SJ23’s Early Childhood Program, serving 3, 4 and 5 year-olds and their families, has been in existence for over 15 years. It provides a welcoming and nurturing environment that leads all children to become successful learners. Based on the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards, the program is intentionally designed to pique our students’ natural curiosity and inclination to explore while taking differing levels of development fully into account. Through rich, appropriate play experiences involving fantasy, construction, role-based play, and multi-sensory experiences, children learn to be flexible thinkers and develop core social skills such as negotiation, collaboration, and empathy.

Moreover, our students are guided in developing their relationship with God, learning about the world, making friends, and building independence and leadership skills, resulting in a strong foundation of faith, intelligence, creativity, and social competence. In addition, our Early Childhood Program includes enrichment activities enabling students to engage in Music, Art, Spanish, Character Building, and Physical Education (PE).

Every SJ23 student has access to our experienced team of support staff who work in concert with our faculty to ensure each child’s individual needs are met. Indeed, we are deeply committed to developing the whole child – socially, emotionally, academically and spiritually.

Our Pre-3 Program is specifically designed to provide an environment that seamlessly transitions your child from one developmental level to the next. The structured curriculum motivates and inspires children to learn, and the nurturing, family-centered environment gives our students the individual attention needed to instill self-confidence, social skills, and a feeling of security.

St. John XXIII Catholic School offers a place where your child will be nurtured & where the values you teach at home will be reinforced.

Pre-3 Program: 8:20-11:30 AM

• Flexible Schedule
  • Choose between the following three options:
    • Option 1: Monday, Wednesday, Friday (3 days)
    • Option 2: Tuesday, Thursday (2 days)
    • Option 3: Monday – Friday (5 days)
• Before & After School Child Care: Available to SJ23 students in grades Pre-3 through 6th grade
• Supplemental Curriculum: Physical Education, Music, Library, Art and Spanish
• Safe & Secure Campus
• Licensed Early Childhood Teacher; plus full-time Educational Assistant

*This class is limited to 16 children per day

SJ23’s K4 Program builds on the basic skills learned at the preschool level. We incorporate developmentally appropriate activities that provide early learning experiences and skills that prepare your child for future success in school. By developing strong social skills and emotional security, a love of learning is encouraged and expanded.

The K4 Program further expands and enriches its curriculum by incorporating field trips and hands-on learning that complement current areas of exploration, as well as blends lifestyle skills with supplemental instruction. This results in a well-balanced program that prepares children for the K5 level.

• Licensed Early Childhood Teacher; plus full-time Aide
• Five Day Program (Monday-Friday)
  • Full-Day Enrichment Program with SNAP integration (8:20-3:30 PM)
  • AM (Half Day) Program (8:20-11:30 AM) available upon request
• Student Support: Social Emotional Coach on staff to provide character lessons twice a month exploring traits such as responsibility, kindness, courage, etc., as well as individual counseling services
• Supplemental Curriculum: Physical Education, Music, Library, Art and Spanish
• Mass: Students attend once per month
• Buddy Opportunities: Students will have “buddy opportunities” (readings, projects, etc.) with older students
• Before & After School Child Care: Available to SJ23 students in grades Pre-3 through 6th grade
• Safe & Secure Campus

*Class is limited to 20 children

We are excited to now able to open the Wisconsin Parental Choice Program (WPCP) to our incoming K4 families. The Choice program allows students whose families meet certain income qualifications the ability to attend a participating private or religious school of their choice, tuition free. The open application period for the 2022-23 school year is February 1 – April 15, 2022. Current Pre-3 families, parishioners, and community members from Port Washington and surrounding areas are encouraged to apply online or call the school office for more information.

SJ23’s Kindergarten Program is the last step of a three-level program. It expands upon the pre-K curriculum and nurtures skills needed to be successful in school. Our kindergarten program builds on previously learned skills and gradually prepares children for their elementary years. K5 blends academic readiness with creative exploration. We incorporate core academics, such as reading, math, science, and social studies with supplemental curriculum. We combine technology with traditional learning that helps your child to build a strong foundation to become a confident, lifelong learner and successful citizen in his or her community.

• Early Childhood Teacher; plus full-time Educational Assistant (Child Ratio Average is 1:15)
• Core Academics: Reading, Writing, Religion, Science, Math, and Spanish
• Supplemental Curriculum: Physical Education, Music, Library, Art, and Daily Play Time!
• Student Support: Social Emotional Coach on staff to provide character lessons twice a month exploring traits such as responsibility, kindness, courage, etc., as well as individual counseling services
• SMART Board and iPad technology instruction blended with traditional and hands-on learning
• Uniforms Required

SJ23’s elementary school curriculum is a blend of traditional textbook instruction, technology, and hands-on experiences. Language arts, writing, math, religion, social studies, science, Spanish, art, music, and gym make up our basic curriculum.

All of our kindergarten through 8th grade students have the opportunity to explore, invent, and create in our STEAM labs. Technology also supplements student learning. All of our prekindergarten (pre-K) through 8th grade classrooms are equipped with SMART Boards, which facilitate interactive learning. Additionally, pre-K through 4th grade students use computers and iPads to supplement group and individual instruction.

View Grade Specific Catholic Education Curriculum Here

SJ23’s middle school curriculum is a blend of traditional textbook instruction, technology, and hands-on experiences. Language arts, writing, math, religion, social studies, science, Spanish, art, music, and gym make up our basic curriculum.

Our 5th through 8th grade middle school curriculum offers more advanced academic challenges, more leadership and service opportunities, and more co-curricular opportunities. In middle school, math is ability-based. Pre-algebra and algebra are offered to students based on readiness. Middle school students also have required service hours and have the opportunity to participate in retreats, student council, band, choir, and fine arts electives.

All of our kindergarten through 8th grade students have the opportunity to explore, invent, and create in our STEAM labs. Technology also supplements student learning. All of our prekindergarten (pre-K) through 8th grade classrooms are equipped with SMART Boards, which facilitate interactive learning. Middle school students supplement instruction with laptops and Chromebooks.

View Grade Specific Catholic Education Curriculum Here

Our STEAM initiative offers a student-centered environment dedicated to a deeper understanding of real-world concepts and their relationship to each other. The STEAM concept explores Science and Technology, through Engineering and the Arts, all based in Mathematical elements. This hands-on, inquiry-based approach encourages our kindergarten through 8th grade students to investigate and solve real-world problems by incorporating language, fine arts, and music in addition to traditional STEM curriculum.

Steam Electives/ Projects

Future City: Future City starts with a question—how can we make the world a better place? To answer it, 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students imagine, research, design, and build cities of the future that showcase their solution to a citywide sustainability issue.
Students complete four deliverables: a 1,500-word city essay; a scale model built from recycled materials; a project plan, and a presentation to judges at Regional Competitions.

Skills gained – Students participating in Future City:

• Apply math and science concepts to real-world issues
• Develop writing, public speaking, problem solving, and time management skills
• Research and propose solutions to engineering challenges
• Discover different types of engineering and explore careers options
• Learn how their communities work and become better citizens
• Develop strong time management and project management skills

Dominican Challenge

• Stem competition of around 30 middle school teams at Dominican High School
• Our school won third place overall 2019-2020

Starting with an identical set of materials, each team will design, build, and test a small machine that will be used to complete a challenge in a tournament format. Along the way, students will utilize engineering design thinking, collect data to inform revision and upgrades, and use artistic creativity to transform raw materials into a unique, victorious product.

*We are so honored to have received a $10,000 Grant from The Catholic Community Foundation for our STEM Science Initiative.

At SJ23, we support students’ individual learning needs and help them reach their highest potential by providing one-on-one and small-group student enrichment. In 5th through 8th grades, we have regularly scheduled flex time for intervention, project time, reteaching, acceleration, and enrichment. We nurture our students’ emotional and social growth weekly through individual or group counseling opportunities that focus on relationships, adolescent challenges, healthy minds and bodies, as well as other topics that promote positive social and emotional growth.

Social Emotional Coach: The Social Emotional coach’s role is to help students gain and effectively apply the knowledge and skills necessary to manage and understand their emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy towards others, develop and maintain positive relationships with peers, and make responsible decisions. Along with being a support to students, the Social Emotional Coach collaborates with teachers and parents to meet the needs of our students and provide information and professional development in the areas of social emotional health.

The Learning Support Specialist: This position works closely with students experiencing challenges in reading and/or writing. Support is provided both inside and outside the general classroom to teach and implement strategies and provide remedial support to students on a personalized level. The Learning Support Specialist teacher provides remediation to students designated as having a learning disability or designated as transitional students.  She works closely with teachers to provide resources and ideas as well as plan effectively for student support within the classroom.

At SJ23, we believe that technology enhances traditional and hands-on teaching methods to further our students’ educational journey both inside and outside the classroom. Students use iPads and Chromebooks in the STEAM labs and classrooms to accomplish academic goals and become respectful, knowledgeable digital citizens.