Primary

TK through 2nd Grade

 

Transitional Kindergarten

Meet the Teacher

I am Sr. Faith Nina Fuertes, an Augustinian Recollect Sister, born in Toledo, Cebu City, Philippines. I am privileged to be part of the wonderful institution of St. John the Baptist Catholic School. It's my 4th year of serving the school and I am currently working toward an MAEd at National University. I love and enjoy teaching the little ones.  As the saying goes, "Let the little children come to me and do not try to stop them for the Kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  I feel blessed to be part of your child's journey as they step into the educational world of school. Rest assured that your child will have a remarkable experience at St. John the Baptist Catholic School, whose aim is to form the whole child. 

 

Curriculum and Tools

  • English Language Arts (ELA) - the curriculum includes activities and lessons that promote language development, phonics (sound of the letters), rhymes, syllables, writing skills, and reading comprehension (CVC).
     
  • Math - curriculum focuses on building a strong foundation in number sense, counting, shapes, patterns, measurement, and basic addition and subtraction skills.
     
  • Science - science curriculum focuses on introducing young learners to the scientific method, and basic scientific concepts, and fostering curiosity and exploration. Engaging TK students in hands-on experiments and investigations to develop their scientific inquiry skills (Amplify Science and Mystery Science)Coding: Train’s Coding, Thinker Jr. and Coding safari.
     
  • Social Studies - the social studies curriculum focuses on introducing young learners to basic concepts of community, diversity, Holidays, community helpers, and citizenship.
     
  • Religion - incorporate elements of Catholic teachings and values ; stories in the Bible, importance of prayer and religious activities.
     
  • Writing -  the writing curriculum focuses on developing foundational writing skills and fostering a love for writing. Encourage students to write their names, draw pictures, and label their drawings. Gradually introduce letter formation and basic sight words as students progress.
     
  • Field Trips/Experiences:
    • Emma Prusch Farm Park Gardens
    • Legoland STEM experience at the Great Mall

Kindergarten

Meet the Teacher

Hi, welcome to Kindergarten! My name is Caroline Callagy and I am so grateful to be going into my first year as a part of the Saint John the Baptist Community. I am a Bay Area native who grew up in Foster City before leaving for UC Davis where I was awarded my undergraduate degree. Go Ags! I am currently taking classes at Santa Clara University to earn my Master of Arts in Teaching.

In my classroom, students will be immersed in a classroom full of discovery, learning, and fun! We will be mastering letter recognition and phonetic awareness as we work towards being able to write complete sentences by the end of the year. We will also learn basic addition and subtraction, coding, comprehension skills, and so much more! Most importantly, my goal is to instill a love of learning into each of my students which they can take with them as they grow.

Outside of teaching, I spend most of my free time singing, reading, hiking, and going to concerts! I love catching up on my favorite movies and TV shows, volunteering at local animal shelters, and watching the Giants and Warriors games!

 

Curriculum and Tools

  • Math: students will learn about sorting and matching, writing and identifying numbers 1-20 in different ways, addition and subtraction within 10, 2D and 3D shapes
    • Go Math!
    • SFSD Math
    • Apps:  IXL, Moose Math
       
  • Science: concepts are divided into three units - Needs of Plants and Animals, Pushes and Pulls, and Sunlight and Weather
    • Amplify Science
    • STEM Lab: we go once a week to do a hands-on lab/experiment 
    • Coding: Kodable and Tynker Jr. 
       
  • Social Studies: students will learn about citizenship, important figures of the past, US symbols and holidays, community helpers, and geography 
    • Studies Weekly
    • Little Thinkers
       
  • Religion: students will learn about foundational elements of our Catholic faith and the importance of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph through scripture, art, prayer and hands-on activities
    • Finding God
    • RCL Benziger Family Life
       
  • English Language Arts: through our phonics curriculum students will learn foundational reading skills like rhyming, mastering sounds for every letter in the alphabet, blending CVC words, and recognizing high frequency words; students will learn reading comprehension skills for both fiction and non-fiction texts by identifying story elements, retelling a story, identifying the beginning, middle, and end of a story through our reading curriculum
    • Reading: Journeys
    • Phonics: Magnetic Reading Foundations
    • Apps:  Lexia 
       
  • Writing: writing concepts are divided into three units - narrative, informative/explanatory, and opinion/argumentative; students will learn proper script letter formation in handwriting 
    • Lucy Calkins Units of Study
    • Zaner-Bloser for Handwriting 
       
  • Field Trips/Experiences
    • Emma Pursch Pumpkin Farm 
    • Legoland STEM experience at the Great Mall
    • Milpitas Firefighter Station visit

1st Grade

Meet the Teachers

I am Sr. Charina Mae Ogario, proud to be called a Teacher! I am a member of the Congregation of the Augustinian Recollect Sisters, serving God through a very special mission as a teacher here in St. John the Baptist Catholic School. This is my second year working here in our beloved school. I have been in the world of teaching for over 12 years in many of our AR schools in the Philippines. I am currently working toward an MA Ed at National University. Teaching is a vocation, a special call, and I am blessed to be called for this wondrous mission. I am so delighted to journey with the 1st Grade and the rest of the  student body, including the staff and all the stakeholders of the school. My aspiration is to teach with passion in all areas of education so that every child entrusted to my care, develops a desire to become life-long learner.

 

Curriculum and Tools

2nd Grade

Meet the Teacher

Hello my name is Melanie Salgado and this is my 4th year teaching 2nd grade at SJBS.  I received my Master’s Degree and teaching credential in Inspired Learning and Teaching from National University.  I have worked with young children my entire career in many different capacities.  I enjoy giving students opportunities for hands-on, project based learning activities.  In second grade, students will practice sign language, build habitat dioramas, participate in class elections to learn about United States government, and so much more!

I enjoy the beach, music, live sports events, and spending time with my family and two dogs Pixie and Buttercup.

 

Curriculum and Tools

  • Math
    • GoMath - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
      GoMath is designed to fully facilitate conceptual development as students work from introduction to mastery of each content standard listed in the Common Core. Students use manipulatives, models, quick pictures and symbols as they apply Mathematical Practices to build understanding. Students actively engage in reasoning from concept or skills comprehension to solving problems in contextual situations.
    • Apps:
      • Mathletics, IXL, and Prodigy Math
         
  • English Language Arts
    • Magnetic Reading Phonics Program
    • Journeys - Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
      Journeys provides a strong and comprehensive instructional system for reading both literature and informational texts, for acquiring foundational skills, and for developing mastery of speaking, listening and writing.
    • Apps:
      • Lexia, Reading A-Z, Prodigy English
         
  • Religion
    • Finding God-Loyola Press
    • Reconciliation and First Holy Eucharist Preparation-Sadlier Sacramental Program
       
  • Social Studies
    • California Studies Weekly-American Legacy Publishing
      California Studies Weekly is an innovative curriculum program for teaching the California History-Social Studies state standards in Grade 2, featuring an engaging and easy-to-use weekly magazine format.
    • BrainPop Jr.
       
  • Science
    • Amplify Science 
      Instruction is aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), facilitated in our STEM Lab, incorporating hands-on Science activities and experiments.
       
  • Writing
    • Lucy Calkins Units of Study
       
  • Field Trips/Experiences
    • Gilroy Gardens Science Day 
    • Movie Theater Field Trip 
    • First Reconciliation
    • First Communion