Intermediate
What We Believe
It’s intrinsic.
Students in the intermediate grades are intrinsically motivated to work hard and apply what they learn. Our students are primed to carry what they discover in the classroom out into the world. Our teachers meet this motivation with lessons and activities that challenge and inspire, capturing students’ drive to learn and leveraging it to propel them forward.
Relationships matter.
Intermediate learners can and desire to build strong bonds with their classmates and support each other through their journeys of learning. Our teachers create a positive rapport with students that is built on trust. Students view their classmates and teachers at St. Giles as an extension of their families -- and that can make all the difference.
Change can start here.
Our intermediate learners want to better the world around them, through caring for God’s creation, family members, friends and community. Opportunities to tie their learning to these ideals are motivating and powerful chances for growth, and that’s what it’s all about.
What We Teach
- Honing reading and writing skills: transitioning
from learning to read to reading to learn - Deepening understanding and application
of six main math concepts: addition,
subtraction, multiplication, division,
geometry, and measurement - Exploring the United States, its geography
and its history, and experiencing science
through exploration and investigation - Strengthening our faith by learning the
stories and teachings of Jesus
The advantage of time.
To help students make deeper connections with their teachers, their peers, and their learning, our 4-8 grade students participate in “extended” or “block” scheduling, which results in a double-period of math and a joint literature/language arts period. While this helps us meet or exceed required instructional minutes, the real benefits go beyond time on task. Because more time and flexibility - for individualized attention and getting to know each student, for small group lessons and peer collaboration, and for taking a deeper dive into a topic rather than racing through it - results in more effective instruction, more buy-in from students, and, ultimately, increased student success.