Academics

Elementary Program Grades 1-2

Reading - Writing - Phonics : Language Arts
Students arrive to first grade ready to read, and many students read well. Reading, writing, spelling, and penmanship are taught through an integrated approach. The principles of Early Balanced Literacy are used which include modeled, interactive, independent, and shared reading and writing. Students also learn elements of writing, grammar mechanics and usage, and develop creativity through journaling and Writer’s Workshop. There is also an emphasis on spelling sight words and vocabulary development. By the end of first grade, students are fluent and independent readers and writers. Second grade students increase their fluency and accuracy in reading. Second Graders are reading to learn. They are exposed to more of the conventions of English through their reading and writing experiences. They continue to build on their knowledge of phonics and work on recognizing common patterns to decode and spell words. Students increase their understanding of the stories they read by learning new vocabulary and comparing and contrasting story elements. Students learn the writing process and work to publish their own stories. Students are assessed on a regular basis in reading and writing through teacher observation, project evaluation, and running records of reading. They are assessed on spelling skills of high frequency and vocabulary words in both structured skill tests and free writing. Language arts units are integrated with the class theme whenever possible. For example, during a unit on Africa, students will read and write African folklore and legends. Student work is collected in journals, portfolio binders, and spelling/phonics workbooks.

Mathematics
Using Everyday Mathematics as a reference, First Graders apply math skills by using manipulatives and real life experiences. Students learn primary math symbols, to count by 2’s, 5’s, and 10’s to 100, the concepts of place value and re-grouping, two digit addition and subtraction, fractions, time to the half hour and quarter hour, money value and the value of coin combinations, graph interpretation, sorting, estimation, geometry concepts, measurement, and problem solving. Small group instruction is used to differentiate for student needs. Second graders increase their range of knowledge in all areas of mathematics. Students work towards gaining automaticity with basic math facts. They use multiplication and division to solve problems. Students also continue to learn more about measurement, fractions, time and money. They are taught strategies to solve math problems and are also encouraged to set up and solve problems of their own. Students participate in math projects such as graphing the growth of Amaryllis flowers. This project allows for skill development in estimation, measuring, data analysis, addition, graphing, and science based concepts. Students are evaluated biweekly with a unit review in which answers are given orally and in writing.

Science
First graders learn about a variety of themes through life science, earth science and physical science. Students learn about living and non-living things through the study of plant and animal communities. Students are exposed to various endangered species through internet research, fieldtrips, documentaries, and literature. The earth science unit teaches students about geology, water, weather and seasons. Students learn about matter and energy through the study of solids, liquids, gases, heat and light. There are also extension units involving the study of pushes, pulls, and magnets. These themes are explored through hands-on experiments, making hypotheses, and the collection of data. Environmental Education is taught and modeled throughout the year. Students are made aware of the major environmental problems facing the word today. Units are integrated with the major theme of study. For example, during a unit on South America, students are taught about the rain forest, its layers, inhabitants, destruction, and conservation issues surrounding these problems. Students are faced with real-life environmental responsibilities such as reducing, reusing, recycling, and composting. Students are assessed after each unit on their retention and application of topics covered.

Social Studies
As part of our class themes, social studies in the first/second grade teaches students about the world around them and the issues that face each of the various regions. Students learn the importance of history through the study of their expanding communities. The study of geography involves studying states, countries, continents, oceans, environmental change, and map skills. The students also learn about different cultures through experiential sharing and investigation. Students are exposed to various holidays, celebrations, and traditions. Second grade students learn more about the world around them by expanding on each of the differences in the cultures, such as music, dance, politics, language, clothing, food, and religions. The major themes covered in Social Studies include: mapping (continents, community, and cardinal directions), needs and wants (including how we depend on each other to meet our common needs), citizenship (symbols of our country and basic government institutions), and biographies (looking at the lives of famous individuals and learning how they used their lives to help others).

Spanish
In first and second grade students will review through games, art, songs, drama, puppets, videos, books and movement vocabulary and expressions learned in the past year. They will learn more complex concepts like feminine and masculine, plural and singular and more actions. They will review greetings, farewells, commands, colors, days of the week, animals, actions, numbers, vowels, parts of the body and other basic vocabulary and continuing expanding their vocabulary. Conversation: Students will learn by repeating, practicing, memory and acting eight different dialogues-situations: Basic questions and answers. This year we will put the emphasis on our theme Communities. Students have Spanish four times a week.

The Arts
Visual Art
Students in first grade focus on the elements of art emphasizing line, color, shape, form, and texture. They identify and describe various subjects in art (landscape, seascape, portrait, still life). Students view and identify art objects from various cultures (Japanese screen painting, Mexican tin art, African masks).

Students in second grade perceive and describe repetition and balance in nature, in the environment, and in works of art. Students demonstrate beginning skill in the use of basic tools and art-making processes, such as printing, crayon rubbings, collage, stencils, and ceramics. Students demonstrate beginning skill in the use of art media, such as oil pastels, watercolors, and tempera. Students focus on a different artist each month. and take part in a culminating project depicting each artist's style.

Performing Arts - See our Arts page

Physical Education
At the Kindergarten to second-grade levels, students learn basic locomotor skills through a variety of individual movement patterns and cooperative games and activities. Students become familiar with many individual movement skills used in a variety of popular games and recreational activities and the benefits of a healthy lifestyles through exercise is introduced. Importance of sportsmanship and fair play and learning to get along with each other is consistently reinforced.