Lower School Curriculum

Our early childhood program teaches children to be part of a class and school community. Social interaction is a big focus as children develop relationships, understand norms, and learn to work together. We encourage independence by giving children choices and guiding them to make positive decisions. We also teach children about conflict resolution in a friendly way. Through play, children express themselves, learn collaboration, and explore their imaginations. They also develop important fine motor skills through activities like lacing beads and using tweezers. In Physical Education, they work on gross motor skills and body coordination. Music and movement are integrated into our daily routines.

In Kindergarten, Social and Emotional Learning focuses on developing critical social skills like respect and compassion towards peers. Students work together in groups, learn to share ideas, and collaborate on the curriculum. They are encouraged to help each other and take responsibility for their actions. In our active learning environment, children engage in hands-on activities that promote all areas of development - intellectual, language, physical, and social. They also have opportunities to develop both large and small motor skills through indoor and outdoor activities, contributing to their overall fitness and well-being. Fine motor skills, such as using pencils and crayons, are also emphasized to strengthen hand-eye coordination.

In First Grade, we tap into students’ curiosity, imagination, and enthusiasm by creating a climate where each student can contribute to the learning process. From day one, the focus is on developing a first-grade community in which every member feels safe, has a sense of belonging, and is eager to learn, grow, and carry out the shared responsibilities of classroom citizenship. Only then can a student in First Grade truly do their best work and succeed academically. Research has shown that a balance of social, emotional, and academic learning is essential to the positive development of a child’s cognitive growth and character.

In Second Grade, students experience exciting growth in their independence and social awareness. Students begin to establish a balance between external guidance and self-reflection. This produces a sense of competence, leading to greater self-direction and independent thinking. They participate more independently in problem-solving and begin to appreciate differences of opinion. Their social interactions are thus constantly evolving. With their growing curiosity about the world around them, students start to understand their role within the community and become more engaged in the school's structure and routines. Their sense of community is fostered through classroom job responsibilities, group work, and participation in assemblies, our Lower School Buddy Program, and class presentations. Through read-alouds with focus questions, discussions, skits, and activities to support the lesson, students develop a diverse toolbox of skills and strategies that will support their emotional and social experiences in school. 

In Grade Three, children continue becoming more independent in their learning. With guidance from their teacher, they learn skills like managing materials, using available resources, and advocating for themselves. These skills are taught through whole-group lessons and practice activities. Third Grade students also learn to work well with peers by communicating, collaborating, and compromising in group tasks. They participate in structured lessons that promote empathy, cooperation, responsibility, and self-control. 

Additionally, students have a Health and Wellness class where they learn about topics like nutrition, hygiene, sportsmanship, and friendship in a way suitable for their age. They also have the opportunity to discuss their concerns and address peer relationships in a supportive environment.

In Fourth Grade, students learn to be creative, collaborative, critical thinkers, and effective communicators. They learn how to be creative through research projects, book reports, STEM scenarios, and problem-solving opportunities. They will also learn to collaborate in reading groups and science partnerships. In addition to these skills, students develop their understanding of the world and their place in it through discussions on current events, community service projects, and studying different countries. They learn important life skills such as time management, conflict resolution, reflection, and goal setting. Grade Four students gradually work more independently, taking ownership of their work and setting personalized goals. 

They also engage in community projects to cultivate empathy and social awareness. Health and Wellness classes cover various age-appropriate topics, providing a platform for students to address their concerns and discuss peer relationships. Fourth Grade is a transformative year, where students mature and grow as they become more socially aware and independent learners.

As students in Fifth Grade prepare for middle school, they are encouraged to take on more responsibility and ownership of their learning and behavior to grow into self-directed, responsible, and accountable learners. Students learn effective study habits and organization skills with their teacher's guidance. They learn to set goals, prioritize tasks, track their progress, and reflect on their achievements. Students practice leveraging technology such as email, Google Workspace, and Toddle to stay organized and engaged in their studies. 

Socially and emotionally, students learn to navigate complex social dynamics, resolve conflicts peacefully, and collaborate effectively with peers. Emphasis is placed on empathy, active listening, and constructive communication, fostering a supportive and inclusive classroom environment.

Fifth Grade students apply critical and creative thinking to solve complex problems across various subjects. They learn to communicate effectively through collaborative activities, consider multiple perspectives, and work towards solutions. The result is that students become critical thinkers and problem solvers ready for the Middle School environment. 

Students in Fifth Grade also participate in a Health and Wellness class, where age-appropriate topics such as nutrition, hygiene, sportsmanship, friendship, social media, bullying, self-image, peer pressure, and adolescence are covered. Students can bring their concerns to class, and peer relationships are addressed in an open forum setting.

Social studies in the early childhood classroom involves learning about commonalities and differences in school, neighborhood, and world communities. Children develop social and civic responsibility, empathy, kindness, and understanding through student-centered, project-based, and inquiry-based approaches such as family study or individual self-portraits. Children explore aspects of what we share in the world and in our surroundings through activities, exploration, and class discussions. Students will explore concepts such as: Who We Are, How We Express Ourselves, Sharing the Planet, and How the World Works.

Kindergarten children are keenly interested in themselves, those around them, and their environment. For students to feel a sense of agency in their school environments, they must first consider the different physical locations and people they interact with throughout the school day. Students explore essential elements of personal identity in order to help them recognize how they can contribute to a team. Then, they identify opportunities for teamwork in their own class community. Students then explore the essential elements of time and how tracking and sharing our journey through time is a way of sharing the unique stories that make us who we are. They build an understanding of how time’s patterns and cycles structure our past and present lives to better prepare for what’s to come.

Students will explore such questions as: How can we make school a great place for everyone? How can we unite to build a powerful class community? And, how can we use wisdom from the past to build a better future?

Students work together to build an inclusive understanding of family while identifying the various roles and responsibilities that contribute to a family. They explore what makes their family unique as they develop a mindset of curiosity and appreciation for differences they may encounter among various families and cultures. They will investigate how location, natural features, and climate shape daily life, and how goods and services are produced to address community needs and wants. Students learn about interdependence by identifying the web of people that they interact with every day who work to build and sustain the community. They investigate how people come together to show pride and care for the community, and create a variety of representations to capture what makes their location special. Students also explore the meaning of citizenship by investigating key topics such as rights, responsibilities, fairness, rules, and laws. They examine how practicing citizenship also requires them to inform themselves, distinguish fact from opinion, and engage in respectful discourse. 

Students will explore such questions as: How can we work together to meet community needs and wants? How can we respond to our changing landscape? And, how can we innovate to improve the world around us?

Students are introduced to the concepts of needs and wants, scarcity, and abundance, as well as the ways that producers and consumers interact and how individuals and communities make choices about how to use their resources. Students explore natural resources, how and why we modify the landscape, and the impacts that modifications can have on land, water, and living things. Students investigate how innovation has touched every facet of life throughout time. Through historical photos, oral histories, patent drawings, and even a legend, they investigate how innovation has led to significant changes in the way that people live, work, travel, communicate, and play. Students consider how innovation changes society as a whole as they create their own blueprints for inventing a better world.

Students will explore such questions as: How can we bring families together to form stronger communities? How can we help others appreciate our special location? And, how can we work together for the good of the community?

Students investigate the ways they are connected to distant places through the movement of people, goods, and ideas. From the label on a t-shirt to the sticker on a banana, we come into contact with evidence that the items we use have been harvested, manufactured, produced, or otherwise touched by people around the world. Students also explore the push and pull factors that contribute to the movement of people across nations. They compare past and present stories of immigration to develop and deepen their understanding of how cultural identity is built and maintained in a multicultural society. Finally, students examine the iconic figures and events of the civil rights movement, learning that all community members can work toward equality and justice. 

Students will explore such questions as: How can we act as global citizens? How can we honor and respect our many cultures? And, how can we take steps toward equality and justice?

Students investigate the rich natural resources across the US, how people use them, and the ways everyone can help sustain them. First, they consider how to take action in their community to promote the sustainable use of our natural resources. Then, students learn about the first peoples to live in New York State and major events at the roots of its history. They research a variety of historical sources and the various perspectives reflected in them, learning to ask critical questions about their sources and look for limitations as well as benefits. Finally, students study economics and how it relates to their lives, building a foundation of financial literacy while understanding interdependence, economic relationships, and the role each of us plays in the system. They investigate our power to make economic choices that can positively impact our communities today and in the future.

Students will explore questions such as: How should we use the United States' natural resources? How can we help tell the story of New York State? And how can we make economic choices that have positive impacts?

Indigenous Americans have been misrepresented in both the popular imagination and historical record since their first encounter with Europeans. This Inquiry challenges students to explore diverse sources, including artifacts and oral traditions, to form a deeper understanding of the rich, varied cultures and histories of Indigenous Americans. Then, students consider how they can take action in their community to honor the cultural heritage of their land better. Next, students go beyond a single narrative to explore causes of migration to the So-Called New World and the consequences arising from contact and collision between cultures. They investigate how geography influenced the unique regional identities and economics of the colonies, which established a web of trade and gave rise to slavery. Eventually, students are challenged to examine the people, events, causes, and effects of the American Revolution. They create a connection between the ideals of the American Revolution and our own modern challenges to promote life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all. Finally, students examine how limits on freedom and power, outlined in the Constitution or arising from other contexts, help to protect individual and collective rights so all people can fully participate in our democracy.

Students will explore such questions as: How can we better honor the cultural heritage of this land? How can facing the complexities of America's past help us to meet the challenges of the present? How can we promote life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all? And, how can we contribute to a healthy democracy?

Mathematical thinking in Preschool and PreK is a process of developing a strong sense of number, spatial awareness, and pattern recognition through hands-on inquiry-based experiences. Math lessons are designed to foster awareness and recognition of math all around us in our everyday world. The students are provided many opportunities to increase number fluency using an extensive range of math manipulatives and through daily exposure to block building work. Engagement with these manipulatives also helps children see the patterns and shapes of things and math as a meaningful part of life experiences.

Kindergarten children learn numbers, operations, and algebra. Concepts covered in these areas are comparing and ordering, whole number computation, patterns, models, equality, and inequality. Kindergarteners are introduced to size, position, and two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes. Students gain a foundational understanding of length and distance, weight/mass, capacity, and volume through measurement. The program applies data analysis, problem-solving, reasoning, and proof to real-world problems. Kindergarten students use representations to model, organize, and record their mathematical thinking. Learning experiences allow students to recognize connections in mathematical ideas and understand how concepts build on one another.

In First Grade, math instruction follows a curriculum that develops mastery through a process that moves from concrete manipulation to pictorial representation to abstract reasoning. Among the areas covered in first grade are: sets and numbers; counting to 100; skip counting by 2s, 5s, and 10s; comparing and ordering numbers; number bonds; whole number addition and subtraction; number sentences; number stories; place value; money; estimation and mental math; shapes and solids; measurement; data analysis; problem-solving; and critical thinking. In addition, students are regularly challenged to explain their problem-solving strategies, both verbally and on paper. Based on ongoing assessments, students receive differentiated instruction, extra practice, or enrichment as needed.

Students in Grade Two build on topics introduced in first grade, which are introduced and developed through models and hands-on materials. They focus on numbers 1-1000, number operations, math fact fluency, measurement, geometry, and data collection and analysis. Students are prompted to explain their thinking when solving problems and encouraged to use “math talk” when describing the strategies they used to solve problems.

Students in Third Grade explore mathematical patterns, develop number sense, understand and apply concepts of multiplication and division, solve real-world problems involving all four basic operations, and enhance their understanding of fractions. Studies of concepts relating to time and money help students see the value of math in their everyday lives. Third Grade students actively discuss and practice using mental math strategies during “Number Talks,” which enables students to explain their mathematical thinking and compute numbers more efficiently.

Topics covered range from place value to geometry. Fourth Grade students become proficient in multiplying multiple-digit numbers, fractions, and decimals, and dividing whole numbers, fractions, and decimals. Students demonstrate a clear understanding of graphs and their uses and interpret data. Students benefit from differentiated instruction and small group work, which allows teachers to meet the needs of the individual child while mastering each skill.

Fifth-Grade mathematics reinforces and expands upon mathematical concepts involving the four basic operations taught in previous Lower School grades. Simultaneously, students are preparing for the geometric and algebraic curricular content that will be the focus of their mathematical studies in middle school. Students develop an increased number sense and the ability to model numeric operations visually. This is achieved by focusing on abstract mathematical content, such as fractions, decimals, and percents, in real-world problem-solving situations relevant to their lives. Students learn new techniques to take geometric measurements and analyze data to make sense of their findings.

Speaking / Listening

Preschool and PreK students learn the fundamental aspects of language acquisition and expression: how to talk to and with each other. This process is explicitly taught through Circle Time and Morning Meetings. Letter of the Week activities facilitate awareness and recognition of sound and symbol relationships. 

Reading

Preschool and PreK students are exposed to various fiction and non-fiction texts. Daily explicit instruction in phonemic and letter awareness training supports the Preschool and PreK efforts in making connections between letters and sounds, recognizing the directionality of print, and recognizing that print has meaning. Daily read-alouds are interactive, encouraging students to be highly involved in the reading process. 

Writing

Pre-writing is taught in Preschool and PreK settings through drawing pictures. Purposeful scribbles and illustrations are expressions of their thoughts that, over time, become more visually articulated into letters and letter-like forms. A wide range of opportunities is provided to support the writing process in the classroom.

Speaking / Listening

Kindergarteners engage in daily one-on-one and whole-class discussions about their learning. After listening to read-alouds, Kindergarteners have discussions about the character, setting, and plot of the story. Morning Meeting and daily vocabulary routines help to develop students’ oral vocabulary. Conversational skills such as facing the speaker when listening and asking the speaker questions to clarify or seek more information are practiced consistently. 

Reading

Fundations develops a variety of reading skills such as decoding, phonological awareness, concepts of print, literary responses, comprehension, and vocabulary. Songs, discussions, rhymes, and shared reading from big books help students to develop stronger reading skills by engaging the students in a fun and interactive way.

Writing

Our writing program includes opinion, information, and narrative writing. In Writing Workshop, Kindergarteners work collaboratively with peers and teachers to understand how to think of a topic, draw it, and then do their best approximation of writing.

Through Fundations, handwriting integrates sensory opportunities to help students learn how to write and position capital and lowercase letters and numbers properly. 

Speaking / Listening

Respectful listening behaviors and effective speaking skills are taught and practiced throughout the school day in First Grade by engaging in whole-group, small-group, and partner conversations during academic learning and social activities. First Grade students hone their speaking and listening skills by learning to work cooperatively with others in small groups and partnerships to achieve shared goals or solve problems. 

Reading

Reading instruction encompasses oral language development, vocabulary knowledge, phonemic awareness, phonics, decodable texts, and fluency practice. Students receive explicit instruction in both small and whole-group settings and engage in shared and independent readings of leveled texts and children’s literature. In addition, comprehension strategies and recognition of basic literary elements are taught through guided readings in various genres. Literacy is reinforced throughout the academic day in connection with math, science, and social studies lessons. A love of reading is nurtured through book sharing, teacher read-alouds, read-to-self time, and discussions of books read at home.  

Writing

The approach to writing in First Grade is two-fold. Goal number one is to build each child’s self-image as a writer. This is achieved through a Writer’s Workshop approach that teaches students how to develop writing ideas, plan the beginning, middle, and end of a work before beginning to write, and produce a first draft that focuses on telling the story. Through mini-lessons and modeling, students learn revision strategies that will enable them to better inform or entertain their future readers. Final “published” versions of student writing pieces are then shared in public forums. The second writing goal in First Grade is improving the mechanics of writing. Grammar, parts of speech, and correct subject-verb agreement, spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure are taught through explicit instruction during Language Arts periods. Students gain ongoing practice in writing complete sentences that are not only grammatically correct but also make sense. Students also learn correct letter formation through explicit instruction and practice.

Speaking / Listening

Second Grade students develop their speaking and listening skills daily, in whole class, small group, and one-to-one practice conversations with the teachers and peers. Increased opportunities for oral presentations build their already expanding vocabulary and promote attention to learn new information. Second Graders also develop speaking and listening skills during special class meetings, such as Morning Meetings, which help set the tone for respectful and engaged learning.

Reading

Students enter Second Grade with a strong base in the five components of reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Children at this age can have a wide range of reading abilities and experiences. Some Second Grade students are reading to learn, while others need increased instruction and practice with improving decoding, fluency, and retelling skills to become stronger independent readers. The teaching approach includes whole-class, small-group/guided reading. Individualized instruction and differentiated resources ensure all Second Grade students achieve their reading goals. We aim to foster a love of reading and an interest in a variety of genres. 

Writing

In Second Grade, Writer’s Workshop emphasizes developing a love of writing and the sense that writing can be creative and fun. The units of study include opinion, information, narrative writing, and poetry. Mini-lessons, as well as teacher and peer conferences, help students gain a deeper appreciation of writing. Mentor texts offer students a range of writing styles to support them as they develop their writing skills. Celebrating student writing through Publishing Parties is another component of the writing curriculum for students to share their writing.  

Speaking / Listening

Class discussions and cooperative learning activities provide opportunities for students to practice conversational turn-taking. They listen actively and ask logical questions in order to clarify or gather additional information. Third Grade students learn and practice strategies for following and understanding multi-step directions and complex oral language. Before sharing or presenting information, students rehearse how to deliver information in a logical sequence, use precise wording, and include relevant details. Third Graders are exposed to rich vocabulary across all curricular areas and are encouraged to use their knowledge of words and meanings to enhance their spoken language.   

Reading

Third Grade students read for pleasure and for purpose. The reading curriculum is designed to develop children’s enjoyment of reading while strengthening their overall understanding of written text. Third Graders are exposed to a variety of genres and informational reading material related to Social Studies and Science content. Students learn strategies for monitoring comprehension and how to read with greater accuracy and fluency. They develop the ability to think critically about the reading material, analyze characters and plots, make inferences, and distinguish between main ideas and details in order to summarize what they have read accurately. Guided reading lessons and individual conferences with teachers provide opportunities for differentiated instruction, support, and enrichment based on students’ individual needs.

Writing

Writing instruction in Third Grade focuses on developing ideas, finding a voice, and building stamina while expressing thoughts clearly and creatively. Students are exposed to and create various written forms, including personal narratives, persuasive essays, and research-based expository writing. Whole-class mini-lessons focus on organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and presentation of writing. Direct instruction of basic skills of grammar, usage, and mechanics occurs simultaneously. These skills are all applied as students work through the stages of the writing process. Individual conferences help students further examine and improve upon their own writing. Through multi-sensory spelling instruction, students learn to apply phonetic spelling rules and patterns to their written work.

Speaking / Listening

Fourth Grade students learn that being a good listener is a valuable life skill. They are taught to maintain eye contact to demonstrate engagement with the speaker, and to keep all comments until the speaker has finished, as this shows listening with the intent to understand, not just to reply. Hand signals are used to indicate a connection made with the speaker or a wish to add to the speaker’s comments. Students are taught to ask confirming, clarifying, and probing questions in order to deepen understanding of the speaker’s message. Fourth Graders learn to speak in front of an audience by practicing how to express themselves in a clear and audible manner. These skills are reinforced through collaborative group work, oral presentations, performing skits, and exhibitions.

Reading 

The Fourth Grade reading curriculum strives to create a community of passionate readers who read to gather information, understand ideas, and appreciate books. Through novel studies of various genres and inquiry-based learning, students explore character study, understand plot, and learn to interpret the meaning of the elements of fiction. Students are challenged to think critically and to connect to the stories they are reading. Fourth Graders are exposed to a variety of texts, including resources gathered from Scholastic magazines, Time for Kids, and informational texts taken from both the Science and Social Studies curricula. Comprehension skills and strategies for interpreting fiction and non-fiction texts are directly taught and then reinforced with discussions and comprehension questions. Guided reading and group work give students the attention needed to become strong, independent readers. 

Writing

Students are inspired and motivated to become competent and successful authors who express themselves through writing. Through Writer's Workshop, Fourth Grade students compose realistic fiction, personal narratives, historical fiction, and informational essays. Emphasis is placed on developing believable characters, using realistic settings, and creating problems and solutions. Grammar, spelling, and vocabulary instruction enable them to expand their vocabulary and build their knowledge of spelling rules to become accomplished spellers.

Speaking / Listening

Speaking and listening are essential components of the Fifth Grade curriculum. Discussions are both teacher- and student-led and occur across all subject areas. Fifth Grade students are expected to participate in class discussions actively, listen empathetically to their peers, and use relevant and appropriate details and/or facts and evidence to support their ideas or arguments. Students listen to stories and ask questions to deepen their understanding of a topic. In Fifth Grade, students gain public speaking experience by presenting their work to their peers and to other members of the community. 

Reading

In Fifth Grade, Language Arts is taught with a balanced approach to literacy. Students spend an equal amount of time reading and writing. The reading curriculum incorporates whole-class novel studies, shared inquiry discussions, book clubs, and independent reading. Members of a book club read and reread the same book in sync with each other to gain a new understanding of themes and uncover new ideas. During independent reading time, students choose “just-right” books to read silently. Throughout these reading experiences, students explore themes such as social issues, honesty, self-respect, and fitting in. 

Writing 

Writing instruction brings together vocabulary, grammar, and spelling in Writing Workshop. Together, these components raise the level of student writing so that students can effectively communicate their unique ideas through narratives, essays, poems, and journals. Fifth Graders build their independence as they go through the stages of writing, where there is an increased emphasis on researching topics from a wide variety of sources and properly citing them.

Preschool and PreK students begin their scientific journey by focusing on topics that are familiar and accessible yet rich for deeper exploration. Science is a process of inquiry in the Preschool and PreK classroom. Students take on the role of a scientist by asking questions, making observations, discovering actions and reactions, and recording data through hands-on exploration of the natural world. They ask such questions as, “What do you notice?” “How does it feel?” “How does it smell and taste?”  Throughout the year, the children study the concepts of liquids and solids and explore various topics, including the five senses, seasons, weather, and life cycles.

Units of study include: Animal Needs; Plant Needs; Severe Weather; Weather Patterns; Sunlight & Warmth; Pushes & Pulls

Units of study include: Animal Traits & Survival; Plant Traits & Survival; Day Patterns; Night Patterns; Light, Sound, & Communication

Units of study include: Animal Biodiversity; Plant Adaptations; Erosion & Earth’s Surface; Material Properties

Units of study include: Fossils & Changing Environments; Life Cycles; Heredity, Survival, & Selection; Weather & Climate; Forces, Motion, & Magnets

Units of study include: Human Body, Vision, & The Brain; Earth's Features & Processes; Sound, Waves, & Communication; Energy, Energy Transfer, & Electricity

Units of study include: Ecosystems & The Food Web; Water Cycle & Earth's Systems; Stars & The Solar System; Chemical Reactions & Properties of Matter.