Instruction at ICOLPH is differentiated to accommodate a broad range of abilities and learning styles within each classroom. Through a continuous cycle of diagnosis, intervention, and assessment, each student is able to progress at a pace that is appropriately challenging. Concepts in each subject area are made relevant through activities that interest and impact students in their daily lives. Projects and learning activities range from writing stories or preparing presentations, to designing new games, in order to to develop students’ aptitude and foster an enthusiastic attitude toward learning.
In addition to differentiated instruction and multi-sensory classroom experiences, students at ICOLPH are also frequently exposed to the larger community through dynamic guest speakers and invited performers, field trips to educational sites, and parish events and celebrations. These valuable interactions allow students to practice their communication and leadership skills, develop a sense of social justice and stewardship of the earth’s resources, and to think about the types of contributions that they might make to the larger community.
To prepare our students well for the future, teachers and staff integrate technology into their daily programs. Students become familiar with a variety of technical formats, and frequent practice reinforces key concepts. Teaching how to use available technology to research, create, and problem-solve is a key objective.
Beyond the classroom, students are encouraged to engage in some of the many extra-curricular activities offered in conjunction with our school program. These opportunities include the Spelling Bee, Geography Bee, Science Club, Robotics Club, school plays, talent shows, and community service projects. Combined with classroom instruction and activity, these opportunities serve to create a balanced education that empowers students.
CURRICULUM
Science
ICOLPH fifth and sixth graders participate in a CYO residential, outdoor environmental camp using hands-on, exploratory, investigative and interdisciplinary teaching methods at Camp Hamilton, a 570 acre site in Monroe, WA. The curriculum is consistent with the Framework for Environmental Education Guidelines produced by the Washington State Office for Environmental Education and meets the Catholic School Benchmarks as laid out by the Seattle Archdiocese.
Community resources such as the Everett PUD and Water District, the Pacific Science Center, and the Boeing Museum of Flight, among others, add dimension to our science program and introduce students to a wide variety of scientific information and experience. Field trips and guest speakers round out the students' experiential and knowledge base. Students are actively engaged in the scientific process as they do everything from raising salmon and making telescopes to investigating spiders and dissecting animal organs. Our school even has an on-site weather station that is a wonderful tool for data sampling and collection.
Mathematics
Teachers at ICOLPH School use various hands-on activities to deepen our students' understanding of new material and reach a wide range of learners. Hands-on use of manipulatives, games and mathematical software enhance instruction in the classroom.
Basic math skills are the building blocks upon which higher levels of mathematical work may be achieved. Students at Immaculate Conception & Our Lady of Perpetual Help School are provided with a math curriculum that is rich in basic skills, while guiding them into more critical mathematical thinking and problem solving.
Mathematical concepts and skills such as observing patterns, classifying, analyzing data, and communicating about mathematics both verbally and in writing, are accentuated throughout math lessons at all grade levels. Students are encouraged to use mathematical concepts and skills as they are integrated into other curriculum content areas such as creating patterns in art classes, graphing data in science, and analyzing population maps and timelines in social studies.
Applying mathematical knowledge to a real life situation allows students to see a connection between what they've learned in math class and how it is used in everyday life. Teachers at ICOLPH School help students experience this through the use of simulations and current events. Students enjoy classifying and analyzing statistical information found in current publications, such as websites, newspapers, and magazines.
Physical Education/Health
The goal of our physical education program is to encourage a life-long desire in our students to be fit and healthy. Students are encouraged to strive for personal bests in athletic activities and also learn to cooperate during team play. Sportsmanship is emphasized, so that the learning environment remains positive and productive. We are fortunate to have gym and locker facilities to accommodate our PE program.
Students learn and practice skills for sports and games and also activities such as dance that they can share during school performances such as Grandparents' Day. Students are asked to complete weekly homework logs of physical activity as part of their PE class requirement. Health components of the PE program include advice on such related factors as nutrition and safety while maintaining an active lifestyle.
Social Studies
At Immaculate Conception & Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, social studies is taught at every grade level with the intent to develop informed citizens capable of making decisions and contributions that will have a positive impact on society. Primary grade students develop an understanding of their role in family and community and begin to study geography and culture through the use of textbooks, dramatizations, stories, maps, globes, and technology resources. Middle school students broaden their skills to include decision-making, evaluating sources of information, and producing maps, timelines, charts, graphs, and other multi-media materials.
Students also participate in a variety of individual and group presentations that reflect their social studies knowledge. Historical skits, plays, and readers' theater engage students in thoughtful dialogue. Guest speakers and field trips further enhance student learning.
Art
Immaculate Conception & Our Lady of Perpetual Help's comprehensive art program begins with a thoughtfully planned art program that allows trained art docents to introduce a variety of artists and their works at each grade level.
Students are exposed to a diversity of art forms and techniques that they can experiment with and incorporate into their own creations. These guided hands-on projects increase interest and confidence in our student artists. Our dedicated art docents and classroom teachers strive to develop students' appreciation for art and its contribution to the aesthetic of our daily lives. Student art is prominently displayed in the classrooms and throughout the school. In the spring, our art fair celebrates student creativity and artistic talent.
Music/Drama
Our students study and practice vocal and written music at every grade level, attending music class twice a week. Our music teacher employs a variety of instructional tools and strategies to create and maintain our students' interest in music. In addition to singing, students learn how to make instruments, which they then use in special class performances. Students also study famous musicians and their works and eventually create and share their own musical compositions. Learning to play recorders in the fourth and fifth grades prepares students to advance to band instruments when they reach seventh and eighth grade, if they choose band as an elective.
Although drama is not taught as a separate subject, this vibrant performance art is incorporated into subjects as diverse as reading, science, religion, and social studies. Students create and act out a variety of learning experiences ranging from simple skits demonstrating science concepts or famous moments in history, to the elaborate annual school musical!
Reading and Literature
Students at every grade level are challenged to be active readers who make connections to what they read. Reading skills are developed and practiced through daily opportunities to read individually and in groups. At ICOLPH School, our goal is to foster a love of reading in all of our students.
In Kindergarten through second grade, direct instruction in phonics is combined with interactive and multi-sensory methods that reinforce fluency. Students also begin to develop strategies to aid reading comprehension. Teachers assess students' prior knowledge and past experiences to select reading materials that are relevant and appropriate. Small group instruction with both the classroom teacher and a certified learning specialist is available to students in grades one through eight.
Middle and upper grade students expand their reading capabilities through exposure to a variety of written material across the curriculum. They continue to develop and practice strategies for reading comprehension and fluency as they study various literary genres and engage in novel based studies of literary themes. Students are taught non-fiction reading strategies to enable them to effectively read for information in other curriculum areas.
Language Arts
In our classrooms, students learn and practice strategies that enable them to become articulate writers and presenters. Students use the Six Traits +1 approach to develop a proficiency in the writing process. Through this process, attention is given to ideas, word choice, voice, fluency, organization, the use of correct writing conventions, and presentation skills. Writing for a variety of purposes and audiences is practiced at all grade levels.
After strategies are modeled, students use graphic organizers to record their ideas, write a draft, revise and edit, and present a variety of work in class. Sharing writing samples and peer editing allow students further opportunities to evaluate writing using rubrics, as well as to give and receive valuable feedback. Writing assignments are designed to help students make connections to their own lives and the larger community as they journal, describe, narrate, persuade, and create in response to writing prompts and assessments.
These experiences, combined with thorough instruction in grammar and spelling, enable our students to develop as skilled and versatile writers.
Religion
At Immaculate Conception & Our Lady of Perpetual Help School, our curriculum is rooted in our Catholic faith. Our students are provided with many opportunities to build a strong school community, pray and reflect with their classmates, and engage in service to the wider community. Our religion program, from preschool through eighth grade, grounds our students in the fundamentals of our faith tradition. Scripture is brought to life through dramatization, reflection, journaling and sharing, music, and art projects. Students experience a variety of types of prayer and learn traditional Catholic prayers at each grade level.
Immaculate Conception & Our Lady of Perpetual Help School students are involved in liturgies and prayer services throughout the school year, including weekly Mass, Advent services, and the Stations of the Cross. In addition to gaining a depth of understanding of their Catholic heritage, ICOLPH students are supported in developing their own faith life and relationship with God.
Our teachers infuse their classrooms and instruction with the Christian values of acceptance, compassion, friendship, and forgiveness. Teaching respect and conflict resolution skills is an integral part of our religion curriculum. We are committed to providing a vibrant and caring environment, in which students, families, and staff members come together to celebrate God’s loving presence and action in our lives.
Conscious of God’s care for all, our students and teachers participate in a variety of service projects within the larger community. Examples of these include: singing at a neighborhood retirement home; packaging food for a local food bank; bringing May Day baskets to the homebound; and supporting children and families in a village in Malawi.
At ICOLPH School, students learn about social justice teachings of the Catholic Church and explore ways in which they can be good stewards of God’s creation. Each year, our student council researches and selects a deserving organization to receive the donations brought in by students in their weekly Mass collection envelopes throughout the year. Through their leadership and generosity, our students annually make a significant positive impact on our local, national, or international community.
