Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic School - Tustin

At Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic School, a child is challenged to learn in a way that is both rigorous and deeply meaningful. Learning is not limited to memorizing facts; rather, students are guided to discern, ask questions, and apply their knowledge across subjects. As they progress through each grade level, expectations grow in complexity, encouraging them to build confidence as thinkers, problem-solvers, and communicators.

In the classroom, students are active participants in their learning. Through discussion, collaboration, and hands-on experiences, they are invited to share ideas, listen to others, and engage with content in meaningful ways. Teachers intentionally design lessons that spark curiosity and require students to reflect, revise, and persevere, helping them develop both academic discipline and a genuine love of learning.

Each child is also challenged according to their individual needs. Using ongoing assessment and thoughtful observation, teachers provide the right balance of support and stretch—ensuring that every student continues to grow. Students are encouraged to take ownership of their progress, learning to set goals, respond to feedback, and take responsibility for their development.

Rooted in our Catholic mission and the Educational Project of the Company of Mary, this challenge extends beyond academics. Students are called to grow in character, faith, and service—applying what they learn to real-world situations and living out Gospel values in their daily lives.

In this way, we challenge every child not only to achieve academic excellence, but to become a thoughtful, faith-filled individual prepared to make a meaningful impact in the world.

Parents should be attentive to the rise of AI because, while it offers powerful tools for learning and creativity, it also presents risks to critical thinking, personal discernment, and ethical decision-making in children. Unsupervised or excessive use can blur the lines between original thought and machine-generated content, potentially weakening skills in problem-solving, reflection, and moral reasoning. At Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic School, our mission to form students in both mind and heart provides a natural safeguard: by cultivating discernment, responsibility, and a faith-centered moral compass, we guide students to use technology thoughtfully, critically, and ethically. Through intentional integration of AI as a tool rather than a crutch, we equip children to navigate a rapidly changing digital world while remaining grounded in wisdom, virtue, and the values of our Catholic identity.

Learning Goals are the destination in the learning process. They represent the essential components we, as educators, have identified, and they are what all students strive to master.

Our Learning Goals are thoughtfully aligned with national, state, and diocesan standards, as well as research-based frameworks, including the California Preschool Learning Foundations (Volumes 1–3) for our early learners. This alignment reflects our commitment to academic excellence grounded in faith and informed by best practices.

The curriculum is intentionally articulated across all grade levels, creating a seamless continuum of learning. Through backward design, we prioritize meaningful and relevant assessments that inform instruction and support student growth. Ongoing analysis of student learning allows us to respond with care and precision—providing targeted support at the individual level while also strengthening our programs schoolwide. In this way, we remain faithful to our mission, ensuring that every student is known, supported, and challenged to reach their fullest potential.

Essential Questions are thoughtfully crafted, open-ended questions that guide students toward deeper understanding and purposeful learning. Rather than focusing on simple recall, they invite students to reflect, inquire, and make meaning—encouraging them to connect knowledge to their lives, their faith, and the world around them.

Essential Questions are designed to authentically measure Learning Goals because they require students to demonstrate understanding in meaningful and transferable ways. Instead of asking students only to recall information, they challenge students to apply, analyze, and synthesize their learning. Through discussion, writing, projects, and reflection, students reveal not only what they know, but how they think, how they reason, and how they live out what they have learned.

When aligned with Learning Goals, Essential Questions ensure that assessment is not merely about completion, but about formation. They provide educators with clear insight into student growth—both academically and in character—while inviting students to take ownership of their learning journey with purpose and integrity.

Example Essential Question:
How is data important to the hypothesis process?

Example

Formative Assessments are ongoing opportunities for students and teachers to gauge progress toward Learning Goals through the lens of the Essential Questions. They are not endpoints, but intentional checkpoints within the learning journey—designed to inform, guide, and refine both instruction and student understanding.

In relation to Learning Goals, formative assessments help determine how close a student is to mastering the essential knowledge and skills identified by the school. They provide timely insight into what students know, what they are still developing, and where support or extension is needed.

When aligned with Essential Questions, formative assessments move beyond simple recall and invite students to demonstrate deeper understanding. Through discussions, reflections, problem-solving tasks, and collaborative work, students begin to articulate their thinking, make connections, and engage meaningfully with the core ideas of the lesson. These assessments reveal not only content knowledge, but also a student’s ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and apply learning with purpose.

In this way, formative assessments authentically measure progress by keeping learning dynamic and responsive. They allow educators to adjust instruction with care and intention, and they encourage students to reflect on their own growth—fostering responsibility, perseverance, and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Mastery-based grading is an approach to assessment that focuses on a student’s level of understanding in relation to clearly defined Learning Goals rather than on the accumulation of points or completion of tasks. It emphasizes growth, clarity, and purpose—ensuring that grades reflect what a student truly knows and is able to do.

In this model, each Learning Goal represents an essential skill or body of knowledge that students are expected to master. Students are given multiple opportunities, supported by formative feedback, to develop and demonstrate their understanding over time. Progress is measured against standards of proficiency, not against other students or a single moment of performance.

Mastery-based grading is closely connected to Essential Questions, as it prioritizes deep understanding over surface-level learning. Students are asked to apply, explain, and reflect on their learning in meaningful ways, showing that they can transfer their knowledge beyond the classroom.

This approach encourages responsibility, perseverance, and integrity. It communicates to students that learning is a journey—one that requires effort, reflection, and a willingness to grow. For educators, it provides a clearer and more accurate picture of student progress, allowing instruction to be responsive and aligned with the mission of forming thoughtful, capable, and faith-filled learners.

Saint Jeanne de Lestonnac Catholic School utilizes Otus as its primary Learning Management System to ensure that the school’s commitment to mastery-based learning is clearly communicated, consistently implemented, and transparently shared with families.

Because the school’s approach is centered on Learning Goals, Essential Questions, and formative assessment, Otus provides a platform where student progress can be monitored in a meaningful and mission-aligned way. Rather than simply reporting grades, it allows parents to see how their child is progressing toward mastery of specific skills and standards over time. This creates a clearer picture of growth, highlighting both areas of strength and opportunities for continued development.

Otus also supports the ongoing feedback cycle that is essential to formative assessment. Teachers can provide timely insights, and parents can remain actively engaged in their child’s learning journey. In this way, communication between school and home is strengthened, fostering a shared responsibility for each student’s formation.

Aligned with the school’s Catholic identity, the use of Otus reflects a commitment to transparency, accountability, and care for the whole child. It ensures that families are not only informed, but also invited into the process of growth—supporting students as they strive toward excellence, guided by purpose, perseverance, and faith.