Pre Kindergarten | Primary Grades | Intermediate Grades | Additional Classes

Jubilant laughter and joyous smiles abound in Villa Victoria's Lower School where young girls are instilled with a desire to learn. Our fully qualified and dedicated faculty nurture children in Pre Kindergarten through grade six, as they begin their academic journey. Limited class size (maximum of 20 children) makes it possible for each student to receive individual guidance as she creates a work of art, makes a scientific discovery or scores a winning point.

The Lower School's traditional core curriculum is based in Language Arts, Mathematics, Religion, Science and Social Studies. To enhance our religious education, a Family Life program exists to gently guide children to an understanding of the issues facing them in the modern world. Special classes in Art, Computer Science, Library Skills, Music, Physical Education and Spanish are available to all students in the Lower School.

In our family atmosphere, each student is able to develop a strong relationship with faculty and administration and the rest of the student body. This creates a learning environment, where every voice is heard and every idea is valued

Pre Kindergarten
The Little Villa Pre Kindergarten is an academic program that develops scholastic, spiritual, social, emotional and physical competencies in 4 year olds and young 5 year olds. The main focus of instruction in Pre Kindergarten is language arts, teaching students to see the relationship between the spoken and written word. Students also benefit from appropriate instruction and experiences in Mathematics, Science, Social Studies and Religion.

Primary Grades (Kindergarten; Grades One, Two and Three)
In self-contained classrooms, students in our primary grades continue to build on the skills introduced in Pre Kindergarten.
Reading
Through the association of letterforms and sounds, the blending of sounds and the recognition of sight words, our students begin the reading process. Building on their phonics skills, they are able to decode and encode unfamiliar words. Once fluent in reading, students develop comprehension skills.
Language Arts
Language Arts is taught with a view to developing the communication competencies of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Our students are introduced to language mechanics concepts, including parts of speech, capitalization and punctuation. Vocabulary, spelling and dictionary skills are developed.
Mathematics
Students develop skills related to numbers and numeration, reasoning, logic and measurement, along with basic computational operations. Direct instruction is supplemented with the use of manipulatives, technology and cooperative learning. Problem solving and critical thinking skills are reinforced.
Science
Students in the primary grades study life science, earth science and physical science. Through experimentation, our students are encouraged to make observations and inferences, recognize relationships, predict outcomes, use variables and interpret data.
Social Studies
Beginning with a study of families, homes and neighborhoods, the primary social studies curriculum is expanded to include a study of the community—-local, state and national. Students develop map skills, along with cultural awareness and appreciation. They study current events, conflict resolution and important social issues.
Religion
Students learn the principles of Christianity and the Catholic faith through reflection on their own experience. The course content is based on the Bible, preparation for the sacraments and the traditions of the Catholic faith. The program encourages faith development, self-examination and prayer.

Intermediate Grades (Grades Four, Five and Six)
The intermediate grades emphasize the mastery of the content gleaned from reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking and computing. Students are now reading to learn and to think critically. The fourth grade is completely self-contained. The fifth and sixth grades are departmentalized for Science, Mathematics and Social Studies.
Reading
The Reading program in the intermediate grades incorporates spelling and vocabulary skills, and comprehension strategies for successful performance in all areas of the curriculum. Critical thinking and communication skills are sharpened through research and inquiry activities, book critiques and oral reports.
Language Arts
The language mechanics introduced in the primary grades are refined in the intermediate grades. Activities include all aspects of the writing process from journaling to publishing.
Mathematics
Our students review, develop and enhance skills related to mathematical computation and problem solving. They learn to solve problems creatively, organize information efficiently, think critically, and reason and communicate mathematically.
Science
Science is taught as a process of hands-on discovery and research. Using the principles of the scientific method, questions are posed and explored. Each student is responsible to create a comprehensive science project.
Social Studies
The Social Studies curriculum includes the study of the regions of the United States, the Western Hemisphere and the Eastern Hemisphere with a focus on history, geography and citizenship.
Religion
The Religion program continues to evoke an understanding of Catholicism. It emphasizes our students’ everyday lives and encourages them to participate in the sacramental and parish life of the Church.

All primary and intermediate grade students are afforded the opportunity to attend classes in:
Art
The art curriculum goes well beyond arts and crafts. Focusing on one artist per month, students learn techniques, art media and creative self-expression.
Library
Library classes are devoted to the development of media skills as related to research and reading for pleasure.
Music
The Music curriculum is two-fold, with a focus on music education and the performing arts.
Physical Education
The Physical Education program encourages an understanding of health, safety and physical fitness. Students participate in individual and team sports.
Spanish
The Spanish program provides our students with an interactive, hands-on curriculum. It introduces students to the culture of Hispanic nations and assists in the mastery of the basic tenets of the Spanish language.
Technology
Technology is integrated into our students’ entire educational experience. They learn to use a variety of applications, educationally designed software and the Internet.