Curriculum
St. James Episcopal School provides a high-quality, project-based curriculum, experienced and qualified faculty, and a dynamic learning environment designed to foster academic excellence. Our goal is to help each child reach his or her full potential while emphasizing that learning is a lifelong journey.
In a supportive, faith-centered atmosphere, we provide a traditional education that nurtures the whole child, recognizing that each student has unique God-given gifts, talents, and abilities. Our low student-to-teacher ratio allows for individualized instruction and meaningful teacher-student relationships.
Time-tested phonics and reading programs, advanced mathematics, innovative science instruction, and project-based social studies combine to provide each child with a strong academic foundation and a lifelong love of learning. Enrichment opportunities in fine arts and physical education further enhance the educational experience.
St. James Episcopal School teachers incorporate both innovative instructional practices and specialized programming to create an engaging and challenging academic experience for every student. Students begin learning through our comprehensive curriculum in PK3 and continue building upon that foundation through 6th grade. Each teacher develops project-based learning experiences that align with the curriculum, encourage critical thinking, and deepen students' understanding.
To enrich classroom learning, St. James welcomes parents and community members to share their expertise and real-world experiences with students. Throughout the school year, students also participate in educational field trips that take advantage of the many learning opportunities available in Del Rio and surrounding communities.
At St. James Episcopal School, a variety of instructional approaches are used to help students develop critical thinking skills, make thoughtful decisions, and accept responsibility for those decisions. We are confident that our graduates leave St. James well prepared for continued academic success and equipped with the knowledge, character, and faith to thrive in the years ahead.
At St. James we believe that science is an important key to the future, requiring teaching methods that thoroughly engage our students. Science begins at PK3 with hands on experiments and continues to build across all grades. With Nancy Larson Science, students benefit from a cross-curricular program that allows for hands on learning. It helps our teachers provide challenging and meaningful science content to the students and the topics chosen for each grade level reflect children’s interests and developmental characteristics.
Our program ensures an in-depth study of topics that help promote long-term learning and understanding of concepts.
Everyday Mathematics is a spiral curriculum where learning is spread out over time rather than being concentrated in shorter periods. Material is revisited repeatedly over months and across grades to ensure long-term mastery of facts, skills, and concepts. The curriculum expects higher levels of accomplishment at every grade level, but also incorporates features that help make mathematics accessible to all students. It introduces students to all major mathematical content domains such as number sense, algebra, measurement, geometry, data analysis and probability. Hands-on math manipulatives relate math concepts to everyday life and work.
Students begin PK3 using the Spalding Method. As they progress through the years, the program builds giving St. James a 98% student base that is reading by the end of the PK4 program. The Spalding Method is the methodology and educational philosophy of The Writing Road to Reading program. These principles of learning and instruction are melded with the Open Court Language Arts curriculum and applied throughout the spelling, writing, and reading curricula addressing both the students physical and mental well-being. Instruction is explicit, interactive, diagnostic, and multisensory. Teachers model, coach, and provide support as needed; students articulate, reflect, and explore new concepts. Careful daily observation of student progress enables teachers to differentiate instruction to meet student needs. Students see, hear, say, and write using all channels to the brain to enhance retention.
Social Studies is closely tied to the Language Arts Program allowing students to explore American History from native peoples to the 20th century. Our PK program begins with community helpers and the introduction to our country. Once the students reach Kindergarten through Fifth grade, History comes alive through interactive lessons, educational field trips, reenactments, historical novels and biographies. Each class, PK3 through 6th grade, is assigned a country that they study in the Spring as part of our cultural awareness unit. Students are introduced to languages used, traditions of that country, foods eaten by the people of that region, and so much more. At the end of the unit, students take a tour around the world by visiting each of the "countries" and getting their passport stamped as they travel from class to class. A school wide performance is presented to friends and family to showcase all the students have learned.
High expectations for all students are central to the St. James Episcopal School philosophy. With our interactive, hands on learning, students are given an educational foundation that allows them to move on to greater opportunities in High School and beyond.
Service Learning
〰️
Service Learning 〰️
At St. James, our Service-Learning Program is an important part of our school community as each class seeks avenues for showing others God’s love in our city, our country, and the world. At SJES we encourage our students to give of themselves in some form of community service or service learning. Each classroom has a service project that they participate in annually. Students are required to do age appropriate activities for their organization such as making cards, serving meals, and stocking food pantries just to name a few.
The students PK4 through 6th grade, in addition to their service projects, go Christmas Caroling around the city during the holidays. It not only brings joy to local businesses and nursing homes, but teaches our students that even small acts of kindness can brighten a person's day.