Christian Education
Our religious foundation as a Christian day school provides a vitally important dimension to our daily activities. Every individual is recognized as a unique creation of God with gifts and talents to be discovered, challenged, and developed. Christian Education classes are conducted in each grade with the appropriate curriculum developed as to each grade level. Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten students attend chapel twice weekly while students in Grades 1 through 8 attend chapel four times weekly.
Physical Education
Although academics are of primary importance at St. Clement's School, the School recognizes the need to develop the whole child. Thus, the Physical Education program is an integral part of the total curriculum. Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade students attend P.E. classes every day. The primary goal of the Physical Education department is to teach lifelong fitness, through use of the major sports, teambuilding activities, and individual activities.
Art
The art curriculum is based on the four components of Discipline Based Art Education: art production, art history, art criticism/analysis, and aesthetic awareness. One or more of these components are present in each lesson at all grade levels. The art program is vertically designed to use prior knowledge and experience in creating artwork with increasing complexity and understanding. The elements and principles of design are applied using a variety of age appropriate techniques and media. The main goals of the program are to encourage artistic growth, to provide a vehicle of self-expression, to develop an appreciation of artwork created throughout history, and to understand the role of the arts in present day society.
St. Clement's participates in Artsonia, a website devoted to displaying the artwork of young people around the world.
Music Children in Pre-K through 5th grade experience music education through a variety of teaching methods, including the Kodaly and the Orff.Students play many instruments such as hand bells, choir chimes, glockenspiels, metallophones, and xylophones.Students also play a variety of percussive instruments which helps them learn rhythm, beat, group movement, and notation skill.
Music Club is offered to students in Grades 2-5 as an after-school enrichment program. More detailed instruction in vocal and instrumental skills is given with special emphasis on performance.Musicals are presented throughout the year to the student body, parents, and friends.
Orchestra Students in the middle school orchestra learn to play the violin, viola, cello, or bass.They study proper technique and music theory.The group gives concerts for the school community for holidays and special occasions.
Praise Band The band is open to 6th and 7th graders who want to play keyboard, guitar, bass, drums, or to sing.The group leads worship at an all-school Chapel service once a month.The students learn to take risks, read music, follow a lead sheet, play an instrument, and work with others.
Spanish
Having knowledge of a second language is an invaluable tool for today's youth, living in a multi-cultural and globally connected world. Spanish is a part of the curriculum from first through eighth grade. Students begin in the first grade by establishing the sounds of Spanish and training the ear to comprehend spoken Spanish and learn a basic vocabulary. By the time students leave St. Clement's in the 8th grade they will feel comfortable with the Spanish language and have an understanding of the language's origins and use in today's world. Students who complete both the 7th and 8th grade courses receive one high school credit.
Speech & Drama
The speech and drama program introduces students to public speaking, writing extemporaneous speeches and addressing an audience as well as offering them opportunities to perform in plays, skits, or musical productions. Students learn to research for speech writing, to cut prose material for interpretation, and to make presentations. In drama, students participate in all aspects of creating a theater production. 6th through 8th grade students represent St. Clement's in numerous competitions throughout the city in prose and poetry interpretation, reader's theater, improvisational acting, and solo and duet acting. 8th grade students can choose between acting in a Dinner Theater production or producing student films.
Library The Kendle Kidd Library, named in memory of an alumnus, is one of the finest private school libraries in the Southwest.The collection numbers more than 12, 000 items.The Rev. Robert T. Gibson Collection, named for the schools founder, is a donated collection of books about the Southwestern Region of the United States.The philosophy of this library is for every child to feel successful and to know the joys of reading for pleasure andknowledge.The Library curriculum and collection are designed to support classroom activities and to provide a wide range of materials for elective reading.
One full time and two part-time Librarians, share literature with students, teach them how to find books independently, and how to do research.The collection information is automated, and eleven computers are available to students and faculty.Pre-Kindergarten through Sixth grade students visit the library weekly. The curriculum also includes reading incentive programs and research games.Seventh and Eighth graders visit on an as-needed basis.
Computer Education
From one year to the next, learning is incremental. For example, students explore keyboarding from Pre-Kindergarten through second grade, are introduced to formal keyboarding in the third grade, and continue developing proper technique through the eighth grade. 8th graders complete a one-semester keyboarding course to earn one half of a high school credit. Through participation in a variety of individualized and cooperative learning activities, students also develop skills in word processing, in computer programming, Internet use, and in producing multimedia presentations and computer generated art. Activities often correlate to core academic course work within the grade levels in many areas, such as creative writing, technical writing, geometry, algebra, art, music, literature, science, and social studies.
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The Enrichment Programs at St. Clement's contribute to the students' growth into well-rounded individuals.
