K-5 Curriculum

Excellence in Every Grade

Our curriculum is designed to spark curiosity, build confidence, and instill a lifelong love of learning in every student. Guided by our mission, we provide a supportive academic environment where students can reach their full spiritual and academic potential, building critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills along the way. With a strong emphasis on Catholic values, character formation, and academic excellence, Notre Dame students have a solid foundation for future success.

Our K-2 classrooms are self-contained, with core subjects being taught within the same classroom. Starting in 3rd grade, teachers specialize by subject area as students move between classes for instruction; students still have a grade-level homeroom teacher.

Four boys showing their completed jigsaw puzzle

Two students climbing the rock wall in the gym

Our curriculum includes:

Religion - Scripture, doctrine, prayers, virtues
Math - Concepts, computation, data analysis, measurement, geometry, algebra
Science - Earth, life, and physical science, nature and health
Social Studies - Citizenship, economics, geography, history
Language Arts - Phonics, reading comprehension, writing both creatively and for structure/process, listening & speaking skills
Music & Visual Arts - Application, performance and history
Physical Education - Movement, physical fitness, healthy decision making, and teamwork
Technology - Use of systems, software, keyboarding, and responsible digital citizenship to prepare students for success in the 21st century

Accredidation

Notre Dame Catholic School is fully accredited by the State of Iowa through the Archdiocese of Dubuque, and our students and staff are held to the same standards, expectations, and transparency as other state-accredited school options. Curriculum at every grade level follows the Iowa Core Curriculum standards and benchmarks. Our administration and teaching staff all hold post-secondary degrees in education, with many holding additional endorsements to support a variety of student needs.

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