New York Education Department and A.Fantis Curriculum.

A. Fantis’ Curriculum is in alignment with the New York State Education Department Standards.  Our educators are knowledgeable of the New York State’s expectations of what students must know and be able to do in relationship to content areas.  For each learning standard, the core curriculum presents key ideas and performance indicators. This curriculum is the foundation upon which State assessments are aligned and developed.  A. Fantis School has developed its curriculum in conjunction with the New York State’s strategies and objectives. Integrated Curriculum: has been designed to enhance each student’s strengths while highlighting the individuality of each student.  Our small class size allows teachers to explore each subject more thoroughly and to assure their students have an understanding of all general topics. Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, English, Art, Music, and the Greek Language and Culture are subject areas which are integrated in classroom instruction. Literacy Curriculum: begins in Kindergarten.  The basic philosophy is that our students have ample opportunities to read different types of literature.  Fundamentals of reading in the early childhood grades use phonics as well as a holistic approach.  In the upper elementary grades, anthological books as well as a rich supply of other materials are used in the classroom.  Each child reads books that are appropriate for his or her level.  A creative writing component is also an integral part of the literacy program as well. Improvement in writing skills is a major focus for the coming school year. This will be accomplished through Writing Across the Disciplines starting in the Fall term of 2007. Students from grades five through eight participate in a city-wide Spelling Bee Competition. A Required Summer Reading List is given to students from grades one through eight  (see the Forms Section of this website). Mathematics Curriculum: provides students with the knowledge and basic computational skills necessary to function in a world dependent upon the applications of mathematics.  Students are expected to have conceptual understanding, procedural fluency and problem solving skills when solving mathematical problems.  This process begins in the early grades and is expanded through the upper grades.  A variety of learning tools are used to foster this enrichment. Social Studies Curriculum:  promotes a global understanding of World History as well as American History.  It is A. Fantis School’s objective that if students understand the past, they can become more productive citizens in the future.  One of the goals for the upcoming school year is to integrate and promote a more comprehensive understanding of geography of the United States as well as the world. Community Involvement: In the early grades, our curriculum parallels the New York State standards to include an emphasis on Community.  A goal is to integrate the curriculum with trips in the neighbor-hood and around the city.  Community leaders are encouraged to speak to our students about the importance of being involved in the community.  Starting in the fall 0f 2007, grades seven and eight will be required to submit a community project in their Social Studies classes. Multimedia Presentations and Trips: In grades four through eight, teachers use multimedia presentations to bring their curriculum to life.  Curriculum is enhanced with trips that parallel topics taught in the classroom.   Research papers, group projects and dramatizations help foster a creative learning environment where history comes alive.  Experiences in the classroom are enhanced with trips to the Bronx Zoo, the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, New York’s Natural History Museum, The Hall of Science, the Liberty Science Center, the Aquarium, Ellis Island, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  Law Program: Students in grade five participate in a Legal Lives Program sponsored by the Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office.  This program is a law-related educational program that was created to increase awareness of drugs and bias-related crimes. Science: is taught in classes from Pre-Kindergarten through the eighth grade. Students in grades four through eight study Integrated Science, Life Science, Physical and Earth Science. The school houses a Science Lab where students in grades four through eight conduct experiments using scientific tools.  Higher level thinking skills are taught and reinforced in daily lessons. Basic experiments, observations and hands on activities help students to question, hypothesize and learn about the world around them.  They learn about life processes through the study of animal and plants and are introduced to the solar system and our universe.  The Annual Science Fair is conducted in all grades.  Pre-Kindergarten through third grade participate in class projects. Individual experiments are conducted in grades four through eight. Judges are invited from outside of school to examine and critique the individual projects. The critiques provide a basis for constructive criticism and future scientific research projects. Students are encouraged to improve their presentations in preparation for Intel, City, State and National competitions in high school.  Regents Preparation Mathematics:  All seventh graders participate in the Integrated Mathematics Regents Curriculum.  This curriculum culminates in the Spring Term for eighth graders with their participation in the Integrated Algebra Regents in June.  All seventh and eighth graders use the TI-83 Plus Graphing Calculators in Integrated Algebra A. Greek Regents: All Greek eighth graders participate in the Greek Regents every June.  This regents allows many of our eighth graders to enter high school with three regents credits towards the regents endorsed diploma requirements needed by the end of the twelfth grade in high school. Science:  All eighth graders participate in the Earth Science Regents Curriculum.  This curriculum culminates in the Spring Term for eighth graders with their participation in the Earth Science Regents in June.  All grade levels from Pre-Kindergarten through Eight Grade study science and participate in the Annual Spring Science Fair. Arts and Music: are integrated into the curriculum for all subjects starting from Pre-Kindergarten through eighth grade. Physical and Health Education: includes both physical exercise and athletic competitions which reinforce both team spirit and good sportsmanship. Students learn about health, hygiene and nutrition. Greek Classical Program: consists of the study of the Greek Language, Greek Culture, Art and Mythology.  All students are required to study Modern Greek Language. The curriculum is based on a course of study that was the foundation of Western Civilization and Democracy.  Students learn about Ancient Greece and its contributions to present day society.  The emphasis of Greek Mythology and the rich history of Greece on literature, mathematics, science, history, art and music are essential elements of the curriculum in all grade levels. The State of the Art Library Media Center: opened its doors in October 2006.  Students have access to state of the art technology and on-line research material using the New York Online Virtual Electronic Library databases.  They are encouraged to use the resources provided and are monitored to ensure their safety as well as the integrity of A. Fantis Parochial School.  The FantisNet Policy is a prime focus across all the disciplines from grades four through eight. Columbia University Collaboration Program: began in the Fall Term of 2006.  Students are exposed to Ancient Classical Greek and Latin in grades five through eight. Eighth Graders visit the campus every fall term. Student Government Program:  was instituted in the Spring tern of 2007.  All Middle School students are involved in the program.  Leadership roles, clubs, and student activities are included in the program.  A Student Organization Store (S.O.)is available to all students from Grades K through 8th. The store is run by elected student leaders. SmartBoard Technology is presently available in four classrooms for all grrade levels.