Students in grades 3-6 continue to build beyond the basic foundations of learning that began in the primary grades.  Students engage in lessons in the areas of religion, reading and language arts, math, social studies, and science in a faith-filled and loving learning environment.  Other areas of focus include communication, problem-solving, higher level/critical thinking, and relating learning to real life experiences.  The faculty work together to ensure a chronologically consistent  and complete curriculum for all students. 

Religion
Assumption students learn about and interact with their faith throughout their day.  In addition to daily prayer, weekly Mass, seasonal prayer services and activities, students participate in age-appropriate lessons and discussions that help them to learn about the Catholic faith and grow in their relationship with God.  The four pillars of the Catechism of the Catholic Church are incorporated into each of the grade level themes.  The children learn through scripture, statements of belief, worship, and morality and prayer in addition to inspiring stories of the Saints.

• Sacramental Prep: Second and third grades integrate preparation for the sacraments of confession, confirmation, and first communion into the religion curriculum. 

Reading
Reading, writing, discussion, research, and exploration activities are integrated through lessons that become increasingly complex and demanding.  As a continuation of the foundation laid in the primary grades, students experience an assortment of text genres including different forms of fiction and nonfiction and are introduced to a wide range of grammatical concepts.  There are also multiple opportunities for writing, allowing students to understand the uses of writing in their daily lives.  Learning units are tied to important concepts that call students to make connections across all areas of the curriculum and to acquire knowledge that can be used beyond a single lesson.  Each unit is organized so that a reading selection adds more information or a different perspective to the student’s knowledge of a concept.  

Math
In math, students strengthen their knowledge of basic skills as they learn important mathematical concepts and processes with understanding.  As they move through the grade levels, the students’ knowledge and confidence is built through problem solving, higher level thinking skills, and mathematical reasoning.  

Social Studies /Science
Content area learning is another important element in the intermediate grade levels.  History, geography, and map skills are all part of the social studies curriculum.  In science, students develop process skills as they actively investigate concepts and evaluate the results of their investigations.  Writing and research are included in the content areas as well, through various reports and projects.

Music
K-6 students have music education classes for 30 minutes, twice a week. In music classes, students will gain experience in the following areas as appropriate to their grade level:

• Singing alone and with others
• Singing in a choir for Mass
• Performing on instruments alone and with others
• Reading and notating music
• Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
• Evaluating music and musical performances
• Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
• Understanding music in relation to history and culture

The Catholic Church has a rich, beautiful history and tradition of sacred music, so as much as possible, students will learn musical concepts within this specifically Christ-centered context, especially as presented in the Ward method of music education. 

Assumption Music Website

Additional Academics
Students in grades 3-6 that have received the Sacraments of Initiation are invited to be altar servers. Grades 3-6 have P.E., as well as library and art weekly, and the opportunity to participate in “Picture Lab” three times during the school year.  Students at Assumption are encouraged to support and mentor one another. Older students model reading to younger students during “Reading Buddies”.