowing students to learn about and try to incorporate virtues into their daily lives. Buddy Classes work together (this is on hold due to COVID restrictions) to grow together as a community and work through various activities regarding our monthly virtue.
Our Catholic values, teachings, and traditions provide the foundation of our school.
Saint Monica students grow in skill and understanding because of a math curriculum that strategically builds from year to year. Real-world problems, combined with direct instruction in fundamental math skills, create a rich learning environment in each classroom. Building blocks such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division create a foundation for older students to begin fractions, algebra, and more advanced math.
In junior high, advanced class options offer opportunities for growth. Our Math Department, consisting of two junior high teachers, is one-of-a-kind in the North Shore. We’re proud to say that Saint Monica students have and will continue to be well-prepared for mathematics classes in high school and beyond.
A rigorous curriculum focusing on writing, speaking, reading, and listening has caught the attention of area high school teachers. An SMS student stands out after graduation.
The fundamentals of writing and grammatical ideas are introduced in the primary grades and carried all the way through eighth grade. Writing is emphasized across the curriculum, and students learn to present their ideas in a variety of ways for a variety of audiences.
Saint Monica students are exposed to many types of literature and challenged to consider plot, characters, theme and conflict from a Catholic perspective. Direct instruction is given in speaking in front of an audience, listening and forming an argument, and effectively debating.
The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) have refocused Saint Monica School’s Science curriculum to teach through firsthand experiences such as investigation, design, and modeling. Instruction emphasizes scientific exploration and experimentation. In the state-of-the-art junior high science lab, St. Monica students are immersed in investigative experiences that help to develop important critical-thinking skills.
With an intentional integration of our Catholic values, we discuss our beliefs as we work through scientific exploration. For example, we incorporate ways we can take care of God’s creation while researching habitats. This type of instruction is unique to a Catholic School, and we pride ourselves on this deliberate, multi-faceted approach to teaching and learning.
Students are challenged to think in terms of communities and how human beings affect each other. Critical thinking is emphasized as we weave the ideas of The Catholic Social Teachings into lessons. In our 21st century world, students are immersed in a Social Studies curriculum that inspires us to ‘think big.’ Each grade level’s focus (listed below) is divided into the following units: Geography, Behavioral Science, History, Political Science, and Economics.
K4/K5 Self, Family, Community
Grade 1 Families
Grade 2 Neighborhoods
Grade 3 Communities
Grade 4 Wisconsin History and U.S. Geographic Regions
Grade 5 U.S. History
Grade 6 Ancient Civilizations
Grade 7 World Regions
Grade 8 U.S. History
""Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation."
Psalm 95:1
Music class is an important part of the the curriculum for all of our 4K-8th grade students. In addition to class time instruction, SMS offers Choir, Band, Strings, and Piano instruction as early as kindergarten.
Recognizing the importance of music to our sacred celebration of the Eucharist, and with the goal of fostering a heart ready to serve, our junior high students may audition to be cantors for school mass, and our Jubilation Choir regularly leads our school congregation in song.
Mrs. Wilson guides Saint Monica students through a curriculum rich in beauty, history, and all-out fun. Saint Monica has treasured musical traditions, such as our Spring Showcase and also our incredible Variety Show, held at Dominican High School. In music class (schedule below), students study rhythm, instruments, note reading, and vocal techniques.
Schedule:
K4 and K5 Once per week
Grades 1st – 5th Twice per week
Grades 6th – 8th Once per week
“But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” - Isaiah 64:8
We value an education that supports the whole child, therefore, Art class is offered once a week at Saint Monica. Students explore a variety of materials, the history of art, and art in a religious context.
Saint Monica students participate in the Catholic Schools Music and Art Show Celebration at Dominican High School in the Spring. In addition, we have our very own Art Show at the Great Frame Up in Whitefish Bay once a year.
“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Mrs. Wallner leads the way for students to participate in creative and energy-filled units ranging from roller skating to jump rope. Kindergarten – 3rd grade emphasizes “mini-units”, games, and general physical fitness development. In grades 4th – 8th, units of study include volleyball, basketball, football, floor hockey, and soccer. Schedule:
• 4K and 5K Twice per week (25-minute period)
• Grades 1st – 5th Twice per week (40-minute period)
• Grades 6th – 8th Once per week (Full class period)
“And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language.” Acts 2:6
Saint Monica School offers Spanish for all students in grades 1 through 8.
Grades 1st– 5th Once per week
Grades 6th Twice per week
Grades 7th – 8th Three times per week
“But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.” -Matthew 10:30
We offer student support to children in need of additional reading, math or writing assistance (as determined by classroom teachers). Grade level teachers work directly with the support team to help every child learn and grow. This instruction occurs within the classroom as well as in a learning center, both individually and in small groups. Our team prides itself on paying attention to and loving the unique gifts each child brings to our school.