Welcome Valerie,
Here in California, our diocesan School District has a very articulated, grade appropriate/assigned set of objectives and assessment protocols. Having spent 20 years in public, 10 in parochial, those curriculum guides are very similar to those of the state department of education. Frankly, depending upon how much actual classroom time you have with nine classes each week, and assuming you're also preparing music ministry for school Masses, and certain other musical events, you'll have to meet with your principal and identify your local priorities. The only time you'll have to reference "your curriculum" to the diocesan/state guidelines will be when your school comes up for accreditation. If you actually try to cover the whole gauntlet of requirements in the rubrics, you'll go nuts. Be very aware of linking music-reading skills, even with Gregorian neumes, with actual church repertoire. Use Kodaly basics from K-3 often, tie both note and rhythm Kodaly notation to solfege in both chant and modern notation as early as possible. Go to www.corpuschristiwatershed.com and look for Luke Tappan's latest article about what kids need to be taught for some solid ideas. After your first year, you'll get the timing and curve of the stuff that's important rather than whatever other teachers or parents might think is more accessible or popular.

Ditto Ward.

Ward!

Respectfully fellow advisors, I would like to point out a couple of things.
First of all, Valerie is going to be in it in less than a month. One doesn't acquire the Ward technique in one month, and you really don't do it "as you go along." Maybe WORDS WITH WINGS.
Secondly, I don't advocate one stratagem over another, Dalcroze v. Kodaly v. Ward. But like it or not, parochial principals are bound to statutes and rubrics that are not of the Justine Ward era. And Valerie will eventually have to deal with that reality. Now, if you have more than a didactic solution for her at this point as she faces the upcoming semester, I am also all ears.

study classroom management more than you study curricula or teaching techniques. If you cannot manage the class, the content is irrelevant.

Make friends with enthusiastic and experienced music teachers in your area, avoid those who may be experienced but are jaded and cynical.

YES!

I would also ask around to see who has the best programs and bother them with questions. There are also good websites to peruse such as: http://www.choralnet.org/list/resource/1867

You know, you could run a program around school Masses. You would have to have a discussion with your priest as well, I think. Look at this: http://musicasacra.com/additional-publications/pbc/

You could begin with the Kyriale (the ordinary of the Mass) and build from there with simple chant hymns and eventually move into music of two to four parts. You would do so much good teaching our young people about beauty in the Mass.

Granted, Ward cannot be taught in its pure form unless you have a 20 minute class with each grade every day of the week--not likely. Still, it shouldn't be overlooked or dismissed just because one can't do it exactly according to the book.

My undergrad is in Music Ed and we were taught a smattering of all the various methodologies out there: Orff, Kodaly, Dalcroze etc. But not a single mention of Ward. Probably because it is too Catholic. You don't need to study it in depth and get certified and teach it by the book. Download the free teacher manuals from CMA and read them and incorporate some of the exercises into your own curriculum.

If you have some money to spend, also take a look at the John Feierabend materials available from GIA. Some of it quite good. But I wouldn't follow that metholody to a T either. Still, particualrly for the younger grades, there are some nice song collections and the Conversational Solfege Curriculum is another good reference point. There are many optional extras like flash cards and what not if you want that sort of thing, but you can easily adapt it and make it your own.

The most important thing is to give them a good, healthy vocal model and then expose them to as much good music as possible--especially music from the Catholic heritage.

Even something as simple as starting each class with "good morning students" (on a descending minor 3rd) will work wonders. I think I shared this before, but I did this with elementary students for our weekly "hymn practice" at a parish where the priests never sang any of the dialogues or prayers at Mass. One day when the Bishop came to say Mass he sang "The Lord be with you" and ALL of the students answered perfectly singing "and with your spirit" as if they had been doing all the while. It was a beautiful moment.