At St. Kateri School we strive to provide each child the opportunity to grow in knowledge and faith. We use the principles of Developmentally Appropriate Practice in our classrooms to advance their understanding of the world around them and develop the necessary skills to succeed in school and in life.  Our K-2 students engage in literacy and math experiences with a wide range of opportunities to practice new found skills.  Our students in grades three to five learn more about the world at large by using these skills to solve problems, understand history, perform experiments, and learn our faith.

Our classroom size is small (usually capped at 22 students) which allows us to know each child individually and to use this knowledge to identify each students’ strengths so that each may blossom in their own unique way.  

Occasionally our students struggle with academic skills.  At St. Kateri School we address this in 3 ways: Child Study Team, Academic Intervention Services, and Special Education support.

Our Child Study Team comprises teachers and administrators who collaborate to make classroom changes to best help children succeed.  For certain children, small group instruction in either Literacy or Math is warranted.  We partner with Catapult Learning to provide targeted instruction in a small group setting twice per week.  If more intervention is necessary, we work with the family and the Niskayuna School District and create an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) to best support the child’s growth. 

St. Kateri School recognizes the appropriate use of both state and national tests.  Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 take the IOWA tests each fall which provide teachers and staff with a profile of the student and tracks their growth over time.  The New York State tests are given only in grades 3 and 5 in both Math and English Language Arts.  The students in grade 4 take the NYS Science test (performance and written).  We use the NYS tests to evaluate our curricula and determine what kinds of educational experiences students might need.