Each child is encouraged to discover and develop his or her
own intellectual and creative potential. Emphasizing the importance
of how to learn, the academic program is designed to provide
each child with a firm foundation in the basic skill areas, a
sense of responsibility for his or her own work, and the ability
to contribute to a group. We foster a child's love of learning
and satisfaction in personal accomplishments.
Reading
Children's reading skills are enhanced predominantly through
a balanced literacy program. A multidisciplinary approach builds
knowledge of phonetics, mastery of sight words, and proper application
of contextual and picture clues. Integrated within the reading
instruction, a systematic phonics approach is presented to all
students. Skills which emphasize both literal and inferential comprehension
as well as critical thinking are also taught through Guided Reading lessons.
Reading material is often related to the current topic of study
and is found in children's literature, newspapers, magazines and resource books. Children's writing is often
published and made available to others. Although
the classroom teachers are responsible for the reading progress
of their children, a reading specialist monitors progress and
serves as a resource.
Writing
Writing, a process which begins with brainstorming, progresses
through formulating a rough draft, revising, editing, and finally
publishing. This process fosters development of the creative aspect
of writing and ensures progress in mechanics and spelling. Children
write throughout the day and apply knowledge of spelling rules
and maintain responsibility for the correct spelling of designated high
frequency words. Subject matter is often linked to current topics
of study, and the teacher works with each student during every
step of the writing process. Children experiment with a variety
of fiction and nonfiction genres. The Handwriting Without Tears program is followed in Junior Kindergarten through fourth grade, with cursive writing introduced at the beginning of third grade.
Mathematics
Guided student manipulation of concrete materials forms the
conceptual foundation for each child's calculations and abstract
thinking. Major areas include computation, measurement, geometry,
fractions, graphing, money, time, estimation, deductive reasoning,
and word problems. Real world situations, such as the opening
of a class restaurant and the operation of a school store, help
children appreciate the value of their mathematical and computational
skills.
Social Studies and Economics
Within the thematic social studies program, attitudes leading
to the development of effective and responsible citizens are encouraged.
Students develop an appreciation for world cultures and influential
leaders, and acquire knowledge of geography, map skills, and research
techniques. Expository writing and presentation skills are addressed
on a regular basis. Social studies units, such as Around the World
in Eighty Days or The City, provide an umbrella for activities
in language arts and mathematics, as well as in music, art, and
drama. Virtual journeys to far off places and field trips to local
points of interest deepen understandings of world geography and
cultures. An immersion into various cultures includes cooking
ethnic foods, learning some of the language, reading literature
from the area, and participating in area customs and festivals.
Children are never too young to develop understandings of basic
economic principles. Daily classroom situations provide opportunities
to experience the effects of supply and demand and to weigh relative
cost and benefits in order to make informed decisions. As first
graders learn about careers, they see that they will become producers.
As second graders conduct market surveys, they learn about the
need for their store to meet a demand. Third
grade entrepreneurs participate in assembly lines as the produce
tasty treats to be sold on Chocolate Market Day. This annual event
draws Valentine's Day customers from far and wide.
Science
Lower School children find answers to questions about our world
through experimentation in the science laboratory.
Junior scientists observe, measure, collect, categorize, invent,
interpret, record, and analyze. The student expands his or her
understanding of scientific method and critical concepts in such ways as
creating a chemical reaction in a Ziplock bag or
developing polymers suitable for the bumpers on a plastic car. Our hundred acre campus offers an outdoor lab with ponds, streams, meadows, orchards, forests and gardens.
Technology
Technology is fully integrated into the Lower School curriculum.
In classrooms, computers serve as tools to enhance knowledge,
develop research skills, build math concepts, improve reading
skills, and publish children's writing. In the computer lab, classroom instruction is enhanced by taking on-line and
virtual field trips, meeting interactive learning challenges,
creating student designed web pages, and doing projects that
coordinate with the curriculum.
Music
The music curriculum is designed to stimulate children's interest
in music and to help them discover its basic concepts using the
Carl Orff-Schulwerk approach. The
children are exposed to choral work, recordings, game songs, dances
and instruments. They gain experience in front of an audience by staging performances,
which are created to enhance the curriculum. Optional private
music lessons are available, and a band program begins in third grade.
Art
The goals of the Lower School art program are to develop students'
confidence in their own creative abilities, to sharpen their
perception of the world around them, to encourage inventiveness,
experimentation, and imagination, and to introduce a wide
range of media dealing in both two and three dimensions. The
lessons
incorporate art history and are designed to complement the
classroom curriculum.
Physical Education
The physical education program is a carefully planned sequence
of learning experiences designed to build the physical fitness,
the self-esteem, and the self-image of each student. Through
tasks which allow successful participation within a challenging
and motivating environment, opportunities exist which promote
a sense of group spirit, foster peer interactions, and provide
for the development of physical awareness and self-confidence.
The Library
Each student enjoys the opportunity to borrow books from the
collection, which is color-coded according to "readability" levels.
In addition, sequentially taught library skills, including
electronic searches, ensure a greater sense of self-reliance
within any library setting.
Enriched Reading
Enriched reading classes are held in the library once each
week. The goal of this program is to enhance each child's learning
experience through interaction with books and literature. Dramatizations and Readers Theatre are integral to the program.
The Lower School Project
At year-end faculty meetings, Lower School teachers select the
topic for the following year's Project. Choices have included
The City, Project Earth, Sanford Cares, The Middle Ages, and Countries
and Cultures Around the World. Each Lower School teacher focuses
upon a different aspect of the topic and spends the summer collecting,
researching, and planning for exciting ways to enliven and develop
each portion of the Project. There is generally an all Lower School kick-off at the beginning and a finale at the end of each project. Activities designed to enliven this central theme are hands-on,
age appropriate, and designed to build basic skills while simultaneously
enhancing an understanding of the subject matter. Children develop deep understandings
through active participation in a meaningful learning experience.
Evaluation
Teachers conduct ongoing informal diagnostic assessment, which
enhances and facilitates instruction. The Lower School Scope and Sequence, which outlines a hierarchy
of skill development, provides a framework for student assessment at the end of each trimester. Written reports reflect the results of these evaluations and indicate whteher a child is meeting or exceeding expectations.
The Educational Records Bureau standardized examination is given in the Spring of Second and Fourth Grade. The results provide another source of information for teachers, and the process gives children practice with taking a standardized test.
At the end of the first trimester, a parent teacher conference
is scheduled to ensure a mutual understanding of the child's
academic progress. Communication between parents and teachers
is encouraged throughout the year.
