Junior School

Since the inception of the College, English, Math and Faith have been the core subjects of our Junior School program. These three courses build the foundation of the type of learners we work to nurture here at De La Salle. We have built our Junior School schedule around these core subjects and students receive instruction in English, Math and Religion every single day. 

Grades 5-6

Our grade 5-6's are in a traditional schedule where they spend most of their day with one teacher and class. For classes such as Music, Art, Phys. Ed and others they do get specialized teachers but a majority of their 8:25-3:15 is spent with their home teacher. 

Grades 7-8

Much like our 5-6's run a traditional schedule for their age group, the grade 7-8's do as well. For them, they're in a common middle school rotary timetable. The major different between the 5-6's and 7-8's is the 7-8's have specialized teachers for all of their courses and don't spend most of their day with one teacher. So, from 8:25-3:15 they're rotating through their courses with breaks for recess and lunch. 

We believe reading is a foundational skill all of our students need for the rest of their lives. As such, each day our Jr School students start their day with 15 minutes of reading. Students can read whatever they want as long as they're reading. We want our students to enjoy reading and so as long as they're building the skill it doesn't matter at this time of the day what they choose. Our soul focus is to build a group of people who love and value reading long after they leave our campus. 

All students in Junior School experience a daily recess. Whether they're in grade 5 or all the way up in grade 8, we believe students need a break in their day to relax and have fun with their peers to maximize their learning. We ask a lot of our students in the classroom so in moments like recess it's important to allow our students to have a break, reset and be a kid with their friends so that when they go back into class they're refreshed and ready to learn. 

Community time is a weekly opportunity for students to participate in an activity they enjoy with peers. Over the course of three terms, each different term we offer a sports, art and other choice. Students are able to pick and build friends in a community environment built around an activity they'll enjoy! 

Junior School Computer Science Program Goals:

Recognizing that knowledge of, and familiarity with, basic computer science and technology principles is a foundational element of a quality education in the 21^st century, the Computer Science and Technology program in the junior school aims to:

·      Allow students to approach technology and use it productively with confidence and comfort wherever they encounter it in their lives.   Whether our students decide to pursue an education and career in technology or not, it is an undeniable fact that many aspects of their life will be impacted by the use of technology.

·      Give the students the ability to direct their own learning through a process of metacognition.  Students will be able to consider what it is that they currently know, what they would like to accomplish, and what questions will need to be answered to take them there. 

·      Teach students transferable skills associated with coding, design, etc., that they will be able to use in the years ahead, as they navigate the constantly changing world of technology.   Platforms, applications, programming languages, interfaces, etc., may all change profoundly in the years to come; we aim to allow students to remain undaunted in the face of revolutionary change.

Here at Del, we take very seriously the academic capabilities and achievements of our students. As such, students get the opportunity to accelerate through their current grade curriculum and advance to years above. It's our belief that all students should be challenged and given the opportunity to grow. This is why for those who consistently go above and beyond, we allow them an outlet to continue to push themselves and achieve their academic goals.

The big advantage of our Reach Ahead program is it enables students to get credits for upper year courses, giving them flexibility in high school when they build their schedules. It also puts them on a path to one of our most important programs in high school, advanced placement. 

We want all of our students to maximize their academic potential and with that foundation in mind is how our reach ahead program was designed and is operated. 

Much like the Senior School Student Council, Junior School Student Council gives our younger students an opportunity to be leaders on campus at a young age. Student Council is responsible for planning events, pitching ideas to teachers for future events and being a voice for the Junior School to Senior Students and Staff. 

One of our school's guiding Lasallian Principles is to build strong leaders and Junior School Student Council is one of the strongest examples of how we do that.