Enrichment
St. Dominic School is proud to provide enrichment classes to Grades K-8. They are intended to enhance and enrich the classroom curriculum while fully engaging students through their different learning modalities.
Field Trips
Field trips are designed to supplement and enrich the classroom curriculum. Each year, classes at St. Dominic School attend a number of educational field trips relating to their studies in Social Studies, the Arts, and Science. Along with teachers and instructional aides, parent volunteers provide supervision on field trips.
Generally, field trips occur during the school day and last from a few hours to most of the school day. Classes usually travel by chartered bus or with parent drivers to their destinations. Each class has a budget for field trip expenses. Some classes take walking field trips to local spots.
Traditionally, the First Graders, each accompanied by a parent, travel by train to Yosemite, for a three-day overnight, led by Yosemite Institute instructors to learn about conservation and the environment. Then in Jr. High, the Sixth Graders attend a weeklong Outdoor Science Camp at Walker Creek Ranch in Marin County.
Spanish
Foreign language instruction is offered to students in all grades at St. Dominic School. We have two part-time Spanish teachers who focus on conversational Spanish with the students. One teacher teaches PreK through Third Grade, while the other teacher provides instruction for Grades Four through Eight.
Students acquire language skills through listening, speaking, and writing practice. Emphasis is placed on vocabulary and conversational skills. Many students become well versed in Spanish and are eligible to enter Spanish II as freshmen in high school.
Technology
St. Dominic School is proud to offer a self-contained computer lab with a full time computer teacher/technology coordinator. The computer teacher works with the classroom teachers to develop meaningful projects for students to perform while learning critical computer skills.
Students have computer classes weekly. Lower grades go to the computer lab in smaller groups and upper grades go as a whole class. We have enough student PCs to accommodate whole class instruction with each student working on their own computer individually. Students sometimes work with partners on class projects.
Students learn age appropriate basic to advanced computer skills, while experiencing integrated classroom curriculum in their computer instruction. It is our goal to make them feel comfortable and confident using technology. Our educational software is selected to enhance and enrich the classroom learning experience.
Physical Education
St Dominic students actively participate in Physical Education each week. Our part-time P.E. teacher is dedicated to providing active and challenging classes for each grade level. Students participate in gross motor movement, learn the rules of organized playground and court games, learn about nutrition and health, and are encouraged to be physically active in their lives. Upper graders also participate in the Presidential Fitness testing each year.
Students have P.E. uniforms which include specific shorts, sweatpants, t-shirts, sweatshirts, and white athletic shoes. Instead of their regular school uniform, students wear their P.E. uniforms to school all day on the days that they have P.E.
St. Dominic’s Physical Education program has great local community support with organizations including Jamba Juice and The Benicia Police Officers Association offering their time and money to help us educate our children. Our P.E. teacher also involves our school in community service each year with student participation in Jump/Hoops for Heart, which raises funds for the American Heart Association.
Music
Another wonderful program at St. Dominic School is the Music program. A part-time music teacher, who is also currently our Liturgy Coordinator, brings the gift of music to our students. Each class in Grades K-8 has weekly instruction in music - either choral or instrumental. Students learn music to perform during the Liturgy they lead as well as for upcoming seasonal celebrations.
Band/orchestra is also offered for students seeking further musical expression. Our school music teacher leads the Band/orchestra, which meets before school in the Parish Hall for practice.
