Kindergartners creating reports about South American animals for our annual world study.

Teachers at St. James Santiago begin the year by getting to know students through observation and assessment in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers focus on providing a strong foundation in core academic skills for each student and helping students apply those skills through exciting projects that may incorporate math, science, art, music, or drama in their presentation. Small class sizes mean teachers can group students by age or ability for core studies throughout the day; the whole school joins together for special social studies presentations or field trips. Students are expected to make progress in every subject, but are encouraged to learn at their own pace. Ongoing observation and assessment assure that students get the individual attention they need to make strides in their learning so that when they leave St. James Santiago, they are ready to meet the challenges of their future schooling. Teachers use the national Common Core standards as a baseline for designing curriculum.

Reading, Writing and Spelling

Students work in small groups with a teacher for math and literacy.

Our approach to daily reading, writing and spelling is comprehensive, beginning with the Kindergarten class. We use the Riggs Writing and Spelling Road to Reading and Thinking, beginning with posture, pincer grip and letter strokes, moving through all the phonograms and learning the rules of spelling while also working on spelling lists. Through this work, children develop an awareness of the sounds that letters and letter combinations create, gifting them with the ability to sound out and spell words, play word games with parents and friends, decode words as they’re reading, and learn methodical, systematic thinking. All students write in daily journals and share their work by reading aloud to classmates.

As older students gain skills they learn more about how language works through dictation, learning parts of speech, developing vocabulary and increasing their comprehension skills. They practice writing essays and reading increasingly complex passages on a variety of creative and non-fiction topics. They engage in research and learn to use sources. St. James Santiago teachers encourage writing in all the subject areas for fluency and expression. Students write daily in their journals and many memorize and recite weekly poems.

Teachers create a strong literacy environment by frequent read-alouds. Volunteers read and listen to students read, and older students read with younger ones (and vice-versa). Daily homework requires students to read aloud or silently.

Mathematics

Teachers guide students through the work in the JUMP Math curriculum.

St. James Santiago students learn mathematics in small groups through the JUMP Math program (jumpmath.org), which emphasizes mastery of discrete skills by breaking operations into small parts and shows students how to represent math operations in a variety of ways as it builds confidence. The program develops logical thinking and helps students think both systematically and independently about math. The JUMP Math curriculum aligns with Common Core standards.

Evolving math skills are highly dependent on mastery of previous skills, and teachers make sure, through one-on-one observation and workbook assessments, that students have mastered the work and are confident in their ability to move on. Students with advanced skills have opportunities to work at their own pace and explore additional concepts.

Scientific Inquiry

Scientific concepts are taught in a hands-on way, through physical activity, direct observation, drawing and writing.

We believe that the foundation for any science curriculum is the scientific method, and we teach it throughout the year as we explore four key scientific areas: Physical Science, Earth Science, Life Science and Ecology. Teachers use hands-on experimentation and direct instruction of scientific principles in their lessons.  Students learn to use the scientific method in planning and conducting experiments and learning ways to observe and record data and draw conclusions. Students also learn about Lincoln City and the surrounding natural areas through walks, field trips and discussions with local ecologists.

Social Studies

Beginning with the building and grounds of St. James Santiago Episcopal Church, students explore the local environment throughout the year. Walks and local field trips take them out into Lincoln City where they learn about Lincoln City geography, history, economics and infrastructure as they get to know the local citizenry. They take field trips to Driftwood Library, Kirtsis and Regatta Parks, the Community Center, community gardens, businesses, and of course, the Pacific Ocean. People in the neighborhood are used to seeing the troupe of students and teachers walking around exploring the city.

The whole school studies a particular continent or part of the world each year. Teachers integrate those studies with literacy, science and the arts, field trips, dramatic and music productions and guest speakers. Recent years have focused on Northern Europe, South America, Asia and the Mediterranean. In 2023-24 the school is studying some of the cultures, history, trade and governments of Africa.

Students learn how to model integrity in their interactions with their classmates by learning ways to resolve conflicts without violence, and include each other by insisting “You Can’t Say You Can’t Play.” Making St. James Santiago School an emotionally safe environment is key to allowing students to explore, inquire, learn and care for themselves and others. The teachers frequently present materials about people of deep integrity who took moral stands on behalf of their people. Students do regular community service projects for local and international causes.

The Arts

Art, music, drama, and frequent presentations of student learning are very important parts of the curriculum at St. James Santiago. Twice a week, students learn basic techniques and work on open-ended projects in art with teacher Cyndi Daly; weekly drama and music classes with teachers Kaline Klaas and Brandon Lucas also become the training ground for two public drama presentations each year.

Spanish

Students use Spanish during Morning Meeting, learning numbers, and days of the week and months of the year, songs and simple greetings.