Mary walks the Via Dalirosa during the Station of the Cross.

As part of our religious instruction, students attend retreats geared toward their grade level.

In the third-grade, students prepare to take on leadership roles during Mass -- a role we hope they will continue to take throughout their lives. When their turn comes to lead Mass, they write prayers of the faithful, do the gospel readings and bring up the gifts. They learn the parts of the Mass and begin to find verses in the Bible as part of their religious studies.

Their individual Community Service Projects include collecting school supplies for a local transition school as well as sending cards and letters to shut.ins and various assisted living centers. They also padicipate in the school's other service projects, which include an annual food drive, Giving Tree and neighborhood clean up.

A highlight of the third graders' year comes in the fall when classes put on their Native American Museum. The Museum, which culminates a month-long study of tribal cultures, gives each student an opportunity to mix knowledge and creativity as they create their own exhibit featuring a Native American culture they have chosen.

In third-grade, students begin to understand and memorize the multiplication and division facts. Hands-on studies in Science include sound, chemical testing, geology and plants. As their reading ability accelerates, they learn to summarize what they have read and write book reports. Grammar and the mechanics of writing are also stressed. All this hard work pays off when third-graders take their first official SAT test in the spring.