Lower School

Lower school is a time of growth, development and establishing lifelong habits and attitudes. At Canyon Heights, special attention is given to discovering every student’s unique talents, motivations, and circumstances. 

Small class sizes allow each student to receive a more personalized education and our independent curriculum creates well-rounded individuals who will succeed in middle school, high school, and beyond.

First Grade

In first grade, we nurture a love of learning while building foundational skills and habits like honesty, dedication, cheerfulness, and respect.

Key Subjects:

  • Reading, phonics, spelling, and handwriting
  • Writing and listening skills
  • Math fundamentals
  • Science and social studies
  • Introduction to God’s love and basic faith principles
Second Grade

Second grade focuses on building confidence and expanding knowledge while reinforcing foundational skills.

Key Subjects:

  • Continued development of reading, phonics, spelling, and writing
  • Introduction to cursive handwriting
  • Math: Addition, subtraction, and problem-solving
  • Science and social studies
  • Religious Studies: Basic moral law, understanding the body as a gift from God and behavior during Holy Mass

Third Grade

Third graders continue to grow academically, spiritually, and socially as they deepen their understanding of core subjects.

Key Subjects:

  • Reading comprehension, spelling, and grammar
  • Writing and creative expression
  • Math fundamentals
  • Science and social studies
  • Religious Studies: Stories from the Old Testament, learning prayers, and participating in weekly Mass

Fourth Grade

Our upper elementary curriculum promotes independence, study skills, and personal responsibility through engaging, student-driven learning.

Key Subjects:

  • Reading, grammar and creative writing
  • Math: Multiplication, division, and problem-solving
  • Science and social studies
  • Religious Studies: Understanding the seven Sacraments, church seasons, and the connection between the Body and Heaven

Fifth Grade

Fifth-grade students leave lower school prepared to thrive in middle school. They master foundational subjects while putting their faith into action.

Key Subjects:

  • Language arts, math, science, and social studies
  • Religious Studies: Weekly Mass participation, Catechism studies, and local service projects that reflect God’s love in action

Standardized Testing

Canyon Heights uses standardized testing in kindergarten through eighth grade to measure each student’s academic growth throughout the year. These adaptive, computer-based assessments evaluate four key areas:

• Reading
• Math
• Language
• Science

Test results provide real-time, accurate insights into each student’s progress so teachers can tailor instruction to meet their unique needs.
What Our Families Are Saying
“An amazing community almost like a second home for children. I have nothing but good things to say about the school. It’s a community-oriented school so if you have time, you can get involved as much as you like and there are lots of events for parents at the school. Parents are extremely helpful and a very welcoming community. Virtues are given a lot of importance in the development of children and they learn what’s right and what’s wrong very early on.”

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