Academics

Kindergarten through Grade 1 Curriculum :: 2009-2010

Morning Meeting

Morning meeting provides a friendly and enjoyable daily routine, giving children opportunities for song, movement, the sharing of news, ideas and theme related objects.

Theme

Themes last a typical five week cycle. They reflect the changing seasons and give children a taste of some of the subjects that are covered in the upper grades of the school. All themes tie in as closely as possible with the children’s immediate experience. Kindergarten and 1st grade share the same themes though they have different activities and outcomes. Examples of themes include: Gardens and Vegetables, Native Americans, Earth and Rocks, Castles, Snow, and Spring.

Choice Time

Choice time activities are set up daily by the teacher. They cover a variety of subjects including reading, writing, theme, art and craft activities and creative play. Choice time also includes opportunities for teacher-pupil one-on-one sessions.

Language Arts

Story Weekly stories are chosen, often to support the theme. Stories are used in a variety of ways including telling, retelling, making storyboards, puppet plays and acting out. A major source of these stories is from the Brothers Grimm and other popular folktales.

Reading and Writing Workshop The K-1 class follows the Village School Reading and Writing Workshop model as used throughout the school. This introduces to children a range of reading and writing styles and supports individual growth and achievement.

Journal This is an important part of the week when the children can express and record some of their most precious experiences. Kindergarten children can have their ideas and drawings annotated by the teacher. 1st graders have the opportunity to develop emerging writing skills by recording simple sentences.

Reading Partners Students are partnered with older reading partners from the upper grades for the year. This is a great way to encourage joint learning and cement friendships across the school. These visits take place on Tuesday mornings and are highly anticipated.

Quiet Reading Children arrive in the classroom at 1:00 after lunch recess and find a quiet place to curl up with a book or just rest. This time also provides excellent opportunities for the teacher to engage in one-on-one reading with students.

Math

The K-1 class follows the Investigations math curriculum. This curriculum allows the children to build math skills, learn number sense and participate in activities through practical, hands-on investigations. It builds confidence and the enjoyment of math activities. The Kindergarten has lessons with Kim and the 1st grade with Martin. A variety of teaching methods is used, including whole class, partner and individual activities. There are math areas in the classroom with current activities for the children to explore during choice time.

Science

The K-1 class has weekly science lessons, and monthly science and nature field trips to Camp Caravan. Katrina Walton, one of our science teachers, plans and teaches these lessons alongside Martin. The main focus for science is on exploring and observing the natural world. Areas in the classroom provide a place to display items brought back for appreciation and study. Journals are regularly used by the class to record sightings and experiences. 1st graders have an additional science lesson with Cathy Szal on Tuesday afternoons with the 2nd- 3rd grade when they explore science and nature topics in greater detail.

Physical Education

The Friday session of Phys. Ed provides an opportunity for children to engage in a longer session of activity such as hiking. Where appropriate, K and 1st graders participate in activities with the upper grades. Through the week there are also numerous Phys. Ed. opportunities such as outdoor recess and indoor activities such as stretching and balancing. Lauren visits us for a yoga class on Friday mornings.

Music

K-1 students sing a wide variety of songs, often season or theme-related, and develop a sense of rhythm using drums and percussion instruments, dancing & movement. Students will also learn about classical composers and families of instruments.

1st graders will start learning Recorder this year. This is an excellent introduction to instrumental music; students will learn to play by ear and will begin the process of beginning to read music. Recorder students should practice for about 5 minutes a day at home – it makes a big difference in their progress.

Spanish

Spanish is taught through movement, stories, games and songs, and is based on the TPR (Total Physical Response) system. K-1 students learn vocabulary basics such as numbers, days of the week, family members, animals, greetings and food, and will learn to act out simple commands and stories in Spanish.

Art and Craft

Art is integrated within the curriculum and can be seen in the classroom daily. This year we have a weekly art session with Renee, the art teacher. In this once a week special class, the project is introduced through a brief song or story. Then comes the fun part... we all sit down and paint, draw or sculpt with clay or do some other open ended art activity tied to the K-1 curriculum theme. The goal of these art projects is to have the children feel successful with new experiences and materials, to have fun and to allow for creativity in a non-verbal way. Art hour will include watercolor, clay, collage and simple weaving.

Recess

In keeping with the Village school ethos, the importance of recess is emphasised as a time of great learning - physical, emotional and social. Since most of the school day is structured, recess gives the children a blank canvas for imaginative and physical play together. Teachers are present and encourage children to find solutions together when differences arise.