Academics

Mission & Vision

At Old St. Mary’s Parish School, our mission drives all that we do. Our dedicated teachers and instructional teams seek to unlock our students' potential, prepare them to succeed academically, and stress the importance of using their gifts from God in service to our world community.

Old St. Mary's offers:

A well-rounded education rooted in Catholic values, social-emotional learning, and social justice that develops strong intellectual habits.
Vertically aligned English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Religion curriculum.
A commitment to developing children’s faith, character, integrity, critical thinking, and leadership skills.

Old St. Mary’s School, sponsored by the Archdiocese of Chicago and reflective of the Paulist Mission, is committed to preparing students to be productive, responsible, and impactful members of the world community.

Lead through faith. Grow in knowledge. Serve with love.

Curriculum & Instruction

Stories of God’s Love - Religion Curriculum in Preschool

Stories of God's Love teaches Scripture stories and connects them to children's lives through an easy to understand, real-life story. At OSM, teachers gather students on the rug while they use story books and songs to deliver this religion instruction. Stories of God’s Love has been the PK religion curriculum at OSM for many years.

Finding God - Religion Curriculum in K-7

Loyola Press’s religion curriculum is rooted in Scripture, Catholic doctrine, and Ignatian spirituality. This model of catechesis invites students to respond to the ongoing invitation to enter into a deeper relationship with God, and encourages them to find God in all things. OSM has been utilizing the Finding God curriculum since 2022.

Connect! Bringing Faith to Life - Religion Curriculum in Grade 8

Our 8th graders round out their religious education at OSM with the Connect! series by St. Mary’s Press. Centered around relevant life issues, this program helps young people navigate life through the lens of faith. Active and engaging lessons encourage honest reflection and meaning making. Using an accompaniment model, this faith formation program meets eighth graders no matter where they are on their faith journey. OSM has been utilizing Connect! for 8th graders since 2025.

Blessed - Sacramental Preparation Curriculum in Grades 1-3

At OSM, we use the Blessed curriculum through Dynamic Catholic to prepare first graders to receive the Sacrament of First Reconciliation in second grade and second graders to receive the Sacrament of First Eucharist in third grade. Beautifully illustrated stories and animated videos allow children to forge an emotional connection with the content and prepare them for these sacraments. This school year, we are returning to the Blessed curriculum following the reimagination of our sacramental preparation program.

Confirmed in the Spirit - Sacramental Preparation Curriculum in Grades 6 & 7

At OSM, we use Loyola Press’s Confirmed in the Spirit curriculum to prepare our sixth graders to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in seventh grade. Through Scripture, prayer, in-depth content, and age-appropriate opportunities for reflective and active experiences, Confirmed in the Spirit prepares young people for Confirmation and the next phase of their lives as Catholics. OSM has been utilizing Confirmed in the Spirit since 2021.

FUNdations - Phonics Curriculum in Grades PK-4

Wilson’s Fundations program is a mastery-based curriculum that teaches foundational literacy skills. At OSM, teachers in kindergarten through fourth grade utilize the Fundations comprehensive scope and sequence, built-in scaffolding, and real-time progress monitoring to prevent learning gaps. Our preschool teachers utilize the PK-specific Fundations program, which is designed to prepare students for the more robust phonics education they will receive in kindergarten. OSM has been utilizing Fundations since 2019.

Wit & Wisdom - Literacy Curriculum in Grades K-5

Through a rigorous learning design based on Scarborough’s Rope, students gain content knowledge and an awareness of how to read texts, write, speak, and listen through Wit & Wisdom, published by Great Minds. Students move through three or four modules each school year, each containing several “arcs.” Students build knowledge that equips them to answer each module’s essential question and each arc’s focusing question through a variety of formative and summative assessment types. Wit & Wisdom is content-driven. This means that students learn to read, write, speak, and listen by engaging with grade-level-aligned social studies and science content. OSM adopted the Wit & Wisdom curriculum in 2025.

Geodes - Literacy Curriculum in Grades K-3

The Geodes program acts as the bridge between phonics instruction and reading and writing instruction. Aligned with Fundations and published through Great Minds, Geodes provides decodable texts that pair with each Wit & Wisdom arc. Teachers utilize Geodes in kindergarten through third grade to provide small group instruction tailored to individual students’ needs. The 2026-2027 school year is the first full year that OSM is utilizing Geodes in these grade levels.

English Language Arts in Middle School

OSM’s middle school ELA department consists of a reading class and a writing class. Students build upon the reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills of K-5 as they prepare for high school. The curriculum includes robust teacher-created units, which are often multi-disciplinary. This allows for collaboration between the reading and writing classes, as well as opportunities for interdisciplinary learning in social studies, science, and religion.

In reading class, students study rigorous vocabulary, write and deliver Book Talks on self-chosen texts, collaborate through project-based learning, participate in book clubs and whole-class novel reads, produce short films, and engage in theatrical performances.

In writing class, students study grammar, read and write poetry, hone research skills, and draft and publish a variety of writing types, including personal narratives, creative writing, short stories, persuasive essays, speeches, and research papers.

Bring Learning Alive! - Social Studies Curriculum in Grades K-8

Created by TCI, our whole-school social studies program explores the fundamentals of the world - its communities, peoples, and cultures - with hands-on, engaging lessons. Bring Learning Alive! provides students the chance to think critically, challenge assumptions, and understand the complexities of societal structures. In K-5, social studies units often correspond with Wit & Wisdom module content. We have been using TCI’s social studies curriculum at OSM for many years.

Savvas Envision - Math Curriculum in Grades K-5

Savvas Envision, a Pearson product, provides teachers with the tools to deliver rigorous math instruction that cultivates students’ curiosity about math, encourages discussion, and provides daily opportunities for reteaching and enrichment. At OSM, we seek to equip students with a strong conceptual understanding of each topic while nurturing a love of math. We believe that in encouraging students to independently explore a new math concept first, before receiving explicit instruction, they are better able to make rich and meaningful connections in higher-level math classes in middle school.

Illustrative Mathematics - Math Curriculum in Grades 6-8

Illustrative Mathematics (IM) is published by Kendall Hunt and is free to access online by all teachers, students, and families. It consists of a comprehensive suite of problem-based math curricula designed to encourage engaging mathematical discussion. The instructional resources include meaningful and creative math tasks that build on the skills students encounter in K-5 in each mathematical domain. We utilize IM in 6th grade math, 7th grade math, accelerated 7th grade math, 8th grade math, and algebra 1. We have been incorporating IM into middle school math instruction at OSM since 2024.

Desmos Math - Math Curriculum in Grades 6-8

At OSM, we use Amplify’s Desmos Math in tandem with Illustrative Mathematics in middle school. The Desmos Math program is a structured, problem-based approach that builds students’ curiosity while strategically developing math fluency and lasting grade-level understanding, greatly benefitting students when they enroll in advanced math courses in high school. We utilize Desmos in 6th grade math, 7th grade math, accelerated 7th grade math, 8th grade math, and algebra 1. We have been incorporating Demos into middle school math instruction at OSM since 2024.

Simplify Science - Science Curriculum in Grades K-5

Simplify Science allows students to investigate scientific concepts through reading, discussion, and hands-on activities. Each unit includes reading and writing activities that connect to ELA standards and include engineering challenges, interactive note-taking, and in-class labs. Students receive instruction in physical, earth and space, and life sciences at every grade level. We adopted the Simplify Science curriculum in K-5 at OSM in 2025.

Glencoe iScience - Science Curriculum in Grades 6-8

Glencoe iScience, published by McGraw-Hill, meets our middle school students where they are through engaging features and thought-provoking questions that encourage them to relate the science concepts to the world around them. The inquiry-based "5E" lesson cycle (engage, explore, explain, elaborate, evaluate) provides active, hands-on explorations of science concepts through in-class labs, project-based learning, and writing to answer analysis questions. We have been utilizing iScience at the middle school level at OSM for many years.

Science Education for Public Understanding Program (SEPUP) - Science Curriculum in Grades 6-8

SEPUP modules enable students to connect their science knowledge to the world around them by investigating and discussing essential questions posed in earth, life, and physical science units. Our middle school science program blends SEPUP and iScience curriculum resources to provide a robust instructional program, preparing students for success in science and science lab classes in high school. We have been utilizing iScience at the middle school level at OSM for many years.

Old St. Mary’s is proud to offer a play-based preschool program. Students work toward developmental milestones and engage with their peers through purposeful play inspired by literacy, math, social studies, science, and religion concepts. Students move freely through daily centers that promote creativity, socialization, problem-solving, and independence. In addition to centers, preschool students spend efficient, meaningful time together on the rug each day engaging in Name Study and Emergent Reading, exploring early phonics concepts, counting, examining the weather, listening to read-alouds, singing, practicing gross motor, and discussing important social skills.

Caring School Community - SEL Curriculum in Grades K-4

Published through Collaborative Classroom, the Caring School Community curriculum lessons are delivered during each classroom’s morning meetings. This program fosters a culture of kindness and respect school-wide through the intentional building of relationships, direct teaching of social skills, and a proactive approach to discipline. It allows teachers to address the unique needs of all students by responding to social and emotional questions and challenges both proactively and as they arise within their shared classroom space. Caring School Community allows teachers to cultivate a sense of belonging for all members of their classroom community. OSM adopted the Caring School Community SEL program in 2020.

#WinAtSocial - SEL Curriculum in Grades 5-8

Created by The Social Institute, the #WinAtSocial program provides short, tailored, engaging weekly lessons related to a variety of topics from A.I. literacy to modern life skills like resiliency, time management, and navigating everyday social pressures and trending news. #WinAtSocial teaches our preteen and teen students how to make high-character decisions both on and offline. The 2026-2027 school is the first year OSM is adopting this program in grades five through eight.