Fostering a Marian Devotion has been an integral part of my experience as a Catholic School teacher. Being intentional with how we integrate the Faith within academics allows students to truly experience the fruits of the Catholic education.

Students MUST adhere to IC's "Behavior Program" as described in the Parent/Student Handbook.

I have a strict NO BRAIN ROT policy.

Demerits will be given under the "Inappropriate Language" offense for any words, phrases, sounds, etc. that do not add value to the classroom environment. This does NOT mean students cannot "be themselves" or "be silly" but rather, for students to become more aware of the relationship between language development and critical thinking.

My classes will be writing intensive.

Students will be engaging with argumentative and analytical writing styles. There will be much work with developing claims, citing sources, using in-text citations, and writing explanations/justifications. We will work on compare/contrast as well as organization.

Social Studies and Science are extensions of ELA and Math.

Students are expected and will be challenged to apply what they learn in one class subject to another. We will work on creating meaningful connections between what is discussed in the classroom and how it might connect with an idea, event, or phenomenon to help expand their thinking - and in turn, broaden their view of the world.

4th grade focuses on the regions of the United States. Through the regions, students will engage in history, economics, and especially geography. Students will increase their vocabulary in geographical terms as well as the identification of the regions, states, and capitals.

5th grade prioritizes understanding American history, from pre-colonial times through present day. This includes the American Revolution and analyzing how the Constitution's vision aligns with historical and present day events. Students will increase their understanding of America's roots and foundations in order to define for themselves what it means to be an American.

4th Grade explores systems and functions through energy, waves, plants, and animals. We will also explore patterns and changes through studying the Earth's surface, rocks, fossils, and natural resources.

5th grade delves into energy and matter by studying the relationship between organisms and ecosystems. We then will zoom out take a deeper look at the systems and interconnectedness between space, earth, and human activities.

There are FOUR main skills we will be working THROUGH the Social Studies and Science curriculum.

1. Restating the Question
Students will be expected to write their responses in complete sentences. Restating the question in their answer demonstrates comprehension of the question itself, as well as challenges students to process and justify their answers. Being able to articulate their thoughts in a clear and specific manner is the goal.

2. Making Meaningful Connections
Students will be able to identify, describe, and create their own connections with the information we come across in class. There are five main categories of connections we will make: Personal, World, Text, Media, and Faith/Religion. Students will be make connections through class discussions, through writing annotations, and in written responses.

3. Organization
This refers to the organization of ideas as students practice note taking, creating presentations, or making visual models or designs. As students interact with any type of media, how can information be categorized, condensed, or summarized? In what other ways can this information be presented? If information can be organized in an intentional way, it helps in creating connections and responses for later.

4. Communication
How do we respectfully disagree with others? How do we show we are actively listening? As a class, we will engage in academic discussions to deepen understanding or consider other perspectives. Listening comprehension and effective communication is what we hope to practice in helping students to confidently and clearly articulate their thoughts.