Lourdes Academy provides a complete program of study allowing for intellectual growth in an atmosphere of integrity and personal responsibility.  Lourdes offers a four-period school day known as the block schedule.  This system provides teachers with the opportunity to offer detailed discussions, labs, projects and field trips within single class periods.  It enables students to focus and dedicate themselves to a smaller number of subjects each semester. 

Graduation requirements at Lourdes Academy include:

• Theology 4 credits
• English 4 credits
• Mathematics 3 credits
• Science 3 credits
• Social Studies 3 credits
• Physical Education 1.5 credits
• Fine Arts 1 credit
• Business/Technology 1 credit
• Health 0.5 credits

Total Credit Requirement:  28.5 credits

Lourdes Academy offers a comprehensive and rigorous curriculum which includes a variety of honors, advanced placement (AP) and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) courses. 

In partnership with St. Norbert College and UW-Oshkosh, Lourdes offers a quality program of college-credit courses.  Courses in English, Calculus, Biology and Chemistry are some of the options for students.  These courses are taught by adjunct professors.  Students can earn dual credits (high school and college).  Graduates of Lourdes Academy frequently find themselves beginning college well ahead of their classmates in terms of credits, course selection, and preparation. 

In addition, Lourdes Academy offers additional college and high school courses taught at different institutions in our distance learning lab.  Distance learning allows our students to take classes that might not ordinarily be offered at a school the size of Lourdes Academy.  Some examples of courses offered through distance learning include NWTC Medical Terminology, NWTC Speech and FVTC Introduction to Criminal Justice.

For a complete course listing, please see our course handbook.

 

Our comprehensive middle school curriculum fosters academic excellence and leadership. Through a combination of required and elective courses, our academics prepare students for high school and a successful, faith-filled life.

Schedules and Core Classes 

6^th Grade:
To allow for in-depth learning and to maximize classroom time, sixth-grade students are mostly taught in paired-subject blocks.

These pairings are: 

• Language Arts and Reading
• Science and Social Studies
• Math and Religion.

In addition to the classroom, part of the sixth-grade curriculum is the Trees for Tomorrow trip to Eagle River, Wis. During this trip, students apply the skills they’ve learned in the classroom to real-life experiences.

 

7^th and 8^th Grade:
Seventh- and eighth-grade students follow an eight-period schedule.

Their core classes include:

• Math
• Science
• Social Studies
• Language Arts
• Religion

Other classes include:

• Reading (seventh-grade students)
• Spanish (Eighth-grade students)
  • Students who receive a high grade in Spanish 1 (and pass the final) can enroll in Spanish 2 in high school.  
• All sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students take band and/or choir each day throughout the year.
  • Students may elect to take both but must choose one.

Trimester Rotation
Students also take three other classes throughout the year in what is known as our Trimester Rotation. At the end of each trimester, students complete one class and rotate into a different one.

6^th Grade: 

• Physical Education
• Health
• Art

7^th Grade: 

• Physical Education
• Project Lead the Way - App Creators
• Art

8^th Grade: 

• Physical Education
• Project Lead the Way - Computer Science Innovators and Makers
• Health

Project Lead the Way/STEM
In addition to the two courses above, Project Lead the Way (PLTW) is incorporated into our sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade science curricula. Click here for more information.

Accelerated Math
Beginning in the 6^th grade, students can qualify for Accelerated Math. Acceptance into our Accelerated Math program is based on three criteria:

• MAP scores
• Classroom work
• Teacher recommendation

Eighth-grade students in our Accelerated Math program take Algebra 1 and then transition into Geometry as a freshman in high school.

Our elementary curriculum focuses on fostering creativity and building self-esteem to help develop character and knowledge. Whether our students are in a STEM-based learning class or in a course focused on literacy development, our dedicated teachers give each student the personalized attention they deserve to help them develop into well-rounded individuals.   

Benchmark Literacy
To ensure our students are set up for success, Lourdes Academy Elementary incorporates the Benchmark Literacy Program—a comprehensive approach to teaching literacy—into our classrooms. Our elementary teachers receive extensive training in literacy development to make sure ALL children are able to develop their reading skills. The Benchmark Literacy Program includes the following components:

• Interactive Read-Aloud Strategies
• Whole Group Mini-Lessons
• Differentiated Small-Group/Guided Reading
• Independent Reading
• Phonics and Word Study
• Writing
• Assessments

STEM Courses
We need brainstormers and inventors for our fast-paced future. That’s why Lourdes Academy offers an innovative curriculum, called Project Lead the Way (PLTW), that integrates STEM-based learning in schools. From kindergarten through the fifth grade, we offer many STEM classes that prepare students for our technology-driven world.

• Kindergarten
  • PLTW: Animals & Algorithms*
  • PLTW: Structure and Function: Exploring Design
  • PLTW: Pushes and Pulls

• 1^st Grade
  • PLTW: Animail Adaptations*
  • PLTW: Light and Sound
  • PLTW: Light: Observing the Sun, Moon and Stars
  • Einstein: Organisms & Soils and Solids & Liquids

• 2^nd Grade
  • PLTW: Girds & Games*
  • PLTW: Materials Science: Properties of Matter
  • PLTW: Materials Science: Form & Function
  • Einstein: Insects and Change

• 3^rd Grade
  • PLTW: Programming Patters*
  • PLTW: Stability & Motion: Science of Flight
  • PLTW: Stability & Motion: Forces & Interactions
  • Einstein: Rocks & Minerals and Sound

• 4^th Grade
  • PLTW: Input/Output: Human Brain*
  • PLTW: Energy: Collisions
  • PLTW: Energy: Conversions
  • Einstein: Land & Water
  • Einstein: Electric Circuits

• 5^th Grade
  • PLTW: Infection: Modeling & Simulation*
  • PLTW: Robotics & Automation
  • PLTW: Robotics & Automation: Challenge

*indicates PLTW Computer Science unit

Learn more about Project Lead the Way and STEM learning here.