St. Pius X Catholic School

N ow in her sixth year as a 4K teacher at the St. Pius Early Learning Center (ELC), Marissa Thompson is still impressed each day by what her students are learning. Their curriculum is thorough, covering religion, physical development, social studies, science, and literacy. A special reading-readiness curriculum is also incorporated and aligned with St. Pius' kindergarten, first-, and second-grade programs so that even the youngest of children are being gently guided to the skills needed for future success. "The first ELC class I taught at St. Pius is now in fourth grade," Marissa said. "It has been wonderful to watch their success and hear positive feedback directly from their teachers at the higher grades." Positive feedback from parents comes through as well, with children relaying stories from their days, often focused on their favorite parts—recess and learning centers. While fun in the outdoors is to be expected for 4 year olds, the learning centers offer a chance for simultaneous learning and play. Children move between blocks in the building center; costumes in the dramatic play center; numbers, patterns, and sorting in the math center; books in the reading and listening center; and items such as magnifying glasses and magnets in the science center. For Marissa, it's all an opportunity to see her students grow their skills and their understanding. "I love this age and always knew I wanted to work with younger kids, particularly in a place of faith-based education. I love being able to teach religion, talk about God, celebrate Mass with the kids, and experience our holidays like Christmas and Easter." Marissa was raised in Catholic education herself, attending Mt. Sacred Heart and Incarnate Word High School. She earned her degree in education from Tarleton State University, completing her student teaching in kindergarten and sixth-grade classrooms. "The reason I love working at St. Pius is that it is a Catholic environment where our administration and parents are so supportive. There is a good balance of structure from the administrative leadership while still providing autonomy for teachers in the classroom." Page 2 The Pulse of St. Pius X A t St. Pius X Catholic School, we believe that every child is a gift from God, with special talents to be nurtured and developed. To further that belief, we are pleased to announce the opening of our new Student Support Services classrooms. With help from David Weekley Homes, we were able to transform our former library into two new offices that will house our Counseling and Learning Lab to support our students. Our Student Support Services exist to empower our students in becoming successful academically, emotionally, and socially. We will teach our future leaders study and organizational skills, social skills, and facilitate student/teacher/parent communications. Our goal is to give our students the skills to become successful in and out of the classroom. Our Learning Lab will work collaboratively with our classroom teachers and staff in and out of the classroom by assisting our students with additional academic support. We are excited about this new academic year at St. Pius X Catholic School. Now oPeN—New StuDeNt SuPPort ServiceS clASSroomS Our Student Support Services exist to empower our students in becoming successful academically, emotionally, and socially. marissa thompson witnesses Students' Success in the elc

• Cover