Academics

Information coming soon

Singing and music have been a long-standing tradition at Mission Basilica School. From the early days, at our Mission, our children have greeted the return of the Swallows in song!
 

Music Class at Mission Basilica School

All students from preschool through 8th grade get to participate in music class twice a week! The kids get to sing, play percussion instruments (xylophones, glockenspiels, drums, cowbells, shakers, etc), dance/move, and perform. Activities and repertoire learned depend on grade-level, but two program highlights include learning to play recorder in 4th-5th grade and ukulele in 7th-8th grade. Students also get to explore how music connects to and enhances their faith. Throughout their time at MBS, students will experience singing and playing various instruments, learn to read music, be immersed in music from different styles, cultures, and time periods, and exercise their creativity with improvising and composing! 
 

Mission Basilica School Choir

We have two extracurricular choral groups at MBS: Elementary Choir (3rd-5th grade) and Middle School Choir (6th-8th grade). Students sing in unison and in two to three-part harmony, and learn healthy singing habits like correct vocal posture and breathing technique. Choir focuses on serving the Lord through singing contemporary and traditional liturgical music, and occasionally works on secular music for other occasions. Our choirs sing at special school Masses throughout the school year, including United Nations Day, Catholic Schools Week, St. Joseph’s Day, and May Crowning. MBS Choirs have also sung at other special events around the community such as the Tree Lighting at the Mission Inn, the Pueri Cantores festival, and our very own Mission's Got Talent! 

 

Each choir rehearses once a week after school. All students from 3rd through 8th grade are welcome to join-- no audition required! All the children need is a love of music and a desire to serve the Lord using their musical gifts. 
 

Mission Basilica School Cantor Program

Our older choir singers have the opportunity to be a cantor at our school Masses. This is a wonderful opportunity for singers to use their musical gifts to glorify God as they lead our school community in worship! In addition to singing at Mass, cantors have the opportunity to help select music, create hand motions for songs, and hold leadership positions in the choir. Cantors also get to sing for fun activities such as pep rallies, fundraisers, and other special events!

Preschool through 8 take part in Physical Education class twice a week.  Students must wear school-approved P.E. attire.

Class activities are based on the California Physical Education Model Content Standards. 

Lessons:

• progress developmentally and are age appropriate;

• range from simple to more complex activities;

• include individual, partner, small group and whole group activities;

• range from non-competitive to more competitive;

• vary from activities that require little skill to more challenging activities;

• encourage students to always demonstrate sportsmanship, integrity and honesty.

• promote the concept “all players are active at all times”.

Mission Basilica School offers Spanish from Preschool to 8th grade. Our program is a comprehensive study of the language, culture, geography, history and music of Spain and Latin America that helps our students become lifelong learners and globally aware citizens.

In preschool to third grade, students are exposed to children’s books, songs and games, and also to basic vocabulary in a fun and relaxed atmosphere.

More formal Spanish instruction starts in fourth grade. In fourth and fifth grade, students review and expand the vocabulary that they learned in the lower grades, and start transitioning towards a more comprehensive use of the language.

Our middle grades program offers Spanish twice a week for sixth grade and three times a week for seventh and eighth grades. MBS students use a Spanish 1A and Spanish 1B middle school series. It is a very complete, standards based, program that includes a textbook, 2 workbooks, audio CDs and DVDs. We also use our iPads for various projects and activities.

Making sure that our students become lifelong learners and globally aware citizens in a diverse world is one of our goals at Mission Basilica School, and we in the Foreign Language department work really hard to make a contribution towards that goal.

At Mission Basilica School, technology is viewed as a vehicle of communication, analysis, and research in the light of Catholic values and moral decision making.  Technology is integrated into each office, classroom, and learning environment within the school community.  Precautions are taken to assure the safety of students, including providing ongoing education of inappropriate and potentially dangerous uses of technology.  Every student and faculty member sign an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) at the beginning of each school year.

Technology Labs

More information coming soon.