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Information about Saint Simon's School

GENERAL INFORMATION

School Contacts:
Principal	Kathleen Wright	kwright@saintsimon.org
Assistant Principal	Laura Mates	lmates@saintsimon.org
Administrative Assistant	Sue Knoop	sknoop@saintsimon.org
Administrative Assistant	Peggy Sullivan	psullivan@saintsimon.org

Application For Enrollment:
All applications received by January 16, 2004 will be considered for enrollment
for the 2004-2005 school year. Applications will be prioritized according to the Admission Policy established by the School Commission. Active parishioners will be prioritized by their date of parish membership. For more information concerning the policy, please contact the school office. A letter of status will be mailed in mid March. The registration 
fee is due when your enrollment in the school is confirmed.

Extended Care:
A morning care program is offered from 7:00 a.m. to 7:30 a.m. An after school care program is offered from 2:35 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., on days when school is in session for 
a full day. Registration for this program is required.

Lunch Program:
Saint Simon offers a hot lunch program. Menus are published in the school
newsletter. Students use tokens to purchase hot lunches. The cost for a hot lunch is $2.00 per day. Milk can be purchased separately. An ala carte line with fruits, salads, chips, snacks, and drinks is also available.

Uniforms:
All students in Kindergarten through 8th grade are required to wear a uniform as
outlined in the uniform policy.

Classroom Capacity:
Saint Simon has the capacity to house three classrooms of students per grade level from Kindergarten through 8th grade. Each classroom is limited to 25 students.

CURRICULUM

Preschool:
The Preschool program at Saint Simon develops Christian values and pride in our Catholic faith. Our goals are to provide a happy, Christian learning environment that will help each child develop to his or her fullest potential. It provides many rewarding and interesting experiences to promote the enjoyment of school. Many hands-on learning tools are provided. The program allows a child to explore, investigate and experiment in the classroom. Children learn the beginnings of self-discipline and decision-making skills. 
They develop attitudes of responsibilities to themselves and their peers.

Primary Curriculum:
The Kindergarten through third grade curriculum at Saint Simon strives to offer a challenging program to help the children be the best that they can be in all aspects of their lives. Our curriculum meets and exceeds the standards put in place by the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. We are dedicated to fostering the Catholic faith in each child. Each class will be responsible for planning and preparing at least one school wide Mass. Our students area also actively involved in integrated, multi-level instruction, hands-on projects, presentations, field trips, developmentally appropriate activities and more. Some of the programs we use to support and enhance our curriculum are: The Building Blocks and 4 Blocks Literacy Model, Accelerated Math, and Accelerated Reader. Technology is integrated into the curriculum on a daily basis. Spanish is also offered to the students each week. We feel we are preparing our students for the future by giving them many opportunities for student-directed learning in which they are communicating with others, working as part of a team, and using technology. These are all skills they will need to have in the future.

Intermediate Curriculum:
At the Intermediate grade level, fourth through sixth grades, the content area subjects become increasingly important. Core subject areas are enhanced by teacher expertise. Reading skills and strategies continue to be taught, and the writing process is emphasized. The Accelerated Math Program supplements ability groups in math classes. Our goal is to teach to the individual child, adapting and supplementing curriculum when appropriate.

Middle School Curriculum:
The Middle School Curriculum prepares the student for high school success. All subjects are departmentalized. Math classes are ability-grouped in order to offer algebra. Spanish is offered daily. Science is laboratory-based giving the students the opportunity to see first hand the results of their experiments. Social Studies explores World and American History along with map skills. English class includes the fundamentals of basic grammar that are vital to being a successful writer, and a theme-based literature program. Religion covers the Creed, New Testament, Church History, and Morality. The teachers work together on many projects and find their many years of teaching experience an asset when working with the Junior High students.

Resources:
Saint Simon provides a full resource program for students with mild learning disabilities. This service includes the initiation of testing for disabilities, service to qualified students and follow-up testing. Resource is available to students in grades K-8.

Sacramental Preparation:
As partners in your child’s faith formation, we work together with parents of second graders to celebrate the sacraments of Reconciliation and Eucharist. Families gather for evening sessions and work along with teachers in preparing children for these special sacraments. First Reconciliation is typically celebrated in early December and First Eucharist in the spring.

Saint Simon’s Office of Faith Formation offers other opportunities for those children who would like to become members of our Catholic community, or for older students who have not yet celebrated the sacraments of Reconciliation or Eucharist.

Social Services/F.O.C.U.S.
School social workers are the link between home, school, and community. As members 
of the educational team comprises of teachers, administrators, and parents, school social workers promote and support students’ academic and social success by providing specialized services. For example, the F.O.C.U.S. initiative (Focus on Children’s Unlimited Strengths) is a developmental asset model to ensure our programs are giving children the support and skills they need to become successful adults.

Technology as a Tool:
At Saint Simon, technology is used as another tool for learning. Various technologies are incorporated as a regular part of the ongoing curriculum. Students have opportunities to use a variety of software, including mulitimedia and presentation software (HyperStudio, PowerPoint, Kid Pix Studio, etc.), drawing and painting software (Kid Pix Studio, Microsoft Draw, etc.), and instructional software (IBM courseware, Accelerated Reader, Accelerated Math, etc.). Students also have numerous opportunities to learn how to use CD-ROMs for getting information, and for educational games and activities. They get experiences in using a scanner to scan drawings and photographs, and learn to use digital cameras to take digitized pictures to be used in various classroom activities. Students at Saint Simon use distance learning, as they utilize various web sites to explore and learn more about the topics we are studying, take part in “key pal” projects with students all over the world, and communicate with others through video-teleconferencing. At Saint Simon, technology is most certainly another tool for accessing, gathering, analyzing, and communicating information.

Specials:
Specials are a highlight in the students’ day! Art will inspire each child and instill in them a desire to create an appreciation for the creations of others and a passion for lifelong learning. What did Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven have in common? How many children did Bach have? What instruments plays the duck in Peter and the Wolf? These are just a few of the questions that are explored in music class. Students will sharpen their keyboarding and typing skills and how to access other enrichment software. Math Pentathlon games encourage problem solving, logic, reasoning, spatial relationships and strategies based on grade levels and abilities. PE offers students the opportunity to develop life-long fitness. Specials are organized by quarter and are a part of each student’s daily schedule.

4 Block Literacy Model:
Children do not all learn in exactly the same way, and as committed educators at Saint Simon, our approach to literacy should acknowledge those differences. The 4 Block Literacy Model uses a variety of instruction to support all children. The 4 Blocks that are used each day are Guided Reading, Self-Selected Reading, Writing, and Working With Words. Guided Reading exposes the children to a wide variety of literature with a focus on comprehension. Self-Selected Reading allows students the opportunity to read books they choose, and that are at their own instructional level. The Writing block develops writing skills through mini-lessons where the teacher models skills and strategies for students to then apply to their own daily writing. Working With Words utilizes interactive lessons to build phonemic awareness. The 4 Block Literacy Model meets the diverse needs of all children in their literacy instruction.