Good Shephard Academy provides a quality education from Kindergarten (4 years old) to sixth grade.

All grades attend daily Morning Assembly, which includes the Morning Offering, Study of the Lives of the Saints, reflections on the Virtue of the Day, the Pledge of Allegiance and singing of sacred dongs. At mid-morning and before recess, the School prays to our Guardian Angel. The Angelus is prayer before Lunch, following by the Blessing of the Meal.

The teachers and pupils pray the Holy Rosary after lunch recess, after a period of reflection. The Act of Contrition and Hail Mary are prayers just before departure at the close of the day.

Friday's Sacred Doctrine classes include a detailed study of the following Sunday's Scripture readings. Each student finds and reads, in turn, the designated chapters and verses in his Bible. Every Monday morning each student describes the Sunday Mass he attended, tells the name of the Homilist, and summarizes the Homily. He also shares with his classmates other thoughts and information he believes important. Confessions are heard and Mass is celebrated monthly whenever our Chaplain is available.

Sacred Doctrine

All grades learn Latin and English prayers and study the Ignatius Bible, the Baltimore Catechism and the following grade-specific subjects:

Grades K4 & 1 - God the Father

Grade 2 - The Sacraments of Penance and Holy Eucharist

Grades 3 & 4 - Salvation History

Grade 5 - The Mystical Body; the Four Last Things

Grade 6 - Harmony of Faith and Reason; Proofs of the Existence of God

Mathematics

Grade K4 - Place Value, Addition and Subtraction, Time, Measurements and Calendar

Grade 1 through 3 - Multiplications, Division, Fractions, Word Problems

Grade 4 & 5 - Mixed Numbers, Decimals, Area, Perimeter

Grade 6 - Pre-Algebra, Ratios, Proportions, Volume Geometry

Note: Grades 4 through 6 also participate actively in the international Math Olympiads program, with intense training in word problem solving and for the competitions; Mensa problem and puzzle solving taught by a Mensan.

Language

Grades K4, 1 & 2 - Phonics, Reading, Spelling, Vocabulary, Poetry, Grammar, Manuscript Handwriting, Latin Prayers and Music

Grades 3, 4 & 5 - Same general subjects as above, plus Literary Analysis, Formal Latin, Creative Writing, and Cursive Handwriting.

Grade 6 - Same subjects as 5 plus Analogies, Rhetoric, Vocabulary, Spelling, Poetry, Vocabulary from Classical Roots, Research Reports.

General - Each student is required to write essays, appropriate to his grade, on the week's Virtue and read it before the assembled student body.

History and Geography

Grade K4 & 1 - Important Holidays and People in American History and in the Bible, U.S. States, Continents, Oceans.

Grade 2 - History, Mythology, Geography and Famous Men of Ancient Egypt. Modern Countries and their Capitals.

Grade 3 - History, Mythology, Geography and Famous Men of Ancient Greece. Equator, Lat/Long, Poles, Hemispheres.

Grade 4 - History, Mythology, Geography and Famous Men of Ancient Rome. U.S. States and their Capitals.

Grade 5 - Ancient Civilizations Reviewed, the Decline of Rome, Geography of Europe, Asia and Africa.

Grade 6 - Fall of Rome, Germanic Infusion and the Creation of the Holy Roman Empire; the Middle Ages, Islam and the Crusades; the Division of Christianity; Root and Foundations of Democracy. Geography of Europe, the Mediterranean and Middle East, the Americans and the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

Science

General - Our Science is logically based on God as the master Designer of the world around us.

Grades K4 - 2 - Plants, Animals, Insects and the Weather.

Grades 3 - 4 - Observations and Classifications, Cloud and other Natural Formations, Types and Sources of Energy

Grades 5 - 6 - Mammals, Minerals, Forces of the Earth, God's Great Universe, Space Travel, Elements of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Space Exploration, Health.

The Arts

Grades K4 - 3 - Elements of Scales, Tempo and Musical Forms. Learning to Draw, Shade, and Color. Voice Projection, Costuming, Settings and Acting.

Grades 4 - 6 - Latin chant, harmony and treble choral music, advanced drawing, perspective, the vanishing points, use of water colors and pastels, drama, voice projection, stage craft, elements of directing. Quarterly plays are staged. Concerts of Classical Marian and other Sacred Music are held sometimes off-site by invitation. Students create design and execute scenery, etc.

Physical Education

All Grades, Weekly or Bi-Weekly.