Classrooms
Want to know more about each of our SCS classrooms and what your students can expect from year to year? Here our teachers share their favorite highlights from their classrooms.
Kindergarten
Laura Maier teaches our Kinder class and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education.
In Maier’s class, kindergarten offers the first building blocks for literacy and math. It is also a year for teaching social skills and responsibility. Coming into kindergarten, families can expect their children to learn how to read, write, and practice math fundamentals. But most importantly, students learn more about God and our Catholic Values.
“Throughout the year, we talk about ‘What Would Jesus Do?’; this helps the children to learn to pause and think before acting. I love teaching this grade level. The kiddos walk through my classroom and bring a smile to my face and joy to my heart!”
Favorite saint quote, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” ~ St. Francis of Assisi
First Grade
Sherri Smith earned her Bachelor of Arts in Diversified Liberal Arts, Elementary Education from the University of San Diego.
Favorite saint quote, "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul has remained unawakened.” ~ St Francis of Assisi
Nuria Stonebarger is a full-time Instructional Aide in the classroom.
Second Grade
Clarice Chavez-Salais also serves as our Vice-Principal; she earned her teaching credential in 2006 from Sonoma State University.
Second grade is a project-based classroom incorporating common core standards and virtues. As the 2nd graders prepare for their First Reconciliation and First Communion, they learn the true meaning of the Church and Mass. Students learn to become independent thinkers, understand the importance of being reverent in the Church, and carry that through their lives.
Favorite quote, “Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are endless.”
Third Grade
“Our third-grade classroom is a community of knowledge, faith, and service. Here third graders are gaining knowledge and experience of what it means to be Catholic and how to follow God's Great Commandment, putting God above everything by treating others the way they would like to be treated. Students work together to foster a love of reading, what it takes to be a community, how to multiply and divide, discover computer science fundamentals by coding, and solve problems using the scientific method and engineering design process.”
Fourth Grade
Ms. Llanos earned her Masters of Arts in Teaching
In fourth grade, we focus on California's history and highlight the overshadowed perspectives. We integrate Education in Virtue across all subjects and reflect on how we can live out the virtues daily in and out of the classroom.
“I love teaching fourth grade because we take our learning outside the classroom when visiting the Coloma Outdoor School for our overnight Gold Rush field trip.”
Favorite saint quote, “I used to believe that prayer changes things, but now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.” - Saint Theresa of Calcutta
Fifth Grade
Miss Jaymi Pare, SCS Alumna Class of 1998, earned her Master of Arts in Elementary Education and Teaching.
Favorite saint quote, “Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire.”~ St. Catherine of Siena
Middle School Grades 6th - 8th
Ms. Jessalyn Esver, teaches 7th homeroom, 6th - 8th ELA & Art. She is pursuing her Master of Arts in Urban Education with a single subject credential in Art.
“I love teaching both English and Art because I often get to combine the two. In my classroom, we get to delve into various literary works, such as the infamous ‘The Outsiders’ or the dystopian society of ‘The Giver’, and students discover deep connections between themselves and the characters. I strive for my students to find these connections and understand what virtues they can learn from each story that the students can apply to themselves. I have a strong passion for writing and want my students to amaze their future high school teachers with their writing skills.”
Middle school students connect with their faith by taking what they have learned in Religion and applying it to artwork, such as making Saint mosaics.
Favorite saint quote, “Remembering that God is with you will help and inspire you in all that you do.” - St. John Baptist de la Salle.
In middle school, math students reinforce their understanding of basic math facts while delving deeper into math's intricacies and applications. Students leave middle school math with a strong foundation of basic operations and an introduction to higher-level thinking.
Music
Paul Neal, Music Teacher, holds a Master of Music, with an emphasis on Composition.
“I teach all the grades--something music has in common with few other classes. I see each grade level grow and achieve what we set out to accomplish. Students should expect to learn how music works and how to perform for their peers and parents.”