Core Subjects - National and International

Effective communication is essential in early childhood education as it helps convey thoughts, process information, and prepare for reading and writing tasks. Children participate in a range of speaking and listening activities, both individually and in groups, within a rich literary environment that encourages exploration of different text genres.

**Oral Communication (Listening and Speaking):**

Children use oral language to connect with others, learn about their environment, and express their thoughts and feelings through conversations, storytelling, and following instructions to enhance their communication skills.

**Written Communication (Reading and Writing):**

- *Reading:* Children develop an interest in reading through play and exploration, participating in daily reading sessions, peer reading, and discussions to understand print concepts.

- *Writing:* Children begin to experiment with writing by creating marks that resemble writing, incorporating drawing and diagramming to practice and refine their writing skills. Writing activities, guided and independent, encourage self-expression through the Writing Workshop method.

**Visual Communication (Viewing and Presenting):**

Children interact with various media forms to interpret their surroundings, responding verbally and nonverbally. With guidance, children explore visual communication forms, linking real-world experiences with imagination.

In the Early Childhood Program, mathematical concepts are seamlessly incorporated into daily activities. Students engage in a variety of math experiences, including counting, measuring, shape recognition, and block building. A blend of structured classroom tasks and spontaneous play nurtures their mathematical growth. Through storytelling, songs, and interactive tasks, students establish a solid groundwork in numbers, patterns, measurements, and spatial awareness.

Students naturally interact with mathematical concepts by sorting objects, recognizing patterns, and constructing structures. Teachers assist them in activities encompassing sorting, graphing, measuring, and identifying shapes in both 2D and 3D forms. Furthermore, students delve into pattern recognition, measurement understanding, and spatial relationship exploration as part of their educational journey.

During the Early Childhood Program, students acquire knowledge about whole numbers through hands-on experiences, focusing on skills like counting, comparing quantities, and grasping number concepts. The curriculum emphasizes fundamental mathematical areas such as number representation, shape description, and developing proficiency in basic addition and subtraction within 5 in kindergarten.

The Early Childhood Program follows the Common Core Standards for English Language Arts and employs a Workshop approach to teaching reading and writing. This method enables students to engage in authentic reading and writing experiences, enhancing their reading skills and writing abilities. By exploring a wide range of high-quality texts, students become proficient, independent, and enthusiastic readers, developing a genuine passion for reading while engaging with texts appropriate for their comprehension levels.

Moreover, students hone their writing skills by expressing themselves creatively and effectively. A structured writing process helps students view themselves as writers, boosting their confidence and refining their writing abilities. Throughout their Lower School journey, students practice various writing genres, from narratives to informational and opinion pieces, and have opportunities to showcase and celebrate their work.

An essential aspect of the literacy program includes explicit instruction in grammar, spelling, phonics, and word study. Handwriting, emphasizing proper letter formation, is a focus until Grade 2. The Fountas & Pinnell Phonics and Word Study program is implemented in Kindergarten through Grade 2, while Grades 3–5 utilize Words Their Way for spelling and word analysis instruction.

Integration of literacy with Science and Social Studies units is seamlessly incorporated when relevant. Regular visits to the library further support students in their reading and writing development.

The implementation of the Common Core Mathematics standards is geared towards ensuring a holistic development of mathematical knowledge, skills, and mindsets across all educational levels, ranging from early learners to Upper School. Teachers utilize these grade-specific standards to craft instructional units that can be integrated with other areas of the curriculum as applicable. Each grade level places emphasis on enhancing conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and practical application through problem-solving tasks with a focus on specific critical areas of concepts and skills for mastery and seamless progression from one grade to the next.

In addition to the core mathematical content, students at each grade level are encouraged to adopt mathematical behaviors and practices like problem-solving, reasoning, communication, modeling, representation, and pattern recognition to foster critical thinking and creativity in mathematical contexts.

Instructional time in each grade level is devoted to nurturing a deep understanding and fluency in essential mathematical concepts:

- Grade 1 concentrates on addition, subtraction, place value, and foundational measurement skills.

- Grade 2 explores base-ten notation, addition and subtraction fluency, measurement, descriptive geometry, and more complex arithmetic operations.

- Grade 3 places importance on multiplication, division, fractions, arrays, area, and two-dimensional shapes.

- Grade 4 advances further into multiplication, division, fractions, geometry, and more complex arithmetic operations.

- Grade 5 strengthens fluency in fractions, decimals, operations involving fractions, volume, and advanced multiplication skills.

Our students engage in a structured inquiry process to develop a deep understanding of science and social studies. This approach encourages them to wonder, ask questions, research, participate actively, and draw conclusions in each unit of study. Students are prompted to apply their learning through behavioral changes, embracing new ideas, self-reflection, and making informed choices. The flexibility in taking action leads to a more profound connection to the real world.

In science, our curriculum adheres to the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), encompassing physical, earth, and life sciences. Students participate in STEM challenges, conduct experiments, and explore local ecology to gain a comprehensive understanding of the natural world.

For social studies, our curriculum aligns with the C3 framework, emphasizing key concepts in civics, history, geography, and economics. Units are crafted to help students connect their experiences to real-world contexts, fostering character development through the exploration of themes like community, cultural identity, diversity, and civic responsibility. Each unit encourages students to reflect on their learning and establish meaningful connections to the world around them.

STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) plays a significant role in our educational program. It is essential to equip students with a strong foundation in STEM to better prepare them for the future. Recognizing the value of fostering transferable STEM skills in all students, including the youngest learners, starting from kindergarten, we actively involve them in solving real-world challenges. Our curriculum, aligned with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) engineering practices standards, features grade-specific units that aim to enhance students' transferable STEM skills. Students engage in STEM activities across our Lab, classrooms, coding and robotics lessons, internal and external STEM events.

We integrates technology seamlessly into the learning process by employing a creative, cohesive, and consistent approach. We recognize technology as an essential part of daily school life for our community members. Through the use of technology, students are empowered to explore personal interests and engage in purposeful learning, enhancing their critical thinking skills and fostering continuous inquiry. We strive to expand traditional classroom boundaries by offering authentic and immersive learning experiences, utilizing information technology in innovative ways. Our technology experiences are carefully tailored to be age-appropriate and meaningful.

We emphasize the development of responsible and educated digital citizens by delivering explicit lessons using the Common Sense Media curriculum. These lessons cover critical areas such as media balance, privacy, digital identity, cyberbullying, and media literacy. In terms of technology resources, each Early Childhood class has access to a set of four to five iPads, while in Kindergarten, there is one iPad for every two students. For Grades 1 to 5, every student receives a school-owned iPad at the beginning of the year to support their learning journey, along with continuous monitoring and classroom dialogues about iPad usage agreements. The Seesaw platform facilitates the sharing of learning moments among students and teachers within the learning community, while online platforms and digital tools are easily accessible through the library website.

We offer a holistic personal and social development program that focuses on various areas such as self-awareness, emotional intelligence, social responsibility, leadership skills, and cultural sensitivity. Students learn to manage emotions, set goals, and make responsible choices. 

Ensuring student safety and well-being is a priority at our school. We educate students on safeguarding measures and empower them with strategies to protect themselves from potential harm. Through age-appropriate lessons, students learn about personal boundaries, appropriate behavior, and seeking help from trusted adults when needed.

Our curriculum creates a positive and supportive learning environment where students acquire the attitudes and skills needed to navigate challenges, collaborate effectively, and lead confidently. Our mission emphasizes learning, care, challenge, and leadership by promoting empathy, respect, responsibility, and tolerance among our student community.