Curriculum
The Most Blessed Sacrament School curriculum follows learning standards set forth by the Diocese of Baton Rouge. The learning standards for all grades can be found here.
Pre-Kindergarten
A full day Pre-Kindergarten program is offered to students who turn four years old on or before September 30 of the school year. MBS has two Pre-K homerooms, each with a 10:1 student to teacher ratio. Learning centers are used throughout the classroom to help students learn about letter and number recognition and formation, initial letter sounds, name recognition, predictable texts, visual and special discrimination, and fine motor skill development. Social skills are developed in these centers, as well as at two recesses each day. Student instruction occurs in whole and small groups, individual activities, and one-on-one with the teacher and teaching assistant. Pre-K students participate in five enrichment classes each week, including Art, Computer, Library, Music, and PE.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is offered to students who turn five years old on or before September 30 of the school year. MBS has three Kindergarten homerooms, each with a 10:1 student to teacher ratio. In learning centers, group instruction, small groups, and one-on-one sessions with a teacher, students learn sight words and calendar math, practice reading comprehension and story sequencing, receive phonics instruction, and master letter and number formation. They also focus on fine motor skills with scissor exercises and pencil grip. By the end of the year, students can add and subtract fluently with numbers zero to ten. Listening and following two multistep directions is an important part of the Kindergarten year. Students participate in six enrichment classes each week, including Art, Computer, Library, Music, PE, and Spanish. They also have two daily recesses. Beginning in Kindergarten, the Buddy Program pairs up sixth graders with Kindergarten students. These pairs will spend the next three years attending weekly Mass together and participating in various activities throughout the year. The Kindergarten class leads the annual St. Nicholas and St. Patrick Mass, and they serve the homebound members of the MBS parish as their ministry.
First Grade
MBS offers three sections of first grade, each with a 10:1 student to teacher ratio. Students complete assignments and assessments for numeric grades. In first grade, students learn to master print handwriting and understand language functions of grammar and sentence structure. Listening and conversation skills are included across all the subjects. Students also learn math strategies for adding and subtracting with numbers up to twenty. They participate in six enrichment classes: Art, Computer, Library, Music, PE, and Spanish. They have two daily recesses, as well. The first grade class makes cards for the sick of MBS parish as part of their service ministry.
Second Grade
Each second grade classroom has one teacher and one teaching assistant. Students learn to differentiate between various genres of texts, how to find and use text evidence to support and answer questions, and how to respond to questions in paragraph form. Standard conventions of grammar usage and mechanics are incorporated into their writing. Their mastery of print handwriting from the previous year serves as the basis for learning cursive writing in second grade. Higher order thinking skills are mastered with the use of addition and subtraction strategies of three-digit numbers, as well as multistep word problems. Students have two daily recesses, and they participate in weekly enrichment classes, including Art, Computer, Library, Music, PE, and Spanish. There is a special emphasis on the Sacraments in second grade, as students receive both First Reconciliation and First Eucharist during the year. The second grade class assists their eighth grade buddies in leading the May Crowning Mass, and they also host an annual collection for the Missionaries of Charity.
Third through Fifth Grade
Third through fifth grade students sharpen their organizational skills as they switch between two teachers: one for ELA, and one for math, science, and Religion. Chromebooks are utilized as students are introduced to Google Classroom. Students receive grades for Accelerated Reader and IXLs, and they also begin taking the ACT Aspire standardized test. Student reading levels are determined through the administration of the STAR Reading Test. Students learn to read with accuracy, fluency, and comprehension with increasing text complexity. Ongoing grammar lessons help to sharpen the students’ writing skills as they write for purpose. Math skills build for greater depth of knowledge throughout these grade levels. Students participate in weekly Art, Computer, Library, Music, PE, and Spanish classes. The third and fourth grade classes host collections for the Bishop Ott Sweet Dreams Shelter, while the fifth grade class organizes a closet cleanout event for St. Vincent de Paul. Fifth graders also take part in a Religion Fair and a Religion Bee.
Sixth through Eighth Grade
Middle School students attend seven classes a day, with a different teacher for each class. Students are issued Chromebooks which they carry from class to class while on campus. Assignments are often given through the Google Classroom platform. Students can expect cross-curricular projects, group work, and increased use of social and communication skills with a curriculum designed to prepare them for their high school of choice. Throughout these three years, students take part in a World’s Fair, a living Wax Museum, and a Science Fair. Advanced Math classes are offered to middle school students. They also participate in exploratory classes such as Art, Band, Computer, Library, PE, Robotics, and Spanish. The sixth grade class organizes the St. Joseph’s Altar, and they host Bingo parties with the residents of the Old Jefferson Community Care Center. Seventh graders put on a Living Rosary each October, and they host a food drive for the Greater Baton Rogue Food Bank in the spring. In eighth grade, students take on very important roles as they perform a living Stations of the Cross during the Lenten season. They also host an annual bake sale to raise money for St. Anthony’s Home.
