Goals and Objectives

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION GOAL

St. Dunstan Catholic School seeks to encompass the threefold purpose of Catholic education: to teach doctrine, to build community, and to serve one’s neighbor.

OBJECTIVES

To realize this, we strive to:

• instill in each child a sense of his/her privilege and responsibility in helping to build God’s Kingdom here on earth by internalizing Catholic doctrine.
• encourage each student to respond to the Lord through experiences in silent, spontaneous, and formal prayer.
• give students the opportunity for active participation in liturgical celebrations and provide special sacramental preparation programs, which include parents and students.
• encourage student involvement in parish/school activities both in the local and larger community.
• make gospel values the norm, thereby fostering in each student a respect for self and others.
• emphasize world needs by fostering in students a social awareness of their responsibility to humanity, which is part of their Catholic calling to serve one another.

INTELLECTUAL GOAL

St. Dunstan Catholic School seeks to create an educational atmosphere, which encourages and challenges students to develop to their fullest potential.

OBJECTIVES

We strive to:

• utilize the curriculum to effectively develop, master, and refine the fundamental skills in reading, writing and mathematics.
• foster creativity, intellectual curiosity, and a spirit of enthusiasm for learning.
• use standardized test scores as an aid in assessing student progress, planning curriculum, and addressing academic difficulties among our students.
• provide opportunities for students to develop independent study skills.
• integrate the use of technology within the curriculum.

St. Dunstan Catholic School assists each student in developing a sense of self worth, in becoming more aware of the dignity of others, and in acquiring a sense of responsibility to society.

OBJECTIVES

We strive to:

• help students develop a positive self image, an attitude and spirit that will enable them to live worthwhile lives as members of society.
• foster in students a deep appreciation of their American culture and heritage, while recognizing the contribution that all cultures make to society.
• develop a respect and reverence for all human life so that freedom, peace, and justice will become a reality in our world.
• provide opportunities for students to work cooperatively, emphasizing that friendship is an important human relationship and should be extended to every member of the student community.
• encourage students to accept personal responsibility and develop self-discipline.

PHYSICAL GOAL

St. Dunstan Catholic School recognizes the children’s physical awareness and well-being are essential to their cognitive and emotional stability and growth. Only by paying attention to all three parts – cognitive, emotional, and physical – can we accomplish the ultimate goal of education - the development of the whole child.

OBJECTIVES

We strive to:

• provide a physical education program that will help every student develop physical fitness.
• emphasize the development of the Catholic values of cooperation, loyalty, and sportsmanship through participation in organized play.
• provide the students with an understanding of the effects of the use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
• enable the students to understand their personal developmental changes through a Family Life Program, which emphasizes the growth and development of one’s sexuality in light of Catholic perspectives and values. The Family Life Program curriculum is approved by the Archdiocese of San Francisco, and is one aspect of the school’s religious education program.
• provide age-appropriate information and an understanding of the problems inherent in sexually transmitted diseases, with particular attention to HIV education.