Fall 2025: Second and Third Grade
Note: The below courses are for the FALL 2025 semester. The SPRING 2026 course list will be made available on January 20.
2:00 - 3:00
SU 21: People of Pittsburgh
Today, Pittsburgh is known for its hospitals, universities, and technology companies, but it still remembers its history. Come explore the stories of some of Pittsburgh’s most inspiring people! In this class, students will discover how hometown heroes like Fred Rogers, Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol, and Arnold Palmer made a difference in society through kindness, creativity, sports, and community spirit. This course will focus on influential Pittsburghers and their impacts on society through fun hands-on activities, art projects, storytelling, and games. Students will learn not only about history but also about values like teamwork, imagination, and helping others. This engaging course will show children that just like these influential Pittsburghers, they too can use their talents to make a positive impact on their community.
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Placid 424
Miss Katie Smith is a Sophomore at Saint Vincent College majoring in Early Childhood Education with a plan to minor in Special Education. Miss Katie has had many experiences with children, including the past two summers teaching swim lessons to children ages three through eleven. During swim lessons, Miss Katie was in charge of teaching her kids the importance of swimming, floating, how to hold your breath and to blow bubbles. Miss Katie has also worked at various summer camps through her high school and college career, including Girl Scout camp where she worked as an aid for four years. At Girl Scout camp, Katie taught campers fire safety, outdoor skills, and how to work as a group. Katie has also worked at music camp for her parish for two years, teaching kids rhythm, vocal exercises and other musical elements.
SU 22: Money Fun: Learning to Count
Young learners will navigate the fundamentals of money and how it’s used in daily life. This will be done by utilizing fake coins and bills where students will learn to identify these currencies with their correct amount pairing and count them. The use of real-life scenarios and money games will enable the children to also perform concepts of addition and subtraction as well as comparing varying prices. By the end of this course students will build a stable foundation in math and money skills.
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Placid 422
Emerson Peffer is currently a sophomore at Saint Vincent College. She is majoring in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education K-12. Emerson graduated from Seneca Valley High School in Harmony, PA with tons of experience with younger children both in all settings, especially in the classroom. During her 4 years of high school, she was an assistant youth basketball coach for Seneca Valley’s elementary teams. She also has job shadowed grades ranging from 1st to 4th at a swhich has helped her gain important insight about teaching. Besides these school associated opportunities, she babysits kids from ages 5 through 10, 30 hours a week in the summer and during that time she practices educational concepts with the children. Outside of school, Emerson is a part of the Saint Vincent Women’s Basketball Team who loves to workout, shop, hangout with friends, and play yard games.
3:00 - 4:00
SU 23: Up at Headquarters: Emotions from the Inside Out
Emotions can be a lot to navigate – this course makes it fun! In this 10-week course, students will learn about different feelings they may have, and learn more about each of those feelings. In addition to learning the basis of each emotion, students will also learn how to regulate and control those feelings. Students will learn how to understand others’ feelings and thoughts and will be able to take what they learned in this course into the real world!
COST: $20 ROOM: Headmasters 404
Miss Natalie is currently a sophomore at Saint Vincent College. She is majoring in Early Childhood Education with minors in Special Education K-12 and Children’s Studies. Natalie graduated from Norwin High School in North Huntingdon, PA, and has lots of experience with children inside and outside a classroom setting. During her 4 years of high school, she was an assistant dance teacher for the beginner levels at her home dance studio. Additionally, Natalie has worked at a local daycare and preschool facility since her sophomore year of high school. She has many hours of experience with children from ages infant-10 years old. Outside of school, Natalie is a part of the Saint Vincent Dance Team as one of the captains and likes to sing, shop, and hangout with her friends in her free time.
SU 24: Let's Travel!
A unit where 2nd/3rd grade students "travel" to a new country each week of their choice. Students will create and design a pretend passport, learn about each country's traditions, food, music, and art, and create a travel journal about the favorite things that they learned or something they found interesting.
COST: $20 ROOM: Placid 422
Mrs. Allie Cordell is currently a sophomore at saint Vincent College studying early childhood education. She has a lot of different experiences with children as she used to babysit her little brother, a lot of different family friends, and cousins very consistently. She also coaches a soccer camp throughout each summer. This past summer she had around 23 2nd or 3rd graders in her group and this camp lasted for 3 weeks of the summer. Lastly, she also often went into her mother’s 2nd grade classroom last year and would help those students as a whole class or she would have small groups that she would help, or partner read with. Mrs. Allie Cordell’s future plans are to graduate from Saint Vincent and be able to go back home and teach in a elementary school, and her favorite hobby is playing soccer.
SU 25: Blast Off! Intro to Space
*This class is currently full. If you are interested, please contact the Director to join the waitlist.
In this class, students will learn all about the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. Students will complete hands-on activities, such as building mini solar ovens, creating Mars rover models, and conducting planet-related science experiments.
COST: $20 ROOM: Placid 424
Ms. Kayla Kaminski is a sophomore at Saint Vincent College majoring in Early Childhood Education with a Disabilities minor. Ms. Kaminski has had many experiences with children as she works at the Early Bird Learning Center Preschool/Daycare. Outside of school and work, Ms. Kaminski can be found spending time with her friends and family, swimming, hunting, and fishing. After Ms. Kaminski graduates she plans to open her own daycare.
4:00 - 5:00
SU 26: Club Step-Up Second-Third
“Club Step-Up” will enable homeschool and cyber-school students to interact in a more informal, large-group setting. Each week, club “members” will possess the opportunity to engage in fun activities while socializing with similarly aged peers. For a week-by-week list of planned activities, please click here. All club members will receive a special Step-Up cup on the last day!
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Headmasters 404
Planned by the Program Director, Club Step-Up activities will be facilitated by Step-Up teachers and other Saint Vincent College Education students.
2:00 - 3:00
SU 21: People of Pittsburgh
Today, Pittsburgh is known for its hospitals, universities, and technology companies, but it still remembers its history. Come explore the stories of some of Pittsburgh’s most inspiring people! In this class, students will discover how hometown heroes like Fred Rogers, Roberto Clemente, Andy Warhol, and Arnold Palmer made a difference in society through kindness, creativity, sports, and community spirit. This course will focus on influential Pittsburghers and their impacts on society through fun hands-on activities, art projects, storytelling, and games. Students will learn not only about history but also about values like teamwork, imagination, and helping others. This engaging course will show children that just like these influential Pittsburghers, they too can use their talents to make a positive impact on their community.
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Placid 424
Miss Katie Smith is a Sophomore at Saint Vincent College majoring in Early Childhood Education with a plan to minor in Special Education. Miss Katie has had many experiences with children, including the past two summers teaching swim lessons to children ages three through eleven. During swim lessons, Miss Katie was in charge of teaching her kids the importance of swimming, floating, how to hold your breath and to blow bubbles. Miss Katie has also worked at various summer camps through her high school and college career, including Girl Scout camp where she worked as an aid for four years. At Girl Scout camp, Katie taught campers fire safety, outdoor skills, and how to work as a group. Katie has also worked at music camp for her parish for two years, teaching kids rhythm, vocal exercises and other musical elements.
SU 22: Money Fun: Learning to Count
Young learners will navigate the fundamentals of money and how it’s used in daily life. This will be done by utilizing fake coins and bills where students will learn to identify these currencies with their correct amount pairing and count them. The use of real-life scenarios and money games will enable the children to also perform concepts of addition and subtraction as well as comparing varying prices. By the end of this course students will build a stable foundation in math and money skills.
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Placid 422
Emerson Peffer is currently a sophomore at Saint Vincent College. She is majoring in Early Childhood Education with a minor in Special Education K-12. Emerson graduated from Seneca Valley High School in Harmony, PA with tons of experience with younger children both in all settings, especially in the classroom. During her 4 years of high school, she was an assistant youth basketball coach for Seneca Valley’s elementary teams. She also has job shadowed grades ranging from 1st to 4th at a swhich has helped her gain important insight about teaching. Besides these school associated opportunities, she babysits kids from ages 5 through 10, 30 hours a week in the summer and during that time she practices educational concepts with the children. Outside of school, Emerson is a part of the Saint Vincent Women’s Basketball Team who loves to workout, shop, hangout with friends, and play yard games.
3:00 - 4:00
SU 23: Up at Headquarters: Emotions from the Inside Out
Emotions can be a lot to navigate – this course makes it fun! In this 10-week course, students will learn about different feelings they may have, and learn more about each of those feelings. In addition to learning the basis of each emotion, students will also learn how to regulate and control those feelings. Students will learn how to understand others’ feelings and thoughts and will be able to take what they learned in this course into the real world!
COST: $20 ROOM: Headmasters 404
Miss Natalie is currently a sophomore at Saint Vincent College. She is majoring in Early Childhood Education with minors in Special Education K-12 and Children’s Studies. Natalie graduated from Norwin High School in North Huntingdon, PA, and has lots of experience with children inside and outside a classroom setting. During her 4 years of high school, she was an assistant dance teacher for the beginner levels at her home dance studio. Additionally, Natalie has worked at a local daycare and preschool facility since her sophomore year of high school. She has many hours of experience with children from ages infant-10 years old. Outside of school, Natalie is a part of the Saint Vincent Dance Team as one of the captains and likes to sing, shop, and hangout with her friends in her free time.
SU 24: Let's Travel!
A unit where 2nd/3rd grade students "travel" to a new country each week of their choice. Students will create and design a pretend passport, learn about each country's traditions, food, music, and art, and create a travel journal about the favorite things that they learned or something they found interesting.
COST: $20 ROOM: Placid 422
Mrs. Allie Cordell is currently a sophomore at saint Vincent College studying early childhood education. She has a lot of different experiences with children as she used to babysit her little brother, a lot of different family friends, and cousins very consistently. She also coaches a soccer camp throughout each summer. This past summer she had around 23 2nd or 3rd graders in her group and this camp lasted for 3 weeks of the summer. Lastly, she also often went into her mother’s 2nd grade classroom last year and would help those students as a whole class or she would have small groups that she would help, or partner read with. Mrs. Allie Cordell’s future plans are to graduate from Saint Vincent and be able to go back home and teach in a elementary school, and her favorite hobby is playing soccer.
SU 25: Blast Off! Intro to Space
*This class is currently full. If you are interested, please contact the Director to join the waitlist.
In this class, students will learn all about the Sun, the Moon, and the planets. Students will complete hands-on activities, such as building mini solar ovens, creating Mars rover models, and conducting planet-related science experiments.
COST: $20 ROOM: Placid 424
Ms. Kayla Kaminski is a sophomore at Saint Vincent College majoring in Early Childhood Education with a Disabilities minor. Ms. Kaminski has had many experiences with children as she works at the Early Bird Learning Center Preschool/Daycare. Outside of school and work, Ms. Kaminski can be found spending time with her friends and family, swimming, hunting, and fishing. After Ms. Kaminski graduates she plans to open her own daycare.
4:00 - 5:00
SU 26: Club Step-Up Second-Third
“Club Step-Up” will enable homeschool and cyber-school students to interact in a more informal, large-group setting. Each week, club “members” will possess the opportunity to engage in fun activities while socializing with similarly aged peers. For a week-by-week list of planned activities, please click here. All club members will receive a special Step-Up cup on the last day!
COST: $ 20 ROOM: Headmasters 404
Planned by the Program Director, Club Step-Up activities will be facilitated by Step-Up teachers and other Saint Vincent College Education students.
