Saint Paul Catholic School fosters the intellectual, spiritual, social, and physical development of each student.
Our elementary and middle school (K-8) is accredited by the State of Indiana, and we recently earned an A rating by the state. SPCS has consistently outperformed the state average in ISTEP+ (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress-Plus), which measures student achievement in English/language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies.
Each elementary class has one teacher and an aide and averages 25 students per class. Our middle school class size averages 26 students and students change classes for each subject. We offer full-day kindergarten, and preschool on our campus is available as well.
Students attend classes daily from 7:45 a.m. until 2:40 p.m. Before and after school care (including busing) are available for an additional fee through the YMCA and Growing Kids.
Through individual and collaborative work, students expand their knowledge and gain insight into a vast scope of subjects.
Our curriculum includes:
The Diocesan curriculum guidelines, consistent with the State of Indiana guidelines, are followed for the teaching of all secular subject areas.
Saint Paul Catholic School offers students opportunities for growth in the following major subjects:
In addition, students learn study skills and the importance of service to others. Daily homework assignments are checked for completion and mastery, and tests are given for evaluation purposes. An optional Spanish course takes place after school for kindergarten through eighth grade students.
Grading & Assessment
At Saint Paul Catholic School, we are dedicated to helping each child reach his or her fullest potential. Our experience is that when we set the bar high, students rise to the occasion. As such, teachers in grades 1-8 use a more rigorous grading scale than public schools. Our grading scale is set by the Diocese of Gary:
Students also learn outside of the classroom through their participation in field trips and a variety of academic activities such as Academic Super Bowl, the National Geography Bee, Science Olympiad, Spell Bowl, science fair, chess team, and speech competitions. Each class visits the school’s library on a weekly basis to peruse a growing collection of 12,000 books managed by our librarian. Each book has been assigned a text measure according to the Lexile Framework for Reading to help match text difficulty with the individual student’s reading ability.
Technology
SPCS has integrated technology into our students’ daily experience. Each classroom is equipped with computers, projectors, and document readers, and middle school classrooms also have SmartBoards. Students in all grades attend computer lab once per week to receive instruction in Microsoft Office, internet research and searches, in-house software, and online testing. Students and parents are also instructed in internet safety by our computer applications teacher.
Parent Communications
SPCS maintains high academic standards by partnering with parents. We encourage parents to contact their child’s teacher(s) to discuss their child’s progress and opportunities. We use a variety of methods to keep parents informed and involved:
Beginning in first grade, each student receives an assignment book. In it, students record daily assignments and file graded papers and tests for parents to review. Teachers may write notes to the parents, and parents can also send messages to the teacher via the binder.
