Religious education based on the Catholic faith is a key element in our program. Our relationship with God and with each other, an understanding of the Church and its teachings, and application of Christian values to our daily lives are topics of serious concern. Religion classes are taught daily and Christian values permeate the curriculum. Students also assist in planning liturgies and paraliturgies, which occur regularly throughout the year. Family Life is taught as part of our Religion curriculum in grades K-8. Sacramental preparation is handled through the RE Program of the Parish. Contact the Parish Office (503-636-7687) for information regarding Sacramental preparation.

We are fortunate to have a very well established visual art program at Our Lady of the Lake School. Kindergarten through sixth grade students have art instruction once a week. Seven and eighth grade students have class twice a week for half the school year.

The program includes all of the art disciplines. Children learn to look at art (art criticism), learn about artists, their work and times, as well as the art of other cultures (art history), think about and value art (aesthetics), and, of course, the most important to the children, make art. Students progress sequentially in their understanding and use of the art elements (line, shape, color, etc.) and art principles (balance, variety, etc.), and using of a variety of media. Some lessons are integrated into other curriculum subjects such as social studies or religion.

Students accumulate an art folder of their work during the entire year. The art folder goes home the last week of school. Artwork from OLL is shown at the Lake Oswego Festival of the Arts in June as well as one month a year at the Lake Oswego Library. Student artwork is displayed throughout the school and every student has work on display during Fine Art Week in the spring.

Kindergarten through sixth grade receive Art Literacy presentations six times a year, a wonderful enrichment program. Junior high students have art literacy two or three times, integrated into their social studies curriculum. Volunteer parents teach about a famous artist or art of another culture. A hands-on project related to the artist (culture) is included. At the end of the school year, students vote for their favorite artist. A framed sample of that artist’s work is added to the school art gallery.

All students in Grades K through 6 learn computer literacy and use software to enhance their classroom learning on a weekly basis. Keyboarding and word processing begins in Grade 3. Classroom teachers are encouraged to integrate curriculum areas with computer use. The Jr. High curriculum emphasizes computer application with an advanced trimester course in 7th grade.

The English Program strives to achieve four major goals in our K-8 program. We educate toward a student who

1. communicates thought and feeling both in written and spoken word with clarity, confidence, and correctness;
2. comprehends well, infers and analyzes critically, what is said and read in a spirit which appreciates the quality and originality of the written and spoken word;
3. creatively expresses oneself in dialogue and composition;
4. effectively uses the technological resources available to research and communicate ideas.

The dictionary defines Mathematics as: “the science of numbers and their operations, interrelations, combinations, generalizations and abstractions; the science of space configurations and their structure, measurement, transformations, and generalizations.” As Catholic educators we would define Mathematics as, but not limited to: a tool necessary for modern day-to-day living; a language with its own structure and vocabulary that communicates precision and logic internationally and across subject areas; an art containing form, pattern, rhythm, and beautiful design; a process of thinking deductively and inductively; and a means to visualize the values of balance, order, harmony and equivalency in God’s universe, and the integration of those insights into life situations, relationships, and events.

The K-8 Mathematics program strives to develop students who are:

1. Confident and competent in understanding Math, concepts, inferring mathematic relationships, and solving multidimensional problems;
2. Mathematically literate with prompt recall of basic knowledge and skills;
3. Astute in creative problem solving; genuinely fascinated by the logic, order and beauty of Math, and stimulated to discover and investigate new possibilities;
4. Aware that mathematics skills are an indispensable means for survival and growth in the everyday world;
5. Exposed to the various uses of technology as a mathematical tool to support and enhance learning.

Criteria for Admission to Accelerated Math (grades 6,7,8)

General music class is offered to all students, grades K-7. Students experience the elements of music, such as: melody, harmony, rhythm, tone color, expression of feelings through music, movement to music, etc. All Our Lady of the Lake students have opportunities to sing and play various instruments throughout the school year, in class, in liturgies, in the junior high 7th grade choir and in our musical programs. The students experience several styles of music through listening to recorded and live music, watching appropriate documentaries and films and through actual performance. Composers and performers from a wide variety of genres are featured weekly. Several Our Lady of the Lake students are invited to share their talents in the annual fine arts week talent showcase.

Band classes are offered to all 4th – 8th grade students on a pay as you go basis. Private piano instruction is also available to interested students on a pay as you go basis.

The physical education program emphasizes skills development, preparation for organized sports, lifetime sports and physical fitness, primarily through non-competitive activities. A trimester Health course is also taught in 7th grade.

The science program from K-8 provides a balanced coverage of all science disciplines including earth, physical, and life sciences. The integration of these sciences with each other and the integration of the science disciplines with other subjects are emphasized. Outside classroom experiences, current events in science, and science careers are included in the enhancement of the program.

From grade K through 8 the curriculum introduces students to larger and larger realism of the communities of which they are a part. Geography, intercultural awareness, government and current events are all important components of the program.