Curriculum

We are pleased to offer an extensive, multi-level curriculum that provides all students, including those with academic accommodations, with the opportunity both to challenge themselves and to achieve success by enrolling in the level of courses that meets their needs.  More importantly, recognizing that a student’s academic needs vary by discipline, we do not “track” our students.

Additionally, we offer seventeen dual credit courses for which students earn credit at both Mater Dei and Kaskaskia College.  All the dual credit courses, except Residential Electricity, are offered at Mater Dei for no additional charge.  Dual credit courses provide our students with numerous advantages following graduation: experience with college-level coursework, financial savings, and the opportunities to earn additional minors or majors or to graduate early.

The pages below provide a listing of available courses, as well as the amount of credit earned in those courses.  For complete descriptions of each course, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Business Education

Graduation Requirement: 0.5 credit of Consumer Economics

For complete descriptions of the courses, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Year-Long Course (1 credit)
Accounting Principles *
CEO - Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities *

Semester Courses (0.5 credit)
Consumer Economics
Agricultural Business Management
Business Law
Marketing
Small Business Management
Office Assistant

Computer Applications
Advanced Computer Applications *
Web Page Design
Introduction to Networking
Introduction to Coding

 

* This course is a dual credit course for which students earn credit at both Mater Dei and Kaskaskia College for no additional charge.

 

English

Graduation Requirement: 4 credits of English and 0.5 credit of Speech 103

For complete descriptions of the courses, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Year-Long Courses (1 credit)
English I A
English I
English I Honors
English II A
English II
English II Honors
English III A
English III
English III Honors

Semester Courses (0.5 credit)
Short Literature II
English Literature
Effective Writing
Methods of Writing
English Composition 101 *
English Composition 102 *
Speech 103 *

 

* This course is a dual credit course for which students earn credit at both Mater Dei and Kaskaskia College for no additional charge.

Fine Arts

Graduation Requirement: 0.5 credit

For complete descriptions of the courses, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Year-Long Courses (1 credit)
Concert Band
Percussion Ensemble

Semester Courses (0.5 credit)
Art Graphics
Drawing and Design
Ceramics
Printmaking
Painting
Advanced Drawing and Design
Advanced Ceramics
Portfolio of Advanced Art Projects
Video and Sound Production
Introduction to Music in America *

Semester Course (0.25 credit)
Noon Chorus
Jazz Band - "9th Period"

 

* This course is a dual credit course for which students earn credit at both Mater Dei and Kaskaskia College for no additional charge.

 

NOTE: All students enrolled in Concert Band are required to participate in Marching Band and Pep Band unless prior permission is granted by the director of bands.

Foreign Language

Graduation Requirement: none (minimum of two years recommended for college)

For complete descriptions of the courses, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Year-Long Courses (1 credit)
Spanish I
Spanish II
Spanish 101 *
Spanish 102 *

 

* This course is a dual credit course for which students earn credit at both Mater Dei and Kaskaskia College for no additional charge.

Home Economics

Graduation Requirement: none

For complete descriptions of the courses, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Semester Courses (0.5 credit)
Sewing I
Sewing II
Foods to Faith - A Spiritual Journey Through Culinary Arts

Industrial Education

Graduation Requirement: none

For complete descriptions of the courses, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Year-Long Courses  (1 credit)
Basic Shop I
Basic Shop II
Drafting

 

Year-Long Courses  (2 credits)
Building Trades I
Building Trades II
Residential Electricity *

NOTE: Because these courses meet two periods per day, students earn two credits.

 

* This course is a dual credit course for which students earn credit at both Mater Dei and Kaskaskia College.  This course, which includes additional fees, is offered at the Kaskaskia College Education Center in Trenton during the school day.

Mathematics

Graduation Requirement: 3 credits

For complete descriptions of the courses, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Year-Long Courses (1 credit)
Essentials of Algebra I
Algebra I
Algebra I Honors
Essentials of Geometry
Geometry
Geometry Honors
Essentials of Algebra II
Algebra II
Algebra II Honors
Algebra II and Trigonometry Honors
Precalculus
Calculus and Analytic Geometry **

Semester Courses (0.5 credit)
Finite Mathematics
Trigonometry
Statistics

 

** While this course is not an official Advanced Placement (AP) course, the level of coursework fully prepares students for the AP test.

Physical Education

Graduation Requirement: 1.5 credits of physical education and 0.5 credit of Health 

For complete descriptions of the courses, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Year-Long Courses (1 credit)
Physical Education I (males)
Physical Education I (females)
Weightlifting and Conditioning *

Semester Courses (0.5 credit)
Health
Physical Education II (males)
Physical Education II (females)
Physical Education III
Physical Education IV
Weightlifting and Conditioning *

 

* This course is a dual credit course for which students earn credit at both Mater Dei and Kaskaskia College for no additional charge.

Theology

Graduation Requirement: 4 credits and Senior Service Project 

For complete descriptions of the courses, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Year-Long Course (1 credit)
Youth Faith Formation Teacher (seniors only)

Semester Courses (0.5 credit)
Theology I: Jesus Christ: The Living Word, The Revelation of God's Love
Theology I: Theology of the Body
Theology II: Jesus Christ: God's Love Made Visible
Theology II: The Paschal Mystery
Theology III: The Church, Our Story
Theology III: Meeting Jesus in the Sacraments
Theology IV: Your Moral Life in Christ
Theology IV: Foundations of Catholic Social Doctrine

Service Requirements
An essential aspect of our Mission is to provide an opportunity for our students to both learn to serve and serve to learn. Therefore, in addition to performing service as a school community, our students perform individual service.  Through their service experiences, our students develop
self-confidence, become aware of the needs of others, and recognize the many ways they can serve others with the talents God has graciously given them.

More specifically, each year, our freshman, sophomore, and junior students perform acts of service aligned with the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy.  Our senior students complete a
three-week Senior Service Project in January, during which they respond to the needs of others at a variety of locations in Clinton County, the greater metro-east area, and St. Louis, including day care centers, schools, hospitals, nursing homes, civil agencies, and social agencies.

Science

Graduation Requirement: 2 credits

For complete descriptions of the courses, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Year-Long Courses (1 credit)
Physical Science A
Physical Science
Physical Science Honors
Biology A
Biology
Biology Honors
Earth Science
Chemistry
Chemistry Honors
Physics
Physics Honors
Introduction to Engineering
Agricultural Science

Semester Courses (0.5 credit)
Biology II
Anatomy and Physiology
Chemistry II *
Animal Science
Soil Science
Agronomy
Horticultural Production and Management
Agricultural Business Management

CNA (Certified Nurse Assistant) Program (2 credits)
Certified Nurse Assistant *
Medical Terminology *

Note: Because students enroll in both courses the same year, they receive two credits (one credit for each year-long course).

 

* This course is a dual credit course for which students earn credit at both Mater Dei and Kaskaskia College for no additional charge.

Social Studies

Graduation Requirement: 2 credits, including American History, and passing the U.S. Constitution test

For complete descriptions of the courses, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

Year-Long Courses (1 credit)
World History
American History
Advanced Placement (AP) American History

Semester Courses (0.5 credit)
American Government
Modern American History
Current World Issues
Global Studies
Marketing
Rules for Life
General Psychology *
Early Child Development *
Life Span Growth and Development *

 

* This course is a dual credit course for which students earn credit at both Mater Dei and Kaskaskia College for no additional charge.

Driver Education

Mater Dei offers both the classroom phase and the behind-the-wheel phase of Driver Education during the school year.  Students are enrolled in the course based on applicable birth date requirements.  (Note that there are additional fees for Driver Education.)  For a complete description of the course, please review the 2024-2025 Curriculum Guide

In addition, Mater Dei offers the classroom phase of Driver Education during the summer for students meeting the applicable birth date requirement.  Priority for placement in the summer course will be given to Mater Dei students first ($80), Central Community High School students second ($110), and students from all other high schools third ($140).  The fee must be paid on the first day of class (checks payable to Mater Dei Catholic High School Driver Education). (Note that the fee is for the classroom phase only.  Additional fees will be charged for the behind-the-wheel phase and the driver's permit and license.)

Session 1: June 3, 2024 to June 14, 2024 (15 years old by June 14, 2024)
as of 5-22-24, session 1 is closed.

Session 2: July 22, 2024 to August 2, 2024 (15 years old by August 2, 2024)

For the summer driver education registration form, which includes additional information, please select the following link: 2024 Summer Driver Education Registration Form