1st Grade at Holy Family School in New Albany, IN

At Holy Family, our goal is to educate the whole child — mind, heart, and soul — with a foundation in Catholic faith. In First Grade, students:

• Grow in faith through daily prayer and religious instruction
• Attend school Mass twice weekly with the parish community
• Learn about the Sacraments, saints, liturgical seasons, and the life of Jesus
• Understand how to live like Jesus through kindness, service, and love
• Begin to recognize their God-given purpose and strive to become the saints they are called to be

Our First Grade reading program builds strong literacy foundations using:

• IMSE Orton-Gillingham+ — a structured, multisensory approach to phonics
• Heggerty Phonemic Awareness — daily activities to strengthen early reading skills
• Weekly fluency and phonics assessments ensure personalized growth

Using the CKLA Knowledge curriculum, First Grade students explore:

• The history of Earth and ancient civilizations
• The human body, animals, habitats, and astronomy
• Classic fairy tales, fables, and historical figures
  These topics support reading comprehension, vocabulary, and critical thinking through cross-curricular learning.

Through the CKLA writing curriculum, students learn to:

• Write both fictional stories and nonfiction pieces
• Master sentence structure, punctuation, and sequencing
• Craft written proposals for specific audiences
• Complete a research project using multiple sources and present their findings to classmates

First Graders build strong number sense and fluency using standards-aligned instruction:

• Place value concepts using two-digit numbers and multiples of ten
• Fluency in addition and subtraction within 20
• Real-world word problems and math reasoning
• Comparing numbers, organizing data, identifying coins
• Telling time to the nearest half hour with analog clocks

Students enjoy a variety of enrichment classes, including:

• Art, Music, Computer, Physical Education, Library, and Spanish
• Leader in Me: Students practice the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, building leadership, responsibility, and communication skills
• Technology Integration: Google Classroom, Chromebooks, and a classroom Sonic ViewBoard enhance digital literacy and engagement