We offer full-day kindergarten, core subjects in first through eighth grade, a technology program including eighty laptop computers shared by the students, an after-school Spanish program, music, art and a variety of extracurricular activities, including student council, after-school sports, and a homework assistance program three days a week.
Our faculty and staff are caring, compassionate, qualified and willing to share their many talents with the school and the community at large. Curriculum requirements in each grade follow the standards of the Diocese of San Jose and the State of California. In addition to math, language arts, science, PE, and social studies, religion class occurs daily at all levels.
A major focus of the curriculum is the use of differentiated instruction to teach each individual child at their current level. Diversity of learning is understood and appreciated by the teachers, who structure lessons and activities to meet the needs of all students. Reading and math instruction is leveled to accommodate the individual needs of each student. All students are provided opportunities to learn and grow at their own pace, while being expected to work to their potential.
The curriculum of St. Clare School is driven by the standards of the state of California and the Diocese of San Jose Department of Education. These uniform standards contain guidelines for each curricular subject, including topics of study, skills and other learning opportunities. For specific information about state standards, please see the Content Standards Web Site of the California Department of Education (www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/index.asp).
St. Clare School utilizes the Reading A - Z Program in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade. This program is designed to tailor to the individualized learning of each student as they acquire new skills and competencies in reading. Student progress from the most basic fluency level, A, to the most advanced level, Z. Instruction is catered to the level of the individual student in the classroom and their progress is regularly monitored by the teacher. Assessments occur in small groups and in individual conferences with the teacher and student.
Step Up To Writing is a Kindergarten through Eighth Grade expository writing program. Building on skills that begin in Kindergarten, students use consistent terminology, methods and planning materials to create clear, concise written pieces. In addition to consistent terminology throughout the grades, the program utilizes color-coded types of sentences (green, yellow, and red) that are also reinforced from year to year. The sentence variation and vocabulary choices become more complex as the students grow from grade to grade, yet the basic foundation remains from the primary grades.